ExEn Xbox 360 Port for iPhone Coming Soon; Even More Reasons for Apple to Build Its Own Console

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Is Apple going to enter the console gaming business in the following months once it introduces its own Apple-branded TV? That’s something we already talked about a bunch of times here on TFTS, and today I have some more circumstantial evidence that point us in the same direction: the ExEn port that could help developers bring their Xbox 360 games to other platforms, iOS included.

Developed by Andrew Russell, ExEn is available as a public preview, and, in the right hands it becomes a port “of XNA to Silverlight and iOS (and an Android version is in the works.)” ExEn is open source which means you can start converting your games this instant, if you’re interested in bringing your titles to iOS.

Now, imagine this project growing even more in the following months, and, at the same time, imagine Apple launching its first big-screen-but-iOS-smart TV. Add to that even more powerful controllers (iPhone 4S/5, iPad 3, iPod touch 5G) and you get the picture I mentioned before. Apple can become an important player in the console game environment since it has everything it requires: the resources, the customer base and the right combination of software and hardware that attracts the crowds.

Now you could say this is just wishful thinking coming from an Apple fanboy. Well, it isn’t! I’m actually among the least expected people in the world to pick up a gaming console and actually use it as anything other than a cool paperweight. I’m a PC gamer, although the tense of that verb is wrong since I haven’t played a game in a very long time. But with that in mind I still believe Apple will, when the time is right, attack the gaming console business. Because, at the end of the day, Apple has made a name for itself with its entertaining-the-crowds capabilities. And hardcore gaming is just the next step since Apple is already bringing plenty of music, videos, movies, apps, casual (mobile) games and eBooks to the table.

But let’s get back to this ExEn business! We’re looking forward to hear more details from Xbox 360 game developers out there that have already used this new technology or plan on using it. And we’d love to see some of those Xbos 360 titles ported to any other platform, so drop us a hint when you’re good and ready.