Apple working on new gaming platform?

By Ellie Gibson Published 5 August, 2009

Analyst claims he's touched it and all.

Apple is working on a tablet computer specially designed for playing games and media.

That's according to a report by researchers Barron's (as recounted by 9to5mac). Apparently one analyst has seen the device first-hand. He reckons the hi-def video content is particularly impressive, stating, "It's better than the average movie experience when you hold this thing in your hands."

The analyst said the computer will be unveiled in September and will go on sale in November, priced at $700 - $800.

Manufacturers are said to be so excited they're clearing space in their factories in readiness. "It's close enough now to a final design that in Asia, there's no other product in the waiting room or in the bullpen," the analyst said.

"There are dozens of ODMs [original device makers] making products for Lenovo and other PC makers that are all waiting to see what the Apple product is."

Another analyst, John Peddie, reckons the computer could perform a wide variety of multimedia functions. He added, "Gaming will be a big part of what this is about."

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (47) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • WiseGuy #1 3 years ago

    Colour me interested.....

  • DFawkes #2 3 years ago

    I'm envisioning a big, massive iPod Touch pretty much, which is by no means a bad thing. Indeed, I could imagine sitting on a train enjoying HD content quite happily.

    Hopefully they'll have an App Store for this too, with the same kind of ease of access to the SDK. I think that's one of the best things about developing for iPhone - relatively cheap to get stuff out there.

  • UncleLou #3 3 years ago

    I'll gladly be proven wrong, but I can't quite see the attraction of a big tablet media/gaming device. It seems to be a combination of disadvantages of other devices rather than a combination of advantages.

  • anomagnus #4 3 years ago

    A tablet for gaming? I mean really? How is that going to work, its going to be massive.

    I just dont see how its going to fit in. In my opinion it'll be too big for portable gaming, and too small for home gaming.

    I also detest apples approach to market mediums. They virtually own digital music now, and they've completely strangled mobile gaming. Knowing how the itunes model works, its scary to think of what they might do to gaming with it.

    If you though DRM was a bitch before, wait till apple starts fucking with the market.

  • Venkman90 #5 3 years ago

    I wouldn't mind, but they don't seem to care about actual gaming, there idea of gaming is 100 variations of Tetris.

    Valve have said on several occasions they tried to open dialouge with Apple to get Steam runing on macs as well as several of their titles and Apple were always "hmmm, thats nice, ok guys thanks for coming in"

    D:

  • gandhimaster #6 3 years ago

    im not familiar with mac's, but sure they could do this?

  • chukcyQ #7 3 years ago

    It will be warm from all the heat CPU and GPU produces. I can hold it on my lap. I hope it has a rubbery hole!

  • qoobah #8 3 years ago

    I don't know, I have some really mixed feelings for touch-interface gaming. Anything that requires precision is a bitch to implement successfully on a touch interface, it just doesn't have the feedback needed for satisfactory interaction. What works is stuff that doesn't need precision controls. Hence so many arcade games on iPhone/iTouch, but there is so much more to gaming than arcade/puzzle titles (for me anyhow).

    Well, I'm interested to see how this comes out, but speaking from experience of iPhone development, I'll remain cautiously sceptical.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #9 3 years ago

    I wonder if this is the gaming netbook that will make last weekend's article look stupid?

  • Phishfood #10 3 years ago

    Price is way too huge.

  • Wash #11 3 years ago

    Wonder what it will be called, i something sounds a reasonable bet. Cheap to :D.

    Seriously for a moment, this will probably sell gangbusters for a device that probably wont have half the functionality of a tablet pc already on the market. Ohh well. Be intesring to see how good it is for gaming, i guess just like an oversized iphone with the multi touch tech will do.

  • Apostle #12 3 years ago

    iBox?

  • DrDamn #13 3 years ago

    Price indicates this is certainly not a pure gaming device. Think media device that will also support games and apps like the iPhone. I'm interested without actually being able to express why :)

    /want

  • SBfistfun #14 3 years ago

    I predict a machine that does nothing new, but is marketed with various clips of twats dancing around like deranged fucking morons. Slap on an extra 100 - 200 quid more than equivalent hardware, and tie in a restrictive content service.

    Bingo, the next big thing from Apple that will sell shed loads!

  • Mkwone #15 3 years ago

    Well i've heard alot about a tablet mac for some a while and it's the first time i've heard it sold as a games console of sorts. My thouughts are a larger more powerful ipod touch with macbook features, so you'll still have the ilife software, but with the multimedia and gaming prospects of the touch.

    My concern os how ergonomic is this device going to be.

  • AphoticCosmos #16 3 years ago

    "tablet computer"

    Not interested.

  • twoism #17 3 years ago

    I might be interested depending on its specs, operating system (whether its Mac OSX or a watered down counterpart similar to the iPhone/iPod Touch), and final price... I think it'd be nice to have a device you can pick up and use whenever, but it better have some good functionality to back it up.

  • Teamallstar #18 3 years ago

    Just what the world needs, another hand held console!

  • hiddenranbir #19 3 years ago

    Would Apple really let this analyst blag about it when they've made no comment themselves?

  • joe90 #20 3 years ago

    Apple Phantom. (with keyboard)

  • Moribundman #21 3 years ago

    Oh fuck off Apple, stick to what you're good at - iPods/Phones and Fisher Price computers.
    Edited by Moribundman at 05/08/09 @ 10:04

  • Gnasher #22 3 years ago

    What an idiot: Moribundman

    Few years ago you would have made the same comment regarding phones and now iPhone is the world most popular phone...

    and a further few years back you would have made the same comment about music and then iPod came along and cleared up the music market.

    Think again before you make ill informed comments...

  • Les #23 3 years ago

    "Fisher Price computers" ?!

    I've often compared XP's standard colour scheme to Fisher Price but I don't really see the connection with Macs TBH. Please elaborate.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #24 3 years ago

    now iPhone is the world most popular phone

    Hardly. But it's far less of a stretch to call it the best one.

  • Xerx3s #25 3 years ago

    "The analyst said the computer will be unveiled in September and will go on sale in November, priced at $700 - $800."

    Heh. That's apple for you.

  • Les #26 3 years ago

    "their products are for people who do know better."

    /fixed :)

  • canIdoyabombsforya #27 3 years ago

    Pippin Air?

  • anomagnus #28 3 years ago

    i worked for apples internal sales for three years. Its a hateful fucking company, all the more hateful because many of its products a damnably good.

    As much as i fucking hate the company, and people, trust me, i fucking LOATHE it, i still want their products.

    The only thing putting my of the iphone is that ridiculous 18 month contract.

  • Moribundman #29 3 years ago

    No elaboration needed IMO but...

    I think EarlBassett has summed up my overall opinion of Macs pretty succinctly. Good design tools (I use one to this end), lazy choice of computer for home use usually chosen by people who are frightened of computers.

    Nothing against Macs in their rightful place as specialist work computers, but trying to be everyone's cuddly, friendly, wuvvable, not-frightening computer for home use is an unneccessary and overpriced dilution of a good machine.

    I believe that in the latter instance they are trying to make toys for people with lots of income and little intelligence.

    I *am* impressed with the gaming potential of the iPhone, but now they're trying to make a big iPhone to compete with the 360/PS3? Surely that's diluting another great concept to try to fit the mass market?

    Colour me cynical and unconvinced at present. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.

  • skillian #30 3 years ago

    but now they're trying to make a big iPhone to compete with the 360/PS3?

    Despite EG's headline, Apple are not making a new gaming platform.

    Sure, it will play some games but this is a portable computer for web, email, media and the like. If anything it's competing with netbooks and tablet PCs.

  • teabagger #31 3 years ago

    Given that it'll probably equate to £700-£800 over here it's going to have to be quite special. Probably not the sort of thing you'd happily wave around in public for fear of being robbed (remember when iPods first came out - anyone with white earphones was likely to be mugged), in which case you'd be using it at home not more than a few feet away from your high def TV and PS3/360 which combined were probably cheaper and have better capabilities.

    That said, I'm sure it'll have the 'Apple Factor', and at least it will make the PS3 look cheap. Ho hum, wait and see I suppose - has to be more than the media & games as the article mentioned surely.

  • Sunyavadin #32 3 years ago

    It will be warm from all the heat CPU and GPU produces. I can hold it on my lap. I hope it has a rubbery hole!

    It's an Apple product. It's probably thinking the same thing about you.

  • RexRunti #33 3 years ago

    So not so much a games machine, but more a tablet mac that can play games. Of course these games won't run as well as running on a tablet PC for a third of the price and the only ones available will have been out for PC for at least 18 months and saturated the PC market already.

    Apple never have, and never will be interested in games. (The App store is just a store which is saturated with games not a store designed for games.) Also, I wonder what will happen when big tablets start exploding, I doubt they'll get away with their usual "We'll give you a refund, provided you sign this NDA and waive your right to sue us".

  • Darren #34 3 years ago

    In my experience Apple products look very nice and are well-built but seem to be focused more on style over functionality. They are also massively overpriced IMO so I have about as much interest in this new project as I did their iPod or iPhone, i.e. none at all. Well obviously I had enough to post a comment but that's it. :p

  • peterfll #35 3 years ago

    If it were just a gaming device, isn't it a bit late to be announcing it in September for a November launch? Unless lots of top developers have been secretly developing like mad for the thing, it would be unlikely to launch with any significant content.

  • ps3owner #36 3 years ago

    iPod, iPhone, iTouch?

  • belziah #37 3 years ago

    $800 handheld console ftw.

    Go on Apple show Sony how it's done. Lol

  • Les #38 3 years ago

    Not really surprised about the amount of Mac hate on a gamer's site as the limited number of games available on the platform rules it out as gaming machines (even though Mac OS X and OpenGL2 are more than capable of running them).

    What I like about Apple is that they understand that hardware and software shouldn't be treated as separate entities but must form a symbiosis. That, and they abhore ugly plastic boxes... ;)
    Edited by Les at 05/08/09 @ 13:06

  • dog2_99 #39 3 years ago

    Been suggested the name is iPROD or at least thats the development name

  • Les #40 3 years ago

    "Except that they have changed the hardware multiple times and now segmented the market further with the 3GS, so tis not a consistant hardware base at all."

    That's exaggerating the situation. TBH save Nintendo with the DS I don't know of any hardware vendor that has managed to keep the basic platform so uniform while still improving the functionality of the device.

  • penhalion #41 3 years ago

    Is this just that 7inch version of the ipod touch that was runoured a while back?

    Call me strange but, I don't actually want a portable gaming platform that is too big to actually be portable, even if it is made by Apple. I'll stick to getting the i pod touch 3s unless this silly large pad is set to take it's place. That would be royaly stupid of apple though so I'm betting the analyst got the wrong end of the stick as usual.

  • Les #42 3 years ago

    "But Apple are taking their focus from us loyal customers to starbucks drinking cocks who just want a flashy thing in the corner they can send an email on for £2000"

    What a load of bullshit, sorry.

  • EuroStalker #43 3 years ago

    I get the feeling that if Apple put a bit of poo on a white plate and charged $800 some people would buy it as long as it had the Apple logo and 'i' in front of it.

    Any takers?
    Edited by EuroStalker at 05/08/09 @ 18:59

  • AOFanboi #44 3 years ago

    My response to "analysts" is generally that you cannot spell their title without "anal". Think about that.

    Apple already have one of the most popular gaming platforms/consoles out there. It is called the iPhone/iPod Touch.

    But I would love a "TouchBook" though, as would a whole army of creative people yearning to not having to use a Wacom tablet with their existing Mac, but use a stylus right on the screen. There is no reason for Apple to make it cheap so they might as well add pressure strength detection to it...

  • Les #45 3 years ago

    " there's hardly any Mac people walking around going "Macs are just so awesome!""

    That's because it's not true. Macs aren't great, they're decent. But when put next to the crap that's called a Windows PC... Well, it's rather hard not to look awesome.

  • davisorle #46 3 years ago

    Post deleted at 20:44:35 16-04-2012

  • Numbat #47 3 years ago

    Interesting spread of opinions on Macs here. I've worked on them for 15 years, and use them at home. In comparison, I find Windows really unfriendly to use, though I havn't really used Vista. For gaming I use an Xbox 360 though, but even on this, the menu system is a mess compared to on Apple products.

    Thing is, Macs are generally dearer, but are good. iPod & iPhone show Apple can break into other markets. But they have also got it wrong (eg Newton) and I'm not convinced they have a passion for gaming. As mentioned above, I think this will be aimed at combining something to compete with notebooks, with some of the functionality of the iPod Touch / iPhone.

    Cost - Apple will probably charge as much as they think they can get for it. I was appalled at the price of the MacBook Air and thought it would flop, but apparently it's been really successful, so who knows?