In most perceptions, Apple and game consoles are not associated. But before the iPod and iPhone era, in the era of the original PlayStation, Nintendo 64, sega Saturn, Apple tried to develop its own game console - Pinpin.
The product ended up in history as one of the worst Apple products of all time, and may even surpass the infamous Hockey Puck mouse and Newton tablet, among others.
Today, if you want to see this terrible console, you can only see it through graphics or a few places in the Museum of Failure.
Apple was ambitious for the console market at the time, and it was a more capable all-round device than the indie consoles of the time. In hindsight, this decision ended up with a "good in every way, but not strong in every way" that tried to do everything but ended up doing badly in every way.
Here's a brief history of Apple Pippin — the company's first (and only) console, how it was born, and what led to its catastrophic failure.
Why did Apple develop Pinpin?
The mid-90s were an era that was happening for both gaming and computing. Both the home computer and game console industries are in their early stages. Consoles at the time were relatively affordable devices, priced under $300. Personal computers, on the other hand, are much more expensive and costly to prevent mass adoption.
Apple, in partnership with the Japanese toy maker and (then) console company Bandai, worked out plans for the console (via AppleScoop), which was basically a scaled-down version of apple's Macintosh at the time.
Apple's idea is to create a product that will not only play games, but also attract more viewers who are eager to have a PC-like device. In addition, the device can also serve as a communication platform, process interactive music, and even wear the hat of an educational tool, while retaining the ability to play games.
This invisibly means that Apple can demand a higher price tag compared to "pure" consoles and position it as a viable replacement for PCs without spending money. While the idea sounds great on paper, it's not so spectacular to execute.
Shortly after its launch in 1996, bad reviews and poor reception meant Apple pulled it out of the market less than a year after launch. Pippin lived longer in the Japanese market, and Bandai continued to support it until 2002.
What makes Pippin different?
No matter which way you look at it, Pippin is a unique product. It was basically a scaled-down version of apple's Mac product at the time, the Apple Performa 5200. Those who know Apple's history should know that the Performa 5200 was largely considered one of the worst Apple computers ever in post-review reviews, mainly because it performed poorly compared to competitors at the same price.
Given that the Performa 5200 was already notorious for its poor performance at the time, it wasn't surprising that Apple Pippin's performance was. Pippin was running a modified version of Mac OS 7 (also known as System 7), which gave it some unique features — unheard of on consoles at the time.
It supports modem connections and can connect peripherals such as keyboards and mice. It was also the only console at the time to offer slots for adding additional DRAM modules. Pippin even comes with a PCI-like expansion slot that can be used to add external peripherals. Users can simply connect Pippin to their existing TV and start using the device.
Why did it fail?
Although Apple was involved in pippin's development, it wasn't entirely committed to moving the project forward, mainly envisioning it as an open platform for others to develop custom products for it. Japanese toy maker Bandai has shown a keen interest in the project and is responsible for manufacturing hardware in its home country, which is white and sold under the Atmark brand.
However, the key reason Pippin didn't take off was its high price of $650 in Japan. When the product finally made its way into the U.S., it was called Bandai Pippin @ World, and Apple wanted users to pay $600 for the product. That made it more than three times more expensive than popular consoles at the time— including the $299 PlayStation and Nintendo 64.
Apple's marketing team couldn't convince anyone of Pippin's supposedly superior ability to go beyond gaming. And, when the product was advertised as a game console, the marketing of Pippin did not help.
Although Apple relied on providing Pippin with more CD-ROM games, Pippin's lack of high-quality games further dissuaded potential gamers. All of these factors ultimately meant that Apple and Bandai only sold about 42,000 Pipins (via TechRadar) worldwide. At that time, Apple was also facing great turmoil, and even once on the verge of bankruptcy.
However, what accelerated Pippin's demise was Steve Jobs' return to Apple in 1997. Steve, who was unceremoniously fired by Apple in 1985, returned to the company that year and will continue to make several sweeping decisions, one of which is to abolish Pippin. In hindsight, Steve's comeback was crucial for Apple, and he will continue to lay the groundwork for the modern Apple as we know it today.