Is There Any Truth to the Apple Console Rumors?

[RyaNtheSlayA]

I believe it had three good games: Marathon, Marathon 2, and Marathon 3. All of which could be bought for a Macintosh instead. And it cost like $700 at launch.

It could actually run regular Mac software and ran on a modified version of Mac OS. Basically you had the whole Mac game library open to you (provided that they ran on lower spec machines equiv. to the Pippin). Hell, you could even plug a keyboard and mouse into it.

[flamepanther]

Sony owns Zipper, Sucker Punch, and several other game studios. Twisted Metal, Gran Turisimo, SOCOM, and several other series count as first-party PS games. It's just not very noticeable that Sony owns those games because the Sony credits are typically just small white letters on a boring black screen, if they even show up in the boot sequence at all. They don't have a fancy little movie like Microsoft or a recognizable logo like Nintendo and Sega.

I don't think that's the issue at all, considering that I'm well aware of all of those, and I'm the one making the comparison.

Before the PS1 was launched, Sony's presence as a game developer was less "Zipper" and closer to "zip-o." They scrambled to put together a first-party presence, largely by buying small existing developers from elsewhere. I'm saying that if Apple (or Maytag, or Google, or Toshiba, or whomever) wants to break into the console business, they can do more or less the same thing and have an instant first-party presence.

I remember very clearly when the consoles for the 32-bit generation were still being announced, and people were mystified that Phillips, Panasonic, and Sony were trying to get in--specifically because they weren't games companies.

[YoshiEgg25]

I believe it had three good games: Marathon, Marathon 2, and Marathon 3. All of which could be bought for a Macintosh instead. And it cost like $700 at launch.

It could actually run regular Mac software and ran on a modified version of Mac OS. Basically you had the whole Mac game library open to you (provided that they ran on lower spec machines equiv. to the Pippin). Hell, you could even plug a keyboard and mouse into it.

What Mac library?

Seriously.

Who games on a Mac?

[BoringSupreez]

I believe it had three good games: Marathon, Marathon 2, and Marathon 3. All of which could be bought for a Macintosh instead. And it cost like $700 at launch.

It could actually run regular Mac software and ran on a modified version of Mac OS. Basically you had the whole Mac game library open to you (provided that they ran on lower spec machines equiv. to the Pippin). Hell, you could even plug a keyboard and mouse into it.

What Mac library?

Seriously.

Who games on a Mac?

Jason Fox and Steve Jobs. That's about it. And have you seen the price of used Mac games? It's way more expensive that PC gaming. I think Medal of Honor: Allied Assault costs something like $30-$40 used on Mac, compared to less than $10 on PC.

[lisalover1]

Here's an interesting article about the rumors surrounding a modern Apple console. Apparently, it was in the works, but has been cancelled: http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/pg00-iPlay.htm

[squid]

I'm saying that if Apple (or Maytag, or Google, or Toshiba, or whomever) wants to break into the console business, they can do more or less the same thing and have an instant first-party presence.

You make an excellent point. Apple could certainly acquire a first party presence. We know they have the assets to make it happen.

I think they would need a new angle to make their console profitable. How many people would pay both an Xbox Live subscription and a Apple...something something play games online... subscription? Wii has the virtual console and Miyamoto crazy controls department cornered (u mad xbox?) and Playstation has... a... um... blu-ray player... I guess? Apple would need a plan of attack to steal or create new customers. Maybe they do to the big three what they did to the 3DS: undersell.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

I believe it had three good games: Marathon, Marathon 2, and Marathon 3. All of which could be bought for a Macintosh instead. And it cost like $700 at launch.


It could actually run regular Mac software and ran on a modified version of Mac OS. Basically you had the whole Mac game library open to you (provided that they ran on lower spec machines equiv. to the Pippin). Hell, you could even plug a keyboard and mouse into it.

What Mac library?

Seriously.

Who games on a Mac?

Talk all the shit you want now, but in the 90's, Macs were loaded with games. Including the best versions of many id and Maxis games. Also Mac's were home to the greatest FPS ever made, Marathon Durandal.

Also, I currently play all my PC games on my Mac (though I boot up into Windows to do so, so that's not really gaming on Mac is it?)

[flamepanther]

Talk all the shit you want now, but in the 90's, Macs were loaded with games. Including the best versions of many id and Maxis games.

That's... greatly debatable. Mac versions of Doom and Wolfenstein 3-D did run at considerably higher resolutions. However, they also tended to do so at noticeably reduced frame rates, even on brand new Macintosh computers of the day. If you find the resolution more important, that might be fine. I found it an unpalatable trade, however.

Also, the '90s were the high point of the shareware revolution on MS-DOS PCs. DOS was literally flooded with an almost inconceivable volume of great titles, barely a fraction of which were ever ported elsewhere. When PC gamers said, even at that time, that Mac didn't have any games, those are the circumstances that let them look at the otherwise decent selection of Mac games and instead see a famine--relative to the PC.

[Ivo]

No, a console would require more than one button and that alone would turn Apple away.

A button a day keeps the Apple away!

Wait, that is not how it goes...

Ivo.

[Para]

My god if I have to buy another "i" product again I am going to kill myself. I don't care either way if they make a console but I am tired of this new-age hippie bullshit with lowercase i's and everything looking sleek and exactly the same. That shit was cool ten years ago but everything is just starting to look bland and uninspiring to me now.