At $499 that's squarely in AAA-console pricing territory, and Apple is not geared up to fight the PS4 and Xbox One... nor do they particularly want to.
I think there is a miscomprehension of the iOS gaming market, or casual gaming on mobiles in general. People don't play Angry Birds or Temple Run because they are fans of the games (in the same way you'd play Halo or Civilization), they do it to kill time.
Mobile games are intentional time-wasters for when you're standing in line, riding a bus, sitting in the doctor's office, etc. This is diametrically opposite to AAA-console gaming where users actively seek it out as something to do and dedicate time towards it. Platforms like the PS Vita straddle this weird middle ground - and it's arguable that Apple could potentially capture this middle ground also.
Either way, an AppleTV/Mac Mini fusion device wouldn't.
I think there is a miscomprehension of the iOS gaming market, or casual gaming on mobiles in general. People don't play Angry Birds or Temple Run because they are fans of the games (in the same way you'd play Halo or Civilization), they do it to kill time.
Mobile games are intentional time-wasters for when you're standing in line, riding a bus, sitting in the doctor's office, etc. This is diametrically opposite to AAA-console gaming where users actively seek it out as something to do and dedicate time towards it. Platforms like the PS Vita straddle this weird middle ground - and it's arguable that Apple could potentially capture this middle ground also.
Either way, an AppleTV/Mac Mini fusion device wouldn't.