Topic: New Additions to the Console Wars

[Kytim89]

With Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft battling it out for supremacy in the home console market and Sony and Nintendo jockying for position as the leader of the hand held market. Well, what if Microsoft entered the hand held market while Apple entered the home console market.
 
The Apple console would be calle the "Core"(no pun intended).   It would have the appearance of th ipad, but have graphical out put of the PS3.
 
It seems as if Microsoft will eventually enter the handheld market with a portable Xbox to battle the PSP 2 and 3DS.

[Chozo Ghost]

Apple already entered the Console market with the Frodo or something... it failed.

[ShyGuy]

I think Android has the potential to become the fourth hand held game market.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Apple already entered the Console market with the Frodo or something... it failed.

Wasn't it the Pippin or did they try more than once?

I think Android has the potential to become the fourth hand held game market.

It's also why I think that if there was a PSPhone, Sony would use Android to help stomp out iPhone as the market share leader.

PSPhone, the only phone that allows you play Playstation(R) games and access the Android Market. Seems like a winning more successful strategy(than what they are currently doing) to me.

[Mop it up]

There's no room for another competitor, the market is already too crowded as is.

[TJ Spyke]

Apple already entered the Console market with the Frodo or something... it failed.

Wasn't it the Pippin or did they try more than once?

The Apple Bandai Pippin. Apple only designed it, they never actually produced it themselves. They intended to just license the technology (similar to what Trip Hawkins did with the 3DO, he just designed the system and then licensed it out to companies like Panasonic and GoldStar). Less than 100,000 systems were manufactured and the only major publisher was Bandai.

ShyGuy, how would Android be a system? It is just a operating system, not a hardware system. There are also only 2 handheld systems (iPod Touch and iPhone have gaming capabilities, but it is not their primary function. DVD players can also play games, but they are not considered game systems). Assuming Sony makes a PlayStation Portable with phone capabilities (like some fans speculate they will), it will not beat Apple or Nintendo.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Shyguy never said anything about Android being a "system".
He implied that it would be the 4th handheld gaming platform next to the DS, PSP and iPhone.

I think a smart move for Sony would be to assist boost Android in the battle against iPhone while simultaneously confronting the 3DS with the PSP2 by using Android as the base software in their PSPhone/PSP2. That would put Sony right in the middle of everyone else just like with the motion control situation.

[Kytim89]

I have been speculating that Microsoft would enter the hand held scene for a long time and I am surprised that they have not done so already. I would not be surprised if the xbox portable was not revealed at this years E3. Microsoft is Sony's primary rival with the home consoles and it would seem logical on their part to rival them with a hand held. Also, Microsoft is one of a few companies that have not challenged Nintendo's hand held dominance. And no, the Zune does not count as a Xbox hand held.
 
Second, Nintendo should offer skype in case Sony does put a phone service on the next PSP. It would be a cheaper alternative for both Nnitendo and the consumer and it would provide wireless communication for games.

[BlackNMild2k1]

MS will not enter the portable game machine market. There is less room for success there than in the home console market and they have yet to make an actual profit there yet.

Nintendo has an iron grip on the market and even with competition from both the iPhone and the PSP. The iPhone is eating into the PSP's market share and all either do is bookend the massive DS market in the middle that pushes towards the outer edges.

Handheld Software Sales $$$$
[.PSP.][..........................................Nintnedo DS......................................][.iPhone.]

Unless MS has something that is gonna blow PSP and iPhone out of the market, then they would be better to just grow their Windows Mobile platform & Zune market slowly until the time is right to enter. in other words, not any time soon.

[MegaByte]

If this research firm is at all accurate, Apple is more significant than you think...

[BlackNMild2k1]

I've seen that (what I was basing my whole post off of) and if you add in the actual software sales figures then you might see that the market expanded and iPhone was eating into PSP's sales, not the DS.

[ThePerm]

lol, 2003 image ready for 2010

[MegaByte]

Actually, go here for a better idea of what they're thinking.  No, it's not an April Fools joke.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Actually, go here for a better idea of what they're thinking.  No, it's not an April Fools joke.

I'm sorry, but I read about 1/2 of that and Apple is crazy if they think everyone is gonna have 20 different shells and hubs to plug their iPhone/Ipod Touch into so that it can be whatever I want it to be.

I would need a cabinet full of attachments and a room house full of Apple products. Not gonna happen.

[MegaByte]

Of course not.  But they're going to patent every possible option so that they can choose which to use at their leisure.
That's assuming any of them could get past anti-button Jobs.

[Spinnzilla]

Actually, go here for a better idea of what they're thinking.  No, it's not an April Fools joke.

I'm sorry, but I read about 1/2 of that and Apple is crazy if they think everyone is gonna have 20 different shells and hubs to plug their iPhone/Ipod Touch into so that it can be whatever I want it to be.

I would need a cabinet full of attachments and a room house full of Apple products. Not gonna happen.

Well, if the Apple hardcore is like the Nintendo hardcore they already have a cabinet full of Apple products they don't use anymore because they've upgraded to the new yearly interations.  Which there are plenty of Apple Hardcore (I have friends who are) buy the new editions every year. 

[Morari]

Apple zealots will buy anything labeled with a lowercase "i" and a sleek, white exterior. Never mind the price or lack of capabilities!

[BlackNMild2k1]

But would you really want to plug your iPhone into a shell for everything?

a gameboy shell, a ds shell, a remote control shell, etc. etc.

I don't know if that's what they were leading towards, but that's what it seemed like in the article/patent.

Why not just design the device to be more universal and have an ultra thin slide out keyboard or just have a few buttons and a directional input. Make the device capable of communicating with other devices through apps and not through the need of shells or anything other than give the iPhone Wiimote syndrome with all the plug in devices to give it more functionality.

[Kytim89]

As much of a xbox hater as I am, I find the idea of a xbox portable quite appealing. The idea of playing Halo, Gears of War, Mass Effect and Fable on the go seems pretty good. Althought the machine would probably RROD in a short period of time.

[ThePerm]

lol when Nintendo announced DS, i thought DS was going to be like that

another 2003-4ish image

[KDR_11k]

If this research firm is at all accurate, Apple is more significant than you think...

Looks like Apple is chewing into the PSP market while completely ignoring the DS.

[JoshuaGaler]

I think that still the google is left to enter in market. They are like tortoise which steadily and slowly enters in market and will make their place in between all.  As it is competitive market it becomes really difficult to judge which one is at the top and which will be kick out of market.

[Chozo Ghost]

Looks like Nintendo is finally getting some serious competition in the handheld arena, and who would have thought this serious competition wouldn't be from the PSP?

[Guitar Smasher]

Or perhaps the market is growing, i.e. people who weren't interested in DS in the first place are getting into iPhone.

[ShyGuy]

I think people can justify buying an iPhone more than they can justify a dedicated gaming system cause that's for children.