Google is reportedly developing an Android-powered game console to do battle with expected similar devices from Apple.
The Android console market could become a whole lot more crowded in the relatively near future, as Google is reportedly hard at work on its very own gaming system. The unit is being developed in response to rumblings of a console being developed by Apple that would bring iOS software to the living room.
Developing a console to battle for market share against a unit that doesn’t actually exist may sound silly, but its audience is potentially huge and almost entirely untapped. Assuming that a Google console would come in reasonably close in pricing to Ouya and the as-yet-unreleased Gamestick, it would be a fraction of the price of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 but still have big-name muscle behind it, and perhaps even more importantly would offer wildly inexpensive (and often free) gaming to people who don’t consider themselves gamers but wouldn’t mind getting some of that Candy Crush action on the couch.
Google is also far better positioned to make a meaningful push into the console market than other Android-based devices; Ouya went over big with gamers on Kickstarter but has struggled to meet demand. If it can build these things in sufficient quantities and sell them cheaply enough – both of which should be relatively simple matters – Google could very suddenly become a big player in the console game, perhaps not a direct threat to Sony or Microsoft but very possibly a real headache for Nintendo.
Google is also apparently working on a new version of the unreleased Nexus Q media streaming device. The company declined to comment but a source said one of the two could be released to the public as soon as this fall.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Published: Jun 28, 2013 04:48 pm