Is Apple planning to turn the Apple TV into a gaming platform?

[YosemiteSam]

New data strings uncovered in the recently released iOS 4.3 beta 3 suggest that Apple may have grand ambitions for its little hobby known as the Apple TV and that the device may soon transform into a gaming set top box.

New data strings uncovered in the recently released iOS 4.3 beta 3 suggest that Apple may have grand ambitions for its little hobby known as the Apple TV. The Apple TV has never quite struck a chord with consumers in the way that Apple's other iconic products have, but the most recent iteration seems to be finally gaining some traction in the marketplace. With a lower pricepoint and the introduction of AirPlay, the latest AppleTV moved 250,000 units in the first week it went on sale and amassed 1 million in sales in just under 3 months.

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I can't imagine they would go all out and try and compete with the big boys in consoles. There isn't any money in the hardware side of that and they would definitely have to power up the devices. I'm thinking they are looking at making it a gaming platform the same way people play games on iPhones. You will just do it with your set-top-box. Sort of like a Wii. Games, just not quite as powerful as PS3 and Xbox 360.

Besides, PS3/Xbox game makers who already spend millions making these games isn't going to want to give Apple a 30% cut which they undoubtedly would want.

 

[TheCount]

I don't think Apple has any plans to compete with PS3, XBOX or Wii. That would be silly.

I'm just wondering how the control system is going to work. No one wants additional controllers to deal with but if they make you have to use an iOS device as a touch based controller then they are tying it to an iPhone/iPad and I don't think that's good news either.

 

[theogt]

I don't think Apple has any plans to compete with PS3, XBOX or Wii. That would be silly.

I'm just wondering how the control system is going to work. No one wants additional controllers to deal with but if they make you have to use an iOS device as a touch based controller then they are tying it to an iPhone/iPad and I don't think that's good news either.

You can already use the iPad and iphone to control Apple tv.

I don't think it's a serious gaming device in the near term. But there's no reason it can't be in the long term. It's not as if Apple has trouble attracting developers. In the near term though, I would think this just means playing Angry Birds on a 50".

As for hardware, Apple TV is running the same hardware as the iPad right now. These mobile devices aren't too far from comparable hardware to a PS3 or xbox.

 

[YosemiteSam]

As for hardware, Apple TV is running the same hardware as the iPad right now. These mobile devices aren't too far from comparable hardware to a PS3 or xbox.

Eh? The PS3 has a 9 core IBM Cell processor that runs at 3.2GHz and the Xbox has a 3 core PowerPC processor that runs at 3.2GHz . These aren't single core low power mobile processors these consoles are using.

 

[theogt]

Eh? The PS3 has a 9 core IBM Cell processor that runs at 3.2GHz and the Xbox has a 3 core PowerPC processor that runs at 3.2GHz . These aren't single core low power mobile processors these consoles are using.

I'm sure that will sound less impressive in 3-5 years.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I'm sure that will sound less impressive in 3-5 years.

True, but I'm guessing the next Xbox and Playstation will be out then too.

I'm sure at some point mobile low power processors will catch up to the full power procs. I just don't think it will happen until battery power increases.

Of course AppleTV isn't mobile as far as I know. They could easily add a real processor in it's next release. Though they will have to port iOS to a processor other tham ARM.

 

[Baileyneverfailey]

In 3 to 5 years the next gen of consoles will be out using much more powerful hardware.

You said mobile devices running single core 1 Ghz processors aren't too far from comparable to a 360 or a PS3, which is wrong in so very many ways. That's not even mentioning the GPU.

 

[theogt]

True, but I'm guessing the next Xbox and Playstation will be out then too.

I'm sure at some point mobile low power processors will catch up to the full power procs. I just don't think it will happen until battery power increases.

Of course AppleTV isn't mobile as far as I know. They could easily add a real processor in it's next release. Though they will have to port iOS to a processor other tham ARM.

Maybe, but how much better can gaming graphics really get? At some point there's a diminishing marginal value of better processing power.

In 3 to 5 years the next gen of consoles will be out using much more powerful hardware.

You said mobile devices running single core 1 Ghz processors aren't too far from comparable to a 360 or a PS3, which is wrong in so very many ways. That's not even mentioning the GPU.

It's a relative term, so I won't bother debating it. But the games on the iPhone and iPad developed on the Unreal engine are extremely impressive for graphics. It wouldn't take much for Apple to kick it up a notch in the Apple TV set -- of course, they may have to bump up their $99 price tag to do so.

But, yeah, if your point is that the iPhone has a long way to go before being competitive with the xbox and PS3 in terms of gaming, I think the only reply there is, "duh."

 

[YosemiteSam]

Maybe, but how much better can gaming graphics really get? At some point there's a diminishing marginal value of better processing power.

Bill Gates once said, nobody will ever need more than 64k of ram. My home PC has 8GB.

Commander Keen came along with groundbreaking side scrolling graphics, then Wolfenstein 3D came along, Wolfenstein 3D had groundbreaking graphics, then Doom came along. Doom had groundbreaking graphics, then Quake came along, etc. Rinse and repeat.

Look at games like the World of Warcraft. The graphics where great when it came out, not just a few years later I see this Rift game that has graphics are and a way better looking. In 3-5 years we will be wow'ed again.

Technology has one of the fastest evolutionary cycles. I do not thing that is going to change anytime soon.

 

[MonsterD]

Maybe, but how much better can gaming graphics really get? At some point there's a diminishing marginal value of better processing power.

It's a relative term, so I won't bother debating it. But the games on the iPhone and iPad developed on the Unreal engine are extremely impressive for graphics. It wouldn't take much for Apple to kick it up a notch in the Apple TV set -- of course, they may have to bump up their $99 price tag to do so.

But, yeah, if your point is that the iPhone has a long way to go before being competitive with the xbox and PS3 in terms of gaming, I think the only reply there is, "duh."

Not necessarily true that gaming systems just get bigger and more powerful, this looks to be the future of gaming

http://t2.***NOT-ALLOWED***/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRGeD3_R6vsqbxV-CKs4B5kGAtQBbbIJgKa4RZkQPyJz7UQmOXOCloud gaming.

 

[TheCount]

You can already use the iPad and iphone to control Apple tv.

Yeah I know, but I meant in terms of controlling the game itself. Touch based controllers are a terrible idea.

I remember I had the bright idea of buying one of Logitech's touch screen controllers, the 1000 model or whatever.

Worst idea I ever had. Having to look down at the remote to do anything got old REAL quick.

 

[theogt]

Yeah I know, but I meant in terms of controlling the game itself. Touch based controllers are a terrible idea.

I remember I had the bright idea of buying one of Logitech's touch screen controllers, the 1000 model or whatever.

Worst idea I ever had. Having to look down at the remote to do anything got old REAL quick.

Touchscreen gaming has its place. But you wouldn't need to have just touchscreen gaming on Apple TV. Theoretically you could use any type of controller.

 

[theogt]

Bill Gates once said, nobody will ever need more than 64k of ram. My home PC has 8GB.

Commander Keen came along with groundbreaking side scrolling graphics, then Wolfenstein 3D came along, Wolfenstein 3D had groundbreaking graphics, then Doom came along. Doom had groundbreaking graphics, then Quake came along, etc. Rinse and repeat.

Look at games like the World of Warcraft. The graphics where great when it came out, not just a few years later I see this Rift game that has graphics are and a way better looking. In 3-5 years we will be wow'ed again.

Technology has one of the fastest evolutionary cycles. I do not thing that is going to change anytime soon.

There hasn't been been that much improvement in graphics, particularly on consoles, over the past 5 years. The problem is no longer the hardware; rather the problem is whether it's worthwhile to make games more photorealistic, given the cost-benefit of time it takes doing so from coding standpoint.