Apple may be making a proactive move into the digital gaming space and is actively looking for game coders. The Cupertino company has even gone so far as to post a job opening on its employment Web site.

Recently rumors began surfacing that Apple may be working on a handheld gaming device. Ars Technica found an application Apple filed for a trademark extension related to gaming, adding more credibility to the idea of an Apple-branded gaming platform.

The application would extend Appleis trademark to cover "Toys, games and playthings, namely, hand-held units for playing electronic games; hand-held units for playing video games; stand alone video game machines; electronic games other than those adapted for use with television receivers only; LCD game machines; electronic educational game machines; toys, namely battery-powered computer games."

The extension application is broad enough that it could include both handheld and console gaming systems, and Appleis job description does not state if developers would be working on products for both types of devices.

Since Apple already has game-capable devices in the iPod, iPhone, and Apple TV, the company could be looking to ramp up its entertainment offerings for these devices. The company could also, however, be looking into releasing new products geared specifically at the gaming market.