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None of the current AppleTV's can do 4K video anyway...

It would be very easy for Apple to introduce tiers of AppleTV with different storage amounts.

Multiple AppleTV's would be hysterical, switching between receiver inputs. Configuring multiple ones for accounts. hahaha, not likely.

You do know lots of people have more than one atv in their household, sharing accounts etc
Seriously tho, assuming this rumour isn't just hot air like the rumours that resurfaces every 3-4 months, it would surely mean new hardware: the atv 2nd and 3rd gens both have single core processors and 8gb ram, so would be very limited except for the short term.
Also wasn't suggesting current atv would do 4k, but the next gen might, and also might be the version that makes this rumour happen...
 
It will dramatically improve the whole iOS gaming genre as the quality of games will improve and they will work on all iOS devices effectively making iOS the most versatile gaming platform out there.

Handheld gaming has always been segregated from their console counterparts, with this system developers can make ONE game and it will run on all iOS devices. This is why iOS dominates in the casual gaming market and now this will take it to the next level.
I think they need to remain separate for a lot of games. iOS games are rightfully heavily touch based. We've already seen how controller/joystick games generally suck on a touch screen, and I think you will see the same thing trying to move touch based games the other way. Imagine trying to play Bejewelled, Flight Control, or Plants Vs. Zombies with a controller. Yuck.
 
Why can't we just bluetooth an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad to the Apple TV using developer APIs and use them as the controller...who needs another device to play games with? The device displays can look just how the developers want - albeit on a flat surface, which some gamers might not like.
 
I think they should release a new Apple TV and put the App Store on there. Then there would be a higher-end baseline for software development going forward. The A5 chip with 512MB of ram isn't going to be much of a gaming powerhouse trying to run 1080p. But the upside to launching on current hardware is a larger install base for developers.

Apple would absolutely kill it if they released an AppleTV style game console with bluetooth support and a controller designed by Apple. Price it at $249 with a quad A8X, 2GB ram. A system like that should be able to run higher-end games than a 360 or PS3, but still undercut the PS4 and One for casual gamers who also want the home entertainment features. The only thing I'm not sure about is storage space, which can quickly add cost and is necessary for storing console-quality games.

I wonder how easily and cost-effective it is to scale up the cores of the PowerVR

chipsets? Could maybe get away with a lower-spec'd A series chip that has tons of graphics cores.

Apple can sell more icloud storage to store all your games and the overall cost would still be lower than buying a ps4 and a game. Great move this will happen for sure!
 
Hoping for new Apple TV as well. Aluminum remote no longer works, plastic one from iMac is ok but I don't like it that much and don't want to buy just a remote so waiting for new Apple TV :)
 
OMG this is soooo not happening...the current SINGLE CORE A5 chip in the Apple TV can barely stream 1080p, it is not capable of gaming.

this is nothing but a rumor from gamers that want this, not reality at all.
 
- It would use the App Store infrastructure already in place.
- Should be pretty straight forward for devs to port games because of familiarity with Xcode/ios
- games can support iCloud saves across all devices
- 'Universal' games could mean buy once play on any iOS device.

Right, but the rest of my post explained why I don't think this is a necessary move for Apple. Using your examples above, it's not like Apple would be gaining anything from this. Instead of using your iPhone or iPad, you'd use Apple TV. Hardly a new market.

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if a new iOS casual gaming push (mobile + on the screen) disrupts Nintendo, where do you think Nintendo is going to go? iOS. thats a lot of sales to Apple in hardware and app store.

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you got it.

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1) apple's never been afraid of cannibalizing its own products.

2) TV gaming and mobile gaming are two entirely different markets -- you dont stop buying cell phones because you have an ATV. in fact, by leveraging icloud save-game sync across all devices, it increases value for having multiple devices.

Making a leap to say Nintendo is going to get into bed with Apple is a rumor that, to my knowledge, started in this thread. Do people think they're just going to close up shop and port to Apple TV?

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More like playing on the iPhone while traveling, then getting home and resuming the game on the ATV. Auto-installing the app on all devices, and iCloud-sharing game status between them, means you can focus on the game using whatever ecosystem-friendly device is convenient.

But again, why, are you playing the same game across multiple setups? I get the convenience factor, but it almost seems a bit pointless.

Remember when Nintendo came out with the accessory to play Game Boy games on using the console? That flopped. There's a distinct mindset for gamers; there's console and portable.
 
$199, A7, 802.11ac, 16GB
$299, " " 32GB
$399, " " 64GB

Lol at those price points, you may as well buy a PS4 or XB1 and have tons more features, specs, and storage space. I know that's just pure speculation but I wouldn't be surprised if Apple charged $399 for only 64GB -- it's just laughable.
 
Apple can sell more icloud storage to store all your games and the overall cost would still be lower than buying a ps4 and a game. Great move this will happen for sure!

Well technically you could just re-download for free like you can now on their various App Stores. The data that would be stored in the cloud would include save games, customized characters, etc. I know right now you can sync save games over iCloud, but I don't know if they're actually stored there.

With Nintendo on the brink lately, Apple could really open things up and takeover the third position in the console wars. When you think of it less as a console, and more as a push into bringing people into the Apple ecosystem, it makes even more sense. That's something that Microsoft has been working hard to do.
 
Right, but the rest of my post explained why I don't think this is a necessary move for Apple. Using your examples above, it's not like Apple would be gaining anything from this. Instead of using your iPhone or iPad, you'd use Apple TV. Hardly a new market.

Apple would gain more people buying Apple TV, more people buying more apps and more people sticking in the iOS ecosystem.
 
No they don't. Spec-wise iOS devices are more powerful than a Vita and way more powerful than a 3DS. Yet you got $40 Vita & 3DS games while people complain about $10 iOS games. The appstore cannot support high prices. Furthermore it's intentionally designed that way because cheap disposable software fuels hardware sales, which is where Apple makes its money

And a 30% distribution cut of $1 is what your local Dollar Store makes for selling you tools that break after a day

Real Racing = the budget version of Forza, Gran Turismo, Driveclub (take your pick)

And look how the Vita and 3DS are doing. They've tanked. It was the distribution model that kept those games very expensive. Cartridges and Physical boxes and sales.

Real racing.. of course it is the budget version it's 1gb compared to 5-30gb depending on your platform. That's the main issue with current iOS games. There will always be issue of file size as the current ATV is less than 2 xbox games.

People will pay for quality if it was there. there is a Cooking / Chef app on the App Store that sells for over $50 and sells bucket loads. Why because it is good. Not just a collection of random food forums stuff.

They are selling $40 games, just in segments though IAP. An AAA game would have to be large enough and involved enough to be worth it and a tripleA game now is way more advanced than iPhone can handle at the moment. It's the same as expecting someone to spend $40 on an PS1/first gen xbox - but the iOS is rapidly catching up with the 360 already

Also you'll find that developers are making more buy selling Good games at $1.99 than $10+ because they will exponentially will sell more and if the Apple TV has an App Store and the Hardware is good enough then the perceived value as a console and Large screen gaming will drive sales massively, and You can guarantee there will be $20+ games on there.
 
A drop in forecasts of 25% on Nintendo's biggest money maker is pretty huge. This is the market that Nintendo directly competes with Apple in and it's dropping fast.

Let's add perspective to 18M.
- 18M is the most the original Wii sold in its best selling year.
- The XB1 and PS4 are considered successes and have only sold 3M and 4M each.
- The PS3 and XB360 sold 80M units each over their 7-8 year lifetimes. The 3DS is currently at 35M in under 3 years.

A drop from 18M to 13M shows they overshot the forecast but anyone could see it was a horrible forecast to begin with. And at 35M in 3 years, the 3DS is not dying, it's on track to match the PS3/XB360. This whole mobile is killing handheld assumption is nonsense

You're right, and I would gladly pay for Bravely Default for $20 on iOS. But at $40? Why do you think 3DS sales are dropping?

Not dropping. Top 10 selling games of 2013 include 2 3DS games - Pokemon and Animal Crossing, which sold 7-8 million units each at $40. There's a market out there at this pricepoint.

Galaxy on Fire 2 HD, Asphalt 8, Infinity Blade 3, Shadowlands, Real Racing 3, Modern Combat 4, NOVA 3, Anomaly 2, Deus Ex: The Fall, X-Com: Enemy Unknown, and much more.

Some are AAA brands but none are AAA games. Exception is XCom, but that's subsidized by console/PC profit margins. Half of them is Gameloft doing what they do best - which is ripoff other peoples' IP because they're creatively bankrupt. The value of AAA games is they sell hardware by themselves. When Titanfall comes out, it'll drive sales of XB1's. Animal Crossing and Pokemon are what turned the 3DS around. If anyone's buying an iPad solely to play a Gameloft ripoff, they're the market exception.

casual gaming is key here, which is fine for indy/small dev shops. but for AAA look no further than XCOM or Infinity Blade. XCOM is of particular interest, because its a new console port. so they made the game on a big budget for console sales, then piggyback the iOS experience....it costs them little to include that. some additional support costs, thats about it.

And that's the only way the economics work for a market which can't support AAA development. Mobile cannot kill the market that subsidizes its best content.
 
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Lol at those price points, you may as well buy a PS4 or XB1 and have tons more features, specs, and storage space. I know that's just pure speculation but I wouldn't be surprised if Apple charged $399 for only 64GB -- it's just laughable.

At the price point of an iPad, might as well buy Kindle Fire.
At the price point of an iMac, might as well buy a Dell.
At the price point of an iPhone, might as well buy an Android,
 
Forza for Xbox One destroys RR3 in every way.

Maybe but look at the hardware behind it and the cost of that hardware:

  • XBOX One + Forza: $620
  • Apple TV + Real Racing 3: $99

Depending on the controlling scheme and peripherals, I think Nintendo is the one that should really fear this development. Maybe a good moment to speak about licensing their gaming titles.

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Right, but the rest of my post explained why I don't think this is a necessary move for Apple. Using your examples above, it's not like Apple would be gaining anything from this. Instead of using your iPhone or iPad, you'd use Apple TV. Hardly a new market.

  • They would sell more Apple TV's.
  • They would sell more games on the App store (especially if they are Apple TV "optimised" versions such as the separate iPhone and iPad versions.
  • They could sell iCould storage to users of the Apple TV to store games and save data etc.
  • Apple could rent games like they do with movies.

There are lots of opportunities to monetize a gaming enable Apple TV.
 
And look how the Vita and 3DS are doing. They've tanked. It was the distribution model that kept those games very expensive. Cartridges and Physical boxes and sales.

Vita tanked but the 3DS didn't tank, look at the numbers. And both have digital distribution.

Also you'll find that developers are making more buy selling Good games at $1.99 than $10+ because they will exponentially will sell more and if the Apple TV has an App Store and the Hardware is good enough then the perceived value as a console and Large screen gaming will drive sales massively, and You can guarantee there will be $20+ games on there.

Best selling game of 2013 = GTA 5. +$200M budget, 29M copies sold at $60 a copy, something like $2B revenue

Even with success nobody's hitting that type of return at $1.99. All they get is they're now the best selling screwdriver at the dollar store
 
I hope this will come with a hardware update although it might be tricky for Apple's suppliers to provide enough of the latest and greatest iOS CPUs for another product line. Storage capacity will also be an issue; iOS games are big these days and the current Apple TV could not hold several games like XCom. Last but not least, Bluetooth controllers need to be improved in features (rumble, speaker, headphone port) and price.

Still, despite some bumps on the road ahead, it's going to be exciting to have an Apple console on the market. iOS games are a great platform for up and coming developers with original ideas and compelling games. At the very least, Apple will outsell and outlast all the Android consoles that are out now or on the way.
 
Following the bread crumbs, this rumor makes sense with something that was mentioned at the WWE Network launch at CES.

They listed all of the devices the WWE Network would be available on, and then the executive said “and one more device which we can’t mention at this time.” She then pointed at a member of the press in the crowd and said “Someone’s getting it.”

After the event, it was revealed that all of the press kits under the seats contained a WWE branded AppleTV.

https://twitter.com/saschasegan/status/421117388235358208/photo/1

Either the WWE Network will be an app added to the AppleTV, or it will be available in the new AppleTV App store, which they obviously wouldn't be allowed to mention until after Apple announces it. Wrestlemania 30 takes place on April 6, so if an App store was launched for the Apple TV in March, it would be right in time for that event. I don't think Apple would really care about hitting that date, but it would be a big deal for WWE to be one of the first apps in the store for their biggest event of the year.

Hmmmmm
 
At $99 is just has to be "good enough." A quad-core A7x would be fine. And beauty of it is that, unlike the major console makers, Apple could put a vastly more powerful chip in the thing EVERY year.

And Apple will just keep adding things: a browser one year, iPhoto the next, 4K support, etc.

This.

MS/Sony are on 10 year product cycles with their consoles. Apple will be like the tortoise, gradually building market penetration with its 'hobby', churning out CPU/GPU upgrades every year, selling £0.69 casual games and snagging £4.50 film rentals alongside them.
 
OMG this is soooo not happening...the current SINGLE CORE A5 chip in the Apple TV can barely stream 1080p, it is not capable of gaming.

this is nothing but a rumor from gamers that want this, not reality at all.

Not all games are 3D shooters. Scads of good games can be played with minimal CPU power.
 
Maybe but look at the hardware behind it and the cost of that hardware:

  • XBOX One + Forza: $620
  • Apple TV + Real Racing 3: $99

Depending on the controlling scheme and peripherals, I think Nintendo is the one that should really fear this development. Maybe a good moment to speak about licensing their gaming titles.

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  • They would sell more Apple TV's.
  • They would sell more games on the App store (especially if they are Apple TV "optimised" versions such as the separate iPhone and iPad versions.
  • They could sell iCould storage to users of the Apple TV to store games and save data etc.
  • Apple could rent games like they do with movies.

There are lots of opportunities to monetize a gaming enable Apple TV.



Remember also Apple has something like 600 million iOS user accounts. There aren't that many console gamers even if you combine all the last gen and this. Apple have a bigger market that's well integrated into their content ecosystem.

And they'll all mass market casual gamers.

Nintendo are f!!ked if they don't respond to this threat.
 
Well, firstly those thinking of another $99 price tag, sorry but dream on IF you want more storage, name ONE Apple device that is cheap in relation to increased storage?
Or they could fit a hard drive into it, but the iPod Classic with it's 160GB hard drive still costs $249. So no, no way would it cost $99 in my opinion with upgraded hardware and storage.

And that leads to another point, it NEEDS more storage to work as a games machine, unless Apple launch some game streaming service, which I can't see them doing for apps, then it will need bigger storage for the better apps. The majority of decent games these day's are what 100MB to around 2GB plus? So that 8GB won't last very long at all.

Also remember that they already give you the option to stream a game from an iOS device to a TV anyway.

So this is truly one 'rumour' that makes no sense at all. If Apple increases the cost of the Apple TV and starts promoting it as a games console, then it's approaching the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 territory, because they are still being sold at much reduced costs, and have all the benefits of online streaming of media and both have an absolutely massive catalogue of great games that frankly, embarrass the app store collection.

And in the case of the Playstation 3, you also get a built in hard drive and with a PSN Plus subscription every year giving you tons of top AAA games for free! £40 PSN Plus sub a year for Deus Ex, Need For Speed, Bioshock Infinite, Grid 2, and these are ALL FULL BLOWN games, NOT the tablet versions.
So for less then the cost of the highest IAP's in many single games on iOS, you can have very well regarded high level full on games.

But I would also say they could implement controller support and probably will do, but it will just be as a 'me too' feature as opposed to anything serious, because of the points raised above.
They do need to boost the SOC of the ATV tough, give it an A6 or reduced A7 or something.
 
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Imagine if apple partnered with Sony and the appleTV gains playstation now support. Add in top of that the possibility of Nintendo porting some games and boom apple just completely owned the casual gamer market.

I really think whatever happens will be much bigger than just games but games will be a substantial part of it. I also believe that the games will be streaming. Apple can't compete with ps4/Xbox one, they don't want to. But streaming last gen quality games will soon be a reality and I bet apple is a big part of that.
 
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