OS X Bioshock Infinite is showing up in Steam OS X Library

[Cougarcat]

:

Edwin is correct. Make sure you play on a Mac within 2 weeks of purchase regardless of the platform you used to purchase, and we are golden.

Do you happen to know what Edwin didn't? If you buy Infinite now (during the sale) it comes out for the Mac in, say, three weeks, but I play it in OS X for the first time, will you still get the money?

I don't plan on buying the game just yet, but for future reference...as someone else said, Valve should publicize this information.

 

[allfunandgames]

In this case I know it's coming (I will buy a copy once it ships on Mac using a Mac so Aspyr get their cut of the payments) however this is no real clue as to when. I have no evidence but I would guess end of August / September best case.

Edwin

I find it interesting that you buy games on Steam, yet Feral has been fairly unsupportive of Steam thus far Make it happen! Really keen to try a whole bunch of your games

 

[edddeduck]

I find it interesting that you buy games on Steam,

I bought a game on Steam, I know this might be a difficult concept but I am a person not "Feral" I can buy a game on Steam even when Feral did not sell games on Steam.

I knew the good folks at Aspyr would be getting paid when I bought the Mac version so I bought it on Steam so I could play cross platform. Nothing special really

yet Feral has been fairly unsupportive of Steam thus far Make it happen! Really keen to try a whole bunch of your games

I would not hold out expecting all our old games to magically appear overnight but when feasible and it makes sense (like with XCOM) we will be making Steam versions.

Making a Steam versions of older games is far from simple even if all the contactual stuff was agreed and sorted the actual work needed to update an old game to the newer APIs and add in all the Steam support is a lot of work and takes time away from other things like brand new games.

But as you can see from XCOM Feral now supports Steam and XCOM is just the first game that will be released, as time passes you should expect more titles. That said that does not mean every title will be on Steam.

Finally I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who wants to make sure when they buy a game on Steam the Mac developers get compensated for the Mac version, as Blair at Aspyr said you are all awesome. Without people like you Mac gaming would not be possible

Edwin

 

[saturnotaku]

Do you happen to know what Edwin didn't? If you buy Infinite now (during the sale) it comes out for the Mac in, say, three weeks, but I play it in OS X for the first time, will you still get the money?

I'm wondering this myself. I bought the game before it was released. It's downloaded on my Windows 7 partition, but I've not played it. If I hold out until the Mac version comes out, will any money be sent to Aspyr?

 

[edddeduck]

I'm wondering this myself. I bought the game before it was released. It's downloaded on my Windows 7 partition, but I've not played it. If I hold out until the Mac version comes out, will any money be sent to Aspyr?

I am 90% sure that the answer is no. My reasoning works like this; if the game is Windows only when you paid for it then the cross platform calculation is not needed so the payment is immediate to the initial developer platform.

It also would be very strange if Valve did not pay the game developers until you installed and ran the game, that would mean if you bought a game but never played it then Valve would end up keeping the money! In this case it would mean that all the PC copies not played yet of BioShock Infinite would be sat in Valves accounts (for ever) unless someone started playing the game!

As I cannot see a publisher agreeing to that deal one would assume that if the game is only on one platform when you buy it then the payment is passed on (almost immediately) by Valve to the developer in question.

Edwin

 

[Nightarchaon]

That brings up a very important point. I thought I'd read before that you should buy within the Mac client to ensure Mac developers get credit and get paid for the sale so I always make sure to do that. Everyone on a Mac buying Steamplay titles who might also run in Windows via bootcamp or virtual machine needs to remember to do that to support you guys on Steam.

Sadly if the Mac release was the same day and date as the PC release i would, but, because the mac releases are MONTHS if not YEARS late, ill buy, and play in bootcamp, the PC version.

Often i end up re-playing the game down the line when the Mac version pops up in steam (Currently im re-playing Xcom, which is perfect for a quick "mission between projects") but i purchase games i want to play on release day, i don't think ANY of my steam games are purchased via the mac client, and i don't see this changing unless they day and date release with the PC client.

And im probably where most consumers sit in view of this.

 

[Aspyr-Blair]

I am 90% sure that the answer is no. My reasoning works like this; if the game is Windows only when you paid for it then the cross platform calculation is not needed so the payment is immediate to the initial developer platform.

I'd have to agree with Edwin here, but I'm more like 50% sure. Bioshock Infinite is sort of a weird case since the Mac version isnt out yet, but we do have a Mac depot setup. This is actually finance directed more than anything. Basically Valve owes that money to a publisher at the end of a set amount of time (usually pretty quick). We've been told that if you dont launch a game in that first two weeks, then the system defaults to the client type purchased on. That said, on titles that are already released we do see deductions and payments from people purchasing on PC and then playing on Mac much later or visa versa. So Valve does go back in and adjusts to be fair. But as we pointed out earlier in the thread these are a very small % of overall sales for a title.

Bottom line, if you want to support us, purchase it on a Mac client if you can and launch on your Mac if you can.

Most importantly however, play this game! And dont feel bad if you dont want to wait...it's really really good.

 

[saturnotaku]

Sadly if the Mac release was the same day and date as the PC release i would, but, because the mac releases are MONTHS if not YEARS late, ill buy, and play in bootcamp, the PC version.

Often i end up re-playing the game down the line when the Mac version pops up in steam (Currently im re-playing Xcom, which is perfect for a quick "mission between projects") but i purchase games i want to play on release day, i don't think ANY of my steam games are purchased via the mac client, and i don't see this changing unless they day and date release with the PC client.

And im probably where most consumers sit in view of this.

This was exactly what I was alluding to in my initial post and why I want to see some way of giving a cut to the Mac developers without having to re-buy the game or otherwise. It's hardly fair to Aspyr, Feral, et al for me to have a game I bought earlier pop up in my library, but at the same time, it makes no sense to make another full purchase.

 

[flindet]

I'm the jerk

I stock up on games during these ridiculous sales. I buy only Mac games. I make the purchase on my Mac. I never play Steamplay games in Windows. However, I like to finish a game before I move onto the next. And I don't have tons of time to play games, so it usually takes me quite a while.

Rarely, do I fire up a game and play it within two weeks of purchase even though I am buying quite a few games with the sole purpose of playing them on my Mac.

I'm disappointed to learn that means I've been ripping off Feral and Aspyr. Sorry, guys. I guess I'm the accidental jerk of the party. Is it sufficient to just launch the game or do I actually have to play for a while?

It shouldn't be this hard just to make sure folks get paid for their efforts.

 

[Nightarchaon]

This was exactly what I was alluding to in my initial post and why I want to see some way of giving a cut to the Mac developers without having to re-buy the game or otherwise. It's hardly fair to Aspyr, Feral, et al for me to have a game I bought earlier pop up in my library, but at the same time, it makes no sense to make another full purchase.

i think the future only has two options in it for mac gaming

Either 1, the initial development teams produce directly for mac and PC at the same time (like Blizzard do now)

or

2 Feral, Aspyr etc will have to stop releasing via steam and steamplay, going Mac Appstore only and bumping the prices up to make up for the apple tax, and making people either pay twice, or just mopping up the users who may not have a PC

 

[Aspyr-Blair]

I stock up on games during these ridiculous sales. I buy only Mac games. I make the purchase on my Mac. I never play Steamplay games in Windows. However, I like to finish a game before I move onto the next. And I don't have tons of time to play games, so it usually takes me quite a while.

Rarely, do I fire up a game and play it within two weeks of purchase even though I am buying quite a few games with the sole purpose of playing them on my Mac.

I'm disappointed to learn that means I've been ripping off Feral and Aspyr. Sorry, guys. I guess I'm the accidental jerk of the party. Is it sufficient to just launch the game or do I actually have to play for a while?

It shouldn't be this hard just to make sure folks get paid for their efforts.

No worries! You are in fact supporting us directly. If you don't launch the title within those 2 weeks, our understanding is the credit defaults to the platform you purchased it on. In your case that would be Mac

The only way that we would not get credit is if you purchased now and played on a windows partition through Bootcamp or on a PC, or if you purchased now on a PC and didn't launch the game for weeks (making the sale default to PC).

Thanks again for the support!

 

[allfunandgames]

But as you can see from XCOM Feral now supports Steam and XCOM is just the first game that will be released, as time passes you should expect more titles.
Edwin

Terrific news, and thank you Edwin for engaging with us fans here in the forums. I agree that it is awesome that people care so much that when they purchase a game they want to ensure that the Mac developers get paid.

 

[Dirtyharry50]

Sadly if the Mac release was the same day and date as the PC release i would, but, because the mac releases are MONTHS if not YEARS late, ill buy, and play in bootcamp, the PC version.

Often i end up re-playing the game down the line when the Mac version pops up in steam (Currently im re-playing Xcom, which is perfect for a quick "mission between projects") but i purchase games i want to play on release day, i don't think ANY of my steam games are purchased via the mac client, and i don't see this changing unless they day and date release with the PC client.

And im probably where most consumers sit in view of this.

Actually, I think you are probably in the minority where most Mac consumers sit in view of this. How do I know? Well, Aspyr is still in business. How could they be if everyone using a Mac bought the Windows version on release day and played that instead of their version, etc. I'm pretty sure most Mac users like to play Mac versions when possible and are more likely to bootcamp for stuff they cannot get for Mac. Otherwise, I don't see how Mac developers on Steam could survive or why they would bother selling titles there. There would be no profit in it.

 

[Dirtyharry50]

i think the future only has two options in it for mac gaming

Either 1, the initial development teams produce directly for mac and PC at the same time (like Blizzard do now)

or

2 Feral, Aspyr etc will have to stop releasing via steam and steamplay, going Mac Appstore only and bumping the prices up to make up for the apple tax, and making people either pay twice, or just mopping up the users who may not have a PC

I think you are incorrect. What do you suppose is going to happen if the status quo is maintained where currently we see increasing numbers of games for Mac annually? Is Mac gaming going to implode and die or something? These two options you propose are the only hope? I don't think so.

And what about the option of owning a console for gaming too in which case you are no longer dependent on having Windows installed to access most AAA releases?

I might be wrong but I wonder if the majority of Mac gamers even have Windows installed on their computers. A lot of people see that as an added expense and hassle they are not willing to deal with. And that choice is certainly a whole lot easier to make these days with so many excellent games available for OS X and new ones arriving on a regular basis. It isn't like there isn't lots of great stuff to choose from.

I think the trap you and some other folks fall into is the whole idea of comparing Mac to Windows as a gaming platform. Doing this is about as valid as comparing Windows to Xbox or Nintendo or Playstation consoles. Each platform has plenty of games to play and each one has exclusive games. You cannot have everything on any of these platforms.

If you prefer the games available on the Windows platform and want to run Windows on your Mac to play them well by all means enjoy. It is nice Mac owners have that option. I think a lot of us though don't want anything to do with Windows and rebooting. There's plenty on our platform to entertain us without needing to resort to that and for everything else, there's consoles as an option.

 

[Nightarchaon]

Actually, I think you are probably in the minority where most Mac consumers sit in view of this. How do I know? Well, Aspyr is still in business. How could they be if everyone using a Mac bought the Windows version on release day and played that instead of their version, etc. I'm pretty sure most Mac users like to play Mac versions when possible and are more likely to bootcamp for stuff they cannot get for Mac. Otherwise, I don't see how Mac developers on Steam could survive or why they would bother selling titles there. There would be no profit in it.

That would be almost every game then, as they are usually released on PC MONTHS or YEARS before the mac version appears (it is getting better, more months than years recently) but still, if you want to play a game on release, you buy the PC version, play it, love it, finish it two or three times, then the mac version is released...

it amazes me Aspyr etc are still in business, it says a lot about both the dedication of the teams, and the markup and profit margin they must have on what is, compared to the PC market, such a small user base.

 

[Nightarchaon]

I think you are incorrect. What do you suppose is going to happen if the status quo is maintained where currently we see increasing numbers of games for Mac annually? Is Mac gaming going to implode and die or something? These two options you propose are the only hope? I don't think so.

And what about the option of owning a console for gaming too in which case you are no longer dependent on having Windows installed to access most AAA releases?

I might be wrong but I wonder if the majority of Mac gamers even have Windows installed on their computers. A lot of people see that as an added expense and hassle they are not willing to deal with. And that choice is certainly a whole lot easier to make these days with so many excellent games available for OS X and new ones arriving on a regular basis. It isn't like there isn't lots of great stuff to choose from.

I think the trap you and some other folks fall into is the whole idea of comparing Mac to Windows as a gaming platform. Doing this is about as valid as comparing Windows to Xbox or Nintendo or Playstation consoles. Each platform has plenty of games to play and each one has exclusive games. You cannot have everything on any of these platforms.

If you prefer the games available on the Windows platform and want to run Windows on your Mac to play them well by all means enjoy. It is nice Mac owners have that option. I think a lot of us though don't want anything to do with Windows and rebooting. There's plenty on our platform to entertain us without needing to resort to that and for everything else, there's consoles as an option.

Whilst consoles are good, there are some titles, Like Skyrim, i would only play on a PC, purely for the Modding ability, Other titles, like MMOs that don't handle well on a console due to lack of keyboard and mouse, for everything else, there is indeed consoles, i own 3, and have a Mac Mini running various emulators hooked to my TV for even older console emulation,

but for PC gaming, the mac platform is an after thought at best for developers, leaving it up to Aspyr etc to convert/wrapper the title after its release on the PC..

I would like to see development studios/publishers working with Aspyr or Feral as development enters its final stages so that perhaps the 6 month to a year or more release date differences that we see now fall to a negligible amount, or zero.

I would love to have bought and played Bioshock, X-com, Batman etc on the Mac rather than having to boot to bootcamp every-time, but the reality is, i wanted to play those games on day of release, as do many people, and the only option to do so was console version, or PC version, i picked the PC version because with the exception of the Batman games, most games i play, i feel play better on keyboard and mouse than joypad.

 

[antonis]

Don't forget that the majority of Mac users are not urged to play most games by the time they get released (for windows obviously) but it's the other way around: they play a game that was just released for Mac, no matter if it's a fresh release or not for other platforms.

 

[Nightarchaon]

Don't forget that the majority of Mac users are not urged to play most games by the time they get released (for windows obviously) but it's the other way around: they play a game that was just released for Mac, no matter if it's a fresh release or not for other platforms.

i Think that used to be the case, back before the macs had the market penetration they have now, nowadays the common user probably outnumbers the "mac faithful" who would wait for a Mac specifc release.

then you have people like me, i have mac hardware, i love Mac OS as a productivity OS, and as a Media OS, but for gaming, well, i either game on a Console , or, i game under windows, i want the games i play on release day, not crippled months down the line (still waiting for the Mac version of Borderlands 2 DLC to catch up with the PC version, hell, im still waiting for the Mac version of Dragon Age : Origins DLC to catch up with the PC version).

The bottom line is, whilst games have to go through third parties such as aspyr or feral, you will always get late to market, semi-functional games...

I personally would prefer if they waited until the PC version launched as a GOTY edition then converted that, so the Mac gets the FULL content from the PC with all the bells and whistles

 

[edddeduck]

i Think that used to be the case, back before the macs had the market penetration they have now, nowadays the common user probably outnumbers the "mac faithful" who would wait for a Mac specifc release.

Based on stats I have seen from various places the dual booting Mac user who plays the game on the PC first and won't wait for the Mac version is under 1% (around 0.1%) of the overall Mac gaming user base at most right now. Getting Mac release closer to the PC or day and date will still make a big difference but I don't think based on all the stats I have seen the Mac gamer who plays on Windows because he does not want to wait is a large % of the Mac market.

That's just my view though

then you have people like me, i have mac hardware, i love Mac OS as a productivity OS, and as a Media OS, but for gaming, well, i either game on a Console , or, i game under windows, i want the games i play on release day, not crippled months down the line

Crippled is a little harsh no?

(still waiting for the Mac version of Borderlands 2 DLC to catch up with the PC version,

All the DLC is SteamPlay Mac/PC when I checked 5 minutes ago

The bottom line is, whilst games have to go through third parties such as aspyr or feral, you will always get late to market, semi-functional games...

A little harsh considering the last few games released, Borderlands 2 has all the PC DLC (Aspyr game), XCOM has all the PC DLC (Feral Game). Granted things are not released on the same day as the PC but that is ever improving and the more recent games are getting within a month or two instead of the longer time period that was normal 5 years ago.

I admit I am biased but I do think "semi functional" antagonistic. Sure the odd minor thing might not exist (mostly due to PC restrictions) but I can't think of any game that is semi functional on launch.

I personally would prefer if they waited until the PC version launched as a GOTY edition then converted that, so the Mac gets the FULL content from the PC with all the bells and whistles

If only someone did that... Here is a small selection of Mac games that I worked on that shipped as GOTY editions from day 1. If the game is delayed compared to the PC usually we have all the updates, patches and DLC included in the game from the launch.

XCOM
Borderlands 1 GOTY
Batman Arkham Asylum GOTY
Batman Arkham City GOTY
Deus Ex Ultimate Edition (Mac Exclusive GOTY)
Tropico 3 Gold Edition
Rome Total War Gold Edition
Empire Total War Gold Edition
Napoleon Total War Gold Edition
Tropico 4 Gold Edition (Shipping next Thursday)

I am sure Aspyr will have a similar list

 

[Aspyr-Blair]

i want the games i play on release day, not crippled months down the line (still waiting for the Mac version of Borderlands 2 DLC to catch up with the PC version).

Awww, c'mon now. We worked really hard to make sure that statement isn't a reality anymore.

Civ V launched 1 month after PC on Steam. After that launch, we have released same day as PC for all DLC, plus BOTH huge expansions (Gods and Kings, Brave New World)

Borderlands 2 released just 3 months after PC. Since that release, we have released ALL dlc's on same day or within 2-3 weeks of PC on Steam.

Bioshock Infinite is a particular challenge, but we will still be within 5 months of the PC release, and I can guarantee you will not have to wait long (if at all) for DLC on that title either.

Now granted, MacAppStore is a little behind on DLC releases, but that has to do with the framework and challenge of developing on that platform.

That all said, I totally agree with you. If I gamed on both platforms through my Mac, I wouldn't wait either. But I'm like the VAST majority of Mac gamers out there, I prefer not to mess with dual booting. So I wait for the title to come out on my platform, which through a lot of hard work from both Aspyr and Feral is getting to be a negligible time period.

 

[Asuriyan]

If only someone did that... Here is a small selection of Mac games that I worked on that shipped as GOTY editions from day 1. If the game is delayed compared to the PC usually we have all the updates, patches and DLC included in the game from the launch.

.
.
.
.Deus Ex Ultimate Edition (Mac Exclusive GOTY).
.
.
.
.

I am sure Aspyr will have a similar list

Is that the Ultimate Edition that SQEnix announced a while back, with the revamped boss fights?

If so, I will totally buy a 4th copy... I already own it on Steam, PS3 and X360 (don't ask why I do things like that!) but I've been looking forward to playing it with the enhancements.

 

[Dirtyharry50]

That would be almost every game then, as they are usually released on PC MONTHS or YEARS before the mac version appears (it is getting better, more months than years recently) but still, if you want to play a game on release, you buy the PC version, play it, love it, finish it two or three times, then the mac version is released...

it amazes me Aspyr etc are still in business, it says a lot about both the dedication of the teams, and the markup and profit margin they must have on what is, compared to the PC market, such a small user base.

"If you want to play a game on release"

Well, I do want to play games on release, the OS X release that is.

You cannot believe Aspyr, etc. are still in business because you perhaps cannot believe that many Mac users do not buy Windows games and play them in Windows on release day. They buy games for Mac as they release. They do play titles on release day - Mac titles.

 

[Dirtyharry50]

Whilst consoles are good, there are some titles, Like Skyrim, i would only play on a PC, purely for the Modding ability, Other titles, like MMOs that don't handle well on a console due to lack of keyboard and mouse, for everything else, there is indeed consoles, i own 3, and have a Mac Mini running various emulators hooked to my TV for even older console emulation,

but for PC gaming, the mac platform is an after thought at best for developers, leaving it up to Aspyr etc to convert/wrapper the title after its release on the PC..

I would like to see development studios/publishers working with Aspyr or Feral as development enters its final stages so that perhaps the 6 month to a year or more release date differences that we see now fall to a negligible amount, or zero.

I would love to have bought and played Bioshock, X-com, Batman etc on the Mac rather than having to boot to bootcamp every-time, but the reality is, i wanted to play those games on day of release, as do many people, and the only option to do so was console version, or PC version, i picked the PC version because with the exception of the Batman games, most games i play, i feel play better on keyboard and mouse than joypad.

I was responding to your blanket statements about Mac gaming and Mac gamers basically and thought that was obvious.

I am not telling you how to live, what to play, when to play, what system or computer to play it on. Why would I care about that? Whatever floats your boat is just fine by me.

I feel completely different than you do about Mac gaming. I am very pleased with so many good games to play, more than I have time for, including my own personal favorite MMOs by the way which are: WoW, LoTRO and DDO. And Elder Scrolls Online is coming for Mac.

I couldn't be happier about the many options available to me as a Mac gamer. It's wonderful. I'm quite happy to enjoy new Mac releases whenever they release and usually later than that because I have such a backlog of games to play.

----------

not crippled months down the line

I don't think you need to sink to unnecessary and incredibly inaccurate statements like this in trying to make your case. Calling high quality ports "semi functional" is also a cheap shot that does zero to further your own apparent need to justify playing games in Windows. You don't need to justify it. It is enough that you prefer to play your games in Windows and you like to play everything on release day. You don't need to argue this with anyone. It's your life. Do what you like.

----------

I personally would prefer if they waited until the PC version launched as a GOTY edition then converted that, so the Mac gets the FULL content from the PC with all the bells and whistles

You would? This completely contradicts what you have been saying about how you prefer to play games on launch day in Windows doesn't it?

 

[MR.Raul]

BIOSHOCK INFINITE € 17.78

http://www.kinguin.net/catalog/category/view/s/bioshock-infinite-steam-key/id/677/

 

[petsounds]

Bioshock Infinite is a particular challenge, but we will still be within 5 months of the PC release, and I can guarantee you will not have to wait long (if at all) for DLC on that title either.

Just curious, what's been a particular challenge about Infinite, if you can speak about it? The engine/content, or political things?