Is Apple Making Some Big Changes with the Apple TV?

Is Apple finally willing to let go of some of the control it has on the Apple TV to allow third-party software developers to make apps for it? This finally might be the case with the introduction of Metal at the WWDC last month. Metal promises to be ten times more powerful than its current gaming engine, which means that Apple might be gearing it towards the Apple TV rather than the iPad or iPhone.  Could we be seeing a software development kit soon?

There's no question that Apple TV has been more of a hobby for Apple – Tim Cook actually said that himself in his COO days. This has been frustrating for the millions of people who own an Apple TV because they know that if Apple put the full iOS muscle behind it, it would have a greater impact in the smart TV market. 

As of right now, the Apple TV is well behind the Roku in sales this year, and it is currently behind the Chromecast as well. Customers have gone with the Roku because it has far more channels. With Amazon looking to have a bigger presence in the market as well with more content and channels, it's certainly possible that Apple could be left in the dust in a market that is expected to grow by 25 percent in the next three years. 

Micah Singleton raised the question in Gizmodo of whether or not Metal means that Apple is thinking about turning Apple TV into a proper gaming device. If it does allow for a SDK to be developed for Apple TV, which could potentially allow it to add a ton of channels and port games from Xbox and Playstation, the Apple TV could regain control of a lion's share of the market.  

With the announcement of continuity apps that sync Mac with iOS coming to Apple TV, it seems like Apple is making more of an effort to integrate its technology to its smart television device. It should be interesting to see if Apple opens up the gates a little bit to app development companies, so they can help create a superior experience for Apple TV users.