personally, I don't think anyone will jump in and fill the gap.

The console market is a bit too cut-throat. Apple will never enter since the risk is huge and the profit margins are low (and that goes completely against Apple's philosophy). MS has only managed to survive so far because MS has had huge amounts of money behind it.

I doubt apple would enter the market in the traditional scene, I see them eventually adding the functionality to an existing product, the apple tv is supposed to have free software updates and functionality updates for the next two years. who is to say a few down load games might find their way there, as a test market, or the apple tv was a test, one that went over about as well as the g4 cube

I do like to see the love for apple, but the apple premium, is a myth. Why is the iphone 500, because its not subsidized. As for desktops and laptops, you get part for part the same thing at the same price give or take 100. I think it is more the fact apple dose not allow people to strip it down to bare bones or sell crap systems. the mini, and ibook are as bad as it gets. I say bad, because they got rid of detected fx chip sets on them after the intel switch

No, in the iPod's case the apple premium is real. The iPod has some of Apple's best profit margins.

Here is an interesting look at the margins on the Nano: (hint - around 50%)
http://businessweek.com/technology/content/sep2005/tc20050921_4557.htm

At the same time, I have yet to *use* (as in, i have not used every MP3 player out there so there might be some) an mp3 player that is more useable than the iPod. And that is why i don't get all these 'iPod killers' that keep being released - they all just cram more and more tech into a larger and larger box, but none of them get *why* the iPod sells. It isn't the tech - its the image and the usability (in my case the usability - i'm sorry, i just like the streamlined nature of the iTunes + iPod ecosystem. Even if my 'main' music library isn't iTunes (it's Amarok), iTunes is still better than most music syncing programs i have used.

Then again, I can't stand Windows CE as it exists on 90% of the non-apple players out there. So maybe its just me.

Sony, colaberated with Nintendo before launching a console of its own. And lets face it Sega was in the toilet the moment it launched the 32x and sega CD. That their software continued to suck also helped Sony get control of the market. Nintendo for its part will never leave the gaming industry and I never said it would, I could see them abbandoning the home console market and going strickly handheld had things turned out different for the Wii. Their business strategy as you stated being the way it is proved that they are the king of innovation by expanding and controlling the market once again.

The fact of the matter is Sony was not totally oblivious to the console market they knew they had a good thing and they ran with it. They inovated the market and changed the way video games are played by adding (and doing correctly) CG cutscenes and storylines. As others have stated and I agree with them the only way a new company can successfully compete is with an assload of cash (Microsoft) or by inovating the market. Since Nintendo just accomplished the latter and very few companies have financial credentials that compare with MS, I don't see anyone stepping up to fill in the spot.

IF MICROSOFT (XBOX console) DIES

I think MS would keep it's IPs and put them on the PC and push Games for Windows live! Focus on Media Center (living room) gaming PC's and start bundling Xbox controllers With "windows For Gamers"/Ultimate.
Making some of there games Split Screen would do heck of a lot to help it on the Living room PC area too.

A VIRGIN PLAN

@ Gamerace - I love the idea of Virgin console - Finally having a console based in the UK would be pretty cool :)

Virgin is a very interesting company, as it has become largely a figure head, a name brand. Alot of it's operations are carried out by 3rd parties that just run under the Virgin name.
Kind of like Own brand food in Supermarkets.
I can just imagine there advertising slogon....

INTERNATIONAL GAMING MACHINES

This being the case you can use Virgins Brandname and IP's, Use IBM/ATI Hardware, IBM OS, and get Online software from something like Xfire. This could all be bank rolled by IBM.

"No child ever cried for getting IBM" :) International Gaming Machines has a nice ring don't you think? :)

IBM + ATI (if MS goes out they need a new dance partner) + Google for OS and Bankroll and Name. IPs?


Namco Bandai - It's Arcade business is dying. It needs to move into something new and the home console is the only place to go. It's got IPs It's got a Name the Japanese love. It could get together with a Western company, to appeal to the west.


Rupert murdoch - Sky Console.

Just put a console in every sky box and thats 10 million in the UK already!
Add in all the free advertising in all the newspapers and TV channels.
The Murdoch Machine Will Win. (and would allow AO, he knows what sells)


BBC.....ok thats going to far.

EA is doing really well as multiplat. no need to change something that works so well.

I think we should try thinking a little outside the BOX. I don't think either Microsoft or Sony were expected to join the console race.

Personally I hope IBM does the hardware they are great engineers , the thing would last forever..... but not the case design as it would be big, black and have IBM in blue :P

KBG29 said: If the PS3 outsells the 360, which I am very sure it will by a great deal, i think MS will have to stop due to their stock holders. I really don't want another company in the console race if MS drops out. I would be a lot more into gaming if it was just Sony and Nintendo making good games like the days of PS1 and N64. I had both and enjoyed both. When MS came in they made it to dam expensive, because you had to get a third console, and IMO they are what has lead to Nintendos down fall. If MS backs out I think we will see Nintendo start making games that are more towards the mature audiance like the days of the 64 again. So I would have to say good by MS and please close the door behind you. Let Sony and Nintendo split the market and give us the best of both worlds.

 Oh please....!!!! I tryed to not answer that but after re reading it 3 times by accident while checking the post for new answers I couldn't resist....

to say something like that you have to be born in 1990 or don't know a damn thing about VG.... come on N64 PS1 might have been the worst periode of VG ever....

then now you gonna have to tell me what good Sony brought to VG industry ??? beside maybe making the market wider ???? because I have yet to see any really good licence comming from PS that didn't exist before.... MGS FF GTA etc all existed before... the only one I see is gran turismo...

or anything that realy pushed the video game experience forward...??? like Ninty and sega did it before (and the older one too like atari, amiga etc).... and MS is doing now.... I'm sorry but MS is the first to implement a really interesting online experience... and make it work (on a console).... when you see their exclusive licence  a lot are new and didn't exist before... and pushed the VG experience forward, to a new level in some cases (at least on console).... 

 

and I don't try to support MS in front of Sony (I know it looks like it) no in that case my point is more.. Sony hasn't been at all good for the industry.... since Sega died basically it was dorment.... nintendo was under the rocks.... and Sony was just doing nothing except releasing number 1 2 3 4 5 6 3 billion of the same old serie....

since MS entered the competiotn everybody is trying innovate again and push things forward.... MS coming in the race was one of the best thing happening to industryin the pas 10-15 years..... for every fan of every console

Google??

yeap google.... they want to invade your living room... and especially your TV lol :) they told about some multimedia ideas..... that's why you see people saying google.....
heck some people even start to think google is going to rule the world some day lol

You need 4 things

Hardware (eg. IBM, AMD)
An OS (eg. Linux, Windows, MacOS)
IPs (eg. Quake(ID), Madden(EA), Sonic(saga))
Known Name Brand (eg. Google, Samsung, Apple, Virgin, Pepsi)

We could make up lists of the best of these 4 and work out which would work the best together, I think online should be intergrated into the OS so going the gamespy route as Nintendo did isn't an option I would choose, unless they actually buy up something like Xfire and Intergrated the online system into the OS from the very begining.

@alpha_dk

Yes the ipod has a premium, i was discussing computer hardware where the hardware costs are comparable across the board. Right again on the UI there have been a few others that have been okay, samsung has made some good leaps ( as they seem to be doing in all their tech ). yea windows ce is special. its always really strange for me i love apple products, use them in work, and play for music, but when it comes to video games i use xbox 360 primarily, then a combo of windows 98 and xp off of a macbookpro, for things like civilization, command and conquer, simcity.

as for one bowing out its not happening for at least another generation. nintendo hit gold when they needed to, MS will start making money this year console costs are under-control, and sony wont give up after one flop. if sony had only put a second nub/stick on its psp it would sell so much more and have so many more good games.... fps just do not feel right