Question of gaming on a Mac

[MT37]

I'm pretty new to the whole Mac world. I'm just wondering if I want to play a game that's under the universal binery listing. Do I need to get a Mac version of the game? Or can I just install the PC version?

I'm pretty confused about this, so any help to clear this for me. It would be muchly appreciated.

[baleensavage]

Unless you are booting into Windows on an Intel mac, (or unless you use emulation software) then you have to buy the macintosh version of the game you are looking for. There are some games that come out with both the Mac and PC versions on the disks but this doesn't happen often nowadays. Universal binary means it will work in OS X on the new Intel macs at native speed.

Unfortunately the list of Mac games is very small compared to the PC world, which is why many gamers are now booting into Windows to play games.

[MT37]

Ah, alright. That's what I thought. Thanks. Now it's onto the search of finding Mac games.

[Kartel]

Universal binary means it will work in OS X on the new Intel macs at native speed.
More specifically, it means it will run on both Intel and the older PPC chips at native speed. It has nothing to do with Windows software. For Windows software, you'll need Boot Camp, Parallels, or the beta "Cross Over" from Codeweavers. Boot Camp is the only one of those good for gaming because it is native speed + 3d hardware support instead of emulation.

[MacsRgr8]

Ah, alright. That's what I thought. Thanks. Now it's onto the search of finding Mac games.

Hope you have tried the obvious!

http://www.apple.com/games/

:)

[mechamac]

Amazon and gogamer.com (http://www.gogamer.com/) are good starts.

[neonart]

I find it very enjoyable to game on the Mac. Yes, the titles are less and you have to wait for most releases, but it's great to have all your games on your dock and go from doing something productive to gaming without having to go to your TV, boot a PC, etc.

For avid gamers that stay on the bleeding edge of gaming the Mac is not the best choice. But for casual gamers and even gaming enthusiasts that take their time to beat a game and have a job and/or a family, Mac gaming is very enjoyable. One machine does it all.

:)

[MT37]

Yeah, all the games I want to play anyways are universal binary anyways. If I do want to play a newer game, I do have a PC that will run games really smoothly. I just wanted to get Call of Duty 2, and try it out on my iMac.