Apple Media Center with Gaming?

[MacRumors]

Fresh off the heels of Jesse Tortora's research note indicating that Apple would be interested in entering the video game market, Smarthouse.com.au is claiming that Apple has indeed indeed investigated entering the market.

This week in Sydney the Vice President of Technology for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Paul Holman and I discussed the possibility of Apple entering the games market." [...] Another Sony Computer Entertainment executive said "We have known for some time of Apple's interest in the games market however it will be tough for them up against Sony and Microsoft and of late Nintendo. We believe that they will come into the games market late in 2007 but not with a pure gaming console. We are told that they are looking at a pretty powerful media centre with a big gaming capability. This is one of the reasons that we are looking at significant firmware upgrades between now and then to deliver a better media centre capability via the PS3".

According to Smarthouse, Apple has faced initial setbacks with IBM and Sony on getting their hands on the latest game-console CPU technology, which they may want to use in order to allow developers to seamlessly transition their games over to Apple's new platform.

Jesse Tortora claimed earlier this week that Apple's move into the living room with the "iTV" would be met with fierce competition from console-game makers, which may force Apple to add gaming capability to its solutions. From his research note:

Ultimately, we think Apple's decision to enter the video game market could depend on its need to defend its position against the competition in the battle over the digital home. Microsoft introduced new video download features with its latest Xbox 360 update. We believe that both Microsoft and Sony will eventually add full-length downloadable movies to their catalogs (especially since Sony owns a movie studio). There are no technical limitations to this capability, and Microsoft is already aggressively wooing the movie studios.

Initially, Tortora's comments appeared to be based on educated speculation, but the report from Smarthouse appears to corroborate the claims. However, readers should note that the Smarthouse article does have some glaring inaccuracies, notably a claim that Microsoft's XBox 360 CPU is made by Intel (it is in fact made by IBM).

Smarthouse also does not have an incredibly extensive rumor record. In 2003, Smarthouse claimed Apple was ready to move to Intel-based processors, a move that did end up happening but not until this year. Smarthouse is currently predicting an Apple-branded tablet to be released in 2007.


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[princealfie]

Hurrah, a real mac gaming console!

 

[Rojo]

Gaming as part of a media center makes much more sense than an actual gaming console. Looking forward to developments...

 

[Markleshark]

This as well as iTV? No thanks Apple...

 

[~Shard~]

It will be interesting to what kind of spin Apple puts on this if it does indeed come to fruition - as the article says, it would not be a dedicated console - so what then? Integrated with iTV, Front Row, the Mac mini, who knows how it would work. Perhaps we will learn more at MWSF if Jobs speaks more about the iTV (which I'm assuming he definitely will.)

 

[Hattig]

If you want to have a games system release in late 2007 you've done more than hire a few game developers, etc, by now.

Clearly I see it as Apple incorporating some sort of gaming functionality into the iTV, either making it compatible with iPod games, or having iTV specific games (and/or ports of iPod games).

Maybe they just want a decent gaming API in Mac OS X, one that provides nice network gaming, audio, controls, etc, to the OS alongside OpenGL.

 

[yellow]

I assume that I'm not the only one who finds this rather ridiculous when games & Apple aren't even close to being synonymous?
I mean.. can we trust a gamers pseudo-console (whatever) from Apple when there are hardly even any games for OS X?

 

[chicagdan]

What kind of track record does Smarthouse have, on Mac and non-Mac rumors? I'm skeptical of this ... I have no doubt that Apple's exploring this option, but it seems like a huge gamble. I suppose if gaming is a secondary part of the device -- like movies and music are to the XBOX -- okay, that might work. Maybe.

 

[~Shard~]

This as well as iTV? No thanks Apple...

As the article eludes to, I don't think this would be something separate from the iTV - I believe it would somehow be integrated with it, or be complementary in some fashion.

 

[Rojo]

Clearly I see it as Apple incorporating some sort of gaming functionality into the iTV, either making it compatible with iPod games, or having iTV specific games (and/or ports of iPod games).

I have a feeling any games developed would be both for the iPod AND iTV. I can't see them doing separate versions for each -- seems too confusing, especially if both are downloaded from iTunes. And Apple usually steers clear of confusing...

 

[chicagdan]

I have a feeling any games developed would be both for the iPod AND iTV. I can't see them doing separate versions for each -- seems too confusing, especially if both are downloaded from iTunes. And Apple usually steers clear of confusing...

That would be lame. I'm going to buy an iTV-2 to play breakout?

 

[Hattig]

I have a feeling any games developed would be both for the iPod AND iTV. I can't see them doing separate versions for each -- seems too confusing, especially if both are downloaded from iTunes. And Apple usually steers clear of confusing...

Which would suggest that the iTV is built around an ARM architecture, possibly a PortalPlayer chip like on the video iPods. Not really a powerhouse for more advanced games though.

Unless the iPod games run on a VM, e.g., Java. I haven't ever seen that mentioned though.

 

[Thanatoast]

The market's pretty crowded. I don't see where Apple's niche would be.

 

[AppliedVisual]

This as well as iTV? No thanks Apple...

I think people are looking at this wrong....

iTV looks to be an upgraded mini, probably with a faster CPU and a dedicated graphics chip. No reason it can't handle wireless controllers and play some decent games. Actually, if iTV sports a C2D at 2GHz or better with 1GB RAM and a decent GPU (ATI x1800 or nVidia 7800GT or better), we're already looking at a system that could provide gaming comparable to the Wii (without the nifty nunchuck controller), run most recent desktop system games and outside of very complex geometry at HD resolutions can still hold up against XBOX 360 and PS3.

You can bet there will be iTV games or simply Mac games with additional iTV features for when you load it on your iTV. ...Duh. Apple doesn't need an additional game console. They need to make iTV a powerful, flexible media center computer in a compact box. If people choose to play games on it, they go buy the necessary controller and a game or two.

 

[blueflame]

Mac gaming

i see it this way. Apple really wants into the media center market. that is obvious. it is going to happen. sony is really big on their PS3 right now. apple also wants games. ibm and sony both are in on the cell proccessor, and sony and apple are with blueray. it seems to me, that everyone gains from apple doing this. maybe the apple game system will be based on (SONY TECH) and based around the PS3 with more media center capabilities. gets a split sony apple name, both people end up as winners even ibm. ive thought of something like this for them for a while. like the apple version of the PS3. Sony and apple are both backing blueray right? this is another stepping stone for the format war. blueray on PS3 is BIG new for the blueray format. Sony really wants this. I think apple does too.
A

 

[Analog Kid]

I love the suggestion that Nintendo is a recent entrant into the gaming market...

 

[balamw]

iTV looks to be an upgraded mini, probably with a faster CPU and a dedicated graphics chip.

Why do you think this? The iTV's price point is half of the current Mini and it still has major upgrades? The HDD and optical drive don't make up half of the Mini's price.

B

 

[DavidLeblond]

Apple would be better off putting DVR functionality in the iTV. I don't see that happening. Video games? Definitely not.

I'm thinking we'll see 1 or 2 more features added onto the iTV announced in January, and thats it. Nothing major.

 

[iris_failsafe]

Integrate it with the Wii

They should work with Nintendo and integrate the Wii into the ITV/mini so that both machines share resources (the wii could use a new blue ray connected to the mini drive for example as well as its hard drive).
You could use the wii mote to control mac os X instead of a mouse...

 

[840quadra]

I love how Sony is saying it will be hard for Apple!

Sony, How about you focus on you staying in the Gaming market! Their lack of presence, and or failure to deliver is driving playstation diehards like myself nuts!

I also refuse to pay That much to buy a console, just to play the only game series I have ever been involved with. If options don't become available for a reasonable price. I will go to a new "favorite" in a heartbeat!

I welcome Apple into this market, and I am fine with Apple not going with an IBM cell processor. Perhaps one of the new fun PowerPC products mentioned at the beginning of 2006 may be the new entertainment / game / audio device that they may be coming out with ?

 

[yellow]

That would be lame. I'm going to buy an iTV-2 to play breakout?

That's "Breakout 2: Revenge of the Brick", to you buddy.

 

[twoodcc]

Hurrah, a real mac gaming console!

yeah, i hope it's true! that was be awesome. i doubt it will happen though, but hopefully it will.

 

[ChrisA]

I expect Apple wil get into gaming by adding games as secondary functions to other products. For example they will make games run in the iPod and then the iPhone and them add some more games to Leopard. later when iTV comes out it's main function will be to connect Front Row to a TV set wirelessly but it will also play some games. In the long run this will let Apple compete with Sony and MS.

Why "in the long run" because now in 2006 it takes special high-end graphics hardware to play a high-end game. But in a few years even entry level machines will be able to do HD (1080i) res at 60FPS. Once you have that why would you need better? Even the best TVs can't display more than 1080 at 60FPS. If they start building now in a few years the Apple game will look as good as the Xbox games. Apple just needs to make sure that each of their products fit together. For example the full screen video iPod, if it has a touch screen and bluetooth should be usable as a game controller for the game that is played on the iTV. Not total rocket science but they do have to get game developers involved in every product area. They need someone in those eary design meetings you can add perspective from a game designer's point of view.

So I don't expect any big announcements, it will be a slow process of gradualism where Apple products slowly become better at games

 

[BoyBach]

I love the suggestion that Nintendo is a recent entrant into the gaming market...

That made me chuckle too! I mean they've only been going for over 100 years and practically created the videogame industry (with apologies to Ralph Baer, Nolan Bushnell et al.)

 

[tk421]

This as well as iTV? No thanks Apple...

I'm inclined to agree. No thanks. But you never know...