For Apple, the world's largest company by market capitalization, its every move will attract widespread attention, and many people hope that they can replicate the glory of the mobile phone industry and change the world once again.
From virtual reality to new energy vehicles, many areas that Apple may be involved in have been repeatedly discussed, if you feel bored, then this time everyone has caught Apple's new clue - to be a game console.
The whistleblower from Taiwan said that Apple is currently discussing re-entering the game console market internally and has conducted a feasibility study through external consultation.
Apple's "Game Gene"
Many people have witnessed how the iPhone redefines the mobile phone, the Mac's pursuit of industrial design, in fact, Apple and the relationship between the game is not shallow.
Apple founder Steve Jobs fooled his partners in the stage of beating workers, and together they made "Bricks" that can be recorded in the history of the game.
Of course, this matter has nothing to do with apple now, but in apple product history, there is really a game console.
In 1996, Apple and Bandai launched the Pippin game station, a home console compatible with the Mac OS 7.5x operating system, in Japan and the United States.
The machine has only CDs, no hard disks, and can be used to play and learn online when connected to a TV.
However, this experience became Apple's black history, and during the sales period, only 42,000 units were sold worldwide, more than 6.5 billion yen were lost, and Bandai's subsidiary in charge of the partnership was dissolved.
Kai-Fu Lee, Pippin's product leader, analyzed the reasons for Pippin's failure:
The market already has strong opponents: Sega and Nintendo
Underfunded, Apple is only responsible for the salaries of 40 people, and the rest of the funds are borne by partner Bandai
Product features do not meet the market demand very well (Pippin is characterized by a lot of puzzle education games)
In what form will it take?
After so many years, the reason for Pippin's failure does not seem to be a big problem for Apple now, and everyone cares more about what form Apple's game console will appear.
Judging from the news, Apple intends to re-create two products that have not been updated for a long time.
One is to redesign the Apple TV, a home console like Sony's PS5 or Microsoft's Xbox, and compatible with previous versions of the content.
The second is to reincarnate the iPod touch that has been removed from the official website and make it into a handheld to relaunch the market.
Patently Apple has reported on Apple's patent application for the game, which may be to prepare for existing devices, and some people think it is built for game consoles.
The first is a Switch-like JoyCon handle that can be attached to both sides of the device and can be used on iPhones, iPads, and even future Apple handhelds.
The second is similar to Nintendo's 3DS, with buttons on the left and right sides, and a touch screen in the middle, which can be gestured, and the adsorption method looks a bit like Apple's magic keyboard.
The third is a traditional gamepad, but there is an extra slider in the middle, and I don't know what to do for the time being.
I don't know which form you prefer?
How does Apple make money from game consoles?
As we all know, Apple's products are known for being expensive, but in the game console market, hardware is not expensive.
Taking Yusanjia as an example, Sony's PS5 and Microsoft's Xbox series X, the official price is about 4,000, and Nintendo's Switch is even in its early 2,000s.
If Apple still maintains its own high-priced play, it is not impossible to turn over the car again, and gamers do not care whether you are Apple or Sydney, they are more concerned about the content and quality of the game.
Yusanjia's play style probably has self-development, exclusivity and subscription service, and I guess Apple is a similar way of playing.
Rich apples naturally don't have to worry about money, mainly depending on their determination.
In the case of streaming, Apple TV+, which has been established for less than three years, beat many rivals, including Netflix, this year with its own production of "Good Listening Girl" to become the first streaming film to win the Oscar for Best Picture.
In terms of exclusivity, last May, whistleblower Tron said that Apple was negotiating with Ubisoft, hoping that the other party could find more game makers to provide apple with new games.
The subscription system is also a common means of making money for game console manufacturers, such as Microsoft's XGP, Sony's PS+ service, in fact, Apple is more skilled in this area, Apple TV+, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, iCloud and Apple Care... Arcade was also introduced for the game.
Although Arcade was optimistic when it was first launched, but so far because of slow updates, few categories, and most of them are casual games, the lack of AAA masterpieces has led to user loss, perhaps after doing the game console, Arcade can have more room to play.
Maybe it's for the metacosm?
Of course, apples, which have always liked to find a different way, may not mean to be drunk, and making games is just smoke bombs, in fact, it is for the metaverse.
Ever since Facebook has stirred up the concept of metacosmology, many people have been discussing what a metacosm is.
Interestingly, many people think that the so-called metaverse is essentially a game, and many of them think the same way.
For example, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in an interview:
The metaverse is essentially a game that puts people, places, and things into a physics engine and then relates them to each other.
Gaming is the most dynamic and exciting entertainment category of all platforms today and will play a key role in the development of metaverse platforms.
Gabe Newell, founder of the Steam platform, also said in an interview:
Most of the people who are talking about metaversics are off track, and they've obviously never played MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online Game). They tout 'Oh, you can customize your avatar.' It's like Final Fantasy XIV getting into La Nosia, isn't that something that was solved a decade ago? It was as if they had invented something powerful.
And if you want to do the entrance to the metaverse, then self-developed equipment is definitely the best choice.
Of course, Apple has nothing to do with the metaverse for the time being, and foreign media reports said that Apple had considered the metaverse, but finally decided to avoid this field.
If Apple really enters the game console business, do you think it can be on a par with the game console Yusanjia (Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo)?