Microsoft Xbox Strategy and Marketing Executive to Join Apple?

[glockenSquish]

MCV reports that Richard Teversham, Microsoft's senior director of business, insights and strategy for Xbox, is departing the company to take a position at Apple. Teversham reportedly will take on an "education-related" role in Apple's European office. Focused on EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa), Teversham had been at Microsoft for the past 15 years and worked on business aspects of Xbox since its launch in 2002. While Teversham's role at Apple remains unclear...

So... former Microsoft "senior director of business, insights and strategy" of 15 years is assuming an "education-related" role at Apple? Anyone else smell a ploy?

On the optimistic side, it's a compliment to Apple.

 

[macduke]

The thing about the Wii-mote is its Bluetooth, and so is the iphone... If apple gave the iphone a HD out... you could use the iphone as the console, and have 4 (or more) gamepads connected to it.

Just imagine having wii quality graphics (thanks to the AMD guys and PA Semi) on a device you could take anywhere (and also use as a portable games console).

As well as this apple could use this new gaming market to get huge game producers like EA (and dare I say Crytek)... To make their PC games also work within Mac OS x.

The newest version of the processor found in the iPhone (I can't remember...I think Samsung? It was on Apple Insider) supposedly supports 720p video output. Rumors also suggest that custom PA-SEMI acquisition designed chips won't be available until next year so that's out of the question for now. This combined with the rumors about the iPhone universal video cable (with HD and SD in one) and the fact that the developers of MotoChaser were able to implement a secret API to output the game onto a TV screen, and I think its fairly likely that the next iPhone will be able to play games on the tv.

Think about it. The iPhone docked to the TV and plugged in. The 3.0 SDK allows bluetooth and usb accessories. The Wii Mote uses bluetooth. Other bluetooth controllers could also work. You could just pack your console in your pocket. The graphics should be close to the quality of the Wii. It would be amazing!!

 

[brunt]

Is Apple trying to relive the 1990's? I know we have a democratic President, but damn...

Pippin

I want a Pipin almost as Much as a TAM... a Newton would be fun as well... I am a big sukka for vintage mac goodies. Its unfair that the only thing I can ever afford is the Newton. (If anyone out there has a TAM they want to give to me let me know)

In 7 years time, apple might sell the FAM...lmao to celebrate their fortieth anniversary.

Who said Pipin chat was lame?

 

[brunt]

The newest version of the processor found in the iPhone (I can't remember...I think Samsung? It was on Apple Insider) supposedly supports 720p video output. Rumors also suggest that custom PA-SEMI acquisition designed chips won't be available until next year so that's out of the question for now. This combined with the rumors about the iPhone universal video cable (with HD and SD in one) and the fact that the developers of MotoChaser were able to implement a secret API to output the game onto a TV screen, and I think its fairly likely that the next iPhone will be able to play games on the tv.

Think about it. The iPhone docked to the TV and plugged in. The 3.0 SDK allows bluetooth and usb accessories. The Wii Mote uses bluetooth. Other bluetooth controllers could also work. You could just pack your console in your pocket. The graphics should be close to the quality of the Wii. It would be amazing!!

I think your right... But also their might not be a need for any extra BluT controls. You would just need 1 iphone pluged into the TV, and a controler app installed on other peoples iphones.

This might sound silly but I noticed at least 12 iphones on the dinning room table, while I was sitting around with family and friends the other day.

 

[Shunnabunich]

Just curious: where are you guys getting the impression that Mr. Teversham will have anything to do with Mac gaming in his new job? Apple has made it extremely — painfully — clear that games on the Mac are, at the very best, coldly tolerated. The iPhone/iPod touch platform is apparently where they do want games, so perhaps he'll have some role in helping out in that area. Mac gaming is dead as a doornail (to the point where the only new non-indie games coming out for OS X are actually still Windows-only, thanks to Cider and the like) because Apple has clearly and consistently said "no" to game developers for as long as they've had game developers to say "no" to. I sure as heck don't understand their reasoning (I don't see how it would hurt the platform's image, that's for sure), but their actions, and lack thereof, over the last decade-and-more speak for themselves. Sorry if that sounds bitter or anything, but...y'know, just saying.

 

[BMWFan]

It must really piss off Apple fanboys seeing MS having so much success with the Xbox360 in such a short period of time they've entered the gaming market. The fanboys should stick to their PS3s.

 

[PeterQC]

First, we've seen an IBM employed going for Apple. Then an AMD. Then an Microsoft.

Looking at it:

IBM -> PowerPC CPU

Multiples variants of PPC are used by ALL current console, and even last-generation consoles. The guy obliviously know something about how to optimize an CPU for a gaming console.
Wii -> Broadway http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadway_(microprocessor)
GameCube -> Gekko http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gekko_(microprocessor)
Xbox 360 -> Xenon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenon_(processor)
PlayStation 3 -> Cell http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_(microprocessor)

AMD -> Ati > Ati GPUs

Once again, GPUs used by consoles.
Wii -> Hollywood http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_(graphics_chip)
GameCube -> Ati GPU (no specific name)
Xbox 360 -> Xenos http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenos_(graphics_chip)

Microsoft -> Xbox

So yeah, pretty explicit. From a pessimist view, it could just be coincidences.

 

[xhambonex]

Or doesn't it seem like video games are going into a downturn? I see the "gamer" crowd still into them, but young people don't seem as drawn to them as in the past. The whole industry seems sort of old fashioned to my eyes.

Not to laugh but you should check out the numbers:

1. Wii - 10,224,400
2. Nintendo DS - 9,951,500
3. Xbox 360 - 4,735,200
4. PlayStation Portable - 3,829,300
5. PlayStation 3 - 3,685,000
6. PlayStation 2 - 2,106,100*

Thats for 2008. Notice the DS, handheld gaming, pushing almost 10 million units. That is a market the mobile OS X could get into. They already sell lots of units as is, but if they made it output video and have a BT controller or anything like that, then you would have something special. Now it would take awhile to get bigger dev names, but really they just need to prove the hardware can handle it, and how many people would turn down selling games for an apple device. That market is huge as well.

What this Xbox guy will do, I don't know. The 360 has had pretty good success and they run similar to Apple in terms of App Store (XBL marketplace), netflix (iTunes/ATV), those type of things. Just similar structures around the products.

 

[dohardthings]

Yes apple and the patriots are both stocking up keep up the good work

 

[donlphi]

Compared to what? A PS3 running Call of Duty 17 or something?

And I wish people would drop the lame Pippin references, they're getting boring.

Lighten up, grumpy-grumpertons. I thought Pippin was a great reference, not to mention, it was only brought up 2 times before you got bored. You either have a very low threshold for boring things or an eXtremely eXiting life.

But since we're talking about Pippin, in Apple's defense, they were a completely different company in 1994. Steve wasn't there. The company paired up with Bandai. I know what you are thinking... WHO IS BANDAI???

Anyway... I would welcome another competitor to the video game industry. Now that the concept of having an exclusive game for one system is almost unheard of these days, with the exception of a handful of titles, it really doesn't make a difference which system you buy.

I like the idea of my AppleTV having a little more function. Whether it be a DVR for cable, a video game system, or just a web device for my TV, I think there is definitely potential.

IMHO I think there is a market being overlooked by Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. As family friendly as the Wii is, it's not a very convenient system to use if you just want to relax and play a game. Let's be honest, sometimes we just want to chill and play a casual game - like board games without hundreds of pieces to pick up and put away. On the other side of the spectrum, you have PS3 and XBOX 360. I totally understand there is a lot of development and production that goes into a video game, but I just can't see paying $50 for a blu-ray disk that has Monopoly on it. I would love to play it, but that seems a bit extreme.

 

[PeterQC]

Think about it. The iPhone docked to the TV and plugged in. The 3.0 SDK allows bluetooth and usb accessories. The Wii Mote uses bluetooth. Other bluetooth controllers could also work. You could just pack your console in your pocket. The graphics should be close to the quality of the Wii. It would be amazing!!

It will never happen with the current hardware. Even if it has literally ten times the CPU power of the DS, it isn't optimized. That's the way someone can make a console games with vastly inferior hardware look somewhat like a computer game after 4 years since it cames out, and still be able to display it at 60FPS at 1080p/720p (excluding the Wii).

 

[lord patton]

In other news, Wall Street analysts are predicting 0.0% unemployment for the current quarter, as Apple has apparently hired everyone.

 

[overcast]

Or doesn't it seem like video games are going into a downturn? I see the "gamer" crowd still into them, but young people don't seem as drawn to them as in the past. The whole industry seems sort of old fashioned to my eyes.

Is that a joke? The gaming industry is bigger than the movie industry.

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2008/06/gaming-expected-to-be-a-68-billion-business-by-2012.ars

 

[Frisco]

Is that a joke? The gaming industry is bigger than the movie industry.

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2008/06/gaming-expected-to-be-a-68-billion-business-by-2012.ars

That's true and Apple wants a piece of the gaming market pie.

 

[BMWFan]

That's true and Apple wants a piece of the gaming market pie.

Apple being a me-too company. How times change.

 

[the vj]

I believe is great

Apple hiring great people, specially because Apple will push your imagination and will make your product work, what else an engineer would want?

Then, Apple may be going in to gaming but if it does it as well as the iPhone just imagine how revolutionary gaming will be! how many phone companies made fun of Apple when the iPhone came out?

The Nintendo Wii broke many paradigmas regarding interface. Things need to be re invented rather than going around the same things over and over again.

I believe everything is good, Apple will give a big surprise to everyone, not only Apple fans.

Regarding taking over Microsoft? I do not thing so, MS moves in areas Apple just do not care like banking, manofacturing and the military, those are MS big shares but the fun is on the Apple side.

 

[Pugpuppydude]

Apple is becoming an empire of genius.

 

[maxijazz]

I think this is about portable/mobile online gaming.
The new guy fits perfect, he knows how to make not much exciting hardware desired aka Xbox and XboxLive.

 

[hummerdude23]

I enjoy fieldrunners as much as the next guy - but apple should remain honest with their iphone/iPod touch platform. Unless they really beef up the specs for the devs to create profoundly beautiful and intuitive software - it'll remain an mp3 player that can run simple games.

Have you played Assassins Creed, watched the trailer for Terminator Salvation, or seen the screens for Need for Speed Undercover??? The graphics are almost as good as the PSP!!! True, they'll always be some control issues as the Touch Screen will never be the same as physical buttons the DS and PSP have. But developers have shone that they can put forth pretty impressive games that are in no way "simple"

 

[lord patton]

True, they'll always be some control issues as the Touch Screen will never be the same as physical buttons the DS and PSP have.

Yes, but that limitation is coming to end. iPhone OS 3.0 will allow third party peripherals via the dock connector.

It will be interesting to see what hardware comes out for games, and how easily the varied products work with a variety of games. It could be a standards nightmare for awhile. You wouldn't want every Dev requiring a different "d-pad" adapter.

 

[winmacguy]

I certainly hope Apple is planning more than just using the ipod as a gaming platform - the ipod is not a good gaming device imho but I guess I fall into the hardcore console loving crowd. The touch screen just deosnt do it for me, I prefer my wii mote, gameboy, PS3 controller, or xbox controller.

That might be why the iPhone 3.0 SDK as APIs for 3rd party hardware

As to creating powerful ultra efficient graphics chips... read on http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/04/29/what-does-steve-jobs-want-with-all-those-chip-guys/

 

[JesterJJZ]

GameCube -> Ati GPU (no specific name)

Wasn't Flipper or something?

 

[Stately]

wow. apple is just taking people from everywhere! but hey, more power to them. looking forward to seeing what becomes of it

Yeah, very unusual, but like you said I'm looking forward to the outcome. I can't wait to see what they dish out at WWDC !

 

[designgeek]

Between this thread and the one about chip development I truly think apple is trying to take over the world.

 

[Stately]

That's true and Apple wants a piece of the gaming market pie.

If it was another company, I would wholeheartedly agree with you. It's Apple though, so I think it really is more them, having the desire to make devices complete i.e. devices that can literally be our life in our hand. I think what you mention about wanting in on the gaming world is somewhat a secondary desire as far as what you say they want in for. Ya know? Either way, I am not mad lol. Go Apple.