Valve Boss Expects Apple To Challenge Game Consoles [Slashdot]

[DP ServBot]

Speaking at a panel during the WTIA TechNW conference, Valve CEO Gabe Newell had some interesting things to say about his expectations for the console business. Quoting: "The living room is the domain of the consoles, and its ability to exist independently from the other platforms is gone, Newell said. Newell expects Apple to disrupt the living room platform with a new product that will challenge consoles, although he doesn't have any particular knowledge of that new product. '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 said. Newell reiterated his concerns about a closed model being the 'wrong philosophical approach' but one that people will emulate because of the success of Apple and Xbox Live."http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png (http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fgames.slashdot.org%2Fsto ry%2F11%2F10%2F13%2F0532228%2Fvalve-boss-expects-apple-to-challenge-game-consoles%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfa cebook) http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png (http://twitter.com/home?status=Valve+Boss+Expects+Apple+To+Challenge+ Game+Consoles%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FqqeMXG)

Read more of this story (http://games.slashdot.org/story/11/10/13/0532228/valve-boss-expects-apple-to-challenge-game-consoles?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed) at Slashdot.

http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/GKNQObLJ16wO0UZmzME04SOnGYw/0/di (http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/GKNQObLJ16wO0UZmzME04SOnGYw/0/da)
http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/GKNQObLJ16wO0UZmzME04SOnGYw/1/di (http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/GKNQObLJ16wO0UZmzME04SOnGYw/1/da)

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdotGames/~4/BTD-dYoymOk

More... (http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotGames/~3/BTD-dYoymOk/valve-boss-expects-apple-to-challenge-game-consoles)

[Clownzilla]

What Apple needs is a spiritual Dreamcast successor. Apple has mountains of cash to put into a project like this and needs to try to expand beyond the portable electronics market. Honestly, they could even employ the help of Sega/Sammy to develop a top notch product.

[Johnny_Rock]

What Apple needs is a spiritual Dreamcast successor. Apple has mountains of cash to put into a project like this and needs to try to expand beyond the portable electronics market. Honestly, they could even employ the help of Sega/Sammy to develop a top notch product.

Apple has a history of being really unfriendly with third-party developers. Apple does fine playing to the portable and prosumer market I really don't think they can or have any reason to try to make a gaming console. A centralized media box? Maybe, but I don't expect to see many game developers wanting to work with Apple.

[BlastProcessing402]

What Apple needs is a spiritual Dreamcast successor.

What does this even mean? Slap a Sega logo on it?

[Emperor Megas]

What does this even mean? Slap a Sega logo on it?I was wondering the same thing. I didn't get the implication at all. :confused:

[jonebone]

I've been saying for years that I want to see the iConsole, just to see what kind of competition it creates. Maybe we're closer to it than we thought.

[calthaer]

I just don't see this happening. The reason Microsoft was able to successfully move into the console business is because they'd had so much experience supporting games on Windows over the years with DirectX (and all that comes with it). If you know nothing about game development, then it's probably easier to make your game for a Windows box than it would be for any other platform.

Apple has never courted game developers. People have made games for the Apple, but as far as I know Apple's never done anything to encourage it. The fact that they control the hardware could play to their advantage when it comes to squashing game-breaking bugs, I suppose, but the real problem is the fact that they would likely be just like Nintendo when it comes to third-party support. I'm not sure the console market needs another Nintendo, to be honest.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Mr. Newell is smart enough to have his eyes wide open watching the face of gaming on the iOS platform and the general public's (not us per'se, rather, the same general public that made the Wii and DS such commercial successes) response to it.

It's no secret that the major players that drive the industry (EA, Activision, Ubisoft, Capcom, Konami, Namco, etc.) all participate in iOS development on a pretty decent level and with each passing year the number of profitable clout-toting smartphone developers (Gameloft, Glu, Rovio, etc.) that become as profitable with 99 cent software (that looks and functions as well as full-featured product on home consoles/portables) grows.

So, Gabe is just being his very aware businessman self, knowing that in the not too far flung future - Apple has already created a distribution system not completely unlike Valve with their App Store model, all they need to do is develop some kind of dedicated iOS home console platform and the viability may easily follow. If people can take everything that they've already purchased over 3-5 generations of iOS hardware, it's an attractive concept.

Granted, many will argue that with the pretty robust TV connectivity of the iPad 2 that they already do have a home console on their hands that a lot of people enjoy as such on a regular basis.

Fears about a closed development environment seem a bit silly to me, as last time I checked - there seems to be plenty of independently developed app content on the iOS with little restricting it from approval, and outside of the Indie Game Store on XBLA, the current batch of home consoles don't really have much in-roads for independent developers anyway ... I just don't see Apple as being much more draconian in that regard as say Nintendo.

Of course the stalwart "I won't buy things that don't have physical packaging and/or physical buttons" likely won't be fans of whatever Apple ever does in this arena since I would expect them to continue their same business models and design aesthetics in a game console.

[duffmanth]

I've always said that if anyone could launch a gaming console and make a successful go of it, it would be Apple. I realize they failed with the Pippin, but the Apple that existed then and now are very different companies. Even if Apple does or doesn't build something to directly compete with the current consoles, the video game market is big enough for consoles and whatever Apple comes up with to co exist.

[slapdash]

Maybe they'll just release an iPad that hooks up to TVs and computer monitors and have a download-only portable/console/media box...

[98PaceCar]

Maybe they'll just release an iPad that hooks up to TVs and computer monitors and have a download-only portable/console/media box...

With ios 5 and an Apple tv, you can do this wirelessly in supported games. Real Racing 2 is the current poster child of the tech. Expensive, but were just seeing the tip of the iceburg for the applications.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Maybe they'll just release an iPad that hooks up to TVs and computer monitors and have a download-only portable/console/media box...

As stated, iPads do hook up to TVs, either wirelessly via AirPlay/Apple TV or with a $40 RGB or HDMI dongle.

iOS5 is making it game friendly so all developers need to do is make their games compatible with the tech.

Here, some video of the impressive Real Racing 2 doing it's thang on a TV.

http://www.macstories.net/news/real-racing-2-hd-with-1080p-tv-out-now-available/

(WiiU, iPad is looking at you.)