Apple TV Gaming, Online Multiplayer, Hinted At In iOS 4.3 Code?

The second generation Apple TV doesn't run applications. Unofficially, via the jailbreak community, it kind of does. Now, Engadget, after rooting around within the code of iOS 4.3 beta 3, has discovered that Apple's set top box might be able to run games officially, and support online multiplayer too. Apparently, the terms "ATVGames" and "ATVThunder" have been found in the latest beta version of iOS 4.3. According to Engadget, these point towards "a controller of some sort," a Game Center style leaderboard, "a way to schedule games" (which is believed to be a multiplayer mode), and a "store front" (like the iTunes Store or the App Store). The website adds:

We're particularly intrigued by two strings -- "com.apple.appletv.play.live.thunder" and ".play.archive.thunder" -- but what those actually mean in the grand scheme of things is ultimately ambiguous.

Undoubtedly, an App Store would make Apple TV so much better. Regardless of whether users would take to Apple TV apps as swiftly as we've all taken to iOS apps, the set top box needs an additional 'factor' to make it a product I personally would ever consider buying. If Apple TV got to a point where it could legitimately replace a game console, more people would purchase the device. Engadget speculates that a service such as OnLive could make this possible, as the second generation device only boasts 8GB of storage. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.