Apple, a major player in the technology world, wanted to enter the gaming world more than 20 years ago. Working on a platform to rival PlayStation, the company made a bold but unsuccessful attempt. Here is the Apple Pippin platform, developed by Apple in 1994 and canceled shortly after.
Apple Pippin: What happened to the console from 20 years ago?
Apple aimed to make a big splash in the gaming industry with a “multimedia” device called Pippin. Developed to integrate with macOS, this device was expected to become “an integral part of the visual-auditory, stereo, and television environment.”
The first Pippin console was launched in 1996 by Bandai, based in Japan. Named Bandai Pippin World, this console hit the shelves in the US with a price tag much higher than its competitors, such as PlayStation 1 and Nintendo 64, at $600.
However, Pippin offered some key features like an internal modem and touchpad. Despite its advanced features, the failure of sales made Pippin’s downfall inevitable.
Apple signed another partner, Norwegian Katz Media, which launched the Katz Media Player 2000 console the following year. Katz, however, did not want to develop a console for all users. The Norwegian company designed Pippin for businesses looking for a device capable of connecting to the internet.
From this point on, the future of the platform became increasingly unclear. When Steve Jobs returned as CEO of Apple in 1997, he acknowledged the weak sales and subsequently canceled the Pippin platform.
Bandai stopped producing the Pippin console but continued to support the devices until 2002. Katz Media ceased its operations in 1998, proving Apple’s failure in the game console sector.
The once-promising Pippin platform is now nothing more than a footnote in Apple’s history. It’s worth noting that the company has not made any attempts in this area for over 20 years.
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