What do I gain by gaming on a Mac?

[Huntn]

Halo was planned for Windows and Mac OS.

Yes that is true, until they agreed to make it an xbox exclusive, which delayed the release of the original Halo on the Mac for 3 YEARS, bastardos! And then Halo2 for Mac never happened.

Are you talking about Marathon, also by Bungie? Marathon was Mac only I believe.

Marathon may have been released for Windows as an afterthought, not sure.

 

[vaderhater245]

Halo 4 for the Pippin 2!!!!

 

[Puddinman]

You guys are forgetting one thing . . . PC gaming isn't that big of a market compared to console gaming -and it's on the the decline. So, if there aren't all that many computer-based gamers, and the vast majority of those gamers are windows-based, why would any developer waste their efforts on Mac games? It's a miniscule market. Only the biggest developers (Blizzard, et. al.) have the resources to devote to developing for both platforms. Or you have the companies like Aspyr who license and port games over.

I'd wager that most people who buy Macs are not gamers. Apple itself is certainly not game developer-friendly. So asking a question like, "What do I gain by gaming on a Mac?" is rhetorical at best and disingenuous at worst because the answer is obvious: NOTHING. Macs are not gaming machines. So its no wonder that there are no innovative, ground-breaking games developed for the Mac.

 

[txa1265]

You guys are forgetting one thing . . . PC gaming isn't that big of a market compared to console gaming -and it's on the the decline.

Wrong ... and wrong.

Comparing software sales from a single platform - PC - to the entirety of software AND HARDWARE sales of ***5*** other platforms ... well, it is misguided at best, idiotic at worst.

As for the decline, that is untrue for a couple of reasons ... first off, during the recession and even before, PC gaming has been the only platform to increase.

Also, *none* of the numbers take Digital Downloads into account, and there have been several large releases where Valve has said that Steam sales well outpaced retail. Also, don't forget the huge 'casual' game market which is largely non-retail.

Am I arguing that the impact and influence of the PC has waned since the late 90's? Absolutely not ... but over this past year several companies have really been jumping back into the PC game biz solidly and seeing a solid return.

 

[Huntn]

I'd wager that most people who buy Macs are not gamers. Apple itself is certainly not game developer-friendly. So asking a question like, "What do I gain by gaming on a Mac?" is rhetorical at best and disingenuous at worst because the answer is obvious: NOTHING. Macs are not gaming machines. So its no wonder that there are no innovative, ground-breaking games developed for the Mac.

I agree that the primary focus of most people who buy Macs is not gaming, at least not native Mac gaming. But as previously explained, you do gain something by gaming on a Mac, primarily the MacOS, primarily avoiding Windows (unless you are gaming and then you can avoid all of the Windows virile surfing/email issues by just gaming, nothing else), a dual boot-able machine with decent gaming performance, and more capabilities than a PC. I drag a MBP around the country, it's 2 computers in one and for gamers and me it's win-win.

As far as PCs on the decline for gaming that may or may not be, but "decline" does not mean it is no longer a viable avenue for gamers, because good PC titles still sell big numbers, as in six figures and million+ in revenue. There is no reason to wait 20 years or even 10 years for PC gaming to die, cause you'll miss out on the good stuff in the mean time, especially if you prefer keyboard/mouse to controller.

 

[Stray]

Hi

I admit this thread has got me worried about the state of mac gaming.

I've just decided to switch over and get a mbp (which is due any day now) and I decided to have a look around for games on the mac. Gotta say as I intend on keeping my pc for grunt work and times when I just need the power what I was really hoping for was to find some old favourites that I could continue to play on the mac but the pickings are really slim unless I'm willing to stick on windows. I really hope that the efforts of some of the other developers like Blizzard helps turn this around a little.

 

[gregorsamsa]

I've supported Mac gaming since getting an iMac in May 2007. Bought only OS X games (minus Cider ports). Later this month I'll be getting Windows 7 & from then on I expect to do a lot of gaming via Boot Camp.

Love Macs & OS X, but the dearth of proper Mac games leaves me with no choice but to buy Windows games in future. A bit of a shame things can't be different.

 

[Huntn]

Hi

I admit this thread has got me worried about the state of mac gaming.

I've just decided to switch over and get a mbp (which is due any day now) and I decided to have a look around for games on the mac. Gotta say as I intend on keeping my pc for grunt work and times when I just need the power what I was really hoping for was to find some old favourites that I could continue to play on the mac but the pickings are really slim unless I'm willing to stick on windows. I really hope that the efforts of some of the other developers like Blizzard helps turn this around a little.

If you travel with the MBP, dual boot into Windows- gaming problem solved. There are those who rag on Apple for not making gaming a priority, but the development of the native Mac gaming market has taken a long time, without much progress. How much would Apple have to subsidize Mac gamers to make native Mac gaming viable? (I'm referring to hard core gaming, not the casual stuff.) No clue, but I do know Apple did Mac gamers a huge favor by enabling Windows on Intel Macs without having to hack. With little effort and extra expense, right now you have the best desktop gaming has to offer on your Mac. Yes, dealing with Windows can be painful, but if you limit yourself to just gaming, it's not too bad. And it is less frustrating than waiting for compromised native ports that show up years after the fact and the game has come and gone to the general gaming community.

 

[gregorsamsa]

Huntn, agree with you 100%. More to the point, why would anyone deny oneself playing great PC games on a Mac, many of which are unlikely to ever be ported to OS X. Look how long it's taking Rome: TW to come to Mac.

As for Medieval 2, I guess we might see that for OS X by 2013... if we're lucky! For such gaming classics, I think Boot Camp is by far the best solution.

 

[chrono1081]

Wrong ... and wrong.

Comparing software sales from a single platform - PC - to the entirety of software AND HARDWARE sales of ***5*** other platforms ... well, it is misguided at best, idiotic at worst.

As for the decline, that is untrue for a couple of reasons ... first off, during the recession and even before, PC gaming has been the only platform to increase.

Also, *none* of the numbers take Digital Downloads into account, and there have been several large releases where Valve has said that Steam sales well outpaced retail. Also, don't forget the huge 'casual' game market which is largely non-retail.

Am I arguing that the impact and influence of the PC has waned since the late 90's? Absolutely not ... but over this past year several companies have really been jumping back into the PC game biz solidly and seeing a solid return.

Sorry but I have to agree with the other guy. PC gaming == DEAD.

Even PC gaming magazines talk about it all the time. The problem is its too expensive to keep up.

Not to mention last year, PC gaming raked in roughly 98 million dollars, console gaming raked in a whopping 18.9 billion dollars. Thats quite a difference. Not only are PC games always coming out after their console counterparts, but they are usually lacking in features and downloadable content. Not to mention, PC games often come with some DRM scheme. (Steam comes to mind).

I know everyone likes to cry that PC gaming isn't dead but the truth is its been dead for quite a while. Without WoW things would really be hurting. (I help develop small PC games in my spare time too so trust me I don't like the statistics any better then you do.)

 

[SuperComputer]

OP: Your statement presumes that something is gained by gaming on a Macintosh computer.

 

[arcadeforest]

As someone who grew up in the golden age of Apple gaming (Apple II+ and IIe of the 1980's) it pains me to see Apple's current approach to gaming. One of my favorite pieces of software is my Apple II emulator which I fire up just about everyday. I have a mac mini for internet, itunes, ilife, etc and a pc (which I built to stay away from crap OEM machines) for gaming. Both machines run off a single wall mounted Samsung monitor and I feel its having the best of both worlds computer wise.

 

[arcadeforest]

Sorry but I have to agree with the other guy. PC gaming == DEAD.

Even PC gaming magazines talk about it all the time. The problem is its too expensive to keep up.

Not to mention last year, PC gaming raked in roughly 98 million dollars, console gaming raked in a whopping 18.9 billion dollars. Thats quite a difference. Not only are PC games always coming out after their console counterparts, but they are usually lacking in features and downloadable content. Not to mention, PC games often come with some DRM scheme. (Steam comes to mind).

I know everyone likes to cry that PC gaming isn't dead but the truth is its been dead for quite a while. Without WoW things would really be hurting. (I help develop small PC games in my spare time too so trust me I don't like the statistics any better then you do.)

I have to agree that in comparison to consoles the pc gaming scene is bleak. With that said I just cannot play many current games (outside of platformers and sports games) with a gamepad. I guess I'm an old timer that got used to playing games (especially FPS) with a mouse and keyboard.

 

[gregorsamsa]

Sorry but I have to agree with the other guy. PC gaming == DEAD.

console gaming raked in a whopping 18.9 billion dollars.

That doesn't even cover MS's total losses on the XBox franchise, not to mention the billions Sony lost on PS3. With the huge costs involved & how the economy's turned, my guess is you won't see successors to these systems for many years... if ever. XBox 360 probably heading for obsolescence within a few years. That's just one reason enough why PC gaming is unlikely to ever die.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Without WoW things would really be hurting. (I help develop small PC games in my spare time too so trust me I don't like the statistics any better then you do.)

Look at it the other way: Without WoW, gamers would have an additional $150 to spend on games.

P.C. Gaming isn't dead, although it is dying, but there are still some great games that are coming out exclusively for the P.C. (P.C. meaning Personal Computer). Diablo III and Starcraft II look good, and there's torchlight, which comes out at the end of the month.

But to answer the OP's question, you miss more out on higher frame rates while gaming on OS X, even if it's written for OS X (like WoW is)... that's assuming you can get the game you want to run on OS X.

 

[arcadeforest]

You guys are forgetting one thing . . . PC gaming isn't that big of a market compared to console gaming -and it's on the the decline. So, if there aren't all that many computer-based gamers, and the vast majority of those gamers are windows-based, why would any developer waste their efforts on Mac games? It's a miniscule market. Only the biggest developers (Blizzard, et. al.) have the resources to devote to developing for both platforms. Or you have the companies like Aspyr who license and port games over.

I'd wager that most people who buy Macs are not gamers. Apple itself is certainly not game developer-friendly. So asking a question like, "What do I gain by gaming on a Mac?" is rhetorical at best and disingenuous at worst because the answer is obvious: NOTHING. Macs are not gaming machines. So its no wonder that there are no innovative, ground-breaking games developed for the Mac.

And to me thats a shame. I can understand why Apple does not focus on gaming but as I previously mentioned in another post I grew up when Apple was the king of computer gaming. I loved that Apple II+ machine i had when I was a kid and it was a magical experience visiting that local computer store to see all the new games for sale and trying to determine which one I would spend my allowence on. When I did not have any money to spend I would spend hours typing in basic code from a magazine to get a game (often with frustrating results!). Oh well, I guess it is 2009.

 

[0098386]

Sorry but I have to agree with the other guy. PC gaming == DEAD.

Even PC gaming magazines talk about it all the time. The problem is its too expensive to keep up.

Jesus wept! Any links to back this up? It's not expensive to keep up either. This myth about being forced to upgrade to play the latest game is so broke, it's like that old Megahertz myth in its ridiculous nature. My years old PC can play all the modern games, my 6 month old £400 PC can play Crysis on very high settings. A top of the range graphics card now (4870x2, 4970) will last 2 years mininum before you need to lower the settings from max.

Not to mention last year, PC gaming raked in roughly 98 million dollars, console gaming raked in a whopping 18.9 billion dollars. Thats quite a difference.

Apples and oranges. Console games cost more than PC alternatives. I just bought L4D2 on Steam for £26. On game.co.uk it's going for £44 for the Xbox version.
Also do you have any links to these claims? I work in the industry and haven't seen such clear cut figures. I'm not doubting you and I can imagine consoles bring in more - I just would like some links.

And to say one market is making more than another doesn't mean it's going to vanish. Microsoft makes more than Apple. Does that mean Apple "== DEAD"?

Not only are PC games always coming out after their console counterparts, but they are usually lacking in features and downloadable content. Not to mention, PC games often come with some DRM scheme. (Steam comes to mind).

Now you're being hilarious. Console games have more content than PC versions? Don't you know most PC games are moddable to some degree? Also games that use the popular engines (Source, UE, id Tech) are all totally moddable, and even have dependent commercial games siphoning off the tech (Garry's Mod for example).
What are PC games lacking? Out of the box they support more resolutions than their console counterparts, more control options, free online play, cost less, (in most cases, Valve especially) free DLC, modability and better graphics.
Also Steam doesn't have DRM as such (some games do use Securom, but some Steam versions of retail games don't contain Securom at all and rely on Steam itself). Or at least it's not invasive like Securom and co. All you have to do is log on or play offline, it works as it should. Consumers can play and pirates can't which is what DRM should be.

I know everyone likes to cry that PC gaming isn't dead but the truth is its been dead for quite a while. Without WoW things would really be hurting. (I help develop small PC games in my spare time too so trust me I don't like the statistics any better then you do.)

It's always funny when people say daft things like this. No, they've been saying PC gaming is dying since the mid 90's when the desktop Amigas came out, or when the N64 hit. It isn't dying.

 

[gregorsamsa]

Not only PC games have suffered declining sales. Now console games are experiencing declining sales, big time:

Video game sales in free fall

Considering it costs a company billions of dollars to develop a console system & then they have to sell each one at loss in order to encourage sales, I think PC gaming will happily co-exist with consoles for as long as we have PCs/Macs.

 

[0098386]

Of course it'll always be there. You think developers are going to turn around and stop producing games for machines that almost every home has and is capable of running said game?
If anything games are appearing on more and more devices. There's a market for iPod Touch games even though DS/PSP are better, hell theres still a market for Java games on older phones.

Games for any system aren't dying. Sales fluxuate, but so long as computers are capable of running games they damn well will continue to developed for.

 

[gregorsamsa]

Indeed & I'd also question where chrono1081 gets his relatively low "98 million dollars" PC gaming sales figure from for 2008.

 

[Huntn]

Not to mention, PC games often come with some DRM scheme. (Steam comes to mind).

I dislike Steam because their policy is no ownership transfers on Steam registered games. I like being able to sell my games.

I know everyone likes to cry that PC gaming isn't dead but the truth is its been dead for quite a while. Without WoW things would really be hurting. (I help develop small PC games in my spare time too so trust me I don't like the statistics any better then you do.)

I would not argue that PC profits are competitive to console gaming, but there is still good PC stuff to be had. "Dead" is an opinion, a degree of relativity.

Besides the point, I own a 360 and can give you several examples of where the PC experience is better than the console experience- BioShock and Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. Course, that's an opinion too. On my PC/Mac I was able to program an input device for better BioShock combat. And Oblivion has an extensive add-on community not supported by the 360 that makes significant improvements in Oblivion game-play.

 

[txa1265]

I dislike Steam because their policy is no ownership transfers on Steam registered games. I like being able to sell my games.

That could be changed to "I hate all digital downloads except Good Old Games".

Yet - they are STILL better than the console-centric DLC, which is single use.

 

[BornAgainMac]

It would be nice to have 1 primary computer that you don't have to dual boot for gaming with Bootcamp. Gaming on the Mac would avoid that. Also it seems to be the home that has Macs.

In the office, that is a different. You can't game at work. PC's are for work doing simple PC stuff that don't require a lot of disk space and multiple Cores.

 

[Huntn]

It would be nice to have 1 primary computer that you don't have to dual boot for gaming with Bootcamp. Gaming on the Mac would avoid that. Also it seems to be the home that has Macs.

I agree, it would be nice, but I don't think it is likely. I'm sure you know, but thought I'd emphasize, it's the MacOS primarily that draws users away from PCs for serious work related tasks, not gaming. And the gaming profit momentum seems to be going to console platforms and away from the PC, with the Mac mostly relying on PC ports suffering accordingly.

I'm not a programmer, but I often wonder now that the Mac is on Intel, virtually identical to PCs, why does Windows hold such sway over game developers? Is it only DirectX? When a game starts up and runs how much does it really rely on the Operating System? I realize that the game utilizes the OS to access game components and files. But why do those differences negatively impact game performance when say running a Cider port?

If anyone can explain it in layman terms, why does game optimization on Windows adversely impact the game when running in a Mac port? I think that the Mac games, use emulation to take care of DirectX calls. Is that the culprit, or is there more to it? When you look at a company like Feral, it takes forever to create a Mac port. But the Mac ports I've looked at where I had an opportunity to look at the original PC game (I'm thinking Unreal Tournament), that besides a different application (built for Mac vs PC) the file structure of the game looks identical.

 

[Huntn]

That could be changed to "I hate all digital downloads except Good Old Games".

Yet - they are STILL better than the console-centric DLC, which is single use.

I don't hate digital downloads, and the problem is not limited to downloadable games. As you probably know, even "good ole game" companies, some of them are experimenting with online activation, impacting your ability to sell an old game. It's the DRM I'm hating.