Half-Life 2 Coming to Mac OS X Today

[Irishman]

Bravo! This is big because the game engine that drives HL2 and its physics engine are two of the best and most influential in gaming - period. So even though the game title itself if older, its presence (like the Doom 3 engine and the Unreal engine - the other 2 of the big 3) is felt in every quarter.

Mac gamers have been clamoring for these games for years. For the longest time Gabe Newell and Valve wanted a $1 million licensing fee for these games. I don't know if that changed, or if Apple decided to pony up. We may never know.

This is BIG - no HUGE - news.

If Gabe were here I'd shake his hand and buy him a beer.

 

[brock2621]

This is front page news because ….

"Game ownership is no longer dictated by platform."

 

[BlizzardBomb]

This is front page news because ….

I've never seen so many people get excited about a 6 year old game before. Still though if you haven't played it yet, it's worth a play although not being fresh makes it a lot harder to keep interest in it (as in complete the whole game) when it's not revolutionary any more.

 

[nStyle]

Yeah!!! 6 year old game that i've already played 3 times is getting re-released again.

Wait... I was excited for what?

 

[pondosinatra]

I LOVED playing HL2.

I would spend hours just interacting with all the objects, throwing bottles, jumping in puddles of water etc.

By far the most advanced physics of any game.

The fact it's now on the Mac is just gravy.

 

[alcides11]

Is a six year old game (despite how incredible it is/was) coming to a new platform really that interesting?!

It's interesting because the source engine that is used by Half-Life 2 will be used on the new Half-Life episode 3, (if ever released), and also by Portal 2. Half-Life 2 may be old but is a valid test/proof of concept for any newer game that uses the source engine on the MAC platform.

@IRISHMAN props to you, I now see I said the same as you, good stuff for sure.

 

[Frobozz]

If you haven't played these games, you should buy them NOW.

Half-Life 2 is one of the best games I have ever played. It's a rich story-driven post-apocalyptic first person shooter with some clever puzzles. The gravity gun is just an awesome tool, and your companions are varied and interesting.

Of all the first person action games I have ever played– this is probably 30+ games– this is either my favorite or second favorite, battling with Deus Ex.

 

[vescaegg]

It's interesting because the source engine that is used by Half-Life 2 will be used on the new Half-Life episode 3, (if ever released), and also by Portal 2. Half-Life 2 may be old but is a valid test/proof of concept for any newer game that uses the source engine on the MAC platform.

Good point. Although are you sure Half Life 3 would be made using the current source engine? its a bit outdated now, i mean compared to new games it definately looks old and HL2:Episode 3 isnt even out yet (did it get scrapped?)

I would have thought Episode 3 may have been the last of the source engine as we now know it, with Half Life 3 getting a complete overhaul....

 

[cleanup]

Do you own it already for the PC? If so, free on the Mac.

...if not, I have an extra copy I could gift you.

Few companies would do this. Bravo, Valve.

It's just too bad my MBP could probably barely handle the Source engine. The main reason why I own a PC.

However, I hope everyone realizes that Valve is in no way responsible for porting over every game available on Steam. Basically this announcement is just, "Hey, one developer is going to start developing their games Mac as well," which some developers already do. You won't be seeing Mass Effect 2 on Mac any time soon.

 

[WeegieMac]

Well, my copy of Half Life 2 and Half Life 2: Episode 1 are registered on my Steam account from my PC days, so come on Valve ... flick the switch and let me download my Mac version.

Got to love SteamPlay.

 

[Frobozz]

If you haven't played these games, you should buy them NOW.

I would like to add one more thing that is pointed out by a couple other astute readers. Since I already own a TON of games on Steam, including all the Half-Life titles, I get to play this on my Mac any time.

Steam is finally doing what many enthusiasts have wanted for a long time-- make the computer a gaming platform instead of a particular OS. If you're going to compete with consoles, you're going to need all your soldiers. Mac and PC.

This is really a VERY exciting time for Mac gaming and PC gaming in general. I will be shocked if Apple doesn't cross-promote with Valve at WWDC.

 

[WeegieMac]

Few companies would do this. Bravo, Valve.

It's just too bad my MBP could probably barely handle the Source engine. The main reason why I own a PC.

However, I hope everyone realizes that Valve is in no way responsible for porting over every game available on Steam. Basically this announcement is just, "Hey, one developer is going to start developing their games Mac as well," which some developers already do.

I got better performance on my iMac running Portal compared to the OS X version, but I've since removed my Windows 7 partition from my iMac so will be interested to see how Half Life 2 performs on OS X.

On my iMac I could run at 1680x1050 and only really had to sacrifice anti-aliasing and reflections to get a very nice looking game of Half Life 2 running via BootCamp.

I doubt the OS X version will run as well as the Windows version did on my iMac, but we'll see soon enough.

It's 3:21pm here in Scotland, so when can we expect to see Half Life 2 available for download?

 

[PBG4 Dude]

If I didn't already have The Orange Box for my 360 I'd be snagging this today. Great game; worth playing if you haven't yet.

 

[Kcissem D]

This is front page news because ….

and your post was needed because ......

 

[scottypeps]

no

Hopefully Valve throws a special deal for it today. I wanna play it, but it's so old that I can't say I'm willing to pay more than $7 for it.

Seriously? You're not willing to pay $7 dollars for one of the best games ever created...because its TOO OLD? Stop giving Apple users a bad name, shut up and pay the asking price if you want to play it. I'm already sick and tired of mac users who feel that they should be playing top tier games on their platform, under their terms. Guess what? They just (2010) released steam on mac, macs are undoubtedly inferior when it comes to graphics, (don't believe me? look at Gabe's talk on youtube) so just come to grips with the fact that you own a computer that was not built to play games, and pay the goddamn MSRP like everyone else.

 

[Yvan256]

Too bad Apple decided to use a crappy intel GPU in the first intel Mac mini and MacBook.

But now there is a new MacBook with a new nVidia GPU, where's the new Mac mini with the same specs?


edit: yes we know the game is 4+ years old but some of us never played it, so it's new to us.

 

[Mirice]

That's great now I can pretend it's 2006 when I played and beat the game, nothing like waitig 5 years for a mac version.

 

[BothBarsOn]

This is front page news because ….

I know, right? Sometimes I could almost swear that MacRumors isn't run entirely for my benefit, focussing only on issues that I personally care about. I think you've got the same thing! High five!

 

[philbeeney]

I played Half Life years ago on my PC and regularly held deathmatch LAN parties with friends. Some of the best fun ever to be had. I've not played HL2 so it looks like I'm going to have to get a 27" iMac i7 with all the bells and whistles.

 

[ikir]

This is front page news because ….

Because it is one of the most important think happened to MAc platform in recent years. even if you are not a game. Steam and Autocad for Mac means = WIN.

 

[NeoCrusader]

What about Counter Strike?

 

[mattgoldey]

This is front page news because ….

Because it's one of the all-time greatest computer games coming to Mac. It's news.

 

[gloss]

That's great now I can pretend it's 2006 when I played and beat the game, nothing like waitig 5 years for a mac version.

I think it's more the promise that all Valve's future releases will have simultaneous releases for the Mac that's notable. And that you don't have to purchase games separately for different OSes.

 

[Winni]

Is a six year old game (despite how incredible it is/was) coming to a new platform really that interesting?!

Yes, because it signals a cultural change in the Mac ecosystem.

Valve, a company founded by former Microsoft managers and the creator of the most influential first person shooter game franchise ever created, are bringing their games - and by that gaming itself - to the Mac. Valve did not give us some half-hearted effort, they brought a native port of their entire platform, from their Source game engine to the Steam distribution channel and market place, and that enables the rest of the game industry to follow.

For the very first time in its existence the Mac is treated like an equal by game developers. Mac versions are no longer an afterthought, they've just become a standard option.

For gamers, this is like a beacon in the night.

 

[Winni]

That's great now I can pretend it's 2006 when I played and beat the game, nothing like waitig 5 years for a mac version.

I'm sorry that you didn't get the memo. But you noticed that Gabe Newell said that they are now treating PC and Mac versions of their games equally? Their build process now creates PC and Mac versions simultaneously. You won't have to wait five years for Portal 2 when it is released this year. It will be available for OS X on the very same day that they release the PC version.

Maybe you should send an eMail to Steve Jobs, thanking him for never wasting a single thought on making the Mac platform friendlier for game developers.