Seattle Times:
[Gabe] Newell expects Apple to disrupt the living room platform with a new product that will challenge consoles, although he doesn’t have any particular knowledge of that new product.
“I suspect Apple will launch a living room product that redefines people’s expectations really strongly and the notion of a separate console platform will disappear,” he said.
Newell is the head of Valve Software, makers of Half-Life 2, Portal and creators of the popular Steam game service, which finally came to Mac OS X last year.
Newell also called the iOS App Store a closed platform, and called closed platforms “the wrong philosophical approach.” He defended Valve’s own Steam product, noting that developers can use its tools and services and sell their games elsewhere without having to pay Valve.
I think they will disrupt the living room consoles too, but I do not think they’ll release a new product to do it. I think they’ll just make updates to the Apple TV and use that as a gateway in.
I love Valve’s Portal, yes, but this iOS trashing is pure bullshit.
If the call iOS closed, what do they have to say to this scenario: I have two computers at home, I want to play Portal’s collaborative mode with my son . Guess what…I need to buy two stupid copies of Portal, on two separate accounts.
Is that the right philosophical approach?
Am I missing something here?
I agree with his underlying idea, but I think he has Apple’s [potential] approach wrong. The iOS has already disrupted the hand-held game market, so it follows that it could disrupt the existing console game market.
Where I think he’s wrong is in the idea of a separate gaming platform. iOS game apps on AppleTV seems to be the most likely approach. Games played via AppleTV from the couch which include the ability to compete/collaborate with remote, mobile iOS players would be compelling. As would games played on the 42″ LCD drive by AppleTV but controlled from iPhones/iPads/iPodTouches (eg Scrabble, poker, etc.).
There you go Gabe, fixed that for you.