So, Apple has a spare $51 billion rattling around in its pockets - presumably alongside its iPhone 4 and an iPod nano. Meanwhile, analysts are linking the company to EA and, wait for it, Sony.
Yes, this is Apple - the company that spent years pretending that gaming was only something that plebs on PCs played and only really began to change its mind when it realised that creaming 30 per cent off of every sale in its App Store was really bringing in the pennies.
Is Apple likely to buy Sony? No. Is Apple likely to buy EA? I'd very much doubt it - although Steve Jobs snapping up a company that, to all extents and purposes, is the 'Microsoft of gaming' is kind of neat. (Other than Microsoft, if you get my drift).
Not EA, not Sony, not even Activision-Blizzard, the MMO behemoth that is prising money out of gamers' hands faster than anybody else on the planet.
No, the only gaming company that would appear to make any sense whatsoever for Apple to buy is Valve.
A couple of years ago a rumour surfaced that Google were in the market for Valve - and it made such perfect sense I gave it far more credibility that it deserved.
That's because Valve is not merely an amazing games developer, but also holds the primary delivery mechanism for desktop computers and, frankly, represents something of an ideal about what gaming should be.
Plus, of course, Valve also has some of the best games of all time under its belt - including the seminal Half Life series - and a track record of innovation in gaming that certainly gives it a healthy glow and a huge fan base.
It's not a perfect company - certainly not everyone is that enamoured with some of the decisions it has made over the years - but with Microsoft's interest in PC gaming seemingly comatose after being crushed by its Xbox 360 ambitions and Apple apparently under the illusion that the only use for a Mac is posing, few can deny the impact of Steam.
Microsoft's belated attempts to make Games for Windows a decent rival for Steam has been met by an almighty 'meh' from gamers, but it does at least serve as a timely reminder that it has remembered that people still play games on PCs. And Valve's immediate impact with Steam for Mac must surely have stirred some kind of reaction within Apple's Cupertino HQ.
Indeed, when Windows Phone 7 was announced, there was so much emphasis on Microsoft's use of the Xbox Live branding, that Apple's rather sorry Game Center (sic) efforts were put in stark contrast.
So will we see Half Life ep 3 launching exclusively on Mac for a few weeks (shudder), and Steam for iPhone taking on all comers?
Probably not. But it makes far more sense than Apple snapping up Sony.
Patrick Goss is editor of TechRadar - the UK's No.1 technology website
Comments
23 comments so far...
Barca Azul on 26 Oct '10 said:
Buying the PS brand makes perfect sense to me. They want in, Sony and MS have the hardward that apple want to be in line with for Media Hubs.
Competing against MS and Sony would be really hard without any market experience, so why not buy one of them. Sony could be tempted to sell the SOE part of the business or even a JV with Apple!
Itunes, Apple TV and top gaming Machine, makes a lot of sense to me and been saying it a while. They want to be in your living and Bedroom with an all in one media and brand prescence.
Plus imagine the willy waving between the some what arogant Apple and MS! If you think PR was in your face now, imagine the two competing against each other!
juliancallan on 26 Oct '10 said:
No.
Moribundman on 26 Oct '10 said:
Has Apple bought CVG? Seriously guys, I ran a couple of news searches last night, and the only people who were running with this story were you lot and a couple of smaller gaming sites quoting you...
Run a search this morning and all the financial boys are screaming about it.
If Apple bought Sony and EA but let them stay largely autonomous cash cows then great. I don't want to see them monopolise and make everyone switch to Macs from PCs, iPads from DSs and PS3s from Xboxes just because all our base belong to Apple...
I have yet to buy a Mac or an i-anything. I dislike Macs as Fisher Price home computers, although I concede that they ARE probably the best for running professional Adobe software cleanly.
I do despite the pretention of Apple however, and whenever I end up being forced into buying their products I will no doubt be impressed at the build and the quality while feeling somehow sullied, like the pretty girl who left her loving boyfriend for dirty sex with an unpleasant but rich old man. Kind of like Cee Lo's missus...
MattyR95 on 26 Oct '10 said:
I don't like valve. It's because they're bad or anything, its just that; what is it with those people with valves on their heads.
tassletine on 26 Oct '10 said:
Jesus, check your website once in a while. Valve aren't even for sale:
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/ar ... ?id=262497
bandsaw1961 on 26 Oct '10 said:
God no. I love Valve and love Apple products (the company, not so much), but this would be a disaster for customers of Valve. Thankfully I don't believe this will happen anyway.
alan666 on 26 Oct '10 said:
NO
yerbluesjohn on 26 Oct '10 said:
NOOOOO!!!!
pRM8 on 26 Oct '10 said:
Duh.. Its to let the steam out of course
Oh and NO! If they want in on the home console gaming market they should do it like MS did. I would rather they created their own console than buy-out a current brand as it would be better for the consumer having more options and competition.
Also, Gabe & Co. wouldn't sell anyways, why the hell would they, they have no reason too? They are the leading digital games distributor and seem to be doing quite well it seems.
martinawatson on 26 Oct '10 said:
It would make very good sense for Apple to buy Valve, if, as stated above they were for sale, Google too, in fact, Sony would be intelligent if they purchased Valve, think they could really sort out the ps3 with their experience.
Sony likes to keep things quite open, so no real need to buy them, as they are going to work together anyway, I hope that Valve work within Home, as i think they are quite a inspirational company , that are talented in working with limited resources.
Mogs on 26 Oct '10 said:
There's a difference between 'good business' and 'good'.
It may be 'good business' for Apple for them to buy Valve.
It would absolutely not, in any other sense, be good.
Thankfully, I don't think Valve have any intention of relinquishing their independence to corporate greed. And forever may that be the case.
lmimmfn on 26 Oct '10 said:
well Gabe Newell did say several months ago that they would be interested in being bought, however i dont think this is what Apple needs. Sony is the perfect company for Apple to buy, all that media for the iphone/ipad/apple tv thing and on top of that it would buy them into the home console market allowing them to combine apple tv with the console.
tmulford on 26 Oct '10 said:
SONY and Valve are already working together and it'll be quite interesting to see what the extent of the steamworks integration with Portal 2 is. SONY buying Steam would certainly give them a leg up against LIVE!. But maybe Apple has the money to buy both.
dannyhulse on 26 Oct '10 said:
I couldn't disagree more....
jimsondanet on 26 Oct '10 said:
I think it would be great to see Apple getting into core gaming. Personaly I dont care who makes what, so long as its good.
iucidium on 26 Oct '10 said:
@moribundman: CVG are as good as owned by Apple. One of the co-owners of Apax Partners (who helped buy Future publishing back) is an investor of Apple and AOL. so yeah, were gonna have a lot more crApple articles now they have established themselves as the must have products for the 'look at me generation' and flash tossers with pindicks lol
Mogs on 26 Oct '10 said:
Gabe said no such thing as far as I'm aware, it was marketing mouthpiece Doug Lombardi that said that, but Gabe quickly crushed such talk.
mundox on 26 Oct '10 said:
I hope this NEVER happens.
cdolan555 on 26 Oct '10 said:
... already thought of that
akmatic on 26 Oct '10 said:
horrible, horrible idea. apple buying valve would be like the raping of an angel
Cryotek on 27 Oct '10 said:
NO GOD NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
gilly83 on 27 Oct '10 said:
will NEVER happen
Valve have probably had bigger companies sniff around but why would they sale? Steam is a market leader and big Gabe and the crew spent years under Micro$oft so doubt they would wanna be someone else biatch again.
Valve are independant and i hope no big company put their grubby paws on them
kbekl on 28 Oct '10 said:
apple should buy all the game publishers might give you a bit of equality with every game for every platform