14 DAY TRIAL // A person whom tech-site Engadget claims to trust has discovered evidence that suggests Apple may add gaming to its list of hobbies, though it is reasonable to assume this will not happen very soon, with the current input methods supported by the Apple TV set-top box, and underlying software.
The report cites this tipster as saying that the iOS 4.3 beta 3 firmware hints at online gaming through the Apple TV.
Apple is at its second attempt to take over the living room, a move praised by analysts who believe the company will eventually launch a full fledged HD TV by the end of 2012.
The Apple TV is known to boast no more than 8GB of local storage, and a relatively fast processor, which it needs for streaming and playing various video and audio formats.
But it might also do games, Engadget’s tipster believes after stumbling upon several references pertaining to "ATVGames" and "ATVThunder", which reportedly point to a form of controller, leaderboards, a way to schedule games, and a store front, all of which would find their support in Apple’s ability to come up with a new input device, and the existing Game Center and iTunes Store services, as well as a much-rumored iTunes cloud.
Two code strings -- "com.apple.appletv.play.live.thunder" and ".play.archive.thunder" -- are mentioned by the tech site as being particularly intriguing, which appear to indicate the possibility of streaming games to the Apple TV, or archiving them for offline play, as explained by AppleInsider.
It is safe to note at this point that Apple’s iOS 4.3 beta has been quite the mother-load in terms of new hardware and software discoveries, with developers finding as many as three new iPad models, and just as many iPhone designations, in addition to photo-centric apps for a potential, camera-equipped iPad, including the actual FaceTime video chatting app.