Comments on: Why Apple should release a game console

Don Reisinger thinks now is the perfect time for Apple to get in on the console gaming front. Does Steve Jobs agree?

[artek-studio]

Now a day is not so complicated creating a console, based on the fact that basically evey new console is a mod gamers PC on esteroids with a huge amount of memory and a super charged Video card (this would be the real heart and brain of the console) and considering the new introduction of double, triple an quad core processors you are easily done with all these common and standarized parts without having to spend so much money on it.

The real thing on building a gaming platform is giving it rock solid stability and enabling a high performance, visual platform, on wich you enable an easy and powerful programing for games creation, because just having great tech specs means nothing if you doesn´t welcome programers to create GAMES (the bussines behind the console and gaming industry), dont forget that the console is just the medium for playing your favorites games, so at the end of the day the console is just the tool for gaming and not the gaming itself.

First of all don´t forget that gaming is not just having a powerful console, it´s having the most wanted games, game franchises, diversity of games, races, space ship´s, shooters, rpg´s and so on and also being enough flexible to satisfy all type of gamers and age of consumers.

So the magic behind the gaming console is letting your favorite games run as real as possible and letting its user inmmerse on the virtual reality for living the expierience as being there without the dangers but getting all the sweat and emotion from the comodity of your living or bedroom.

Jorge R.
Mexico City

[tonyy1919]

True apple is not koown as a gameing system, but if they tried they could build a system. I would guess better than x box. It is hard to breakin to this market straight out. If he could purchase a company that is in the market, then improve it, it would kick microsoft, and sonys butts. Steve Jobs has the people to do it, but does he want to. Aplle is known more for its computers than anything else because they build topnotch computers,although many do not use them because of the os,it is unfimilulare. Windows is the easiest to use and most common. That is why virus are designed for them.

[SouthernDeathcult]

Apples success stories have been in markets that had vast room for improvement, the Apple computer with its user friendly interface when PC's were all command line Dos for techys to play with, The apple Ipod when mp3 players were very basic.
The games market is a very different kettle of fish, it is already on the cutting edge of technology with Microsoft and Sony battling it out to try and out do each other, each with a huge inventory of games and games developers.
If Apple were ever going to gain a foothold in the games market they had already missed the boat when Microsoft indruced the Xbox to compete directly with the then, tired old playstation and Nintendo machines
Microsoft saw a hole in the market where they could introduce a superior consol based largly on the existing PC format, and timed their invasion perfectly.
Sony survived because they already had a large inventory of games which kept their customers long enough for them to bring out a worthwhile competitor to the Xbox. There is no hole in the market now for Apple to exploit, they would have to make a huge investment to even get on an equal par with Sony and Microsoft, and the games market is already saturated by them.
The only way Apple could enter the fray without taking a huge risk would be if they came up with some kind of super consol, games market stealer that could create something really wild like smooth flowing high resolution three dimensional virtual reality games or something equaly as advanced, and stay under the $500 mark with it.

[ronjh]

Why oh why would anyone need yet another gaming platform. Games may be popular with some sections of the community, but surely this area is super saturated already.

Speaking personnally I can see no attraction whatsoever to ANY of the games systems - all are formulaic and intensely boring. Possibly the only one to even approach any form of immersive action is the Wii - the rest are totally unreallistically tedious.

[SouthernDeathcult]

I agree with Ronjh, consol games are extremely formulaic nowadays, the best games in my opinion have always been PC strategy based games which do not lend themselves too well to a games consol mainly, I believe, because there are not enough buttons on a consol gamepad to support a really in depth strategy game, I have often played games on a PC that require 70 or more of the keyboards keys.

[oldchristy]

G'day mate.
Hooray !! At last some-one has taken their head out of the sand. With the best system , why they haven't gone this way before, I will never know. Admittedly they have promoted the music scene until they dominate that, now it is time to be able for all game players to be able play a ""Decent selection" of games and to have them available on request.

Good on you guys keep chasing this up, as I know many of my friends admire my mac (3rd one) but because they are game players wont change. idris welch

[MrTreize]

Uh, no. It would be wiser for them to simply partner up with Nintendo and engineer the next generation of cheap, fun, powerful gaming machines. This is all it would take for them to put the Xbox division out of business and ensure Sony gets back to their roots and give the people what they really want.

[WilliamHarper]

Hell, I think Apple should build a motorcycle!

[Dango517]

No, but Nvidia should. (NT)

[Hakuryustar17]

In a simple phrase: Absolutely not!!!!! I've spent 13 yrs working with everything from Microsoft to Apple and about all that falls in between, and after having to spend more time than I care to admit working on Apple products, the difficulty and overall expensiveness of parts and accessories to such a system would sour anyones day. Second, the current game market, at least with the ever reliable, love them or hate them, Play station platforms, there has always been some backwards capacity with previous platforms. Thirdly, we've just about gamed out. We have the Wii, Xbox, PS3, and thats just hitting some of the major systems. I'm missing many, but seriously, when will enough be enough? Apple hitting the market with a game system is going to be a painfully expensive process, with no prior systems existing before to even assure that the released product will be reliable or what the life expectancy will be. Its a major gamble that would hurt the customer more than it ever would Apple. And I don't overly hate Apple when I say this, I own and enjoy a iPod classic, however, from the side of someone whose worked with their products before over the years, the answer in the end is simply: No.

[cejjresale]

I'm sure if Apple really wanted to have a game console it would do fine. Since the Ipod and now the Iphone I think people are a lot more comfortable with apple. However, I have to say...PLEASE DON'T DO IT!!!! I have 4 kids and already have Wiis, Gamecubes, Playstations, PSP's, Nintendo DS's, Gameboys and X Box's coming out my rear. I don't need another game system to sink hundreds into. I cringe at the thought of standing in another long line half the night like I did for the Wii. Please Apple I'm begging you...DON'T DO IT!!!!

[sobishop]

Yeah, and how many are sitting around collecting dust now. Get your kids a bike or a kite and tell them to go outside and play so you don't have to keep buying bigger sized clothes every 3 months.

[gklitt]

The question is not "Why shouldn't Apple get into gaming?" It is "Why SHOULD they?" It has absolutely nothing to do with their core business, which is focused on providing an integrated computing/media experience. It would be foolish for them to get into the already crowded gaming market, and while they might have some limited success, they would never conquer the market by any stretch of the imagination.

[RaJitsu]

I'd love to see Sega back in the console market. With Apple there would be a good trustworthy joint venture people would be willing to buy a product from. However, I think that the market is pretty crowded with three players (though Wii is aiming a a different niche, still not many people have bought something else next to the Wii or a Wii next to their PS2 or Xbox360). A fourth one, would one stand a chance if it would be perceived as briljant. Quite hard, and I don't think a Apple console would make it. The domination of a Nintendo and MS and Sony is just to big, as is their financial and resource power (exclusieve rights and contracts with several game developers e.g.). It would be interesting, but from my opinion, I don;t think it would be the right thing.

[SoMDCacherz]

Apple would be better off staying out of it. It would be seen by most as an attempt to invade a marketplace that is already pretty solid with competition. All this likely would do is further divide the remaining good game developers and lower expectations for any upcoming releases on the other consoles.

[bluemist9999]

I think continuing the gaming console graphics war is a horrible idea. That raises development costs dramatically and therefore reduces innovation and game selection. That's because it effectively restricts game development to huge software houses. And since software is a business, the larger companies aren't likely to spend tens of millions of dollars to make a game that isn't a guaranteed hit.

[shoilee]

Why should they? There is such a thing as too much diversecation. When a company/business attempts to have their finger in EVERY pie on the market, they thin the mixture on the things they are exceptionally good at, which just might result in a mediocore mix., and they could lose that "Ka-Ching" sound they love so much?

[Ben Brabec]

I know I'm not "replying" to anyones comment or whutnot...but Apple should NOT release a game console. It's just not going to work out the greatest..

[Fox_Rox]

I'm one of those PC extremists that despises Apple, so I would love nothing more than to see Apple either stay out of the gaming console foray, or enter it and fail miserably. The only thing about the gaming console industry that is well suited to Apple's business model is the fact that gaming consoles are proprietary ad nauseum. Anything an Apple can do well, its competitors have the capacity to do better.

[rana_faisal]

I never liked apple because of the way they do business. I got ipod classic as gift. I found out that this version of ipod can only work with expensive video cables provided by the apple. After finding out this, I made up my mind that I will never buy any more apple product. The way they are doing business, I don't think they can grow. Whatever new product they lauch, will not be as successfull as other leading electronic manufacturer like Sony, Ninetendo etc.

[Fox_Rox]

Maybe Apple should start making wrist watches with built in microwave ovens and TVs that have wireless pacemakers. Or, maybe hearing aids with integrated MP3 players. How about electronic toylets (had to misspell to post) with automated paper dispensers.