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Apple Video Game Console?

Apple entering the console business? Don't think so, in fact, it doesn't even make sense IMO...

PS3 failure?? Is it not a fact that the PS3's that were released sold-out in 2 hours? (Both USA and Japan)
How can anyone say that the sucessor to one of the best selling game consoles ever is going to be a failure based on what? 3/4 weeks of market presence? geez, gimme a break, PS3 will rule the console market again IMO, just let the prices drop and you'll see. :)

The Wii is nice, very original concept, however, it's a risk if you end up not liking the controller scheme and lots of game titles won't even be available I presume, although, Nintendo has my respect, M$ doesn't, don't buy 360's! You're supporting Darth Vader! :D
 
Nym said:
The Wii is nice, very original concept, however, it's a risk if you end up not liking the controller scheme and lots of game titles won't even be available I presume, although, Nintendo has my respect, M$ doesn't, don't buy 360's! You're supporting Darth Vader! :D
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Currently, there are far more titles available for the Wii than for the PS3.
 
Currently my friend... :D
Darth Vader turned up to be good? Hmm, see you all getting defensive for me having a different opinion? :) I would buy a hundred Wii's before I will ever buy a 360, that's a fact.

As for the PS3 success or flop, in a year, we'll create a thread and talk about it, the console is not even in Europe... so it's unfair to decapitate it now :D eheh
 
If Apple goes with a console, it won't just be a gaming console. Integrated with iTunes store, online game hosting, iTV, iPods - it would be so much more and only a small part of the package. And it won't be like the PS3 with a blue-ray - it will have to be something much more.

The key thing would be getting the right type of games as well. The possibilities are endless.

D
 
I don't know how anybody in their right mind could call a Mac the 'original' game machine. For home computer games, it was the Amiga and Commodore 64 that was king of the hill.. even systems like the Atari ST had the Mac's butt kicked for years.

Then in the early 90's with PC video cards improving and the demise of Commodore, the PC's took the lead in home PC gaming.. and machines from Nintendo and Sega locking down the console market.

Apple has never had a solid footing with game developers, mostly because Macs are so damned expensive they just never really appealed to people who were interested in anything aside from desktop publishing and graphics work.

Even in markets like video editing and music, the Amiga was the top choice.

The truth is, publishing and education markets were the only thing that kept Apple from tanking years ago.
 
0010101 said:
I don't know how anybody in their right mind could call a Mac the 'original' game machine. For home computer games, it was the Amiga and Commodore 64 that was king of the hill.. even systems like the Atari ST had the Mac's butt kicked for years.

Then in the early 90's with PC video cards improving and the demise of Commodore, the PC's took the lead in home PC gaming.. and machines from Nintendo and Sega locking down the console market.

Apple has never had a solid footing with game developers, mostly because Macs are so damned expensive they just never really appealed to people who were interested in anything aside from desktop publishing and graphics work.

Even in markets like video editing and music, the Amiga was the top choice.

The truth is, publishing and education markets were the only thing that kept Apple from tanking years ago.
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Please don't forget the Apple IIGS, even to this date THE BEST sound any computer could ever produce...and with excellent graphics as well...too bad the proc was not that fast for the time.

Amigas, on the other hand, were nice but the hardware was lousy at best...the Apple IIGS build quality was simply stunning.
 
TheSpaz said:
Apple does not need to ruin their image with a stupid video game system. As if we need more of these. Besides, what would Apple bring to the table that the other systems don't? There's already plenty of games and gaming systems out there, Apple does not need to touch this one. However, I'm looking forward to the iTV thing.
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Which is exactly why they [Apple] should buy ATARI (aka Infogrames USA) dirt-cheap, and slap the "Atari" moniker onto a game-centric version of the Mac...ie. a "headless" Mac that is inbetween the iMac and the MacPro on the available models that feature easily upgradable video cards.

Pimp the sucker out, take market share away from Dell XPS/Alienware and Falcon Northwest, and thereby improve "gaming" on the OS X platform for all. Not to mention by purchasing Atari, Apple would gain a large existing videogame publisher, as well as experience in publishing for multiple platforms (PC, PS2/3, Xbox, etc.). They could also play the "exclusive" route by acquiring titles and making them exclusive to the Mac and whatever game system platform ponied up the most amount of cash.

Apple would also acquire the great classic Atari game lineup which plays well on mobile phones, handheld game systems, and of course, the iPod.

Plus, Apple could try out new risky computer devices using the Atari name without damaging the Apple brand...such as a media center system for example.

The acquisition would also give the illusion to Joe Consumer that it isn't just Apple behind OS X, and thus negate the "risk" of switching platforms.
 
BRLawyer said:
Not gonna happen. The Pippin was an experience bitter enough...unless Apple buys cheapo Nintendo, of course...:rolleyes:
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Or if Sony collapses and a combined Disney/Apple/Google acquires them. :)

Actually Steve should push Disney - via his stock - into making an offer to acquire Sony (cough, Columbia/Tri-Star, cough) Pictures. Might as well take advantage of the lax business acquisition climate during these last two years of the Bush Administration, just in case the other political party captures the White House next and has a less than big business friendly attitude to such acquisitions.

Sony Corp. itself could probably use the cash...and as long as Disney pledged to offer its combined content to future Sony platforms, I don't see why Sony wouldn't exit gracefully. Then again, Sir Howard Stringer comes from the media part of Sony's biz...

Then again, just imagine what Apple could do with Sony's 50% stake in SonyBMG.... withdraw from the RIAA... cut online music prices (we'd save almost $0.25 per $0.99 song due to them withdrawing from the RIAA)... etc.
 
Cougarcat said:
That is exactly what OS X needs: a proper Gaming API akin to DirectX, along with proper controller support OpenGL just doesn't cut it; run a non-ported game like WoW in OS X and WoW in Bootcamp, and Bootcamp will definitely be faster.
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OpenGL would cut it if Apple could convince Sony, IBM, AMD/ATi, Intel, Nvidia, and others (including Apple itself) to invest in it in order to trump DirectX but still remain multi-platform.

Then again...3dfx created a new graphical API meant to replace GLide prior to being taken over by Nvidia... Of course, it would have to be updated massively.

And what about audio (for games) API on OS X? Too bad Apple didn't get any A3D/EAX IP goodness out of that settlement with Creative a few months back...
 
Swoosh said:
Microsoft tried it prior to launching the XBox and were flatly shut down. Financially, Nintendo's probably in better shape right now than Sony is.
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If by prior, you mean 11 years before the release of the Xbox.
 
adamcz said:
As a shareholder who mostly just wants to see Apple make tons of cash, here's what I'd love to see:
-A toolkit that allows PC developers to port games to the Mac OS effortlessly.
-Sell the freshly ported games through the iTunes store.
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If you consider yourself an activist shareholder, perhaps you should make some noise to Apple Corporate to make a tender offer for Valve's Steam service. As the chief of 3DRealms mentioned, other game studios would love to use the Steam service but won't unless it is independent of Valve because they don't want to aid their competition. And Apple (or Google) acquiring that service would be better for all than if it fell into the hands of Microsoft...or Sony for that matter.
 
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Huh?
 
BRLawyer said:
Please don't forget the Apple IIGS, even to this date THE BEST sound any computer could ever produce...and with excellent graphics as well...too bad the proc was not that fast for the time.

Amigas, on the other hand, were nice but the hardware was lousy at best...the Apple IIGS build quality was simply stunning.
Click to expand...

I'll give ya the IIGS.. an excellent machine, with fantastic sound capabilities that for some strange reason, were piped into a MONO headphone jack.

Leaps and bounds better than the Mac of the day, and reverse compatible with a large back catalog of Apple II software.. but it never really took off except in educational markets, and took a back seat to the Macintosh in Apple marketing.. which left it a distant third behind the Atari ST and the Amiga.

To this day, the best selling computer of all time is the Commodore 64. All Commodore had to do is make the Amiga reverse compatible with the 1541 disk drive and C64 apps, and they'd probably still be ruling the home computer roost.
 
I agree with whoever said they should start a game studio, first. A lot of games are being made in a formulaic manner now, such as FPSs and such. If Apple got some innovative ideas in the game market, it would benefit everyone.

Another thing it could do is just buy an old game studio, and give it a renaissance. I'm thinking Atari or Sega would be a good option. Oh man. Sega. Sega was awesome.

Um. Sorry about that. The Genesis brings back good memories.

The timing for this, however, would be horrible. They're doing good with iPods and their slow but steady iMac switchers, but nobody can be sure of their sucess with the iPhone. I think Apple should expand into other markets, yes, but one baby step at a time.
 
The problem with Apple buying a game studio is that if they made the games Mac only, they would either have to sell the games for $200 a copy, or they'd go broke.

When you only got 10% market share, and only 1 in 10 people out of that 10% are going to buy the game, you end up with not a lot of customers.. which is pretty much why nobody writes Mac only software.

If they buy a game studio and make PC and Mac games.. well.. what's the point?

Gamers don't prefer the WinTel platform because of one specific game, but because of MANY games that are PC only.. and a back catalog of games that spans a decade to choose from.
 
Wow, this rumor won't die will it?

Considering the X-Box 360 and PlayStation 3 have media capabilities, Apple might have to toss in some kind of gaming support with the iTV. It's not very likely though. Maybe some silly small games like on the iPod, but nothing full-blown, commercial home console quality. Possibly this would leave a presence in everybody's living room. And consequently, maybe the larger game development studios will catch on and eventually we get a full blown game console. Either way, I find it risky and not very Apple-like.

My other guess is that Apple might finally be pushing some real gaming support on the Mac. Mac gamers have been left in the cold too long.
 
Yes.... Mac OS X is already so receptive for games. It would be an easy port to a game console....

honestly, how much damn things do they want apple to have their hands in? Phones.... music players.... movie sales.... GAMING...

what happened to good ol fashioned hardware sales?
 
0010101 said:
The problem with Apple buying a game studio is that if they made the games Mac only, they would either have to sell the games for $200 a copy, or they'd go broke.

When you only got 10% market share, and only 1 in 10 people out of that 10% are going to buy the game, you end up with not a lot of customers.. which is pretty much why nobody writes Mac only software.

If they buy a game studio and make PC and Mac games.. well.. what's the point?

Gamers don't prefer the WinTel platform because of one specific game, but because of MANY games that are PC only.. and a back catalog of games that spans a decade to choose from.
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Yes... there is no software for Macs.....:rolleyes:

Thats a fairly hasty generalization if games aren't produced for OS X.
 
Chef Medeski said:
Yes... there is no software for Macs.....:rolleyes:

Thats a fairly hasty generalization if games aren't produced for OS X.
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Game availability for the Mac is very poor at best. That's not a generalization, thats a simple fact.

I read a thing a few months back that suggested that for every 100 applications or games written for the PC platform, only 5 are also ported to the Mac.. and it is that poor software and game support that will prevent the Mac from ever gaining a significant portion of the home computer market.

I quite honestly know dozens of people who would switch to a Mac if they could run their favorite software on the Mac.. but they can't, unless they 'Boot Camp' and purchase a copy of Windows.. and really, the whole point of switching to the Mac is to get AWAY from Winblows, not just use it on a prettier box.

Apples marketshare is hindered by two major points. Software availability and system price.
 
0010101 said:
Game availability for the Mac is very poor at best. That's not a generalization, thats a simple fact.

I read a thing a few months back that suggested that for every 100 applications or games written for the PC platform, only 5 are also ported to the Mac.. and it is that poor software and game support that will prevent the Mac from ever gaining a significant portion of the home computer market.

I quite honestly know dozens of people who would switch to a Mac if they could run their favorite software on the Mac.. but they can't, unless they 'Boot Camp' and purchase a copy of Windows.. and really, the whole point of switching to the Mac is to get AWAY from Winblows, not just use it on a prettier box.

Apples marketshare is hindered by two major points. Software availability and system price.
Click to expand...

How many of those "100" PC applications and games are actually worth using or playing???
 
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