Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
starcraft II on PPC systems
- Thread starter otis123
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Regarding PowerPC, it's a pretty safe bet that SC2 will not be able to run on a G3 or G4, so that leaves the G5 type systems.
The game is graphically intensive enough that it will likely require the benefits of multi-threaded OpenGL, which isn't available on G5 until Leopard ships, and will not benefit single-processor G5 machines. So, single processor G5 iMacs and towers are probably no-go.
So, this leaves us with tower (dual core) G5 PowerMacs running Leopard, as probably the lowest PowerPC system we could support with SC2.
Note that SC2 is not shipping this month or anything like that, as was pointed out in interviews online, we have a lot of content yet to complete, and we have not yet made any permanent choices about which hardware will be supported. No release date has been announced.
We'll be watching the hardware surveys on WoW over the coming months to see what the breakdown of Mac hardware is and what the trends are. Obviously Intel is growing very rapidly this year among that user base.
The Blizzard man has spoken!
That must have been a hard secret to keep in for so long.
I was figuring G5-only too personally.
That must have been a hard secret to keep in for so long.
I was figuring G5-only too personally.
Come on, I refuse to believe that my year old 1.67 G4 PB won't run it. I am not saying at full effects, but it will run. It will work!!!!!!
fingers to ears.....lalalalalalalalalalala
fingers to ears.....lalalalalalalalalalala
As I recall that was one of the models with the 0.5MB L2 single core CPU and 167MHz memory bus?
Don't forget the dual CPU, single core G5s which were out before the dual-core G5s.</complete pedant mode>
Which is what I have, though I'll probably be starcrafting on a MBP.. or a light-powered MacTablet Supreme depending on when SCII actually ships!
LOL
and /vote for light-powered MacTablet as the spokesmachine for SCII when it ships
But seriously, imagine an rts with full touchscreen support.
Also, I'm glad to hear from 'rbarris' (the horse's mouth as it were) that my MacBook Pro will be able to run SCII. I was a bit worried for a sec.
Now, how well will it actually run? That is the question.
So is this a re-vamped super version of the WC3 engine or something from scratch?
Id like to say its just an improved WC3 but I see nothing to prove that.
If that is the case, wouldnt the hardware requirements be on par with WC3s?
5 years can make a lot of difference in computing power, but do you really think we will need the latest and greatest just to get it to run?
Id like to say its just an improved WC3 but I see nothing to prove that.
If that is the case, wouldnt the hardware requirements be on par with WC3s?
5 years can make a lot of difference in computing power, but do you really think we will need the latest and greatest just to get it to run?
There's certainly a lot going on there (physics using the havok engine for example) that isn't happening in WC3.
I'll be buying a new MBP once they're updated in the next month, as well as a new iMac once they receive their overhaul and once Leopard is released this fall, so I should have nothing to worry about. I might go for the upgraded video card option though just in case... 
System requirements have not yet been announced, but this engine is much more hardware intensive than Warcraft III or WoW - for example the minimum Pixel-Shader 2.0 requirement.
I'm sorry which model of Mini are you referring to ?
If the G4 Mini, very unlikely.
If the Intel Mini, not yet determined if integrated graphics can be supported.
I knew it was worth it to spend the extra $1000 for no good reason
Actually, I think you'd have a LOT of people upset if their Macbook can't run it.. especially the people who just bought a new one after the update last week.
yea, I was talking about the CD mini in my sig. I have a gig of ram. If you rule out the GMA 950 then no macbook will run it as well.
As our blizzard friend pointed out this game is not coming out right away. Worry about system requirements when it goes to beta.
I knew it was worth it to spend the extra $1000 for no good reason
Actually, I think you'd have a LOT of people upset if their Macbook can't run it.. especially the people who just bought a new one after the update last week.
Angry at Apple for putting such a crappy graphics chip in the MacBook in the first place that is... even a X1300 mobility chip would be far better than that GMA 950.
I don't see how it could run on a MacBook... Even with multithreaded GL i don't see how he can say that the last rev Powerbook, which has a mobility 9700 would perform worse due to the graphically intense nature of the game than a GMA950. If it's graphically intense, the 9700 should have an easier time with it and make up for the slower single processor to at least be able to RUN it... No?
EDIT
PS- rbarris - I've heard rumors floating around that SC2 has been in development for FIVE years. I'm not sure I believe this... How long has it been in development..?
EDIT
PS- rbarris - I've heard rumors floating around that SC2 has been in development for FIVE years. I'm not sure I believe this... How long has it been in development..?
I thought the game was coming out 4 quarter in '09. If that is the case, then we have over 2 years beforeseeing this game. Meaning that last iteration of the G5 will be over 3 years old. I would be surprised if Blizzard spent a lot of time and money making sure a 3 year old proc was supported.
Ugg.... I still consider my laptop a halfway decent gaming rig. No full blown graphics on the latest FPS games, but with 2 gigs of ram, and a 64mb video card, I would hope that I don't get eliminated from the runnings, even if the low end, just because I've got a G4 not an intel.
I mean, one can upgrade RAM easily enough, even he graphics card in most cases, but not the proc from a G4/G5 to an Intel...
I mean, one can upgrade RAM easily enough, even he graphics card in most cases, but not the proc from a G4/G5 to an Intel...
Hey Blizzard guy.
You do know there's tons of fans that would pay 100 dollars right here and now to get the game now (in beta form of course), don't you?
Heh heh - somehow I just don't think that's likely to happen...
Hey Blizzard guy.
You do know there's tons of fans that would pay 100 dollars right here and now to get the game now (in beta form of course), don't you?
Pff. Screw the 100 bucks. I'll sell my SOUL for a copy.