Please no, Don't want to see another "Apple Pippin" crash and fail.

Please no. It'll be more casual than anything we've seen so far

Rather not, they should focus on what they are good at, thats Design PC's and Music players.

The beginning of the end for Apple if they did.

I think they would be a good addition to the main 3. Problem is no real first party, perhaps they'll build upon that. You just know that an Apple console in this day of age, with the new direction Apple has taken in the last decade or so is going to look sleek as heck and will function beautifully.
Personally, I'm up for it.

but i would like sega come back in a bigway with a dreamcast 2 as i miss the gold old days sega had but if sega would come back support them day 1 in a flash i prefer sega to nintendo and m$ but i know if sega had stayed with dreamcast for at least 5 years the dreamcast would have outsold the game cube please sega if you are reading the fans want you back

Apple TV will be expanded to allow for game playing on its next upgrade. Was supposed to happen this past spring but EA (Apple's first big 3rd party developer) didn't have the games ready.

Spring '10 by the latest.

Game Console with integrated iTunes Movies and Music.

..its integrated like they are doing with iphone..and somehow not be the main focus of the market, but an extra that will add to the experience.

Apple have always been good at mixing experiences and joining different media together, so it would be interesting, but NO WAY will it be a hardcore game station..

If so..then I will literally go to the launch...and laugh.

the answer to my questions and yours is no.

oh god if they do enter the console race more fanboys oh god *shakes head*

If it doesn't end up making the PS3 look like the cheapest console ever, I wouldn't mind an Apple gaming system. They make some of the most powerful and reliable gadgets ever.

The title should be "Should Apple Re-Enter the Console Business?" they've been there once and failed.

Apple would have to break with tradition and actually compete on price and not its 'cool' factor and cult following of its other products. If they didn't do that then forget the stories of how the PS3 was over-priced because Apple are past masters at over-pricing.

With the current economic climate why would a publisher want to sink more money into developing for yet another format? It would be risky for Apple and risky for third party publishers.

I hope they do make a console then maybe microsoft will start taking gaming more serious with their arch rival competing against them apple wontlet up on microsofts short comings like sony and nintedo apple would force microsoft to make reliable hardware and push the bounderies of technology i love my xbox but microsoft crippled it with dvd-9 and a small hdd 20gigs-120gigs is nothing compared to the amount of memory some developoers are stating to required to make next-gen games microsoft also championed digital distribution with is a great alternative to blue-ray but with the maximum storage of 120gigs how can you take them serious what I would like to see from microsoft the most at E3 isnt some silly camera how about a 1GIG harddrive so developers dont have to compromise games anymore i know i should just get a ps3 but every sony product i've ever owned from the walkman to the discman to car and house stereos and my ps1 and ps2 broke i bought 3 playstation 2's so this apple thing sounds good to me and nintendo sucks periode

If they pull an MS move and release at least a year before the competition next gen they may have a shot. If they come with motion sensing with maybe a touch screen controller along with a good online service with a similar app store like on the Iphone could work. Of course they would have to buy or create some 1st party studios, maybe partner up with EA or Ubisoft for 2nd party support. Could be very intersting as Apple has currently great brand recognition.

Microsoft having such a huge Windows library itself is having a tough competition. Mac OS games = ZERO(not 2 or 3). They will surely Jump in for huge loss. Sony on the other hand is the Topper!

No Apple. Three is plenty enough. I thought the PS3 was expensive when I got it, Apple's would be overpriced.

I'll write a documentary on it.

"The Rise and Fall of Apple: The Deadliest Mistake."

Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony are all I need...

Just create a studio to make games, but not a console because i would hate to have to buy 4 consoles just to play every exclusive.

Is this the end of the world?!

It would be the smuggest console on the market.

If Apple wants to enter this precise market in recession,they probably are going to make it in the most safe way (money wise) at first, given its past attempts and the economic crisis; Casual aim.

Which is bad,I don't want 2 Wii's,I don't want java games flooding the market,I don't want a mass market console with a cheap ARM or a Pentium D,Neither I dig shovelware, just so a company can feel warm and secure with all its money.

On the other hand,If they take a Hardcore or Niche approach,I.E.the brave option...I might bite.

I guess more competition would make for a better product in all the fronts. I´m sure their approach would be more in the leagues of the wii rather than a 360/PS3. And I surely see them crafting a handheld rather than a tv dependant console.

would be best if they just collaborate with nintendo or sony it not a good time to jump in

You know, a lot of you above that are against Apple sound just like the MP3 crowd when Apple entered a supposedly over saturated Music player market. Remember, we are talking "console" which is hardware mostly. Apple has proven time and time again that it is a leader in hardware creation and innovation. On top of that Apple always provides excellent tools for users and developers for their computers/hardware. If Apple did enter the console market it would be something that has been known technically but never achieved (or even thought of): Good example.

I bet a lot of you did not know, or were not aware, that Apple has been a long time supporter of ray tracing - especially real time ray tracing. Even complained a tiny bit throughout the years about the lack of support from CPU and GPU alike. Take this past of Apple and add this to Intel's future larabee (which does focus more toward ray tracing) could be the place were apple takes that leap (remember Apple and Intel are Bedfellows right now).

Question then arises, why and why not?. Ray Tracing takes considerably more processing power to do as the hardware takes control of all lighting/shadowing. The Idea behind this is this would reduce the complexity on the software/artistic side of game creation as there would be no need to hire huge amounts of artist/programmers dedicated to drawing the effects in - thus creating superbly looking games at a faster and cheaper rate. However, this usually comes at a cost in hardware above where consoles are at - not really were dedicated gamers are comfortable with as a game console only machine. Apple would have to create some sort of hybrid game machine/home computer or media center that would justify the cost of being more expensive but the games could be sold cheaper and look better than current generation game consoles.

That above is one example another is Something like Onlive, which I personal think is a glimpse into the future of game. Sure, its only capable of 720p right now because of America's messed up current internet structure/speed , but above 720p is really only important if you are running larger than 50 inch screens. There is much more important stuff going on in games that immerses the player into their worlds than pixels. Lighting, Physics, Framerate, etc... all play important parts to the realism experienced. Onlive takes the expensive hardware that each player has to buy and everybody pitches in and purchases a Super console/computer that can push out massive details in graphics and can handle multiple monitors and inputs - basically think of Onlive as the ability to connect your monitor hundreds of miles away from the game machine. Also remember that 1080p is achievable, not because of hardware, but because of internet bandwidth and Speed. Eventually, the America's internet technology will improve in speed and bandwidth and we will then be able to experience 1080p or above without needing too really upgrade hardware.

I hope this little 2 cents shows that there is lots of room for improvement for innovation and creativity in exploring gaming in ways we never dreamed possible. More competition means more competitive pricing as well as innovation in gaming which is something that we as gamers can consider a win win situation or scenario. I would love to see Apple jump into the craziness with their own take on gaming as well as others and continue to hope other gamers see same advantages I see.....

Peace

I hope they do I believe many people that have been laid off from the game industry are about to start making iphone games and really apple has already made the product. The I macs could be spec to compete with the HD console really easily. Apple could do this. Their only problem would be system selling software but wait they have the online store and they have a cult like following and all designer must have one!

If you think sony has fans you have no idea. Apple could even ride off of nintendo's horse and still offer more just because more artist may support them.

I mean really that is Ms's problem right now they don't have enough artist supporting them. Also we all know they can make great hardware, but will they do it! Who knows....

...and are getting quite friendly with EA, they aren't newbies to the Digital Entertainment Industry...but a gaming console? noooooo! (I love Apple's products and support)...but maybe somehow getting more involved in the gaming industry, sure why not, as long as they don't put their price tags on anything =P

Tell me again how the multiplatform strategy was supposed to fix everything. Look at your results and compare them to Nintendo, which keeps thriving with exclusives. Your loyal fans are gone. And let’s not forget the pile of IPs you purchased only to let them rot.

The worst thing is this is down from last years numbers/expectations which was down from the previous years numbers/expectations. You think about how long “down” has been a consistent part of the communication and you realize those subscriptions are what’s holding that boat together. The price cut of gamespass is still a price raise in a string of price raises. They are trying to use players to offset the missing revenue. Now call of duty is out of gamespass, which is literally WHY they bought the company. To draw people to the subscription. They realized they missed a boatload of money and that wasn’t sustainable. Now you pay for it like you would have if they never bought the company… so why buy the company? Mind you those billions still need to be paid back. Yeah it gives you a chance to say we make the biggest FPS… but the internal conversations must be brutal at high level on topics that really matter. Like revenue. Profitability. And ROI for the shopping spree.

Is this like the 10th quarter in a row they're down 33% on hardware how is that even mathematically possible. You would think their mediocrity would Plateau