Is Apple Considering A Gaming Console?
Winga
MrSouth Africa Icrontian
Wild speculation or canny insider insight? A Prudential analyst seems to think Apple's move into the console hardware market is a distinct possibility.
With the new generation of game consoles bordering on becoming home entertainment computers, this may not be so unlikely in the future. Apple certainly has the resources to come up with a console comparable with those on the market, or whatever may be the console of the future.
"We think the videogame market represents a distinct possibility for Apple, especially considering that it recently announced the availability of videogames for its iPod through its iTunes store....The game console device could be morphed out of some combination of the MacMini and iTV, while the handheld player could be developed as an enhancement for a future version of the widescreen iPod," Prudential analyst Jesse Tortora explained in a note to clients.
One wonders though, whether Tortora has looked at the console scene of late..
With Apple being traditionally a hardware company, they would be hard pressed with selling new consoles at a loss in the hopes of pushing profitable software titles for future profits. What's more, Apple has for years, positioned their branding to the more mature adult market and with the existing major players already battling it out for a slice of the highly competitive gaming console market, it's going to be very difficult for another contender to enter this sector.
There's already a pretty good argument making the claim that Apple's quite happy to distance themselves from the video game scene. While it's true that a few games can be played on Macs, the overall image and culture of the gaming industry just doesn't fit Apple's upmarket branding and marketing strategies.
However Tortoa feels that the recent move by Apple, in introducing games for iPods through their iTunes music store at least puts that possibility out there.
With the new generation of game consoles bordering on becoming home entertainment computers, this may not be so unlikely in the future. Apple certainly has the resources to come up with a console comparable with those on the market, or whatever may be the console of the future.
"We think the videogame market represents a distinct possibility for Apple, especially considering that it recently announced the availability of videogames for its iPod through its iTunes store....The game console device could be morphed out of some combination of the MacMini and iTV, while the handheld player could be developed as an enhancement for a future version of the widescreen iPod," Prudential analyst Jesse Tortora explained in a note to clients.
One wonders though, whether Tortora has looked at the console scene of late..
With Apple being traditionally a hardware company, they would be hard pressed with selling new consoles at a loss in the hopes of pushing profitable software titles for future profits. What's more, Apple has for years, positioned their branding to the more mature adult market and with the existing major players already battling it out for a slice of the highly competitive gaming console market, it's going to be very difficult for another contender to enter this sector.
There's already a pretty good argument making the claim that Apple's quite happy to distance themselves from the video game scene. While it's true that a few games can be played on Macs, the overall image and culture of the gaming industry just doesn't fit Apple's upmarket branding and marketing strategies.
However Tortoa feels that the recent move by Apple, in introducing games for iPods through their iTunes music store at least puts that possibility out there.
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