XBOX Founder: If Apple so chooses, they will simply kill MS/Sony/Ninty - UPDATE

Link.

I was a founder of the original xBox project at Microsoft and gave it its name. Almost 14 years after the painful, pointless, and idiotic internal cage-match to get it started and funded, the hard selling of a compelling and lucrative living-room product to Bill (and then Steve as he began to take over), a product that consumers would want and love and demand, I am actually still thrilled to see how far it has come, how many installed units it has, how it is crushing its original console competitors, how the brand has grown and endured, and especially how great the games have become.

But the past 5 years, and the last year in particular, have been simply painful to watch. Coasting on past momentum. Failing to innovate and failing to capitalize on innovations like Kinect. Touting strategic and market success when youre just experiencing your competitors stumbling failure (yes, Sony, Nintendo you are, Im afraid, stumbling failures). A complete lack of tactical versus strategic understanding of the long game of the living room. It culminated for me in recent coverage1 of interviews with Yusef Mehdi and Nancy Tellem and reports of the goals of a new LA xBox studio to create interactive content.

Which brings us to

Apple is already a games competitor broadly, even if Apple-TV isnt yet a game platform or a console. Mobile generally and iPad specifically have grown the total hours of game play and grown the overall game market. Only in the last 18-24mo has that overall growth turned from a segment-expanding rising tide to a tsunami swamping the console game vendor profit boats hitched to the docks. It is accelerating. Apple, if it chooses to do so, will simply kill Playstation, Wii-U and xBox by introducing an open 30%-cut app/game ecosystem for Apple-TV. I already make a lot of money on iOS I will be the first to write apps for Apple-TV when I can, and I know Ill make money. I would for xBox if I could and I knew I would make money. Maybe a console-capable Apple-TV isnt $99, maybe its $199, and add another $79 for a controller. The current numbers already say a lot, even with Apple-TV not already an open console: 5.3M sold units in 2012, 90% year-over-year growth vs. xBox 360 about 9M units in 2012, 60% YoY decline.Nat Brown

Much more in the blog post, another delicious opinion regarding the state of the traditional console industry -- and how Apple is always there, watching, waiting.... Remember what Gabe said not too long ago about the AppleTV? How interesting we get another opinion that's focused on the game console and not the PC.

Delicious.

UPDATE: Added TechCrunch article of deliciousness.

Angry Birds Effect incoming.

yeah sure if they can make it seem like another must-have fashion accessory.

Suddenly I trust his analysis much less.

Just another short-sighted tech industry airhead who thinks Apple is omnipotent.

Apple certainly has the cash. Do they want to burn through a whole lot of it and risk little to no return on investment to start with? Would the board and shareholders like that? Certainly interesting to think how Apple would approach the category. Heil68

Apple certainly has the cash. Do they want to burn through a whole lot of it and risk little to no return on investment to start with? Would the board and shareholders like that? Certainly interesting to think how Apple would approach the category. Heil68

Do not want. Apple products are overpriced simply because they have an apple logo. High end android costs less than iphone yet does much more.

But apple lost the OS race in the 90's even when they had a superior product. They are not unbeatable.DaBrainz

[QUOTE="Heil68"]Apple certainly has the cash. Do they want to burn through a whole lot of it and risk little to no return on investment to start with? Would the board and shareholders like that? Certainly interesting to think how Apple would approach the category. TwistedShade

[QUOTE="Heil68"]Apple certainly has the cash. Do they want to burn through a whole lot of it and risk little to no return on investment to start with? Would the board and shareholders like that? Certainly interesting to think how Apple would approach the category. blue_hazy_basic

I think Apple has a bigger thing to worry about, Google.

Do not want. Apple products are overpriced simply because they have an apple logo. High end android costs less than iphone yet does much more.

NineTailedGoku

No it wont.  Who's really going to care about App Store games on their TV at home?  People who wouldn't by an Xbox, PS4, or Wii-U anyway.  Does he seriously believe console gamers will put down their controllers to play iOS games instead?  Its one thing to talk on the go where its just a quick fix until they get back to the couch.  Its quite another to talk replacement.

[QUOTE="NineTailedGoku"]

Do not want. Apple products are overpriced simply because they have an apple logo. High end android costs less than iphone yet does much more.

RR360DD

let's all help the indsutry and start converting more casual gamers into core gamers. You have friends that only play games on their phone then make them take the next step. Make them get hooked on Call of Duty or Dead Space 3! And start talking to them about the PS4 and next-Xbox like the second coming. Talk about the graphics and how games have become more action packed and explosive than a Michael Bay movie because the truth is that anything is better than a world with only social games.

Apple could compete with the Ouya, and the Nvidia game systems pretty easily. However I doubt they would want to throw the money into making a full scale console to compete with the big 3. Anythings possible of course, and Apple does have the money.

.

If it made financial sense to push Apple TV in as a console, maybe with a streaming gaming service, be afraid.blue_hazy_basic

let's all help the indsutry and start converting more casual gamers into core gamers. You have friends that only play games on their phone then push them to the step. Make them get hooked on Call of Duty or Dead Space 3! And start talking to them about the PS4 and next-Xbox like the second coming. Talk about the graphics and how games have become more action packed and explosive than a Michael Bay movie because the truth is that anything is better than a world with only social games.

 

Gue1

[QUOTE="RR360DD"][QUOTE="NineTailedGoku"]

Do not want. Apple products are overpriced simply because they have an apple logo. High end android costs less than iphone yet does much more.

MBirdy88

Obvious statement is obvious. Now, Apple actually wanting to invest on an industry that's on life support is an entirely different issue. 

Until that happens, I will continue to have zero f*cks to give about anything and everything Apple does.

[QUOTE="MBirdy88"][QUOTE="RR360DD"]Android phones are pathetic. I'd rather go blackberry than touch another android. And I can't see apple going for the hardcore games market, but they could certainly prevent Sony / MS / Ninty getting the casuals. RR360DD

Pants. I'm on the first gen one too ...blue_hazy_basic

[QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"]Pants. I'm on the first gen one too ...musicalmac

i'd like to see them try.BrunoBRS

[QUOTE="BrunoBRS"]i'd like to see them try.musicalmac

The rage threads here makes me want it ... is that wrongblue_hazy_basic

[QUOTE="BrunoBRS"]i'd like to see them try.musicalmac

[QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"]The rage threads here makes me want it ... is that wrongmusicalmac

[QUOTE="musicalmac"][QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"]The rage threads here makes me want it ... is that wrongclyde46

[QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"]The rage threads here makes me want it ... is that wrongmusicalmac

[QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"]The rage threads here makes me want it ... is that wrongmusicalmac

[QUOTE="musicalmac"][QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"]The rage threads here makes me want it ... is that wrongMBirdy88

[QUOTE="musicalmac"][QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"]The rage threads here makes me want it ... is that wrongMBirdy88