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Steam coming to Mac?

Dont Hurt Me said:
Its protection schemes are horrible, its customer service even worse. Had several episodes where it wouldnt allow me to reopen my account on a new system or after reinstalling Windblows and then would only get automated responses to my requests. Steam sucks but Halflife2 is great go figure. Ill make do with Mac gaming as long as we get things like BioShock, ETQW, Flatout2 etc etc. Steam will Steam you sooner or later.
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How very odd. I've been a user since its beta days (my original account was back when they used email addresses for logging in) and I've never had that problem. I run my account off 3 computers at home (off a portable drive) and I used to use my girlfriends computer when she was at university... never had a problem logging in.
The protection scheme isn't horrible at all. If you haven't disabled offline mode it doesn't even exist, you just can't move the account to another computer until it goes online again.
 
raggedjimmi said:
How very odd. I've been a user since its beta days (my original account was back when they used email addresses for logging in) and I've never had that problem. I run my account off 3 computers at home (off a portable drive) and I used to use my girlfriends computer when she was at university... never had a problem logging in.
The protection scheme isn't horrible at all. If you haven't disabled offline mode it doesn't even exist, you just can't move the account to another computer until it goes online again.
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I agree with you 100%. Been using it since about the same time and have had absolutely no problems. Never had a problem, the early days were a little slow and the interface took a while to stabilize but overall it has been very good and now I buy everything through it because it's just easier. Some of their sales are great too; I picked up Overlord the other day for $1.99 (normally $9.99). Been a blast to play, but if it wasn't, no big deal. :D
 
PlaceofDis said:
yes bootcamp has actually only helped the mac platform.
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No, it hasn't. Apple is selling more hardware nowadays because of the Windows compatibility, but that compatibility certainly has not helped the Mac (OS X) platform. What incentive is there for software developers to port their software - and games - to OS X when OS X is still a niche platform, but running on regular PC hardware that can also run Windows? Right: There's ZERO incentive.

Since Apple still is not willing to make OS X a mass product - one that also runs on PCs of other OEMs - we will rather see the day when Apple starts shipping Macs with Windows pre-intalled before we see the day that all big software houses also publish their software for OS X.

Why should somebody double their development costs to reach five to ten percent of the market?
 
Lord Blackadder said:
One interesting point is that Bootcamp doesn't seem to have hurt Apple software sales - in fact quite the opposite. So the future of gaming on the Mac does look bright in the long run.
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Mac users want to use Mac native software if they can. There are tons of casual Mac native games being created. The hard core Mac gamers using bootcamp or other emulation for the AAA titles are probably the nitch players of the group. ;)
 
if steam came to mac natively, they would have to rewrite all source games in openGL because right now they run in DirectX, a windows-only game API
 
macfanboy said:
if steam came to mac natively, they would have to rewrite all source games in openGL because right now they run in DirectX, a windows-only game API
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Steam itself is simply a sales and distribution platform, they can simply sell ported or native titles. They don't HAVE to convert every title in it's library
 
Sadly I doubt we'll ever see Mac Steam (iSteam?). The number of games ported to OpenGL vs DX is tiny so it would be a pretty miniature store anyway and not worth the time and effort, Valve aren't about to start porting their Source based games any time soon, almost definitely never. Bootcamp aside, Crossover Games is the nearest we'll get to Steam on the Mac.
 
Rodus said:
Sadly I doubt we'll ever see Mac Steam (iSteam?). The number of games ported to OpenGL vs DX is tiny so it would be a pretty miniature store anyway and not worth the time and effort, Valve aren't about to start porting their Source based games any time soon, almost definitely never. Bootcamp aside, Crossover Games is the nearest we'll get to Steam on the Mac.
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Plus the price difference between Win/OSX would be even more exposed. Can you imagine booting up Steam on OSX and seeing Bioshock as a full priced AAA title at £30, then rebooting to Windows where it only costs £5. It would be a laughing stock.
 
raggedjimmi said:
Plus the price difference between Win/OSX would be even more exposed. Can you imagine booting up Steam on OSX and seeing Bioshock as a full priced AAA title at £30, then rebooting to Windows where it only costs £5. It would be a laughing stock.
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I wonder how willing mac publishers will be to have weekend specials.

Macgamestore have a steam-like app, but its very basic, and has a poor store layout. It tries to duplicate the app iphone store unfortunately only having the bad points about it.

Maybe a new company can attempt to create a robust and useful steam-like program?
 
raggedjimmi said:
Plus the price difference between Win/OSX would be even more exposed. Can you imagine booting up Steam on OSX and seeing Bioshock as a full priced AAA title at £30, then rebooting to Windows where it only costs £5. It would be a laughing stock.
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that idea of lisensing a game for the pc/mac side of things is what i realized might be stop valve from releasing a mac client of steam. The disappointments of OpenGL 3.0 might be another reason. Having the steam client w/o Valve main games that run on the Source Engine doesn't look good on their part. I heard something about Postal running on Source and porting it for the mac.
I have no doubt that alot more gamers would by a mac if steam did get a mac client.
 
You ever read what the Valve articles say when they talk to apple? Apple is like yeah sure sounds great we'll get back to you. Makes me wonder why Vavle just doesn't get off their Arses and buy an Apple SDK for Mac and just port the dang games. I mean seriously they don't need to ask apple.
 
Xexis said:
You ever read what the Valve articles say when they talk to apple? Apple is like yeah sure sounds great we'll get back to you. Makes me wonder why Vavle just doesn't get off their Arses and buy an Apple SDK for Mac and just port the dang games. I mean seriously they don't need to ask apple.
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When Valve says, "Ask Apple" it is because there is a reason that they cannot port the games. We, the users, do not know what this reason is; and it seems that Valve is under some agreement to not disclose the details, so they say, ask Apple because that is all they can say and Apple is the only ones allowed to release that information. If I was to speculate what the problem is, there is something in the SDK that they found that was hindering their development; something major. Maybe the way the Mac never goes to true full screen (full screen, with full control over the writing to the display); this means a significant performance decrease (try playing any windows game in a window instead of full screen, it takes a large performance penalty as well; just windows allows for full control over the screen when in full screen mode, OSX doesn't, it is just like a maximized window)

We could guess all day what the issues could be; but only Valve and Apple know, and obviously Valve isn't allowed to say or won't say. And Apple isn't saying anything at all.
 
If every game was in OpenGL.

I believe that DirectX is to blame not only for why steam isn't on Mac, but why most games do not come to Mac.

No one wants to take the time to port games (except Aspyer,MacSoft, and few others. Not like we have heard from them in awhile. (Bioshock.. forgot. but still))
 
CylonGlitch said:
When Valve says, "Ask Apple" it is because there is a reason that they cannot port the games. We, the users, do not know what this reason is; and it seems that Valve is under some agreement to not disclose the details, so they say, ask Apple because that is all they can say and Apple is the only ones allowed to release that information. If I was to speculate what the problem is, there is something in the SDK that they found that was hindering their development; something major. Maybe the way the Mac never goes to true full screen (full screen, with full control over the writing to the display); this means a significant performance decrease (try playing any windows game in a window instead of full screen, it takes a large performance penalty as well; just windows allows for full control over the screen when in full screen mode, OSX doesn't, it is just like a maximized window)

We could guess all day what the issues could be; but only Valve and Apple know, and obviously Valve isn't allowed to say or won't say. And Apple isn't saying anything at all.
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and also the fact that the source code was brought from the ground up in DX9 but original HL and CS were OpenGL I'm kinda tired right now to think about C# and ++ I'll see what I can dig up after I get some rest.
 
Xexis said:
and also the fact that the source code was brought from the ground up in DX9 but original HL and CS were OpenGL I'm kinda tired right now to think about C# and ++ I'll see what I can dig up after I get some rest.
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The conversion from DX to OpenGL is not that difficult, it is tedious yes, but it isn't that hard to change the graphical calls and the setup routines to work with OpenGL. The easiest way to do this is plan it from the beginning but in the scope of games that already exist, it just requires some replanning. A company with funds such as Valve has the money and the resources to put behind updating their engine to work in OSX if they want to; but as I said earlier, there has to be a technical reason they won't. I know that at one time, they did plan to move ahead with OSX versions of their apps, but then after some time of development they stopped. Since then it has been the, "Ask Apple" response. Something happened, what, I donno, and no one is talking.
 
CylonGlitch said:
The conversion from DX to OpenGL is not that difficult, it is tedious yes, but it isn't that hard to change the graphical calls and the setup routines to work with OpenGL. The easiest way to do this is plan it from the beginning but in the scope of games that already exist, it just requires some replanning. A company with funds such as Valve has the money and the resources to put behind updating their engine to work in OSX if they want to; but as I said earlier, there has to be a technical reason they won't. I know that at one time, they did plan to move ahead with OSX versions of their apps, but then after some time of development they stopped. Since then it has been the, "Ask Apple" response. Something happened, what, I donno, and no one is talking.
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I read somewhere that Valve asked Apple for development monies (about a million USD I believe) to port their entire library and system to OS X. I don't know if it was a loan, investment, or what.

Apple refused and Valve said OK cya. Gabe (the chief guy behind Valve/Steam) also noted that Apple was horrible about responding to technical issues and changes that needed to be made in the OS for it to be a legitimate development platform for gaming companies. Apple would make promises but never respond or go anywhere.

I don't remember where I read this and it could be all fake but it makes sense. Apple is so hostile towards gamers, game development, and making OS X a legitimate game platform. Throw on top of that the substandard Open GL 3 platform (Killed by Arc and Adobe by forcing compliance with old standards DX doesn't deal with), and limited Mac market share and you can see why Valve wouldn't come to OS X. If anything they should have asked for 2 million from Apple (chump change for Apple with all its cash in the bank). But we all know that Apple's "vision" doesn't include any game that isn't on your tiny iPhone screen. :mad:
 
^^I think you're spot on there. I too remember Gabe Newell asking for about $1 mill from Apple for porting but the truth of the matter is, as you say, Apple couldn't give a damn about gaming on any platform except the touch/iphone. I love Valve games so will continue to use Bootcamp and Steam, I just wish I could play them natively.
 
Rodus said:
^^I think you're spot on there. I too remember Gabe Newell asking for about $1 mill from Apple for porting but the truth of the matter is, as you say, Apple couldn't give a damn about gaming on any platform except the touch/iphone. I love Valve games so will continue to use Bootcamp and Steam, I just wish I could play them natively.
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I agree, I do recall now reading about this some time ago. At the time Valve was doing OK but not who they are today. Interesting that Apple should have jumped on this then; but so much has changed but it seems like Gabe is a bit bitter about it. LOL. Oh well, I would love to see come to Mac, but it's not going to happen.
 
Winni said:
No, it hasn't. Apple is selling more hardware nowadays because of the Windows compatibility, but that compatibility certainly has not helped the Mac (OS X) platform. What incentive is there for software developers to port their software - and games - to OS X when OS X is still a niche platform, but running on regular PC hardware that can also run Windows? Right: There's ZERO incentive.

Since Apple still is not willing to make OS X a mass product - one that also runs on PCs of other OEMs - we will rather see the day when Apple starts shipping Macs with Windows pre-intalled before we see the day that all big software houses also publish their software for OS X.

Why should somebody double their development costs to reach five to ten percent of the market?
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First, it's not double the development cost.

Second, Mac users are usually better educated, better paid, and have higher disposable income, thus are better customers.

To bad a certain person on the failboat doesn't know that.
 
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