Source and WSJ Source (I think WSJ requires subscription)

I stated Apple and Google would enter home console business this year in major ways via their individual TV connected devices.

Last year Google said they would and had game controll SDK put in Android. This year they added their game centric base similar-ish to iOS gamecenter.

This year Apple added a controller SDK as well.

Both companies have had conferences but neither have shown 2013 hardware.

It appears Google's rumors are starting to trickle out and by this Fall we should see something.

Hopefully this is a sync-able device (similar to their Q device they dropped) that would instantly sync to your account and have bluetooth controller support, full media (via Play) and GoogleTV-like features.

It may just get very interesting by the time Xbone and PS4 launch.

Why no Google console at teh E3?

Same reason that it, a new nexus phone and android 4.3 were not at Google's I/O conferences. Not ready for primetime.

They will have another conference come fall as will Apple to announce the 5S.

Bet they take some sales from nintendo, and a little bit from the hd twins

I hope they do. The more competition the healthier the market.

Nintendo is low on sales for its own reasons.

If this becomes big and streams current gen games, etc... it will have a much larger affect on Xbone and then PS4 before Wii U.

Poor Ouya.

Google will put out a far than better product than Ouya for about the same price.

Imagine taking your phone and touching the top of the device to auto sync, then using the phone to start some game. Then put it down and pick up a bluetooth sync'd dual analog controller to play the game.

Phone still works as phone as the game is actually running on device, phone sync just told device what account and then what content to play.

Imagine a 2nd person comes in and syncs their phone because you both want to play the latest FIFA on the Play store, but its his copy, well now system is sync'd to both your accounts, he starts game and picks up 2nd controller. (keep in mind Google lets you proclaim up to 10 devices per your android account and a single device can be shared infinitely)

OR later you're wanting some music for a party. You, your wife, a few friends all sync their phones by just tapping to device (NFC and wifidirect). You all individually from your phones create a dynamic playlist from anywhere in your house.

Basically, Google's device will likely be the perfect android media streaming device that is truly unique to you as its base around your temporary sync to the device from your phone or tablet. It automatically can access your Google Play media of any type and stream to TV (or neflix, browser, hulu, youtube, books, and so on).

Google the "Google Q" device. It almost did all of this (sans games) but was made in USA and way too expensive as well as no GoogleTV experience. Just music and videos for $350. But all the sync'ing and sharing was there.

Now add in the full GoogleTV experience (pretty much all the features XBone is touting), real games controller support and likely large increase on high quality console games, all this instant sync/sharing features loosely defined above and for a price of $100 to $150. Controllers like $30 (because Google doesn't add massive margins on anything... see Nexus phones launch and $300 when others are at $600 and better quality too).

This can be huge if Google doesn't fuck it up.