Apple presents biggest threat to home consoles, say game luminaries

[Mark]

Apple presents biggest threat to home consoles, say game luminaries | Games Blog - Yahoo! Games Canada

The iPhone has already had a sizable impact on the traditional portable video game industry, but two video game VIPs are cautioning that the company could have a much larger -- and potentially devastating -- impact on the home console market.

Valve Software co-founder Gabe Newell and Nat Brown, who was one of the first engineers on Microsoft's Xbox project, have issued warnings about Apple's potential threat. The alerts come amid analyst speculation that Apple may hold an Apple TV-related special event next month.

In a keynote presentation at last week's D.I.C.E. Summit, Newell lauded the PC gaming market and talked about the advantages of a living room PC (aka SteamBox). As he listed threats, though, he didn't seem all that worried about the Xbox or PlayStation.

“It’s not scary what’s going to happen on the console side,” he said. "It’s scarier what Apple’s going to do. Apple has a natural progression to the living room. … Another great thing Apple does is they have a much [smoother] upgrade cycle. … That has been beneficial to both consumers and developers – and is a challenge to us in the game industry."

It's not the first time Newell has warned of Apple's threat. In January, he sounded the alarm during a lecture to students at the University of Texas' LBJ School of Public Affairs.

"I think that there’s a scenario where we see sort of a dumbed down living room platform emerging — I think Apple rolls the console guys really easily," he said. "The question is can we make enough progress in the PC space to establish ourselves there, and also figure out better ways of addressing mobile before Apple takes over the living room?"

Brown expanded on Newell's warnings in a blog post Wednesday, chastising Microsoft for failing to innovate and not capitalizing on those advancements it has made, like Kinect.

"Apple, if it chooses to do so, will simply kill Playstation, Wii-U and Xbox," he said.

The reason, he noted, was Apple's commitment to small developers, offering them the ability to create games cheaply and earn a percentage of each game's sales.

"Why can’t I write a game for Xbox tomorrow using $100 worth of tools and my existing Windows laptop and test it on my home Xbox or at my friends’ houses?," he asked. "Why can’t I then distribute it digitally in a decent online store, give up a 30 percent cut and strike it rich if it’s a great game, like I can for Android, for iPhone, or for iPad?"

Microsoft, coincidentally, announced last week it was planning to sunset the XNA development platform, which was created to help independent developers cheaply create games for Xbox and Windows.

New systems from both Sony and Microsoft are expected to arrive this year. Sony plans on formally announcing the follow-up to the PlayStation 3 at an event on February 20.

[LarkStarr]

With the store concept coming to light with Windows 8, I'm not so sure apple is going to have an easy time of this. This is of course assuming Microsoft applies the same concepts to the next Xbox.

[ipaine]

I'm sorry but I just don't see Apple as a threat. As it is their grip on the smartphone market has already lossened quite a bit and breaking into the living room will not work the way they want. Just think of the millions of 360, PS3 and Wii users that would not down grade to something from Apple.

[Master_Shake_]

i totally thought the threat was a patent on the game controller.

oh well...

[grinder]

haha Master Shake

The gaming industry is growing, not shrinking. A brand new game type has hit the market: micro transaction games.... and arguably apple/android are right at the center.

BUT

a) blockbuster console gaming does not equal micro transaction farmville/idiot-ville style gaming. To think the two are competing against eachother is a stupid argument.

b) gamers AVOID apple products now as a gaming platform (think PC's). I am not sure Apple realized how much energy, marketing and dollars it is going to take to reverse 3 generations worth of consumers who automatically assume Apple is not a good gaming platform.

[b1lk1]

It is beyond laughable to even suggest Apple can come in and take over console sales. They'd charge twice as much as MS and Sony and not deliver anything better than a more polished UI. This is rubbish.

[Masteroderus]

After installing steam on ubuntu today (which is as easy as pointing and clicking in an app store), I have to say I disagree.

How is apple going to take on steam when it runs on mac, windows and linux? Are they going to say they have the patent on all video games?


The biggest threat to consoles are cloud gaming by nvidia and linux steam boxes.

[GalaxyTech]

Much as I like cutting fruit in half with my finger I really don't think this is the sort of gameplay the Mass Effect, COD, and Halo players are looking for. In terms of mobile vs. console gaming, honestly I really don't see how either is a threat to the other in the current generation since they're almost totally different types of entertainment altogether. Gaming on a phone or tablet is so unlike gaming on a PC or console that someone may as well say movies or board games are a threat to console gaming. It's completely possible for 3 different types of gaming platforms with different strengths and weakness to exist without an inevitable doomsday scenario for all but 1. Just my opinion.

[b1lk1]

After re-reading this, does Newell have Apple stock he is worrying about? Apple has no foothold what-so-ever in the gaming market other than phones.

I also post this to good ole Gabe, if it is SOOOOOOO easy for an indie to just write up a quick blockbuster, WHERE THE HELL IS HL3????????

He is now a joke in my mind.

[JJThomp]

This is like saying board games are a threat to consoles because they are more portable... why downgrade?