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Rejoice, Steam is coming to OSX!
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CylonGlitch
macrumors 68030
I hope hope hope this comes out to be true.
Now, part 2: make TF2 available for the Mac.
w00master
Now, part 2: make TF2 available for the Mac.
w00master
ltldrummerboy
macrumors 68000
There's a great article over at Ars Technica on the new Steam beta.
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/02/steams-new-look-goes-into-open-beta-with-a-few-bumps.ars
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/02/steams-new-look-goes-into-open-beta-with-a-few-bumps.ars
The Orange Box, native under OSX would be a great move forward. Knowing Valve they wouldn't charge again for people who already owned the PC versions.
This would line up perfectly with OpenGL 3.0 support in 10.6.3.
All I want is the ability to play Counter Strike Source natively. Make it happen Valve. 😀
All I want is the ability to play Counter Strike Source natively. Make it happen Valve. 😀
Dragonforce
macrumors 6502a
Ooooh make it happen, Valve 🙂
That would make a lot of people happy AND the Mac platform needs something like this anyway 😱
That would make a lot of people happy AND the Mac platform needs something like this anyway 😱
This could potentially be the big kick that mac gaming needs. If a PC powerhouse like VALVe were to support the mac with their games and something like steam, them maybe other developers would see the potential of the visibility they get with steam and release pc and mac games. I think that It will eventually be like the 360 and the PS3, the end of exclusives.
this is what i was thinking. maybe if this takes off then apple will make it a bit easier to upgrade components like video cards (or at least give us a few more options...) It could be quite revolutionary for macs.
As for all the games being ported or whatever, not going to happen. There are just too many titles and the developers aren't going to want to take the time. It does make sense for valve to take all their games and port them though, i can easily see that. I think this will be kind of like direct2drive, pc and mac games but it will have a mac desktop client. Either way, good stuff!
A Steam client for OSX is looking more and more likely now and this is great news as far as I'm concerned. About time the Mac got a better game delivery platform and it means I wouldn't have to boot into Windows nearly as often 🙂 As to the games themselves, I can only echo what others have said: Most titles would still need to be ported but, several already have been so 20%? 30% of the catalog *could be available right from the start. Source engine games ported to Open GL/OSX would kick major ass too! Half Life 2 and Counterstrike:Source are amazing but I'm salivating over the possibility of playing... Left4Dead, Left4Dead2, Portal, Day of Defeat and a hundred others under OSX.
Bring it on Valve... please
Bring it on Valve... please
don't get your hopes up. maybe 5% or less of the games on steam are mac compatible.
also, a main reason why steam is so popular is the discounts they provide. and there is no guarantee that pc/mac versions of a game will get similar discount deals
also, a main reason why steam is so popular is the discounts they provide. and there is no guarantee that pc/mac versions of a game will get similar discount deals
Well, there are rumors that the Source engine is coming to OS X. Postal 3 is coming out on mac/linux/pc, and it uses Source. I wouldn't be surprised if along with the Mac announcement of Steam, all Valve games would be ported over. Valve is not going to port Steam and then have an empty store--there would be no point.
And while it is true that the amount of games with Mac versions on Steam is ridiculously small, there's no question that the Mac needs a distribution method like steam (or iTunes) for games, and I think that a mac version of Steam would only encourage game developers (especially independent ones) to consider making Mac versions.
How Valve implements the Steam version of Mac, and how, will be particularly interesting.
There has also been something like Steam for Mac already (Macgamebox or something) but so far it has yet to gain traction.
Here's hoping this brings many more games to OS X rather than just what already exists, otherwise what exactly would be the point? 🙄
Steam-like distribution seems far more viable for PC games where piracy is rife & retail prices of boxed editions tend to fall rapidly soon after release. On the other hand, Mac games tend to maintain their value (hence developers like Feral can get by on relatively small sales) &, AFAIK, piracy is almost non-existent.
Steam-like distribution seems far more viable for PC games where piracy is rife & retail prices of boxed editions tend to fall rapidly soon after release. On the other hand, Mac games tend to maintain their value (hence developers like Feral can get by on relatively small sales) &, AFAIK, piracy is almost non-existent.
There's a huge difference between Steam being ported to OS X and the Source/Steamworks being ported to OS X. The latter will bring the biggest catalyst for the Mac gaming industry, essentially everything about the Mac gaming will change.
Unfortunately, I seriously doubt the Steam client itself will change anything. It does not encourage nor do anything other than just providing a central place for mac games that are already out there. It just encourages developers to use Cider porting instead of native coding in which case, it doesn't do anything for the Mac gaming industry.
Not to mention, the graphic cards in Macs are a couple of generations old behind PC. Apple has to do their part too.
Unfortunately, I seriously doubt the Steam client itself will change anything. It does not encourage nor do anything other than just providing a central place for mac games that are already out there. It just encourages developers to use Cider porting instead of native coding in which case, it doesn't do anything for the Mac gaming industry.
Not to mention, the graphic cards in Macs are a couple of generations old behind PC. Apple has to do their part too.
shadowbird423
macrumors 6502
This would finally give the Mac platform the push it needs to capture at least some gamers. I just cant wait to play Half Life 2: Episode 3 NATIVELY when it comes out.....
Make it so, VALVe!
Make it so, VALVe!