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Five reasons Apple shouldn't get into gaming

3 points by technologizer 17y ago

grinich 17y ago
"1. The Best Ideas Are Already Taken" I don't understand how anybody could think this. It just simply isn't true. There doesn't need to be a "void" in order for something new to be successful. It just has to be better in some way than the existing technology. I don't think anybody on HN thinks that the best ideas are already taken. It's the people /not/ starting companies which believe this.
- Batsu 17y ago
  Completely agree. That's the anti-competitive spirit that prevents good ideas from happening :) I agree with the author's other 4 points, however. I'd hate to see a fourth console out there buying up exclusives, seeing another contender in the endless console wars... ugh. ... and if you thought people complained when the PS3 cost $600? :) I kid, I kid.
  - adamc 17y ago
    What's to kid about? Apple doesn't usually get into markets to be the low-cost supplier. They are the Ferrari of computers. OTOH, they might well produce something so good that it captures the top end of the market. It's risky, but if they thought they could do it...
mr_eel 17y ago
The problem is thinking that they want to make a console. I doubt they do. They may be thinking about pushing the iphone/ipod touch more heavily as game machines. The portable gaming market has a lot of room yet. "1. The Best Ideas Are Already Taken" Digital distribution: Other companies have started to do it, but the only distribution on portable devices are either java games for phones or dinky little games off Nintendo’s DSi service. The PSP has something, but it seems ad hoc and fiddly. Apple have distro down pat. It’s about as easy as it gets. Pricing: Make it cheap basically. Go for volume. Valve is a company that understands this. They commonly discount products to a huge degree in order to stimulate sales and it’s not hurting them, the opposite in fact. If you want to look at games as mass-media, you can see there is still a way to go. Compare them to movies. Films in general cost substantially more — or can at least — yet will be priced much lower than games when offered at retail. Games in comparison are still being treated like premium products with premium pricing. There are a bunch of other issues affecting how well a game can succeed — accessibility and subject-matter for example — but there is no practical reason why games can’t be made that will sell more cheaply, to more people. I’m still dubious about a big push into games, but Apple is a surprising company, so I wouldn’t discount it entirely.

3 points by technologizer 17y ago

"1. The Best Ideas Are Already Taken" I don't understand how anybody could think this. It just simply isn't true. There doesn't need to be a "void" in order for something new to be successful. It just has to be better in some way than the existing technology. I don't think anybody on HN thinks that the best ideas are already taken. It's the people /not/ starting companies which believe this.

Batsu 17y ago
Completely agree. That's the anti-competitive spirit that prevents good ideas from happening :) I agree with the author's other 4 points, however. I'd hate to see a fourth console out there buying up exclusives, seeing another contender in the endless console wars... ugh. ... and if you thought people complained when the PS3 cost $600? :) I kid, I kid.
- adamc 17y ago
  What's to kid about? Apple doesn't usually get into markets to be the low-cost supplier. They are the Ferrari of computers. OTOH, they might well produce something so good that it captures the top end of the market. It's risky, but if they thought they could do it...

mr_eel 17y ago

The problem is thinking that they want to make a console. I doubt they do. They may be thinking about pushing the iphone/ipod touch more heavily as game machines. The portable gaming market has a lot of room yet. "1. The Best Ideas Are Already Taken" Digital distribution: Other companies have started to do it, but the only distribution on portable devices are either java games for phones or dinky little games off Nintendo’s DSi service. The PSP has something, but it seems ad hoc and fiddly. Apple have distro down pat. It’s about as easy as it gets. Pricing: Make it cheap basically. Go for volume. Valve is a company that understands this. They commonly discount products to a huge degree in order to stimulate sales and it’s not hurting them, the opposite in fact. If you want to look at games as mass-media, you can see there is still a way to go. Compare them to movies. Films in general cost substantially more — or can at least — yet will be priced much lower than games when offered at retail. Games in comparison are still being treated like premium products with premium pricing. There are a bunch of other issues affecting how well a game can succeed — accessibility and subject-matter for example — but there is no practical reason why games can’t be made that will sell more cheaply, to more people. I’m still dubious about a big push into games, but Apple is a surprising company, so I wouldn’t discount it entirely.