Apple Bumps Developer Test Device Limits to 100 Per Device Type, Including Apple TV

[AlecZ]

I'm really wondering which Apple TVs you're allowed to register. That could point to which ones will have an App Store. I'm assuming you can't register the original, but what about second-gen?

 

[foobarbaz]

As for Nintendo, I think that would be a good pairing for Apple because Nintendo is family friendly and their games don't usually utilize high-end graphics which is perfect for mobile platforms. They're also innovative when it comes to unique motion controls and using touch displays.

In some ways Apple and Nintendo are a perfect match, but some ways, they're completely incompatible.
Nintendo is very experimental. Their devices and controllers often contain gimicks and "crazy" ideas that are scrapped in the next generation. Apple only ships features that it's certain about. They're totally minimalistic. A divorce waiting to happen.

 

[arkmannj]

Volume and sleep buttons have nothing to do with UI input. Do you type an email by using the power button on your Mac? No. So that's a bad comparison.

Console gaming, and gaming in general, makes almost no sense without physical buttons. That's why the Wii U tablet has a full button layout, why Nintendo sells "Pro Controllers" for the Wii U, and why the majority of iOS games are still very casual. It's extremely hard to play a reasonably-paced game without the indirect aspect of feeling physical buttons.

Unless you're suggesting Nintendo go the casual route and release a bunch of endless-runners and such...

I think you misunderstand me... I was simply trying to illustrate that Apple is not button free as you indicated, but that instead Apple carefully considers where they utilize buttons and their intended purpose. I don't think any less consideration is taken by Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo when they design their controllers. My phone is not a gaming specific device so it doesn't need gaming specific buttons, but I can get accessory game controllers for it if I want.

I'm not at all suggesting that a Nintendo console should be just for casual gaming or be as minimalist as an iPhone in terms of buttons. Nor do I think if Apple had a gaming focused device that Apple would have so few UI/Game interaction related buttons. I think Apple would evaluate the needs/wants of the particular device they are creating and design a controller accordingly. A standard Wii-Mote has only 7 buttons used for game play (counting d pad as one button, and not counting home, sync or power buttons) compared to an xbox 360 controller with 13 buttons (counting d pad as 1, joysticks as 1 each, not counting the guide button or the connect/sync button) Yet I and many other people still enjoy a good many games with what could be considered a relatively minimalist controller, and for other games where I may need more controls I attach a extra controller like a classic, pro or nunchuck, etc... Apple need not rely on just a single controller.

I actually think a possibility for the AppleTV (or other device IF Apple were to get into the console business..which I doubt) would be for Apple to Utilize iPod's or iPhones, with a gaming controller attachment. That would allow for a nice multi-touch screen, with added buttons and controls that we would all expect to see on a gaming controller, and provide a healthy 3rd party market for attachments. Though I would have some concern on how the ergonomics of such a layout, but it probably wouldn't be much different than the Wii U gamepad I suppose.

 

[smo.ger]

I just hope we won't have to wait until next WWDC for it.

I don't think so

In my opinion they kind of introduced it on this WWDC. The below slide show a "cloud" shaped like an Apple TV or an Airport Express. I think they are going to introduce it in fall, when they release the capability of HomeKit. You need to have access to your HomeKit compatible devices with your iPhone from outside your home. And I think this works over the Apple TV because everyone can add it to an existing IT environment at home.

And with adding so much devices for testing they probably also add an app store.

 

[Black Belt]

There is stuff they DON'T talk about in the Keynote.

 

[trtmn]

Long live the Pippin!

 

[Bevz]

There is stuff they DON'T talk about in the Keynote.

Yes you're right; i saw no mention of merging the app developer accounts in the keynote but they made the change that day. I thought that was an important change and i would have thought the devs in the audience would have been more interested in hearing that than watching Eddie go through his record collection for half an hour!

Slight rant aside, it will be interesting to see if any little tidbits come out of the sessions.

 

[MartyF81]

You know folks... HBO has Developers who need to test stuff for things like HBOGo and so does Netflix,etc...

Not that there won't be a future open App Store for TV.... This doesn't imply what people think it does in my opinion.