Macsimum News - Has Apple designed an iPod nano based game controller?

Has Apple designed an iPod nano based game controller?

Posted by Dennis Sellers Apple ico Jul 5, 2006 at 3:02pm

The official European Trademarks and Designs office has revealed some very interesting new iPod designs filed by Apple in January 2006. Macsimum News filed an earlier report covering the other seven designs here. This report uncovers the eighth design in that series numbered 000465109-0007.

When compared directly to Nintendo’s upcoming Wii game controller, Apple’s new iPod nano illustration 0007 sure makes you wonder what Apple’s got up its sleeve with this iteration doesn’t it?

Using Apple’s lightweight nano as a potential video game controller would be a rather natural fit with Apple’s evolutionary “Front Row” entertainment software. As with the Wii controller, Apple has filed for patents covering accelerometer technology that could be used in sync with gaming action on screen. Back in January, Macsimum News not only provided one, but rather two patent reports relating to an Apple tablet being aimed at the gaming market, using accelerometer technology. So could this be one game pad option? Only time will tell.

There’s been a number of rumors floating around for some time now that Apple is working on a video game strategy, and Macsimum News reported on the latest buzz in the industry just last week.. Other industry speculative reports have surfaced even hoping for an Apple grab for Nintendo.

It’s hard to say if we’ll ever see a real Apple video-game strategy emerge, but as long as there’s potential pieces of the puzzle to report on, then there’s hope everlasting. Yet I still think that the lack of an exciting gaming strategy is really the only real hole in Apple’s platform left to address in respect to the consumer market. While Apple’s Boot Camp software is one way to appeal to PC- switchers for gaming, I think we’d all like to see something original on the front from Apple for the Mac. But one step at a time, I suppose, because we know that Apple has a lot in the pipeline yet to unfold.

At the end of the day, Apple’s iPod illustration 0007 being surmised as applying to a game-pad is only one take on this of course, and Apple could be reserving this for yet another application yet unknown.

If you have any ideas other than a gaming pad, then email me at neo@macsimumnews.com

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Contributor

Dennis Sellers

Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.