Apple looking to compete with Nintendo?
updated 12:30 pm EDT, Mon August 13, 2007
Apple, Nintendo conflict?
Apple and console maker Nintendo may be on an unintentional collision course, according to a new media report. The latter is attempting to patent a tilt sensitivity sensor for its DS handheld, which would give the device control similar to the stationary Wii; this technology is said to be similar, however, to the accelerometer in the iPhone, which is used to sense when the view should be rotated between portrait and widescreen ratios. Apple has yet to make any comments regarding Nintendo's initiatives.
Critically, Apple is said to have much larger gaming plans that could affect both the Wii and the DS. A "major game developer" (possibly id Software) is reported to have been given iPhone technology a long time ago, and Apple may be making a gaming announcement by or before January's Macworld's event. If the iPhone is properly developed, says technology expert Seth Porges, it may represent legitimate competition for some of Nintendo's casual DS games, such as Brain Age. An unofficial emulator already loads NES games on the iPhone, and there are hooks for games written into the hardware's code.
It is also noted that the Apple TV, despite being a stripped-down set-top box for broadcasting music and video, actually has unused architecture dedicated exclusively to gaming. If exploited, this could steal sales from the Wii where buyers are less concerned about getting "serious" games such as Super Mario Galaxy or Metroid Prime 3.
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Joined: Aug 2001
Well...
First, if id Software did have the iPhone hardware before, what was Carmack doing telling Apple to open it up?
Second, if you're not into 'serious' games (whatever the h*** that means), why would you be spending any amount of money on a gaming console, let alone the $249+ for any of these systems.
Of course, the biggest issue is controllers. What would one use with the apple TV? Something as wonderfully limiting and too small as the apple remote? h***, the Atari 2600 controller had more options...