“For almost as long as there’s been a rumor of a next-gen Apple TV, there’s been a rumor of an Apple game console,” Scott Stein writes for CNET. “In a year where Apple’s product portfolio has been conservative — to be kind — it feels like new products, like the fabled iWatch, might be sliding off towards 2014.”
“So what, if anything, could Apple surprise with? Of all the new products Apple could release this fall, a revamped Apple TV/game console would be the easiest to make… and could deliver a huge unexpected disruption to the upcoming next-gen game consoles from Sony and Microsoft,” Stein writes. “I’m not talking about an actual TV with Apple hardware: I’m talking about a next-generation Apple TV box. Take the existing $99 black puck that’s already out there, add an upgraded A6 or A6X processor, and onboard storage, at least 16GB and hopefully higher. Maybe the hike up the price to $199.”
But here are five reasons why an Apple TV with gaming would be a great move for Apple right now:
• MFi game controllers will be here soon
• Apple has tons of game developers already on the App Store
• An aggressive price and cheap games could undo other console players
• Second-screen gaming’s already part of the equation
• Still plenty to offer for non-gamers
Read more in the full article here.