cimerians Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/05/apples-next-ste.html Yikes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iswitt Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 Didn't Apple learn their lesson from the Apple (or Bandai) Pippin? http://www.computercloset.org/BandaiPippin.htm. It would be interesting to see what they could produce, but so many companies have tried - and failed in the console gaming world. The list is lengthy for companies that failed with consoles. Coleco, Sega, Atari, Nokia, NEC, Magnavox, Philips, Panasonic, Smith Engineering, Emerson, Mattel, Bally, RCA, Fairchild, Nippon, Commodore... some people never learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christianscott27 Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 Just imagine how overpriced an Apple console would be. I think they're reading too much into the controller, its probably an improved remote control for the Apple TV rather than a Wiimote wannabe. I dont think Apple is big and rich enough to absorb the kind of losses associated with launching a console like MS did with the first Xbox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrazyKaiju Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 The 3D controller they're talking about isn't for a game console, it was a defensive patent for a 3D mouse they want to use with virtual whiteboard software. Logitech filed a similar patent 2 days afterward. Ars had an article about it a several months ago. While I doubt they'll ever produce a real game console, a sub $200 AppleTV 2 with the ability to run MAME would be a dream come true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rybags Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 It could be the end of them. The only way I see them succeeding is if it's some sort of "convergene" device that also records TV, plays multimedia etc. and performs emulation of classic platforms. And, it would be a huge investment to develop something leading edge. But, having said that, look at the XBox - there was nothing at all revolutionary there except the graphics hardware which was unavailable for the PC at the time, although that changed about 6 months later. Of course, the big pain with the XBox along with most new consoles was the subsidy the manufacturer had to place on them - which was recouped after 3-5 game purchases. The problem with convergence and emulation though, is that people might not necessarily then use the console for the new games. Lots of people would be quite happy to pay $200-$400 for something that plays movies, music and old games, and never bother to pay for those full-priced new releases that are critical for the manufacturer to claw back their dev costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+remowilliams Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 Yeah, I thought I remembered this being a defensive patent filing and not a sign of any 'game console' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Helmet Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 It could be the end of them. That's funny. Apple isn't going anywhere any time soon. The rumor is really about a motion control interface that would work with the AppleTV. I'm sure it would be useful for casual games bought through iTunes (ie PopCap Games). The aren't going to release a dedicated game console. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathanallan Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 This sure is disheartening. Why all the negative talk? Rumors of a game console coming out and it's met with this kind of pessimism? Even if it may be just rumors, just because it was done in the past and it sucked doesn't mean it will always suck ever time they try. I look forward to any new venture, and hope that it will be fun. With these kinds of reception, it's no wonder they'll fail. Sheesh, lighten up. Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n8littlefield Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 This has been rumored many, many times over the past few years. I really don't think we'll see anything of its kind from Apple. The closest we'll see (as was mentioned before) is casual games on AppleTV with some new form of controller. Certainly nothing to complete with a full blown console. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrazyKaiju Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 Why all the negative talk? Rumors of a game console coming out and it's met with this kind of pessimism? Even if it may be just rumors, just because it was done in the past and it sucked doesn't mean it will always suck ever time they try. I look forward to any new venture, and hope that it will be fun. Well, okay... I hear that SNK is making a successor to the Neo Geo. It'll feature the first 30 core processor in a game console, capable of 4320p with support for the new Dolby 14.5 'Realer than Reality' surround sound. Launch games are set to include Fatal Fury X, World Heroes X, Samurai Spirits X, Metal Slug X-2, and Golf. Estimated MSRP is a modest $15000. HD cables, controllers, and memory card not included. Some homes may need modification to accommodate the special 220 V/20 kWh power adapter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seob Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 Why wouldn't work? They have a good name with the ipod, so the youth knows the brand. Maybe the console they talk about is the iphone? It has as i have heart good gaming capabilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DracIsBack Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Why all the negative talk? Rumors of a game console coming out and it's met with this kind of pessimism? LOL - being an Armchair CEO is only natural in forums. Not like we're reprisentative of the population. That said, it would be interesting to see how this plays out. I'm not sure it's fair to compare the Pippin to a new console as Apple is a pretty different company (Jobs at the healm) in a pretty different market situation, with a lot more money and brand equity in the bank now vs. then. The console business is also damned expensive though. I love Apple's stuff, but another consideration is games themselves. I have a Mac at home. I swear by it. I love the experience over my PC (though I do run PC apps sometimes) but my Mac isn't exactly a "gamer's paradise". They aren't exactly "building a new market here", they way they and others did with the iPod back in the day. And look who their competitors already have as partners in developing games. Does Apple even have in-house game dev staff? Could they go up against the likes of the in-house staff at Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo? Of course, anything is possible, but this one won't be easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ataridude81 Posted May 24, 2008 Share Posted May 24, 2008 that would be interesting but wonder what games it would get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHufnagel Posted May 24, 2008 Share Posted May 24, 2008 An Apple console? I can see it now. A $1000 Apple TV that dual boots into Xbox 360 mode! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathanallan Posted May 24, 2008 Share Posted May 24, 2008 Armchair CEO? I don't know what you mean. I'm a game fan that likes ideas of new games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Yakapucci Posted May 24, 2008 Share Posted May 24, 2008 It would be interesting to see what they could produce, but so many companies have tried - and failed in the console gaming world. The list is lengthy for companies that failed with consoles. Coleco, Sega, Atari, Nokia, NEC, Magnavox, Philips, Panasonic, Smith Engineering, Emerson, Mattel, Bally, RCA, Fairchild, Nippon, Commodore... some people never learn. I wouldn't classify all these companies as having failed in the console realm. Some of them made great systems that were great in their day. Some, however, did produce only turds. JY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aftermac Posted May 24, 2008 Share Posted May 24, 2008 An Apple console? I can see it now. A $1000 Apple TV that dual boots into Xbox 360 mode! Impossible... there's no way Apple's putting a PowerPC chip in this thing... There is no way Apple will release a console unless they can maintain at least 30% profit margins on the hardware. That's how they operate. An AppleTV already has Mac hardware and software, so it's not entire out of the picture that Apple is planning to release games for it. If Apple was truly getting into games they would just buy Nintendo, but who knows... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRGilbert Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 It would be interesting to see what they could produce, but so many companies have tried - and failed in the console gaming world. The list is lengthy for companies that failed with consoles. Coleco, Sega, Atari, Nokia, NEC, Magnavox, Philips, Panasonic, Smith Engineering, Emerson, Mattel, Bally, RCA, Fairchild, Nippon, Commodore... some people never learn. I wouldn't classify all these companies as having failed in the console realm. Some of them made great systems that were great in their day. Some, however, did produce only turds. JY That's what I was thinking as well. To say that Atari or Sega "failed" in the console market it a bit of a stretch, regardless of the direction they took. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iswitt Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 (edited) Don't get me wrong, Sega was, and is, awesome. But obviously the Dreamcast did not appeal to enough people which caused the failure of Sega in the console market. Hence why I included them. As we all know, Atari ended up with the same misfortune. Edited May 25, 2008 by iswitt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DracIsBack Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 Don't get me wrong, Sega was, and is, awesome. But obviously the Dreamcast did not appeal to enough people which caused the failure of Sega in the console market. Matter of perspective, I guess. With the last generation, the market dynamics shifted. In the days of the 2600, NES, SNES etc, console makers make money on consoles (albeit a small profit) and made real money on games. In the last generation, all the console manufacturers typically bled money on every console sold early on, with hopes of eventually making it back on games when enough of their consoles sold. To make matters worse, game productions to keep up with the technology became increasingly expensive. When the four companies entered the market last time, Sega was already in awful financial condition to be able to compete in such market conditions. While Dreamcast is remembered as a flop, I can honestly think of no console that lived and died quite like it did. 11 million units sold, yet discontinued in a little over two years. Hundreds of titles, including some highly lauded games and killer launch titles. Many of the things taken for granted this generation (online play, motion sensing controllers, HDTV output) were on the Dreamcast. It was killed because Sega couldn't afford to compete in the first place and they essentially ran out of money before they hit critical mass. To put something else in perspective, Microsoft hemoraged four billion dollars on the first XBox. By any P&L perspective, that would be considered a collosal failure. Yet from a strategic and optics perspective, I think most consider the XBox a success. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ze_ro Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 Well, let me tell you, if there's one name I think of when it comes to gaming, it's Apple! Seriously, what's this thing going to have? Doom, Marathon, and SimCity? /me puts on flame-retardent suit... --Zero Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karyyk Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Hmmm, you know, an updated Apple TV with Wiimote controls and a downloadable game option (simple, casual games probably) would be pretty cool. If Apple enters the gaming arena (I don't really count the Pippin), that seems a much more likely scenario, as that will kind of ride the coattails of "convergence" that they've been harping on for a while now. It really wouldn't take much for such an addition to be a profitable venture, both for Apple and potential 3rd parties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHufnagel Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Well, let me tell you, if there's one name I think of when it comes to gaming, it's Apple! Seriously, what's this thing going to have? Doom, Marathon, and SimCity? /me puts on flame-retardent suit... --Zero Indirectly, you bring up a good point. Why go through the expense of creating a gaming console and enter that cut-throat business, when you can convince some big name developer to create an exclusive or timed exclusive for the Mac? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ze_ro Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 Well, my point was more along the lines of "why would anyone expect Apple to be able to make a successful game console when they can't manage to attract a significant video game presence on their computers?" There's a lot more to the video game business than being able to put some silicon in a fancy box. --Zero Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aftermac Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 Well, my point was more along the lines of "why would anyone expect Apple to be able to make a successful game console when they can't manage to attract a significant video game presence on their computers?" There's a lot more to the video game business than being able to put some silicon in a fancy box. --Zero It's not that Apple hasn't managed to attract a video game presence on the Mac, it's that they have never seriously pursued creating a game market for the Mac. The Mac game market exists despite Apple. The bottom line is that Steve Jobs hates games. They erode brain cells. That's why Mac OS X comes with Chess, instead of Mine Sweeper. If Apple was serious about games they would tap into their $20 Billion in cash reserves and buy a game developer. This issue goes back to the early days of personal computing. Apple has been trying to get people to take it seriously since 1976. Apple has avoided the gaming market (especially in the early days) so it's machines weren't seen as toys. Some 30 years later, Apple is finally starting to be taken seriously. A gigantic bank account will do that. My personal fantasy would be for Apple to buy the Atari name and assets and release a console with an Atari nameplate. BTW: I would be all over Marathon 4! So, glad Bungie divorced Microsoft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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