Gabe Newell: Apple Could "Redefine" Consoles

[Worgen]

Apple already has a popular console, its called the ipad and its very over priced.

Just think though, with a console, they are obviously worth more than a handheld, they could charge over 3000$ for this baby! And then the next year they bump the price up 300$, then the next and the next!
I'm better 50$ if this happens!

Very true, apple could never do a console since they would always want to charge way too much for it. Hell, most of apples computers have been closer to consoles with how closed off those damn things are. You can do anything you want with an apple as long as apple lets you.

So your saying you can't do anything with an apple?

I'm just saying you need a signed letter by apple to do anything with one. Damn things crash allot also. I don't know how stable the computer OS is but my ipad crashes allot even though its updated. (I won it in a contest, I would never pay for the stupid thing)

 

[Irridium]

Yes, I can't wait for the day Apple launches it's overpriced console. And then re-release it each year with small upgrades while charging the same amount of money year after year.

 

[Waaghpowa]

*Is reminded of the Pippin*

Then again, when the Pippin was release, nobody bought it because it had little to no software. These days with the fanaticism surrounding Apple, people will buy it regardless of how shit it is.

 

[mjc0961]

Seems like the solution is for Valve to make a console that isn't a locked up fortress like the iPhone is or any possible Apple console would be. Valve would kick some ass.

 

[Waaghpowa]

I am sorry, Gabe, but I will not be buying Apple's console until it has proven itself.

Plus, there's the whole "Apple" thing. You know, I've bought two iPods in my life, and both of them lasted about twenty days. Twenty days, whereas I just gave a cheap supposedly throwaway piece of shit that I've had for years to a relative of mine.

That is, if Apple is actually releasing a console.

Why are you saying sorry to Gabe? He is concerned about apple trying this, he doesnt support this.

Hell, if anything I hope they try and fail hard core.

Maybe then iSheep will smarten up, its a long shot, but it could happen...

"iSheep" and "smart" are like mixing oil and water. Look up the Pippin, they already tried back in the 90's. It failed hard, but that was a different time when Apple themselves had to be bailed out by Microsoft.

 

[FoolKiller]

"I suspect Apple will launch a living room product that redefines people's expectations really strongly and the notion of a separate console platform will disappear," he [Newell] said.

This is one of the things that annoys me. I don't find convenience to it. I find it annoying that I'm being advertised to on my machine; I find it annoying that I have to deal with facebook, twitter, zune and other useless things on my gaming console. I wish they would let me just enjoy my games and not have to navigate a slew of other things just to enjoy my stuff.

 

[XT inc]

I've grown to like PC gaming, not to the degree of console gaming because I am not as in tune with the ins and outs of drivers and specs and openGL and trying to understand why my machine spanks High end games on Max Settings one day and lagging like a ***** on World of Warcraft on high the next minute.

If there is ever going to be a one console future to kill this all too modern day corperate bullshit diving the gaming comunity over dlc, series, and pricing. The sales market has to be free and have compatition. Seriously We Do not need another console out there, 3 is enough it was less prevalent to me in the old days with all the other consoles at the same time, during the semi games arms race and all the failed systems left in the dust. From your sega cd,cdi,virtualboy(own it),jaguar, saturn,dreamcast,turbographx etc.

 

[teqrevisited]

No, Gabe. Just no.

Why must all developers eventually turn needlessly evil or just spout insane dribble? The last place I want Apple to infect is the video game industry.

 

[GaltarDude1138]

It'd be interesting to see Apple enter the console market again.

However, I have a feeling they'd go after Nintendo on that front, releasing something catering to grandmas and girls and everyone BUT hardcore gamers. Maybe they'd release iSports, a Wii Sports clone or something, which is a dumb name and idea, but you get my point.

 

[Baresark]

"I suspect Apple will launch a living room product that redefines people's expectations really strongly and the notion of a separate console platform will disappear," he [Newell] said.

This is one of the things that annoys me. I don't find convenience to it. I find it annoying that I'm being advertised to on my machine; I find it annoying that I have to deal with facebook, twitter, zune and other useless things on my gaming console. I wish they would let me just enjoy my games and not have to navigate a slew of other things just to enjoy my stuff.

It's strange how people think that social integration in gaming is explicitly good. It's good in so far as I like to easily be able to play with my gaming friends. But beyond that, it's pretty useless. I'm pretty old school though, I don't have online friends who I never meet up with in real life. When I want to hang out with them, I go to their house. Strange concept these days.

OT: I'm with Gabe on this. What could they offer that others aren't doing right now? I mean, some apple exclusive software, but it would have to be pretty substantial to break in. I'm not with a lot of people (apparently) when I say that gamers have a bit more of an expectation out of their consoles than a tiny little difference for the same amount of money you spent 8 months before.

Edit: Also, Gabe is concerned about a closed platform, which is what Apple offers in everything it does. He has good reason to be concerned, but the more closed something is, the less competition there is, the less use people have for such a platform. I mean, every company that does the closed platform thing gets massive amounts of blowback from the customer base, to the point that I don't know a single person who buys their products, or at leas only does so on a rare basis, such as Ubisoft and their DRM for example. And lets not forget the failing indie market on XBLA because of their lousy sales and shitty closed platform market. The iThings do offer a good, but very limited experience.

 

[cookyy2k]

It'd be interesting to see Apple enter the console market again.

However, I have a feeling they'd go after Nintendo on that front, releasing something catering to grandmas and girls and everyone BUT hardcore gamers. Maybe they'd release iSports, a Wii Sports clone or something, which is a dumb name and idea, but you get my point.

If they did that though the casual market would look less appealing to Nintendo and they may be shocked back into making games not fisher price staving off alzheimer's for another week toys. I would love this scenario because I had every Nintendo console right up until the wii. I miss the day I could rely on Nintendo to give me a GAME. I can dream atleast...

 

[C-Mag]

I've always disliked Apple. I can appreciate the convenience of their devices, but their just too closed off and way overpriced. My family owns an iMac (you know, the desktop ones) and sure it's convenient, everybody but me just uses it as a portal to the internet, a place to access their email, and a calendar.

I suspect that for the price of that iMac I could have (if I was old enough and knowledgeable enough) constructed a PC many times more powerful.

With Apple's popularity, I fear that if they did release a console they might gain market dominance. And if that happened we would be saying a fearful 'hello' to thousands upon thousands of overpriced, inane little titles and fewer AAA games. The PC might also fall off as a gaming platform in favor of macs.

Basically, I think Apple gaining a monopoly of the tech industry would be FAR worse than Microsoft or Sony or what-have-you.

 

[chaosyoshimage]

Now introducing the........ iConsole.

And in 6 months, they will introduce the iConsole2. Basically the same exact hing, only with a different package and more problems than the first. This will repeat for about 4 years, until they make the portable iConsole (Basically a repackage iPhone.)

And inbetween iConsole2 and iConsole3 there'll be the iConsole2S...

 

[Baresark]

It'd be interesting to see Apple enter the console market again.

However, I have a feeling they'd go after Nintendo on that front, releasing something catering to grandmas and girls and everyone BUT hardcore gamers. Maybe they'd release iSports, a Wii Sports clone or something, which is a dumb name and idea, but you get my point.

If they did that though the casual market would look less appealing to Nintendo and they may be shocked back into making games not fisher price staving off alzheimer's for another week toys. I would love this scenario because I had every Nintendo console right up until the wii. I miss the day I could rely on Nintendo to give me a GAME. I can dream atleast...

.

I agree with you, only that is what Nintendo is attempting to do with WiiU. They are trying to appeal to the "hardcore" crowd more. Only, the problem is that people who feel burned don't want to hear it (I'm not among them). They whine about how Nintendo only makes games for kids, all the while ignoring the games that aren't made for kids and getting pissed Nintendo is releasing a new platform to do it with. So, I guess my point is that the casual market already looks way less appealing to them, and they are trying to fix it.

 

[Baresark]

I've never seen you before!
OT: Closed platform...platforms are really bad for a consumer, as they can't receive things other peoeple have on open-er platforms.

Like viruses.

LoL, true story. But also, indie developed games, innovative software, new ideas on how to use the technology, etc.

 

[cookyy2k]

It'd be interesting to see Apple enter the console market again.

However, I have a feeling they'd go after Nintendo on that front, releasing something catering to grandmas and girls and everyone BUT hardcore gamers. Maybe they'd release iSports, a Wii Sports clone or something, which is a dumb name and idea, but you get my point.

If they did that though the casual market would look less appealing to Nintendo and they may be shocked back into making games not fisher price staving off alzheimer's for another week toys. I would love this scenario because I had every Nintendo console right up until the wii. I miss the day I could rely on Nintendo to give me a GAME. I can dream atleast...

.

I agree with you, only that is what Nintendo is attempting to do with WiiU. They are trying to appeal to the "hardcore" crowd more. Only, the problem is that people who feel burned don't want to hear it (I'm not among them). They whine about how Nintendo only makes games for kids, all the while ignoring the games that aren't made for kids and getting pissed Nintendo is releasing a new platform to do it with. So, I guess my point is that the casual market already looks way less appealing to them, and they are trying to fix it.

Well whatever they do as long as they make money. I'm sat on a decent amount of Nintendo shares here.

I might have to look into the wiiU here, you're the first person I've heard saying it's anything other than a wii mk2.