Apple/Nintendo at E3?
For those of you who have been keeping up with the rumors on the internets, it seems that Apple might be announcing the MacBook on Tuesday. What’s even cooler is that the MacBooks could come in both black and white. YEAH! I’m stoked. Also, Nintendo is making their big splash on e3 in L.A. on Tuesday. Could these two companies be cooking up some bizarre plan to work together? Conspiracy theory? Yes. Impossible? No.
Well, ok, here goes. Nintendo has been doing their best impression of Apple for the last year or two. They’ve got almost everything figured out. They have hip products, strange product names, and a knack of having the smallest market share and the largest profits. Also, Nintendo is getting pretty good at delivering some crazy moments that nobody sees coming. In a sense, Nintendo is the Apple of the gaming world.
So what? Common knowledge right? Well yeah, but here is where things get interesting. Apple is selling iPods like crazy and handheld gaming devices are becoming more and more powerful. The PSP is a decent MP3 player and it plays games. It’s really a nice device all things considered. Sony is doing pretty well with it and Apple has taken notice. However, Nintendo is beating the PSP handily with the DS and the Game Boy Advance. So, what could this mean?
If Apple ever decides to get into gaming, it will be through a partnership with an existing company. I’ve long speculated that iTunes on the PS3 or 360 could be a huge system-seller. Yet, iTunes for the Nintendo Wii would be an even bigger deal. Nintendo already has all the asthetics right for an Apple-related product and Nintendo wouldn’t bundle a music capability until they knew it’d sell. iTunes on the Wii would definately sell. Also, probably the most far-fetched thing that Nintendo and Apple could do together would be to merge the Game Boy Advance and the iPod. It sounds impossible, but the Game Boy Advance does need something to give it a pick-me-up. The only thing holding this uber Game Boy/iPod back is that Nintendo’s DS is selling so well that there is no need to bring out a new Game Boy system.
While Nintendo probably won’t announce anything quite this earth-shattering today, I still hope that iTunes makes it on to some home console this generation. The opportunity is there and especially with iTunes selling videos now, a home console would be the perfect match for iTunes. C’mon Apple, for once show some love for gaming!
