What do I gain by gaming on a Mac?

[harveypooka]

I've written an article on The Mac Gamer about the state of Mac gaming:

"Games for the Mac do not break any barriers or open any doors; they are echoes of the PC world, similar in message but with mottled details."

Full article here (http://themacgamer.com/2009/09/22/what-do-i-gain-by-gaming-on-a-mac/).

Thoughts?

[MrBean]

I've written an article on The Mac Gamer about the state of Mac gaming:

"Games for the Mac do not break any barriers or open any doors; they are echoes of the PC world, similar in message but with mottled details."

Full article here (http://themacgamer.com/2009/09/22/what-do-i-gain-by-gaming-on-a-mac/).

Thoughts?

Without reading the article (don't have the time right this second).... but what were your expectations for Gaming on a Mac?

[rhban]

I haven't read the article either, but it does seem that over the last 15 years very few good games have been produced for Mac. In fact, all the best games are ports from other platforms and are often not very well done, with many important features missing or faulty.

[rowsdower]

I'll chime in as the third person not to have read the article. You gain not having two computers or dual booting.

[Blair230]

I did read the article and think it is well written. Sadly, yes I agree with you about feeling at "home" with a mac. I've grown up with Macs (and through the workplace-Windows), but I've always been a mac fan and supporter.

I also grew up in the age of video games beginning with the Atari 2600 at age 7. Ive owned at least one console in each generation including the current one.

I too would much rather game on my $2000 iMac with the semi decent nvidia 8800gs than having to boot into windows to play PC versions of games like Fallout 3 and Batman: Arkham Asylum.

But sadly Apple has made it clear that gaming on the mac is NOT a priority...I guess they figure that those who really want to game WILL bootcamp.

I could have bought a cheaper, more powerful windows box for gaming as suggested in the article. But it's just not something I want to do...I guess I like the convenience of being able to do all my routine tasks (web surfing, mail, etc.) on the mac side, then be able to game with the simplicity of a restart.

I too purchase the mac versions when possible (meaning availability and financially). For instance: I recently read that Assault on Dark Athena is being ported to Mac. Direct2Drive has it on sale for $5 (a steal) but I am waiting for the Mac version just to throw in my support. But I did find Prince of Persia (PC version) for $5 and picked that up...GOOD game by the way!

Yes it could be argued that I am stupid for doing this (although most people don't need THAT reason to call me an idiot ;) but it is in my own little way feeling like I am rewarding those few companies that feel it is worth porting games to mac.

Also..I hear there iD is working on a Mac version of their upcoming post apocalyptic sandbox game...the name of which escapes me right now...

[Orpheo]

Just registered, and liked the forums...
I just read the article and found it really interesting and well written.
Sadly enough, i just entered the mac world last year when i saved my allowance and bday presents to buy myself a mac, changing from a lifetime of pc and hard gaming. I could've bought an alien hardware wish are awesome for gaming but when i though of a mac i wasnt thinking on gaming, that's one of the main reasons of why i chose a mac and not a pc, cause if i would've wanted to game i would've bought a pc.
Macs are way down below from pcs in gaming, and it simply because is not oriented to it. You gain a lot thoug... Mac are more stable, have better photoediting softwares, music editing sfotwares, etc...
so i say... what do i gain by gaming on a mac? well my anwser is nothing, but some companies are trying to change that. I take blizzard for an instance. All of blizzard games are alredy mac compatible (run perfectly fine for me) and the next ones will be co-released like SC2 and D3
I say if u want to game dont buy a mac, but if u want an stable and firendly computer get a mac.

[aznguyen316]

to be honest, you don't gain much by gaming on a Mac if you're comparing it to a PC.. most are usually ports w/ higher requirements for the same framerate and settings... best option is always to dual boot into windows to get better compatibility or higher settings..

[ltldrummerboy]

Nice article, I enjoyed the read.

[ahm]

I figured pretty much any machine with a 9400m was alright for casual gaming in non-graphic intensive games. I had the aluminum Macbook when it came out last year and played WoW on it. That was it. Everything else was on my consoles. I know I would never buy the 24" iMac with the better cards. I'd rather build a stronger gaming machine for half the price.

[Huntn]

I've written an article on The Mac Gamer about the state of Mac gaming:

"Games for the Mac do not break any barriers or open any doors; they are echoes of the PC world, similar in message but with mottled details."

Full article here (http://themacgamer.com/2009/09/22/what-do-i-gain-by-gaming-on-a-mac/).

Thoughts?

Gaming on a Mac playing only native Mac games is a huge limitation imo, a negative if you're anything other than a very casual gamer. The attraction to the Mac is the MacOS and highly controlled hardware, so you/me, we have both a superior OS and standardized hardware for a minimum of problems. When the "native" qualifer is removed, and you are gaming on the road, a Mac laptop is the absolute best because you can play all of your favorite games, most likely PC, by way of bootcamp and still do all the important stuff you do with the MacOS, and just lug one computer. At home, it allows you to keep one computer on your desk. So the advantage of gaming on a Mac natively is neutral or negative, but for overall gaming, the Mac is a great choice for everyone.

Is a PC cheaper? Most are, some are not. You can easily match a gaming PC laptop in price with a MBP. In most cases you are paying a premium to use the MacOS, but it is worth it.

[Winni]

In most cases you are paying a premium to use the MacOS, but it is worth it.

This statement was true before Windows 7, but now all the bets are off.

[Sigmund Leon]

With their extremely limited hardware, no. It's primary use is for basic tasks and a bit of video/audio editing, playing back hi-def video etc, but definitely not 3d gaming.
Just decent graphics and game play is fine for me.

[whooleytoo]

As Nintendo have proved, you don't need to have a graphics powerhouse to have a compelling gaming platform - you just need to tailor your marketing to the device. Nintendo don't try to pitch the Wii to hardcore FPS gamers; they're selling to a much wider, casual gamer market.

Trouble is, Apple aren't interested in gaming, so very little developer support or marketing.

IMO, a Mac App Store would do wonders for the casual Mac gaming scene.

[Huntn]

This statement was true before Windows 7, but now all the bets are off.

Remember, Vista was also supposed to be the next best thing to sliced bread. And it was a mess especially for gamers. Does W7 still have the dreaded registry? If it does, then bets are still on. :)

[CylonGlitch]

Remember, Vista was also supposed to be the next best thing to sliced bread. And it was a mess especially for gamers. Does W7 still have the dreaded registry? If it does, then bets are still on. :)

Yes, yes it does. :(

[Rampant.A.I.]

I've written an article on The Mac Gamer about the state of Mac gaming:

"Games for the Mac do not break any barriers or open any doors; they are echoes of the PC world, similar in message but with mottled details."

Full article here (http://themacgamer.com/2009/09/22/what-do-i-gain-by-gaming-on-a-mac/).

Thoughts?


...You mean after we've had our best game developers (read: Bungie) literally bought out from under us by Microsoft?

You know, that one HUGE Xbox-based game called Halo?

You're aware it was around in various incarnations since around the time DOOM was big, and was initially a Mac-only series of games that was so successful it was ported to the PC platform, right?

[harveypooka]

...You mean after we've had our best game developers (read: Bungie) literally bought out from under us by Microsoft?

You know, that one HUGE Xbox-based game called Halo?

You're aware it was around in various incarnations since around the time DOOM was big, and was initially a Mac-only series of games that was so successful it was ported to the PC platform, right?

Halo was planned for Windows and Mac OS.

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

[joeconvert]

An empty feeling where your heart once was and frustration.

Edit:

By the way... please don't take that as a negative on your work. Just how I feel after having tried to game on the Mac from time to time since 2003.

[Sdashiki]

guy above started to talk about this, but from what I gathered, was clueless as to what actually happened...


Mac Gaming in one word:

HALO


I think that would sum up how Apple feels about gaming.

If you are too young to recall...apple was pushing OpenGL...and at that time Bungie was a MAC ONLY producer (Marathon FTW!)...Jobs himself showcased some early Halo footage which was to usher in the new gaming era on macs with OpenGL at the forefront.

M$ jacked Bungie and Halo came out much later...on the xbox...mac...much...much...later. :(

Im not a Halo junkie, i dont even play it except Halo1 on my mac when it came out, because I liked Marathon/Bungie. But M$ truly effed over mac gaming with that move, you cant deny it.

so, in closing...Halo was not on the mac for a LONG time until Halo had made its mark on the XBOX. And the rest is history.

[harveypooka]

By the way... please don't take that as a negative on your work. Just how I feel after having tried to game on the Mac from time to time since 2003.

Understood.

Im not a Halo junkie, i dont even play it except Halo1 on my mac when it came out, because I liked Marathon/Bungie. But M$ truly effed over mac gaming with that move, you cant deny it.

so, in closing...Halo was not on the mac for a LONG time until Halo had made its mark on the XBOX. And the rest is history.

I get the Halo argument, but it was 10 years ago!

[aznguyen316]

This statement was true before Windows 7, but now all the bets are off.

I would have to agree with this statement. WIndows 7 works wonders - performance wise as good as XP and for gaming it's great.

[lewdvig]

But I did find Prince of Persia (PC version) for $5 and picked that up...GOOD game by the way!...

I just bought the Cider port of PoP and it runs OK on my 9600m GT. In windows it screams though.

I am going to do my own cider ports and support Blizzard and the indies. In some cases - like Bioshock - I have finished the game on the 360 and PC already (a year ago).

A good game to port was Mass Effect. Tremendous replay (I have replayed it over tens times as different types of characters). Plus the final DLC just came out so a $29 complete edition would have done well on the Mac.

[lewdvig]

This statement was true before Windows 7, but now all the bets are off.

I have been using w7 since the first beta. It is nothing special. But lots of ads have people brainwashed that it is awesome. It is simply what Vista should have been. A good improvement over XP.

[lewdvig]

guy above started to talk about this, but from what I gathered, was clueless as to what actually happened...


Mac Gaming in one word:

HALO


I think that would sum up how Apple feels about gaming.

If you are too young to recall...apple was pushing OpenGL...and at that time Bungie was a MAC ONLY producer (Marathon FTW!)...Jobs himself showcased some early Halo footage which was to usher in the new gaming era on macs with OpenGL at the forefront.

M$ jacked Bungie and Halo came out much later...on the xbox...mac...much...much...later. :(

Im not a Halo junkie, i dont even play it except Halo1 on my mac when it came out, because I liked Marathon/Bungie. But M$ truly effed over mac gaming with that move, you cant deny it.

so, in closing...Halo was not on the mac for a LONG time until Halo had made its mark on the XBOX. And the rest is history.

without MS behind it, Halo would have been NOTHING 100k unit sales tops.

[Chimpy]

As an avid gamer I can say with no uncertainty that gaming on the Mac is a pain in the ass, unless you enjoy constantly rebooting into Windows and being limited in your upgrade paths.

I maintain a Windows box for the sole purpose of playing online shooters. No hassle and I can upgrade to the latest video card when the price falls after the bleeding edge tech comes out.

[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! :rolleyes: 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.

[Dagless]

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 (http://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 (http://news.cnet.com/8301-10797_3-10309560-235.html)

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.

[Dagless]

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. :)

[txa1265]

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. :)

Oh, I know - but you had singled out Steam, I was just saying that everyone - Impulse, Direct2Drive, GamersGate, GameTree, and so on - are in the same boat when it comes to DRM-locking.

What I consider even worse is when games like Empire Total War are sold in a box yet *require* you to activate through Steam, making them also non-resellable / tradeable.

[masterofbuckets]

@OP:

By gaming on Mac, you gain the ability of not booting into windows ( if that bothers you ). And it also gives the developer relief that customers are buying his product on this platform so maybe they will put out more games in future.

Thats it.

@People saying PC gaming is Dead :

Firstly, I admit PC gaming does not have its stranglehold reminiscent of the 90s.

But, that does not equate to 'dying' or being 'unconscious' for that matter. Nowhere near it. Granted its a second choice platform now to release/develop games for behind consoles, people citing nonsense figures of sales irks me. I mean 98 million $ in sales money for PC in a year ?? Thats like what Blizzard makes in 3 months ! If you count money generated by MMOs alone, you would think PC gaming is teh shizzle.

Anyways, there is a reason why that stranglehold isn't there.

The late 80s and entire 90s were the time PC gaming was seen as a niche market full of nerds and 'computer people' who liked to spend their free time on the computer again.

The consoles like NES, N64, Amiga, etc were kind of like a 'family time' thing where kids gathered to have some fun for a while and then get back to playing outside or doing other things. It was seen as a casual thing that the kids ( sometimes adults ) engage in occasionally.

The real men played on PC ;)....Requiring hardware/software knowledge far beyond the scope of a normal individual, it was a catalyst for early 90s developers to break new grounds and create genre defining games signaling the growth of the industry. Dev work was done 'for the pc, on the pc and by pc geeks'. Console games were ports of PC versions. PC penetration in homes was exponentially growing and outnumbered the consoles combined. That increased the number of people who knew atleast how to operate a system on a very basic level.

But as the industry grew, the focus from 'the hardcore guy' as customer shifted to a more casual ' Average Joe/Jane' who didn't want the hassle of trying to figure out why the game needs certain drivers to work and why a power supply churning out 300W doesn't power their system well. So, consoles began to be adopted in households more than PC for the sole purpose of gaming and the PC took a backseat as the 'office machine'. This resulted in developers having to chose between a larger audience who were willing to pay extra 30% for the game to work 'straight after putting the dvd in' or the people who would buy handful of games, be put off by not knowing how to get the full potential of it and the illusion of requiring latest hardware to run it and pirate others.

Naturally, the first option was more viable economically and thus the new motto of development was 'for consoles, on pc, by pc geeks'.

Of course the cost of development is higher on consoles in most cases but it doesn't justify the prices still to an extent imo. With the advent of HDTVs, the whole 'entertainment system' was consisting of a console, HDTV, 5.1 speakers, some games / movies / music collection and voila !! A hub for the family.

I am on old school guy who loves his mouse/keyboard combo ( and fyi, I am not a die hard FPS fan ), thinks controllers are best suited for platformers, and laments the fact that the industry base is dumbed down and the major players have to play to them first to make money and then focus on PC.

Kinda like what Mac games development used to be in its hayday. Now it has taken a backseat ( except on iPhone ) . Just like PC gaming has taken a backseat to Console. But its a backseat, its not like the driver has thrown them outside the car to die.

As it stands, consoles are driving the industry with the PC arguing which turn to take from the backseat while the Mac is in the trunk trying to remember whats all the shouting about through a peep hole the size of an apple.

[GFLPraxis]

It surprised me how many of you use Boot Camp for games. If most of us are gaming in Windows, why not just switch to Windows? You could get a Mac Mini for day-to-day stuff and a PC that’d play any game out there for under the price of a mid-range iMac.

I had the opposite solution; I built a Hackintosh. Works great for gaming, runs Mac OS X just fine. Cost me $900 last summer; 2.4 GHz Core 2 Quad, 8 GB of RAM, 2 TB HDD, Geforce 8800GT, running Snow Leopard. ^_^

[Huntn]

I had the opposite solution; I built a Hackintosh. Works great for gaming, runs Mac OS X just fine. Cost me $900 last summer; 2.4 GHz Core 2 Quad, 8 GB of RAM, 2 TB HDD, Geforce 8800GT, running Snow Leopard. ^_^

I hear fingernails scraping on desktops in Cupertino. ;) But that does sound interesting and I got a surprising result when I googled "hackintosh". Was it difficult? If you prefer, PM me. Thanks!

I am on old school guy who loves his mouse/keyboard combo ( and fyi, I am not a die hard FPS fan ), thinks controllers are best suited for platformers, and laments the fact that the industry base is dumbed down and the major players have to play to them first to make money and then focus on PC.


After owning an xbox for a couple of years, I do ok with a controller, but Keyboard/mouse is completely superior.

[arcadeforest]

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.

Thats easy to do if your running a Mac Pro or Mini, iMac on the other hand not to sure. I have a pc that I built (no oem for me) and a mac mini. I have a wall mounted Samsung monitor that I have both the mini and pc plugged into (one into the vga slot, one into the dvi slot). I use my mini for most things like iLife, iTunes, internet and the pc for gaming, internet, etc. To switch between the two all I have to do is push one button on the monitor and slide out the bluetooth keyboard / mouse which actually fits under the logitech keyboard I have. Very easy, works well, no issues like you might have with a kvm switch. I have the best of both worlds since unlike many on here I really do not have a problem working in windows and I like the diversity having a second computer gives me (mac) gives me.

Opps! After reading I see you mentioned only having one computer. Still its nice having both in one space though.