Pachter's Podium: Apple's Gaming Console, Wii Sports Resort to Dominate '09 and More

Apple gaming

IG: You've talked about Apple eventually launching a console. Realistically when you do think this would happen? Could the game industry support yet another console maker in addition to Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony?

Pachter: I think Apple has a deliberate strategy.  They want to see what they can do with the handhelds (iPod Touch and iPhone) first, then move into console games.  Apple TV is the device that they can turn into a console, and they have essentially the same goals as Microsoft--to turn Apple TV into an entertainment and Internet hub. 

If they can get enough iPod users to download games, it's a natural that they can ultimately convince a large number of these users to buy a game-enabled Apple TV.  I'd guess a 2012 or 2013 launch. That means that Microsoft has to get enough of a head start to hold them off, which is why I see Natal and a big hard drive for the 360 next year. 

I'm not sure how Apple would proceed initially. It's possible that they open the architecture and go for an Apple TV "App store" to allow anyone to develop games. We'd get cool stuff like World of Goo or Geometry Wars, but probably not super cool stuff like Gears of War until they bought a few developers.  Again, it's the Apple audience they're after, and they would be perfectly happy if everyone who owned an iPod or iPhone bought Apple TV.  The "Trojan horse" is that the device would be an Internet access hub, and that they could then sell movies and other products.  What Apple cares about is getting into the living room, and an Apple TV with games has a higher likelihood of succeeding than an Apple TV without.