AppleTV numbers are accurate because an internet blog said so? Wow! Google and Microsoft are more interested in marketshare than trying to sell their own hardware which is why Apple's profits are so insane. It also makes them alot easier to takedown since its literally an entire market against one. Apple sacrifices marketshare for profit which is quite similar to Nintendo. What happens when the entire market is no longer in love with your products? Macs vs. Windows is your answer.

No, just No. If you're going to be considered a "threat" to Sony or Nintendo you need to do something that they don't already do. Copying the Wiimote and Wii Sports? Really? You think Apple has a chance in the home console space after copying 10 year old tech? Gimme a break. This will be no better than the Pip Pin. Well, I lied, this is lightyears ahead of the Pip Pin. Plus, Mobile games were made for mobility...I don't think many people will buy it for the gaming aspect tbh.

Can't agree on this! SmartTV's are already in the market quite some time and still it's really crappy. To achieve real smart tv you need an external module and at this moment it's still based on Android or on IOS with mobile phone like hardware in it. This can't achieve the same as a console which is made for gaming! Maybe in 5 years the Apple TV or Android boxes have the same kind of hardware the current consoles have, but in about 5 years they might introduce new version consoles.

Ah, yet another spurgeonryan thread which starts with a ridiculous question that begs the counter question 'Is the asker serious?'

No. In fact, it won't even be a challenger.

Yes, it's Apple. It will sell gazillions.

AppleTV is a mediocre performer in the TV streaming space, it is being dominated by other players. The only thing even keeping Apple in the game was the price point and apple fans, now they have thrown out the price point advantage. personally I don't see Apple succeeding here. They still only have a mediocre TV streaming box and now a mediocre gaming added in (but with increased price).

however Apple fans are often beyond my understanding where they will trade features and performance for clean pretty interfaces, so I guess we will wait and see. My prediction is though they will gain some casual gaming audience but lose some of the TV streaming audience (they had already really lost there already anyway).

Smart-TV market isn't going to eclipse any kind of gaming market. As they are getting eclipsed by other products already.

They are already having very hard time establishing complete dominance on SmartTV market, with onslaught of build-in Smart function TV and competitor like Chromecast, Compute Stick, and their own mobile products.

This means that they can't hope for 'Automatic Market Establishment', especially when all the games available on AppleTV is designed for mobile devices like iPhone and iPad anyway. This applies to all other competing product as well. Market is small and fractured.

Ergo, pushing AppleTV to be a valid console requires Apple to heavily invest on gaming market AND heavily push AppleTV.

Considering that how that treated Microsoft, who entered console scene on significantly better position and got bonus for Sony screwing up PS3 launch, that sounds unlikely.

Console will be superseded by other product one day. But current rendition of SmartTV isn't going to cut it.

Why would it be a contender? It will sell a lot yes. But to different people.