Even though there are only three makers of video game console nowadays - Microsoft Corp., Nintendo and Sony Corp. - the competition on the market is simply cut-throat. It is unlikely that new companies will enter that market successfully, but a vice president of Electronic Arts, one of the largest game publishers, believes that Apple could be successful against current players.

"If it was anyone but Apple, I would say that is going to be very hard. I still think it is going to be extremely hard for them but they have surprised many people before. Look at what they did with the iPhone, right? They are a truly brilliant company so I would give them a relatively good chance to succeed if they tried," said Patrick Soderlund, a vice president at Electronic Arts, in an interview with CVG web-site.

Apple is hardly truly interested in a dedicated gaming device. The company is already selling a massive amount of casual games for iPod, iPhone, iPad and other platforms and while this business may not be as lucrative as Nintendo DS or Sony PSP businesses, it is growing pretty rapidly.

Although Apple is generally a very successful company, not all of its products are successful. The Apple TV set-top-box and Mac mini personal computers got lackluster welcome by the market and so can do a game console.

Apple has not been concentrating on gamers and games in general and it is not that likely that the company changes its mind overnight. Moreover, hardcore gamers do not recognize Apple as a platform for games and will unlikely embrace the platform quickly.

Considering the fact that Apple has never entered well-established markets with brand new products, such  as the market of portable and non-portable game consoles, in order to successfully penetrate the console business it will need to offer something undeniably better than available hardware and well ahead of release of future-generation hardware. For example, it will have to wait for Nintendo 3DS and Sony PlayStation Portable 2 and act after their release with an offering that will be much superior.

Tags: Apple, Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Xbox, Playstation, Wii