Apple craving for bigger bite of videogames industry?

by Steven Williamson on 11 February 2008, 12:23

Tags: Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)

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Apple serious about hand-held gaming device?

According to details contained in a recent filing with the patent office, Apple is set to extend their trademark with the inclusion of anything and everything that may pertain to being a ‘portable gaming device.’

The new trademark application, dated Feb.5th, states:

"Toys, games and playthings, namely, hand-held units for playing electronic games; hand-held units for playing video games; stand alone video game machines; electronic games other than those adapted for use with television receivers only; LCD game machines; electronic educational game machines; toys, namely battery-powered computer games."

Apple’s current offering of casual games on the iPod has hardly set the gaming world on fire, with only a fine sprinkling of average games currently in their portfolio including the multi-platform titles, Sudoku, Bomberman and Zuma. Even with third party developers, such as Electronic Arts, jumping on board with The Sims franchise, the titles currently available are nowhere near to emulating the quality of the top DS and PSP titles. If Apple really want to compete then, sooner rather than later, they’ll need to look at producing a quality hand-held gaming device.

The new trademark application could purely be Apple protecting their interests, but with Nintendo, Namco, Sega and more developers collaborating with the firm for the creation of games on the iPhone and iPod, could it be that Apple is finally looking to create a standalone gaming hand-held that will be able to compete with the big boys? Or indeed will they team up with one of them (Nintendo rumour...*cough*) to create the ultimate games console?

Source :: Trademork


HEXUS Forums :: 5 Comments

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apple have shown for years they don't understand a single thing about gaming beyond the “bored housewives” core demographic who would consider an ipod or phone a capable gaming machine
How can Apple be craving the video market if they do not allow you to change a graphics card within your system, heaven forbid thinking of actually running 2 cards in there?

Not only that games makers have been trying to make games for the MAC for years and struggled as there is nothing like Direct X (no not him above) installed to assist.

You'll find that games makers are complaining, such as the link Here

Maybe they're just covering the patents for when the revenue of the flash based mp3 players dwindles to nothing and then they can go and chase money owed to them :)
I wonder how ludicrously priced it would be?
i trust apple with gaming as much as i trust sony with footwear, or tesco with supersonic fighter jets
I doubt this will happen. I'd guess they're just protecting patents.