Nah that would be most awesome combination ever - legions of lemmings who buy everything with apple on the case joined by milions of people who pay 15$ per map pack with 3 new and 2 rehashed maps would make most hilarous userbase ever seen.

I want it to happen just to see how funny Activision-Apple fans would be!

lol.

Apple like to think they're already in the handheld market, so they probably will

Google seems like a good bet as well

As Seece said, Activision is also a posibility; having COD games on  platform may hit sales for the software but the money made back from loyal fans buying the console would be worth it

not sure why you quoted that post... But anyway.

Apple may be stronger now than they have ever been but Steve Jobs has never been one for games, now that has changed a bit after the success of iPhone gaming but I don't see Apple launching a dedicated gaming machine while SJ is still running the show (which might not be for long) The closest thing I see happening is apps on the Apple TV like I said previously. The other thing that would hold them back is the lack of any first party gaming knowledge all their gaming success has been at the hands of third parties, without any driving from Apple them selves.

You are right the anyone entering the market would need tremendous effort, and that means money, lots of it. Like Microsoft they would need to spend billions of $$$ to make a mark. The only tech companies I can think of that are in a position to do that are Apple, IBM, LG and Samsung. Apple I have explained my position on them, IBM are a corporate focused and I doubt they would want to compete with them selves considering the big 3 all licence tech from IBM, LG might try but they are probably a bit small if they did they would probably aim at developing markets, Samsung are bigger than SONY so they definitely have the money they also have the manufacturing and distribution network to pull it off and honestly they are the most likely to release a "games console" as we know it that would compete with the big 3. 

But really I doubt anyone will try outside of machines that are aimed at developing markets like India and China. Out side of Nintendo no one is really making a tone of profit from consoles, SONY and Microsoft both have other reasons to be in the market that no one else does.

I'd rather say the next to leave it.

Me too. I can barely wait for the Nintendo monopoly.

Sega will release a console again and rise to old glory...

*dreams*

yeah apple-activision is the most rational.