Why Apple is NOT Going to Make a Game Console

Sometimes the computer industry is like 8th grade homeroom. Conversation, fueled by rumors, with absolutely no substance. Speculating on why Tim Cook reportedly visited Steam on Friday the 13th is the industry equivalent of “Suzy walked home with Billy, they must be going steady.”

Big whoop! Timmy Cook visited Johnny Cook at Steam. They have the same last name! They might be distant cousins or something. Maybe they were just planning the sack race for the family reunion later this summer! That speculation on my part makes as much sense as the stuff we’re seeing presented as news lately.

Granted, it was a slow news day today. The most exciting article I posted was about the Ashton Kutcher project about Steve Jobs getting a working title. Sure, we posted an article about the console rumor. Does that validate it? No!

Apple already has an excellent gaming platform, thank you very much! It’s called iOS. The games being published for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad are amazing! Apple already “wets their beak” by getting a cut of the sales price for every app sold through their App Store, be it games or otherwise. Where’s the financial incentive to enter the already crowded console gaming market?

The rumor states that the new console will feature Kinect-like controls, and will come with the rumored Apple-branded television set. (I’ll admit, I’m holding off buying a new HDTV until we find out for sure if Apple will be in the TV business.) So, will the console only work with the Apple branded sets, or will it work with any HDTV set? Ask Magnavox what happens when people think a games machine only works with one brand of TV.

Why go thru all this when Apple already has a great solution for people who want to play games on their big screen? It’s called Apple TV, and one of the many things it does well is act as a outlet for Apple’s “AirPlay” mirroring. You can already play quite a few games on the big screen by piping the video from your iOS device through the Apple TV. Works great! No need for another box connected to your set, or a new “game console” platform – just the tiny black puck you’ve already got sitting there.

Rumors are fun, but this is one I hope doesn’t come to fruition. It’s not something that’s needed. The console market is already too crowded, and it just doesn’t make sense for Apple to risk another Pippin.

So, Timmy and Johnny, let’s talk about something really cool, like bringing Portal over to iOS. And while you’re at it, don’t you think a pie eating contest at the reunion would be fun?