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Upcoming Apple TV Product Will Include Video Game Support, Launch Date Unclear

Rogifan said:
Does anyone really think Apple would have a special event just for Apple TV with the product not coming out until later this year? It would kill current sales. My guess is Apple will announce it at WWDC (where you have a venue full of developers not just media types).
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Well the. What would you call WWDC? I'd call that a special event. What better place than there to release an SDK, and give developers a 3-6 month head start prior to release?

It makes perfect sense, which means Apple won't do it.
 
announcement date?

On the page it says:

You’re going to need more popcorn.
Get a $25 iTunes Gift Card on us when you buy Apple TV.
Perfect for watching Oscar®-nominated movies and more from iTunes.
Just $99 Apple TV

Offer expires 3/5. Terms apply Apple TV Offer.
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Wonder if the announcement will be on the 5th?!?
 
Video game support is over-due but I don't think an announcement would have to be made months before release for developers to prepare their games. iOS 7 has had controller support for months and there are plenty of iOS games out now that use it. Even if those games need to be modified for Apple TV compatibility, chances are that the big publishers are already working on Apple TV games to have them ready for the unveiling.

Another point I want to make is that if Apple are going to announce a games-capable Apple TV, they will most definitely redesign the Apple Remote to function as a gamepad. I think that a redesign in line with the Wii Controller that functioned in vertical and horizontal orientations would suffice as a basic control option for all kinds of apps. 3rd party controllers would be an option for the more hard-core type of games but all games should basically have to have compatibility with Apple's simple gamepad.
 
iapplelove said:
the cable companies saw what happened to the music industry after iTunes. they will never cave on any idea apple has.
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I think the industries are too different to compare. When iTunes came out, CD sales were already not that great. ITunes helped the music industry tremendously; if the cable companies were like the music industry back then, they'd be all over the Apple TV. But right now, cable companies are making money hand over fist with their traditional expensive bundles of channels. That's why they won't budge.
 
One thing IS clear to me, is that Apple's is "un-clear" with direction.

They change things half way though, They delay the Mac Pro in some countries, and as for the Apple Television, well, that's on the back-burner for "a future date." despite any rumors.

To me, when Apple a product/or able to but can't even mention a date, even if it is estimate (at least this would be something), then to me that says "It's bad." because it just them a good reason to push it back and back.. because they know they never gave dates ti begin with, that means they have lee-way to do whatever they want more.

Time will tell, but it sure seems since Apple can't go with an "Apple Televisions" just because they can't strike deals with content providers, then Apple changes to a different direction, instead of sticking with one thing and pushing it, or give up...... Not just hang in the middle.
 
Cougarcat said:
I think the industries are too different to compare. When iTunes came out, CD sales were already not that great. ITunes helped the music industry tremendously; if the cable companies were like the music industry back then, they'd be all over the Apple TV. But right now, cable companies are making money hand over fist with their traditional expensive bundles of channels. That's why they won't budge.
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Apple helped the music industry? I don't think recording studios who sell CDs will say that.
 
What is 'game support' supposed to mean? Another console or just iOS game compatibility? I guess it's the latter. These words are coming from a company that has been ignoring (serious) gamers forever. A company that never had any interest in supplying the necessary power (CPUs, fast graphic cards and badass drivers) for reasonable amounts of money and did they ever actively attract or care for developers? All these iOS games just happened to Apple and they enjoy the income while it lasts. I cannot take any of their statements regarding games seriously.
 
All I know is, I'll be buying an Apple TV when the new model ships. Seems like they're finally ready to treat it like a serious product.
 
aaronsullivan said:
Game support is probably coming to the platform but I'm having a hard time envisioning it. If the Apple TV doesn't come with a controller, what's the pitch? Just an additional $80 and you can play! If it does come with one, I'm having a hard time imagining that in one package from Apple. It will look like an Ouya.

I actually would love to see Apple do this, I just feel like there is a missing piece somewhere with interactivity and the whole package. Hopefully, there is an answer that is something very new or at least I'll slap my forehead and realize what I was missing. I want to want one. 🙂

I'd rather have an update that let me play my free Amazon Prime videos on the Apple TV (rather than my blu-ray box) but I guess Amazon doesn't want to put their free stuff on there if they can't have the purchasable stuff and Apple won't allow a store competitor, of course.

Very interested in what Apple does now that it is getting serious about this space. It's just a shame that it doesn't look like Apple is going to be able to shake up the industry models as much as I'd like.
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Ouya is probably exactly what apple is going for.... Let's be honest, they aren't known for creating much of anything... they're known for taking badly executed creations and making them something amazing that people actually want.

Ouya has awful interface, quirks and issues with design, use, and game selection.... (like every mp3, tablet, smart phone did before apple went into that product segment)

Apple would also never do a $99 all in one.... I can see $99-$150 ATV (especially if they make it the new airport express as an all in one... which would be brilliant on their end... the airport express doesn't drive sales of content/apps) $50 controller add on.... IOS devices doubling as controllers to some degree.

The sketchy thing for me with this is that you need storage space. They aren't going to throw mass storage in it with router capabilities, because now you're moving into time capsule territory.... but, time capsule isn't exactly a great seller. While an elegant Apple like solution, it's twice the price it should be and always has been (which is why sales of it aren't stellar.) Also, ISP's now give top of the line wireless routers... so people don't much need it.
Still, they're not going that route. No way.

Def would not be airplay games, too much lag. Micro sd is not apples style.
So I'd be willing to throw down on 16 GB storage with about half for available for apps.

The potential for gaming is just too huge for them not to look at. You can get $10-$20 easily for tv sized games... 30% cut.... the $$$ for Apple is totally there....so maybe they'd be willing to canabilize a lack luster category.

They are also now competing with smart tvs.

We will all be really excited or disappointed with no middle ground.
 
samcraig said:
Take it with a grain of salt, but some of my sources have stated they were already contact about working on channels to submit and apps. That's all they could tell me. And they couldn't tell me any timeline other than "sometime in 2014"
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I also know someone from a UK TV network that had a recent meeting with Apple regarding the Apple TV. Not sure the result or what it was about but the timing seems interesting.

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Apple tend not to do clearance sales on product they're just about to replace. If Apple is planning a software update I'd be surprised if the current model couldn't handle most of the new features of the update.

They don't want loads of people with a few week old devices that don't support the key new features.

I wonder if the new device will be smaller like the Chromecast. Roku are also working on a device in the same form factor that will plug directly in to an HDMI port (with USB cable for those with older TVs that don't support power through HDMI).

Software built into connected smart TVs is still very disappointing despite the efforts that have sprung up recently.
 
Dave532 said:
pple tend not to do clearance sales on product they're just about to replace. If Apple is planning a software update I'd be surprised if the current model couldn't handle most of the new features of the update.

They don't want loads of people with a few week old devices that don't support the key new features.
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There's no reason it couldn't to some degree.. The old old IPhone 3GS can play the likes of Infinity Blade.

The old AppleTV 2 has the newer A4 chip from the iPhone 4.
 
Fun fact: a custom chipset AppleTV 2 successfully passed through iFaith's servers with approductionmode = false.

Something is happening 🙂
 
I love my 2 Apple TVs and have owned every generation.

While I am all for an updated Apple TV, price was an issue for the original Apple TV (hence why they removed the hard drive opting to rely on streaming).

I do see this as a possible response to systems like an Xbox One.
 
Lepton said:
I think he cracked the hardware/UI, but the content providers are stubbornly uncracked. I always thought an actual TV would be odd, there are so many screen sizes people want. A way cool set top box would be more like it.
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I completely agree. 🙂
 
richman555 said:
I love my 2 Apple TVs and have owned every generation.

While I am all for an updated Apple TV, price was an issue for the original Apple TV (hence why they removed the hard drive opting to rely on streaming).

I do see this as a possible response to systems like an Xbox One.
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Hmm, I don't think the XBOne is really deserving of a response (and I say that as an Xbox 360 owner and someone who might buy the One). It is being heavily outsold by the PS4 and the console industry has been on a solid downward trajectory for a decade now.

But the living room is a place that Apple wants to be. The biggest screen in most folks houses is located in that room. Apple could, with fairly trivial effort, produce a better Apple TV. Heck, just taking a iPhone 5S and adding a power cord while taking away the touch screen would be 50% of the way there. What Apple would need though is a new GUI for the form factor. OSX is optimized for mouse and keyboard. IOS is optimized for touch. Apple TV has neither of those interfaces. The logical step is either Remote using your tablet/iPhone or voice. But coming up with something that really works well is probably the real stumbling point here. Also, Apple has probably wanted to make deal with content providers and just been unable to do that. I suspect that years have been wasted in negotiations that have not struck a deal. The cable and content providers have enough profitability that they aren't forced to negotiate. The Music industry had Napster pointing a gun to its head and that is what brought them to the table with iTunes. The cable and content providers have not faced that level of problem.
 
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