Apple is expected to make video games as a primary selling point for the revamped Apple TV, which is scheduled to be unveiled at the company's upcoming Sept. 9 event.
Apple found itself stumbling into the video games industry after the company released the iPhone back in 2007, which led to the formation of the now multibillion-dollar industry of mobile games. With the upcoming release of the new Apple TV, the company could even be able to shake up the gaming console market.
The focus on video games for the Apple TV was revealed to the New York Times by people that received word of the plans of Apple. The new focus would be a big change compared to the previous versions of the Apple TV, which was only mainly used for streaming music and videos.
While it is of course still unknown how compelling a video game-focused Apple TV would be, the device will already have several components to provide users with a satisfying video game experience. These components that will be in the new Apple TV include better graphics, a new remote which could also serve as a controller, and most importantly, an expansive app store where users can purchase and download games.
Jackdaw Research chief analyst Jan Dawson believes that Apple will be able to create a big new category in the video game industry, as the Apple TV could potentially bring casual gaming into the living room of users and make it a more social activity.
While analysts and video game company executives mostly think that Apple will not be able to sway hardcore gamers from their Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles, there remains a huge market of casual gamers that Apple could sell the new Apple TV to, as users that are confused by the complicated game controllers of the current generation of video game consoles and are looking for simpler and lighter content.
With the iOS platform of Apple, along with Google's Android operating system, establishing themselves as the standards for casual mobile gaming, Apple's formal entry into the video game industry with the new Apple TV will be more worrying for Nintendo rather than for Microsoft and Sony, as Nintendo with its Wii and Wii U consoles are targeting the niche of casual gamers more compared to its rivals.
The new Apple TV is expected to be launched with a starting price of about $150, according to the sources of the New York Times. While this is significantly more than the previous versions of the Apple TV, the figure is much lower compared to the prices of the current generation of video game consoles.
The report confirms earlier rumors that Apple is preparing to dive into local social gaming with the new Apple TV, as Apple CEO Tim Cook has been pushing gaming on mobile and on Mac.
