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Apple Working on Dedicated iOS Game Controller? [Updated]

SirYossi said:
there are a couple 3rd party apps that turn your ipad or iphone into a controller for your mac but i think that the apple TV might become a game console as well kinda like what Mircrosoft did with the xbox turning if from a gaming unit into a entertainment system for media streaming ect and apple is taking the ATV and bringing gaming to it. I can see it linking to the games that are in your itunes lib or transposing the games on the ipad or iphone to the ATV via airplay and turning the iphone into a controller.

Apple did dabble into the gaming in the past but failed remember these?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Bandai_Pippin

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BANDAI-Pipp...1180169116?pt=Video_Games&hash=item3f2398ff9c

oi this old unit is selling around $500 used these days
Click to expand...

Yea I use my iPhone for steering on Real Racing for the Mac. It's awesome :D

But yea, there's a few key differences between that set the Apple TV way apart from the Pippin. The first is price. According to Wiki, the Pippin launched at $599. The Apple TV is an amazing steal at only 1/6th the price of that as well as a fraction of the price of competing consoles.

And second, the Apple TV has already sold units in the millions. Again, according to Wiki, the Pippin only managed to sell 42,000 units during it's run. Apple already has a massive install base, as well as the rest of the iOS users who may be affected by the halo affect. Tie in iCloud support and even "universal" app support between iOS and Apple TV apps and my, Apple could already have quite a lot of content and users on the plate.

Apple may have learned much from their mistakes so I'm very optimistic about Apple TV's potential.
 
CONFIRMED: Samsung will announce that they are making a game controller, and that it has been working on for a long time.
 
Icaras said:
Make an Apple 1st party dedicated controller for iOS, cross-playable on the Apple TV, then open up an app store to developers on ATV and...

BOOM.
Click to expand...

Angrybirds and Freemium stuff on the TV...yay! :)

Seriously though, still dont see iOS apps/games ever being a replacement for a console, ARM really isnt powerful enough (yet) not designed (again yet) to work with high power GPU's that real games need.
 
As I've been saying for ages, if Apple wants to be a serious threat to the console makers it needs a dedicated game controller. Not just third party ones like the iCade, but an actually official Apple controller that almost ever game developer would want to support.
 
lilo777 said:
What's so awesome about using Apple TV as a game console? It would be the least powerful game console out there. Why even bother?
Click to expand...

Possibly not. The Ouya will be in the market in a few months as well for just $99.

"Least powerful" also means "least expensive". A lot of indie developers being interviewed about the Ouya are calling it the most indie friendly console so far. They simply don't have to deal with Sony or Microsoft's (particularly the latter), ridiculous developer fees.

And you know how indie developers made iOS devices so popular in gaming to begin with. I think attracting a horde of indie developers can set up a great launching pad for the Apple TV.
 
How about instead of reinventing the wheel, they specify a standard for controllers such as the iCade products pictured to make it easier for app developers to support the hardware. It would be easier for apple, better for the consumers and 3rd parties.

But Apple is way too much of a control freak so we'll end up with second-rate Apple hardware at 3x the price, the 3rd parties locked out by proprietary chips and the zealots saying what a great deal Apple is giving us because the proprietary chips must cost a fortune.
 
Anti-Lucifer said:
This is why apple is stubborn as an ox. You don't drive a car with a touchscreen steering wheel in real life nor should you in a racing game. Physical controllers should of been implemented since ios 3.0


Apple is just too stubborn because Steve jobs was alive back then and refused to see the light. Apple could've destroyed the console gaming market if they would've come up with a way to support real gaming controllers than rely on stupid touch screen controls.

They are not out of the party yet but they are definitely late. No gamer is going to take apple seriously if there is no real gaming controls.
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No, they couldn't destroy console gaming, nor would I expect them to try to. They're completely different types of gaming. iOS games are light, quick-play games for the most part. Entirely fun, but for a completely different reasons. Console gaming is for those looking to invest a bit more time into it. Two different markets.

This is like saying the Nintendo DS would destroy the Wii. Obviously, they aren't at all the same thing.
 
Apple TV controller

I'd love to be able to use my Apple TV as a controller to play games on my iPhone.
It would be quite easy to do with just an iOS update for the ATV. If it could make connection to my iPhone every time it was turned on, then I can interact with the ATV simply by yanking the power-cord out the back, the resulting loss of signal would then be picked up by the iPhone and translated into onscreen gameplay.
I could even just fiddle with the power-switch on the wall, or pull the fuses in the main power box to the house, the possibilities are endless.

Please Apple make this a reality, I want to play JetPack Joyride by not paying, and then paying, and then not paying my electric bill.
 
I'd be a game changer if it ever sees the light of day. It'd increase the depth of iOS gaming as certain games just don't handle well on a touch screen. Not to mention the way you have to hold the iPad could be awkward/uncomfortable. I really like the design of Razer's controller for their gaming tablet that just came out. Looks comfortable being able to just set it on your lap. Apple could have a section of the app store that spotlights games that take advantage of the controller like fighters, FPS, etc. /daydream
 
aluren said:
CONFIRMED: Samsung will announce that they are making a game controller, and that it has been working on for a long time.
Click to expand...

Samsung has already officially announced their game controller:

gamepad.jpg


so you can go on whining about Apple once again "copying" Samsung.
 
rmwebs said:
Angrybirds and Freemium stuff on the TV...yay! :)

Seriously though, still dont see iOS apps/games ever being a replacement for a console, ARM really isnt powerful enough (yet) not designed (again yet) to work with high power GPU's that real games need.
Click to expand...

Your definition of "real games" is highly subjective. You probably also don't believe that too about mobile devices replacing traditional handheld gaming, but the truth is, data shows that revenue from mobile gaming have already exceeded that of handheld gaming. I'm not saying it can replace it. But they can definitely co-exist.

You can focus on specs all you want, but money is to be had here. Developer support is first before all that. Apple already has the largest developer support in the world on iOS.
 
lilo777 said:
Samsung has already officially announced their game controller:

Image

so you can go on whining about Apple once again "copying" Samsung.
Click to expand...

Wow... I wonder how long until Microsoft sues Samsung for ripping off the 360 controller.

xbox-360-controller-5
 
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lilo777 said:
What's so awesome about using Apple TV as a game console? It would be the least powerful game console out there. Why even bother?
Click to expand...

But it's Apple so that makes it 1 million times better than any console ever imagined. This will be even better than real holodeck. Well that's what fanatics seem to think anyway.
 
Icaras said:
Possibly not. The Ouya will be in the market in a few months as well for just $99.

"Least powerful" also means "least expensive". A lot of indie developers being interviewed about the Ouya are calling it the most indie friendly console so far. They simply don't have to deal with Sony or Microsoft's (particularly the latter), ridiculous developer fees.

And you know how indie developers made iOS devices so popular in gaming to begin with. I think attracting a horde of indie developers can set up a great launching pad for the Apple TV.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Having a platform with very low costs for development entry attracts a ton of creative game developers. Plus, if pricing followed the App Store, I can see the $0-$5 pricing for most games being a huge attraction. Add in the potential to take the game (and progress) mobile, and other iOS social/sharing features ... it doesn't sound like a bad idea.
 
People don't realize how amazing this would be. If Apple launches their own game controller then you will see FAR more real high quality games coming to the App Store. Right now the top game developers know that it is pointless to spend time and money on making the games good, with high quality graphics because there is a massive limiting factor in that touch controls are simply not good for most good games. Touch controls allow you to play the basic simple games specifically designed for them, but with tactile control you open up the App Store to games that developers will spend time and money working on. Yes they will be far more expensive than the general $0.99~$6.99 games currently on the App Store, but they will be worth it, and gamers will be happy to buy them.
 
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