ATTENTION: The "gMac"

[Shrek]

The Dream

Ok, so Macs are useful for many things. For the most part they are useful as a Digital Hub for things like your digital camera, MP3 Player, PDA, cell phone, etc. They are also useful for using intensive multimedia applications such as digital video, sound editing, graphics editing and filmmaking, but not much else. There is one major market that Macs lack in, and you guessed it: Games. We all dream of the day when there be will tons of tons games that can be played on the Mac. We all dream of the day when most Mac games will be released about the same time as their PC counterparts. And the biggest dream of all is the one where the Macintosh becomes the BEST platform for playing games. This all seems far fetched and may never happen, but it is possible and could happen very soon if you think hard enough about it. For those of you who want to make your Mac gaming dreams come true, I have a solution for Apple and all the Mac fans out there; and no, this time I did not and am not going to send a letter directly to Apple concerning this. Besides, I know that Apple is watching these boards anyway.

The Obstacles

For those haven't thought of it, I'd say that there is only one thing right now standing in the way of the making the Mac platform the best platform for playing games: the XBox. Apple could make their own game console, but I think the biggest reason why they don't do this is because they don't want to compete with Microsoft. I mean think about it. If Apple competed with Microsoft by making their own game console to compete with the XBox, then Microsoft could retaliate against Apple, and well, that could be bad for everyone. But the XBox, so far, has not been very successful when comparing it to the success of Playstation 2. The upcoming Playstation 3 may very well blow the XBox away! I think Microsoft made a bad choice by getting into the game console market, and I believe that the XBox will die a slow death.

On the flip side, Analysts are reporting that Nintendo may soon exit the game console market. If that happens, wouldn't it be great if they started making games for Apple's game console?!

The "gMac"

If the XBox dies and Gamecube fails it will open the door wide open for Apple to make their own game console without worrying about facing some tough competition. There is no official name for such a system, but for now, let's just codename it the "gMac." This game console should be designed to compete vigourosly with the PC as a gaming platform; that will be it's biggest competitor! It should be the most advanced game console on the market (in terms of functionality and expandability) and years ahead of its time (though this may come at a high price for a game console, but well worth it. I'm thinking between $500-$700). It should sport features unlike any we have ever seen in a game console. The best feature of all is that games that are made for the Mac should be compatible with all general-purpose Macintosh computers as well as the "gMac." This way, game publishers will be more motivated to port games to the Mac just because of the "gMac". If there is a low-cost Macintosh legacy system that is designed just for gameplay then that will clear the way to make the Mac the BEST gaming platform in the world!

Now it's on to speculating what should be in it. . .

 

[Nipsy]

Even priced right out of the market as you suggest, consoles are a razors/blades product.

To profit from this, Apple (not a company with gaming on its radar) would have to become/buy a game developer.

So, what you have proposed is a money losing hardware product, which redeems itself by selling non-existant titles, from a non-existant Apple division?

 

[medea]

Why in the world would apple even think about attempting to enter the wishy-washy world of console gaming? so many companies have tried it and failed, I mean even sega is out of the business! too much of a risk, and with apples current financial status I don't think it's a smart risk to take......

 

[Shrek]

Originally posted by medea
Why in the world would apple even think about attempting to enter the wishy-washy world of console gaming? so many companies have tried it and failed, I mean even sega is out of the business! too much of a risk, and with apples current financial status I don't think it's a smart risk to take......

At least it's not as much of a risk as having the Mac gaming market literally fail. I mean think about it. The biggest market in the PC world right now is games. Everyone wants to play games. And if there were more games for the Mac, more people would use Macs. If the Mac gaming market is allowed to fail, less people will use Macs. It's all about saving the Mac gaming market and the Mac itself, but I must admit that it is a last resort.

 

[MrMacMan]

You know apple tried and failed this before... the console was called the Pipin, I mean it was a KILLER console, it did EVERTHING, I mean EVERYTHING.
But apple didn't market it and it even had too games, but it blew and sank... .
Well I think Apple needs games for its Computer before making a console ... Some of the BEST games aren't avaible for the mac. Sorry, apple had tried before, Maybe it could work, Maybe.

 

[funkywhat2]

as mrmacman sez: pippin

apple would have to as desperate as they were back then to enter the console market. so far, the only player that is near sucessful without rumors of its eminent demise is Sony. it seems that a company can't sell lots of computer/software and consloes at the same time. And yes, i know that Sony makes computers too, but not many have them (at least as far as i know).

besides gaming causes stress, and isn't that what steve seems to be out to get rid of i.e. cable mess, a-la imac, easy integration (digital hub, OS X built in drivers) and the rest. try talking ot a hardcore gamer and not having something throun at you (while he's playing, i mean)

 

[cb911]

sounds good, but i don't think that it will ever happen.

 

[Spike Spiegel]

i believe the name gMac is already taken according to maccomedy.com it is the only mac designed for gangsters.

 

[Shrek]

What should be inside the "gMac"?

I'm thinking that it should definitely have an IBM legacy Power4lite or Power5lite processor (maybe even dual)and an nForce2/3 legacy motherboard. Maybe up to 4GB of RAM, room for two hard disk drives (up to 1TB), a few expansion slots (1 for video, 1 for sound, 1 for a modem, and a special slot for an airport card), a firewire and usb port for plugging the system into a PC (that would be awesome! ), a co-processor for converting PowerPC data into PC data (when plugging the system into a PC), and 8 USB game controller ports. NOW THAT WOULD ROCK!!!

 

[Anon]

I think a better idea would be for Apple and Sony to cooperate. Apple would provide Sony with a stripped down version of OS X. Sony would allow Macs that meet a certain level of features or power run PS3 games. It would be a win-win situation for both companies. Sony makes more money on games anyway and Apple would have a much larger game library. This won't happen of course, because both companies are pigheaded and don't like to share.

 

[idkew]

i think you guys are forgetting- while apple is not technically in the game market, the gamecube IS run on a PPC processor and uses a graphic card by the same company that supplies apple's... all there would need is a boot rom (well, ok, a little more) and it would be a mac (pippin style).

as far as i know, the nintendo games are written on macs since they use the same processor guts.

 

[idkew]

Re: What should be inside the "gMac"?

Originally posted by Shrek
I'm thinking that it should definitely have an IBM legacy Power4lite or Power5lite processor (maybe even dual)and an nForce2/3 legacy motherboard. Maybe up to 4GB of RAM, room for two hard disk drives (up to 1TB), a few expansion slots (1 for video, 1 for sound, 1 for a modem, and a special slot for an airport card), a firewire and usb port for plugging the system into a PC (that would be awesome! ), a co-processor for converting PowerPC data into PC data (when plugging the system into a PC), and 8 USB game controller ports. NOW THAT WOULD ROCK!!!

all this for the low, low price of $4,000.

mommy, can i get one for Christmas?

 

[rainman::|:|]

Originally posted by idkew
i think you guys are forgetting- while apple is not technically in the game market, the gamecube IS run on a PPC processor and uses a graphic card by the same company that supplies apple's... all there would need is a boot rom (well, ok, a little more) and it would be a mac (pippin style).

as far as i know, the nintendo games are written on macs since they use the same processor guts.

While the gamecube processor is indeed PPC, it's a different breed, i think it's called Gecko or some damn thing... anyway it's different enough to not be very similar to the PPC in Macs.

And i'm not 100% sure, but i don't think it matters where the games are written, since the code goes in on top of the assembly language...


pnw

 

[Shrek]

Re: Re: What should be inside the "gMac"?

Originally posted by idkew

all this for the low, low price of $4,000.

mommy, can i get one for Christmas?

Excuse me? Legacy hardware does NOT cost $4,000!!!

 

[voyagerd]

i thought of the name gmac before

 

[rainman::|:|]

*sighs*

The All-New gMac. Because so many stoned teenagers have enough disposable income to buy an overpriced Apple product.


pnw

 

[Nipsy]

Re: Re: Re: What should be inside the "gMac"?

Originally posted by Shrek


Excuse me? Legacy hardware does NOT cost $4,000!!!

The Power5, Power5Lite, Power4Lite (aka 970) do not exist yet, so they may be lagacy hardware in 5 years. Even then, they will be costly bits.

Additionally, these are server class processors, or their scaled down workstation counterparts. They would be a bad choice for a console.

nForce mobos are fresh to the market, so they will be legacy in 18-24 months.

2 Drives equalling 1TB should be available in about 2 years, so they'll be legacy in 4.

But...with all the slots you've proposed, I have decided I would buy one. I'd then throw away the controllers and game it comes with, and use it a a PowerMac.

 

[idkew]

Re: Re: Re: What should be inside the "gMac"?

Originally posted by Shrek


Excuse me? Legacy hardware does NOT cost $4,000!!!

4GB of RAM, new PowerLites and all that usb do not come cheap. all that i see as legacy is the gpu, which makes little sense. i would go with a legacy cpu and a top-of-the-line gpu.

[edit] read what nipsy just said... oops [/edit]

 

[Shrek]

A legacy processor from Moto would be nice, and less expensive. By the time the "gMac" could ever be manufactured and shipped, there should be a good legacy chip from Moto to use in it.

I would also like to see a scaled down legacy version of OSX for the "gMac"; one that is designed just for playing games.

Also, it would be cool to have a "gMac Network". This is what you connect to when you want to meet other people online to play multiplayer games on the Internet. This network could come at a small monthly/annual fee, though, to use it (though I sure hope there is a trial time to see how you like it).

Support for 7 different ways to connect to the Internet would be nice: Cable, DSL, Satellite, ISDN, Dial-up, 802.11x, and a direct connection into a PC. This would be easy to accomplish with the following hardware:

Originally posted by Shrek
. . .a few expansion slots (1 for video, 1 for sound, 1 for a modem, and a special slot for an airport card), a firewire and usb port for plugging the system into a PC (that would be awesome! ), a co-processor for converting PowerPC data into PC data (when plugging the system into a PC). . .

 

[diorio]

This is a market area that I do not see Apple reentering anytime soon. The Pippin is somewhat akin to the Newton in the respect that it was ahead of it's time but ultimately became a failed product. It seems that if Apple is wary of reentering the PDA market then the same would go for the game console market.

 

[Durandal7]

Originally posted by diorio
This is a market area that I do not see Apple reentering anytime soon. The Pippin is somewhat akin to the Newton in the respect that it was ahead of it's time but ultimately became a failed product. It seems that if Apple is wary of reentering the PDA market then the same would go for the game console market.

Right on dude, you hit the nail on the head. That deserves a commendation by the guy.

 

[Spock]

gMac Sound's like a Apple Branded G-String.

 

[isogonic]

As I understand it Nintendo did much of their intial development of games on Power Macs, and might even continue to do so. I remember reading in a GameCube mag how Nintendo used runtime libraries in order to simulate a GameCube on a Mac. I just wish that Nintendo would release a GameCube emulator for the Mac. (Fat Chance!)

 

[FattyMembrane]

apple does need to address gamers in terms of hardware choices. if you check the gaming section of the apple site, they just list the dual 1.25 as the ultimate gaming system. who in his right mind would pay over 3000 for a gaming computer (just the box!). they can come up with a better machine, but that really will not help the situation.

the reason that gaming on the mac is in such a sad state of affairs is because game developers don't care about the mac. when we do get games, they are released an average of about 3-4 years after the pc counterparts, and not only that, but they run like crap. you can't tell me that a 250 mhz PIII getting more fps than a 500mhz G3 in UT is a hardware issue. the people who port the games do a crappy job on the 4 year old ports leaving year old macs too "old" to play games that people on pc's have already forgotten. if computer games were released simultaneously and were as optimized for the mac as they are for the pc, you would see many more people switching.

 

[scem0]

It sounds like the PlayStation 3 would be the main contender. I don't know much about PS, but they are a lot more experienced. I think we might not be able to compete .