According to an analyst with American Technology Research, nVidia has won the contract to provide the multimedia chip for the next generation iPod. EE Times quotes Satya Chillara as saying:

Based on our analysis, we believe Nvidia is designed into the next-generation vPod socket at the expense of Broadcom… the Nvidia chip adds 3D graphics functionality in addition to… the existing features… that Broadcom supported.

There has been no confirmation of this from other sources. While gaming has not been a priority on the Macintosh, Apple has been investing in game development. Microsoft is already targeting the portable music market and potentially looking toward portable gaming. Apple may be looking to push into games before Microsoft can get a foothold. Of course, there are a ton of rumors about the next generation iPod. A move into casual gaming certainly fits within the realm of possibility. However, how this might integrate with the rumored full-screen touchpad is up in the air; no one really can say which, if any, of the rumors are true.