Apple Media Center with Gaming?

[mr.suff]

If Apple did launch a download service they could structure it much like Infinium Labs Phantom service, the console is now defunct, but they had the basic workings of a game download service.
And is it theoretically possible to have two computers downloading the same game just different chunks of it simultaenously and then streaming it to the iTV? say your desktop downloadds the first 8th, whilst your laptop gets the second 8th. Would this be possible and if so wouldn't it make downloads faster/easier?
And another idea, the full screen Video iPod *cough* could be used as the controller, all it would need is a small add on that would fit around the iPod, and then the screen could be used as an additional display for in game info, say a map, or what you need to do.

suffy

 

[dazzer21]

Well I've been waiting and waiting and it hasn't happened yet - the Mac is way more than capable of having a "Gran-Turismo"- or "Project Gotham"-style racer - no developer have taken up the challenge yet and I don't think Apple producing any kind of games console is going to change that. If you're in the market for that kind of thing, surely very fast PC emulation will satisfy that need.

So is this going to be something to run PC games on - or is the next gen iPod going to be capable of running something at 40+ FPS full screen...?

 

[mhagerman]

what the heck? "and as of late, Nintendo"? does the speaker know absolutely nothing about the history of video games, or are they just trying to imply that Nintendo just wasn't solid enough before the Wii? both of which are completely untrue, in either case...

sorry, didn't have time to read all the posts - don't know if this has been touched on or not. that little bit just irked me.

 

[DeepIn2U]

After all that has been said on this I still mark it a negative.

Apple previously already failed at trying to bring a gaming console to the market "Griffin" I think it was called. Great collectors item but a waste of cash reserves.

Wii is the great challenger to the XBox360; its almost safe to say that with M$' jump on other platforms ... they own this generation. Yes I loathe to say that but its looking that way. PS3 will gain momentum and sales next year as more titles get released.

I just feel better R&D can be spent for other ventures that will be more fruitful to Apple, its developers & its customers.

iPhone rumored device isnt a re-incarnation of the Newton; by comparison.

 

[lmalave]

Nintendo games on the Macs?

I call a merger with Nintendo. The Wii and DS fit like gloves into Apple. Apple-like design (iPod-esque), Apple-like innovation (sensor system and touch screen/dual screens). The iTV2 will fold into the Wii, bringing a formidable competitor to PS3 and XBOX 360 (media+games). The DS/GB micro/GBA SP fold into iPod/iPhone bringing a formadable competitor to PSP (media + games) After all, it seems like there has only been enough room for three home consoles per generation (lately).

*** IT IS UNLIKELY BECAUSE NINTENDO HAS A HIGH MARKET CAPITALIZATION***

Yeah, no way it would be a merger. That would be stupid. A merger shouldn't just be because two companies like each other! There has to be a sound financial or operational reason for the merger. I think a partnership or licensing agreement is much more likely. So here is what I predict:

This gaming "console" could be nothing more than a Mac mini (albeit enhanced with dedicated graphics, finally). Think about it. Someone has already found a way to use the Wiimote as a Bluetooth "controller" for the Mac. What if Apple were to license the Wiimote from Nintendo, not to mention the more popular Nintendo game titles? Apple could port the Nintendo games to OS X, or maybe somehow build an efficient emulation for the Wii (not sure how realistic that would be with all the 3D graphics though).

This would be win-win for Nintendo and Apple, since Nintendo would make more money from selling more Wiimotes and also getting the game license fees from Apple. From Apple's perspective, it wants to invest in strengthening the gaming options on the Mac, since that's one of the big knocks against the Mac. By associating the Apple with Nintendo, Apple flips that whole equation around and all of a sudden can brand itself as the "fun" computer fulfilling all of your digital entertainment needs: movies, music, *and* gaming!

 

[milatchi]

Minigames for use on the iPod and iTV is fine, but making a game console and going into that industry is stupid. Console Gaming is already cutthroat and over capacity. Three's a crowd, four is suicide.

 

[SiliconAddict]

Not interested. I'll pass for several reasons. The biggest being that no doubt Jobs is guiding the project. I don't want that man anywhere near my gaming system.

 

[SiliconAddict]

I can't see Apple making this mistake again. The Pippin should have been great, the hardware was superior to Playstation. In the end it sold less than 10,000 units worldwide.

The problem is that Jobs may very well have a large enough ego to think that when the pippin was released it wasn't Jobs's Apple. I can do it right.

I just threw up in my mouth a little™

No kidding. That is the worst controller I've ever seen. Never mind that the d-pad isn't joined so going from one button to another is going to leave a void during gameplay but the tiny buttons. Egh. Scream so form over function which would kill a console in about 30 seconds.

 

[dernhelm]

This gaming "console" could be nothing more than a Mac mini (albeit enhanced with dedicated graphics, finally). Think about it. Someone has already found a way to use the Wiimote as a Bluetooth "controller" for the Mac. What if Apple were to license the Wiimote from Nintendo, not to mention the more popular Nintendo game titles? Apple could port the Nintendo games to OS X, or maybe somehow build an efficient emulation for the Wii (not sure how realistic that would be with all the 3D graphics though).

I hope not. I don't want some "merged" box that does gaming but also works like a Mac. Simply produce a game box that can interoperate via bluetooth, WiFi, regular old networking, or whatever, with all the macs in my house. This needs to be an iTV enhancement, and as far as I am concerned could be a relatively closed box. There's always the geek that'll crack it open, that's fine, but I don't see a need to have it be thought of as a computer.

Open up a "games" section at the iTMS, so you can simply download new games to the console as soon as they become available, and play them directly on it. Then you've got something.

This would be win-win for Nintendo and Apple, since Nintendo would make more money from selling more Wiimotes and also getting the game license fees from Apple. From Apple's perspective, it wants to invest in strengthening the gaming options on the Mac, since that's one of the big knocks against the Mac. By associating the Apple with Nintendo, Apple flips that whole equation around and all of a sudden can brand itself as the "fun" computer fulfilling all of your digital entertainment needs: movies, music, *and* gaming!

Definite win for Apple if something like this happened. Not so much for Nintendo, as it would eat into their console market. The few extra Wii-motes they sell won't make up for that. In order for this to work, Apple and Nintendo would have to enter into a joint development and marketing agreement. Nintendo would need to know that Apple won't just take their platform off in some direction that they don't want it to go. With a joint development agreement, they will split dev costs, get the best ideas of both companies, and in the end produce some consoles that inter-operate in ways that the companies simply couldn't pull off independently. Joint marketing would allow both Nintendo and Apple to sell the jointly developed work while both companies could maintain their own separate brand identities.

 

[lmalave]

I hope not. I don't want some "merged" box that does gaming but also works like a Mac. Simply produce a game box that can interoperate via bluetooth, WiFi, regular old networking, or whatever, with all the macs in my house. This needs to be an iTV enhancement, and as far as I am concerned could be a relatively closed box. There's always the geek that'll crack it open, that's fine, but I don't see a need to have it be thought of as a computer.

Open up a "games" section at the iTMS, so you can simply download new games to the console as soon as they become available, and play them directly on it. Then you've got something.

Umm...get a Wii, then The Wii is a completely self-contained dedicated gaming box that doesn't even *need* to interact with your Macs or any other computer in any way. I mean, what doesn't the Wii have that you are looking for? The ability to download and a full-fledged Wii game?

I am pointing out a simple way that Apple could strengthen the *Mac* brand as a gaming machine. That's one of the major knocks against Macs, so I think Apple would benefit most from finding a way to associate games with the Mac brand, rather than creating a totally new, non-Mac game console brand.

Definite win for Apple if something like this happened. Not so much for Nintendo, as it would eat into their console market. The few extra Wii-motes they sell won't make up for that. In order for this to work, Apple and Nintendo would have to enter into a joint development and marketing agreement. Nintendo would need to know that Apple won't just take their platform off in some direction that they don't want it to go. With a joint development agreement, they will split dev costs, get the best ideas of both companies, and in the end produce some consoles that inter-operate in ways that the companies simply couldn't pull off independently. Joint marketing would allow both Nintendo and Apple to sell the jointly developed work while both companies could maintain their own separate brand identities.

Hmmm...I think you better check your numbers
The really big moneymakers for Nintendo are in the Wii accessories and games. Sure, Nintendo is probably the only game company that actually makes a positive profit margin on its console, but even then the margins are just so much higher for the games and accessories.

I think the biggest barrier is actually that in the world of Gaming, Apple needs Nintendo more than Nintendo needs Apple. So I think you are right in saying the relationship would have to be deeper than just licensing.

 

[Lynxpro]

That iPlay looks like one of those small desktop office shredders...

Or a Labtec subwoofer.

 

[dernhelm]

Umm...get a Wii, then The Wii is a completely self-contained dedicated gaming box that doesn't even *need* to interact with your Macs or any other computer in any way. I mean, what doesn't the Wii have that you are looking for? The ability to download and a full-fledged Wii game?

I do own a Wii

So for what I'm looking for... Downloading the Wii games would be great. But in case you hadn't noticed, the Wii doesn't have a DVD drive. So accessing movies from another system, but shown through my home entertainment center (Wii Plus) would be great. I also can't use the Wii to display my iPhoto collection of slideshows or home movies, and having access to my iTiunes music would be a definite bonus as well.

Hmmm...I think you better check your numbers

"Umm, Hmm..." Stop mumbling please....

The really big moneymakers for Nintendo are in the Wii accessories and games. Sure, Nintendo is probably the only game company that actually makes a positive profit margin on its console, but even then the margins are just so much higher for the games and accessories.

I am well aware that no other game company besides Nintendo actually makes money on their consoles. I am also aware that game sales are what "drive" the industry (I don't think hardware accessories are all that profitable for anyone, but I am could easily be wrong on that). However, if half of the Nintendo-based consoles out there say "Apple" instead, there will be a name recognition problem that Nintendo would be very keen to avoid. And besides, why should Nintendo lose _any_ hardware sales to Apple? There is simply no good reason for them to do so. Nintendo is surviving because of brand recognition and loyalty - they would be stupid to dilute any of that.

I think the biggest barrier is actually that in the world of Gaming, Apple needs Nintendo more than Nintendo needs Apple. So I think you are right in saying the relationship would have to be deeper than just licensing.

Which is why Apple could not possibly successfully launch their own gaming console. Apple needs someone (Nintendo, Sony, or Microsoft) to partner up with if they want to add console gaming to the list of things their "home entertainment center" could do. I'm just being realistic - there simply isn't enough in it for Nintendo to "team up" with Apple out of the goodness of their hearts. They need to get something in return, and a joint development/marketing agreement could possibly give them that. There may be many other things that give them that as well. This is just one thing.

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

Apple has a gaming system being produced allready, its called a computer but apple has crippled most of them for sake of ProMac. And has ran off the developers with stuff like new OS's,PPC,lack of video cards and not marketing the gaming aspect of the Mac. Bring back the "Video Card" and get PC games running Native is all they have to do.........but thats not thinking different. Apple can only blame itself for this mess. Ironic to buy a Mac and have to install windblows to game.

 

[gkarris]

I do own a Wii

So for what I'm looking for... Downloading the Wii games would be great. But in case you hadn't noticed, the Wii doesn't have a DVD drive. So accessing movies from another system, but shown through my home entertainment center (Wii Plus) would be great. I also can't use the Wii to display my iPhoto collection of slideshows or home movies, and having access to my iTiunes music would be a definite bonus as well.

Wii has a DVD drive - the movie playing has been disabled for cost reasons.

All Nintendo has to do for Apple is remove the Gamecube ports, and let Apple put their own OS on there for iTunes and Mac access.... Nintendo may or may not let Apple's version play Wii games.

Panasonic made a DVD version of the Gamecube a while back, but was only available in Japan.

Here's the pic:

 

[OdduWon]

Apple could enter this market and succed, they have an edge. They are not a computer company trying to be a game company like M$. they are a computer company that is making it easier to play games. If you had an itv for instance. could you play a computer game streemed from a desktop on your big screen? if apple updated the mini they could really push to take pc gaming away from M$. But would need to make deals with game developers ,like they are doing in the ITMS, to get the content. If apple made a Xserve mini for gamers they could play, and compute from their big screens.

Itv could be the stepping stone into the pc game world.

the mac mini tower would be the greatest media device in the world.

 

[eenu]

sony and apple are with blueray.

Wrong. Apple has not yet decided which format it is going to side with.

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.

Why would Sony want apple to make an add on media centre for their PS3? You not think the PS3 can incorporate that itself?

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

Nope and Nope! Apple is sitting on the fence as it rightly should do waiting to see which one goes the right way!

 

[dernhelm]

Wii has a DVD drive - the movie playing has been disabled for cost reasons.

Good point, I stand corrected. The drive is technically a DVD drive, but since it doesn't play off the shelf movie DVDs - for my purposes it isn't one.

All Nintendo has to do for Apple is remove the Gamecube ports, and let Apple put their own OS on there for iTunes and Mac access.... Nintendo may or may not let Apple's version play Wii games.

That's not what I would want at all. A Wii is an upgrade option to me because I know all the GameCube games we already own will work on it. Nintendo also made it more appealing, by allowing me to download relatively cheaply old N64 games to play on it. The wide breadth of games from old to very new are one of the things that make the device so appealing. If Apple actually did decide to work with them (and I don't think they will, but it makes for interesting conversation) then they need to _add_ to that portfolio of stuff the Wii can already do.

Panasonic made a DVD version of the Gamecube a while back, but was only available in Japan.

Here's the pic:

Very, very cool. Thanks for posting this. I got one of the original game cubes with the "digital" port out the back (I understand some followup units did not always contain that port). Of course it wasn't really digital (rather component video) but it still looks a million times better on my HD TV. The weird thing about that port, however, is that the component cables were only sold in Japan. I had to order the cable from Nintendo in Japan. But at any rate, it sure would have been nice if that unit also played DVDs.

I was bummed when I found out that the Wii had the same cable limitation. It could do component video, but you had to order the cables on line - and, of course, at a cost premium.

 

[macmax77]

what if Apple comes out with a device that clusters with your Computer and takes advantage of its power to make the most powerful game console out there?

Too Niche???

 

[babyj]

A link up between Apple and Nintendo to create a single iTV/Wii unit or something similar seems to good an opportunity for either of them to miss. There is absolutely no cross over between their products, Apple want the media side and Nintendo the game side - a match made in heaven.

Not sure about the hardware side being shared, I'd of thought it would make more sense for both of them to be squeezed into the same box. So the iTV could carry on doing its thing (eg recording TV) whilst you play games.

 

[gregorsamsa]

Apple has a gaming system being produced allready, its called a computer but apple has crippled most of them for sake of ProMac. And has ran off the developers with stuff like new OS's,PPC,lack of video cards and not marketing the gaming aspect of the Mac. Bring back the "Video Card" and get PC games running Native is all they have to do.........but thats not thinking different. Apple can only blame itself for this mess. Ironic to buy a Mac and have to install windblows to game.

Wholly agree! Adding token gaming aspects to Apple's iTV is unlikely to figure significantly in how well it sells. Ditto introducing gaming on the iPod...it sells as well as it does because of what it already does best: music downloads, etc.

Meanwhile, Apple continues to lose many potential gaming switchers largely because of integrated graphics in most of their consumer Macs. Frankly, I find Apple's current attitude to gaming bordering on arrogance.

l'll be buying a gaming-enabled computer next year & would like it to be another Mac (to add to my iBook), but, being on a budget, I feel I'm being forced to consider an upgradable PC. It almost makes me angry.

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

The new Mac commercials are kind of a joke, they want to paint the PC as all business and the Mac as all fun but the truth is just the opposite, gaming on Macs is stale almost extinct without Bootcamp & XP and I dont think they make a TV card to go into any Mac all external stuff and it cost 5-10 times what tv tuners do on Pcs. Apple has some serious problems and spinning the truth in commercials isnt going to solve it. I mean really how many times can you play with your photo's?

 

[AppliedVisual]

Frankly, I find Apple's current attitude to gaming bordering on arrogance.

More like ignorance...

l'll be buying a gaming-enabled computer next year & would like it to be another Mac (to add to my iBook), but, being on a budget, I feel I'm being forced to consider an upgradable PC. It almost makes me angry.

It's come up in several of the Mac Pro threads before, but Apple has a huge gap between the iMac and the Mac Pro that needs to be filled. They need a smaller tower/desktop system positioned here (heck, bring back something like the Cube). It needs a single optical drive bay, single CPU, 3xPCI-E slots would be good - make at least two of them handle the full 16 lane bandwidth and offer some good video cards - even multicard SLI / Crossfire type configurations, 2 to 3 internal HDD bays too...

I know plenty of people who would jump all over a single quad-core system w/4GB and a top notch video configuration. Apple's current marketing approach where there's hardly any difference in price between a fully loaded 24" iMac and a relatively bottom-end Mac Pro is not good justification for the huge gap in actual hardware options in between. Apple is dropping the ball here bigtime and I really don't think they see it. ...And such a system doesn't need to only offer the best CPU and video options either. There's plenty of people who don't need a Mac Pro and yet an iMac doesn't quite fit their needs either. Someone who uses their system almost entirely for Photoshop would be served well with a single quad-core CPU config and a mid-range video card for about $1500~$1800 and they may want to hook it up to a 30" display... The iMac doesn't work and the Mac Pro is overkill and $1K or so more than they want/need to spend to get what they can use.

 

[rd001]

It's come up in several of the Mac Pro threads before, but Apple has a huge gap between the iMac and the Mac Pro that needs to be filled. They need a smaller tower/desktop system positioned here (heck, bring back something like the Cube)... 2 to 3 internal HDD bays too... The iMac doesn't work and the Mac Pro is overkill and $1K or so more than they want/need to spend to get what they can use.

I agree. But having reviewed how steadfastly Apple clings to the iMac vs. PowerMac/MacPro lineup, introducing only the Mini as a switcher machine, I concluded there will be no such machine any time soon. There are absolutely no rumors that they are producing one.

In fact, they could produce single Xeon CPU with dual or quad cores and still be at or under the $2K price on a Mac Pro, leaving a second CPU socket empty like Dell does so you can add a second CPU later. Apple just doesn't want to do that. I think they want a pro machine with multi-CPU multi-core architecture to create a market and development expertise for the future. So Compressor and some others can use all the cores now but, for the future, they will make Logic and Final Cut and others more fully utilize the multi-core architecture. Multithreaded OpenGL and how they use the MacPro for a testbed for it is a sample of their thinking. I look for other pro apps to incorporate background rendering and previewing much more fully, probably around the time that Leopard comes out.

So as someone who bought a Mini PPC 1.42 as a switcher a year and a half ago, I decided to buy a 2.66 Mac Pro because there will be no medium tower option any time soon. It'll be here next week. So Apple didn't give me what I wanted. But they still sold me a workstation class machine, the first I've bought in over a decade.

 

[penter]

i voted positive.

then i read the article.

then i voted negative.

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

Democrat or Republican?