Author Aaron Ruby has a theory: he thinks that one of the iTV’s features could be the ability to play Mac games on your TV. The ingredients, Ruby argues, are all there: high-speed wireless networking (possibly of the delicious 802.11n flavor); high-definition output in the form of HDMI and component connector; and the ability to send graphics data to a network port instead of a monitor port. Add in a wireless controller, and the iTV becomes a game console.
Ruby suggests both World of Warcraft and casual games as potential media for Apple to feature on the iTV. The former, to my mind, is far too involved and demanding to work well in such an environment; the latter is more believable, especially given that the iPod games already exist in the iTunes Store.
It’s an interesting idea, except it doesn’t really make any sense. Despite introducing casual games to the iPod platform, I still don’t think Apple really has any interest in gaming (as I wrote last week). Their last serious push into gaming was the failed Pippin console (pictured above) in the mid-90s. And though, as Ruby mentions, Steve Jobs worked at Atari and helped create Breakout, I don’t think Jobs really gets today’s gaming market—at least, not the way that he seems to get music. And in a market that is as fiercely competitive as the gaming market, that’s no small thing.
A bigger problem is that targeting the iTV for gaming would need, well, games. Such a venture would require a serious gaming push on Apple’s part—bigger than the release of iPod games. And it would probably be helpful for the Mac game-makers (whom Apple has shunned on the iPod platform) to be in on the plan, unless Apple has a clever plan up its sleeve. Is it possible? Probably. Likely? I don’t think so.
I just realized that if the iTV is shaped like a Mini, you'll probably be able to set up one of those hard drives that stack up with the Mini to your iTV.
Also, I think Apple has a great opportunity right now to get into the gaming market. Apple has much more credibility these days with it's gaining market share and prices becoming competitive. Jobs is sly with making deals and with the success of all the iTunes sales, I'm sure he'd get some backing. If Apple were to partner up with Nintendo or even a smaller game development company, they could probably make a good system with top-notch technology. It'd be the only Intel-based gaming console, so that'd stir up some publicity in the geek-world. It'd have the backing of most Mac users already. That's a pretty good share of the market. Make the console run on "OS X Console" and completely compatible with Macs and their software and You have a winner.
But again: Possible? Yeah. Probable? Not so much.
Apple getting into gaming by pairing with Nintendo? When Nintendo are on the brink of a new console release and need exclusive titles? I don't think so.
Game function, even a minor one, sure wouldn't hurt my chances of buying an iTV. A push into the educational games for children and classic games would be sweet!