Apple Removes iPod Click Wheel Games from iTunes

[Augure]

Let's be honnest: the only problem is capicity and price.

For what it is, an iPod Touch is ****ing expensive and has very low storage (I bought a 8GB iPod Touch for 230 euros = 310 $).

If they release WAY higher capacity iPod Touch getting close to the iPod Classic storage capacity, then why not. But I doubt it, as Apple marketing strategy is to innovate and update at the speed of the turtle because people will buy anyway.

 

[jmpnop]

Looks like Apple will be discontinuing iPod Classic. iPod still is a great product, I strongly feel they should support it. iPod Touch sales are eaten away by the iPad but iPod Nano 5G and Classic were great products, they had their own use. I'm sure there is still a good market for them. Hope Apple doesn't axe the iPod line.

 

[baryon]

Why discontinue the Shuffle? I see loads of people with it, and basically the point of it is to be tiny, cheap, and strong (no screen to scratch) for people doing sports and anything really. I see how the Classic can be discontinued as it's big, heavy and expensive, yet doesn't offer the features of the cheaper Touch except huge storage, which most people don't need.

The Shuffle on the other hand has no such disadvantages, it's unique in its own right, so I don't see why it should be discontinued.

 

[dfnj123]

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I've been holding off buying an iPod Classic hoping an update would come soon

Maybe I should bite the bullet and upgrade now...

 

[SandynJosh]

Wow apple. Just because you want to get rid of a product does not mean that everyone will get rid of it, plus these things are still being sold. Is it me or has apple starting to loose some of its finesse?

I agree, the games should still be left available for previous and current iPod Classic owners/purchasers, as this move really devalues the product, even if I were to put mine on eBay today the new owner has no game options, should they want them.

Life moves on, but this is a bit too abrupt a kick forward.

 

[ToM7]

no way that the ipod is going to die... no way

 

[CmdrLaForge]

I will order one when they discontinue them.

 

[Colpeas]

I will order one when they discontinue them.

So will I. By that moment, I am still in hope for an updated one.

 

[samsandy]

Frankly, at this point anyone who really wants a Classic already has one. The market for even huger music players has got to be minuscule, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them introduce a 128 GB Touch next week, which probably comes close enough for most people's purposes. I'm not saying it's completely nonexistent, but it's probably not worth it to Apple to continue making them.

but the problem with a 128GB iPod touch is it will be very expensive where the iPod classic was reasonably priced, and also had 160GB. It was a great product and shouldn't be discontinued!!

 

[wrinkster22]

The problem is that Apple are trying to sell us something not all of us need. A lot of us just want a box (the 120gb+ ipod) that has our tunes on it, nothing more. We have iphones or whatever etc and don't need an ipod touch, which cost more as they are more expensive to make.

Exactly, I dont want a flash based ipod that has a larger capacity than some of there computers complete with wi-fi! All i want is a media player that can hold all of my drm encoded tv shows

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I agree, the games should still be left available for previous and current iPod Classic owners/purchasers, as this move really devalues the product, even if I were to put mine on eBay today the new owner has no game options, should they want them.

Life moves on, but this is a bit too abrupt a kick forward.

exactly

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I will order one when they discontinue them.

Me as well. Or I will get a refurb

 

[jowie]

It seems odd to remove games before they stop selling the device. That's like a computer game shop removing all their stock of PS3 games before Sony decide to discontinue it. What about all the people who have just bought or are about to buy an iPod Classic?

I just got given one as a (very generous!) gift. I could've quite easily gone to the iTunes Store and spent a bit of money on games for my new toy, but now I can't. Why would they remove the games, even if they plan on discontinuing the Classic next week? It's not like they need the server space...

Makes no sense to me.

 

[Gasu E.]

There is a major problem with a 128GB Touch ... it's going to cost $399 or $499, completely crazy. ... I was hoping that new 220GB drive would end up in a new Classic, 160GB for $249 is much better than $399/$499 for 128GB.

You only think it is crazy because you currently have the 160 GB option. If you look at in context of what people were willing to pay for first generation iPods, and in the absence of another competitive option, it's not crazy at all.

Keep in mind that the entire iPod business is only a $1B annual business for Apple, and the >64GB part is only a small slice of that. So I really think Apple would rationale the line down to two models rather than four, even if that means $100M less in annual business.

Also: I'm not sure killing the games means that the end of the Classic is imminent. This may be a market signal of a longer term phaseout-- if they are planning to kill it in 2013, now is a good time to make it clear to developers not to invest in this platform, or to buyers that this will have a limited life. You can be pretty sure that when Apple can sell a 128GB Touch for $299 they will kill the Classic; but until then they may choose to keep it on.

 

[radiohed]

That's a heck of a way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the iPod. Hey let's discontinue the model the represents the origins of the device! I personally always liked the click wheel and all I wanted my iPod for was music. Oh well, technology moves on...

 

[Gasu E.]

What about all the people who have just bought or are about to buy an iPod Classic?

I just got given one as a (very generous!) gift.

I'm wondering why someone bought you this aging product as a gift-- did you indicate that you wanted to keep 30K+ songs on it? Because if this specific requirement was not important to you, maybe this particular model was not the best investment...?

Perhaps Apple is trying to clarify that this particular product is meant for a very specific user, and if you don't fit this profile there are better choices for the long run.

 

[InuNacho]

Luckily I had bought most of the good games a couple years ago although I have always been interested in Song Summoner.
Can you use games from other people's iTunes accounts? If so maybe some users here can do some shady "filesharing" so all of us can have the discontinued games.

If they do discontinue the Classic I'm gonna get the latest model.

 

[pubwvj]

It is irresponsible of Apple to discontinue content like this. They have >$70 Billion in the bank sitting. They could and should continue to support all old OSs, application and data all the way back to the beginning Apple I. They could easily run it under emulation or cross compilation.

 

[Colpeas]

You guys need to understand, that currently there ain't any player on the market, which could take the classic's place (apart from Cowon X7).

The market NEEDS the Classic. iTouch is not really able to attract Classic's potential customers.

They could and should continue to support all old OSs, application and data all the way back to the beginning Apple I.

Apple is not a charity, they need to make money. They wouldn't profit from supporting obsolete devices...

 

[jowie]

I'm wondering why someone bought you this aging product as a gift-- did you indicate that you wanted to keep 30K+ songs on it? Because if this specific requirement was not important to you, maybe this particular model was not the best investment...?

Actually, yes... I currently have about 130GB of songs, as I move increasingly towards ALAC format.

I always loved my old 40GB iPod 3G and when my brother said he was going to get one of the 160GB ones I said I'd love to get one too, but couldn't justify the cost (even with a special offer he could get). He bought one to sell on to a friend but they didn't want it, so gave it to me instead.

Perhaps Apple is trying to clarify that this particular product is meant for a very specific user, and if you don't fit this profile there are better choices for the long run.

I do fit this profile. As do many other people on here, and yet some still don't get it...

 

[rufwork]

Well, there's some cash left on the table. If I'd gotten a warning, I probably would have finally shelled out for Uno for my Nano with clickwheel. Dang it.

 

[androiphone]

if they are just going to stop selling them, why don't they just give them away for free?

I know there would be complications eg. getting permission from the makers, but why not?

 

[InuNacho]

10 years for such a design is a nice, tidy span of life. Would you still love an original design iMac? No. Would you still want an original design Mac? No. Would you still want a late-90s tower? No way!

2x2.66 Xeon, 5770, 16GB RAM,

So do you hate you're Mac Pro because it's the same design as the Powermac G3 and G4?

 

[steve2112]

Last time I checked, the classic was not that cheap! It wasn't like you were paying much more for a Touch anyways.

So who cares if it has less and you don't need more if you aren't paying less for it anyways?! That's the only advantage of getting something that doesn't do extra stuff you don't need.

Wow, it must be nice to have enough money to say that $150 more for less than half the space (64GB for the largest Touch vs 160GB for the Classic) isn't paying much more.

Anyway, I agree with the Classic being the perfect car player. My car stereo lets me control my Classic using stereo controls, so I don't have to get distracted trying to touch and scroll through a bunch of stuff. It's very handy. And it doesn't work with the Touch.

 

[SandynJosh]

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I've been holding off buying an iPod Classic hoping an update would come soon

Maybe I should bite the bullet and upgrade now...

Current iPod Classics come with a buggy whip and a straw boater's hat. The first 100 purchasers get a signed copy of the book, "When We Mattered," by Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer.

 

[accessoriesguy]

haha, did anyone ever play these?

Thats exactly what I was thinking, the iPod was great for listening to music but thats about it. Imagine trying to text with the clickwheel like that funny Onion News report of the next macbooks having large clickwheels instead of a mouse!

 

[jouster]

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if they are just going to stop selling them, why don't they just give them away for free?

I know there would be complications eg. getting permission from the makers, but why not?

Wait...what?