The Argument for the Pippin Continued.
I've gotten some good comments regarding the feasibility and profitability of Apple creating a modern version of the Apple-Bandai Pippin.
Firstly, I would like to clear up just exactly why Apple should jump into the cut-throat market of gaming consoles. The Pippin and the Xbox have some startling design commonalities. The controllers are very similar, except for the ultra-neat roller ball.
The reason originally for my writing about the Pippin was because of Apple's innovations in data input systems and control schemes. The more I thought about it, it became clear to me that there are also a few other good reasons to re-make the Pippin. At the time, gaming systems altogether were a very different beast. 3D graphics weren't the predominant standard for video games. A few attempts at simple representations of 3-dimensional space had been used by games like Castle Wolfenstein (Mac), Starfox (SNES), or even earlier on the Macintosh with Vector Tanks (which by the way is now ported to the iPhone and iPod touch.)
Apple has a history of graphics prowess and it's only a recent thing that PC-based gaming systems have surpassed Mac. Since we're talking about graphics, I think it's important to talk about processing speed as well. The Microsoft Xbox has an average processing speed of 3.2 GHz. Let's say we call that the standard that Apple should look to surpass and the objective of making an affordable, powerful console becomes more feasible. The Mac Mini already has a 2.53 GHz or 2.66 GHz intel duo core chip in it. So put two of those chips in the new Pippin and you already have passed the Xbox's processing speed.
Basically I'm calling for a stripped down, suped-up Mac Mini for which major-market game designers will want to program. Apple has the market visibility to do this. It has the design team to do it. Honestly, look at the Mac Mini itself: it's a metal box. That is all you need. A bunch of powerful guts and USB control ports. Or wireless controls. Personally I would opt for the corded option to save space in the unit and not be bothered by batteries. You could even put a Solid State Drive in to remove any moving parts and go back to the old cartridge based system of games. Alas, I digress. I'm actually pretty surprised that this hasn't happened yet.
What do you think?
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A souped up dual-processor Mini at XBox prices? Hackers and modders will be all over it, converting it into a low-cost full-fledged Mac two days after initial release. You think Apple would come up with such a product?
“A bunch of powerful guts and USB control ports. Or wireless controls. Personally I would opt for the corded option to save space in the unit and not be bothered by batteries. You could even put a Solid State Drive in to remove any moving parts and go back to the old cartridge based system of games.”
This really shows how out of touch with modern gamers you really are, which of the three modern consoles comes with a wired controller still? None of them. What’s the point of the extra expense of an SSD, when a regular hard drive will suffice? Its not like this is gonna be a portable gaming system? Cartridges, really? Apple would find something as ancient as cartridges completely abhorrent with their clean lines etc. If Apple did ever make a console, it would be cleanly styled with hopefully a new, maybe touch/motion based interface that would be crippled by their insistence on keeping it a completely closed platform. Have you seen the reviews of the download-only PSP Go? Turn that into a home console and slap an Apple sticker on it, you’ll get the same type of reviews.
Sheesh. All the comments I’ve received so far are just so overwhelmingly positive. I’m just proposing some neat new things that COULD happen. Far be it from me to say what Apple should and shouldn’t do, oh wait, that’s what I get paid for here.
One at a time I suppose:
tundraboy: you say it like it’s a bad thing.
01jamcon: I am a modern gamer. Just because I don’t line up with what you would want from a console doesn’t mean that I’m out of touch. A wired controller isn’t exactly hell anyway. It saves energy and space. My favorite system to date: N64. You forget that Apple doesn’t always make things just for the technological value like other companies, most of their stuff is just intrinsically fun. Plus SSD costs are going to come down dramatically in a few years I’m sure, just because it costs a ton now doesn’t mean that it will later.
Sorry I don’t know the answer to these…
How much is an XBox360 anyway? And a MacMini of the power you describe?
How much does XBox360 charge for controllers or do they come with it.
I know that the i7 2.8Ghz iMac is similar in speed to a 5Ghz Core2Duo. Are you comparing Apples to Apples when comparing the MacMini Ghz to an XBox?
To be honest. I did the research when I was writing the original article but I can’t recall the figures off of the top of my head. I’m not exactly sure if the Ghz are the same or not. forgive my ignorance.
I also am only talking about the CPU and not the GPU. I guess the final point of mine is that Apple knows what they are doing. Microsoft doesn’t 99% of the time. I hate to be in the “cult of mac” but, well, I write for this site. It kinda goes with the territory.
Is nobody else out there titillated by the idea of an apple console gaming system?
To be honest, your belief in this idea is so clear and I disagree ... and it’s made me take a step back and look at a few of the things I think ABSOLUTELY make sense for Apple to do… and wonder whether I’m on track, off the wall, or somewhere in between.
One thing is for sure - Apple doesn’t make products that clearly fit into people’s existing expectations. They attempt to take 2 steps further past that, and at that point most people can’t imagine how it would affect their lives so Apple takes the gamble (and makes it as simple as they can) and has a hit (lately anyway!).
I personally can’t see how Apple can do that with games at this point, certainly not cheaply.
I just noticed I replied with “to be honest” same as yours… not intending anything by that!