OS X Wolfenstein: The New Order

[saturnotaku]

While I'm sure our friends at Feral or Aspyr can't divulge information about future products, I still have to ask if the new Wolfenstein game will see an OS X release. Since it runs on id Tech 5, I would think a port shouldn't be overly difficult to handle. Perhaps with Mavericks supporting OpenGL 4, something can come to market sooner rather than later.

 

[Cougarcat]

I wouldn't hold my breath. The reason why the previous games made it was because of Carmack, and he's at Occulus now. Also, Zenimax owns iD now and they aren't exactly Mac friendly.

It would be nice, though. It makes me slightly depressed that one of only two dedicated Mac porting houses have spent their time porting two CoDs when there are much better games out there. But I guess they sell well.

 

[Washac]

I wouldn't hold my breath. The reason why the previous games made it was because of Carmack, and he's at Occulus now. Also, Zenimax owns iD now and they aren't exactly Mac friendly.

It would be nice, though. It makes me slightly depressed that one of only two dedicated Mac porting houses have spent their time porting two CoDs when there are much better games out there. But I guess they sell well.

Long time since I have seen a game I would like to see ported, but then I have been using Bootcamp for two long troubled years, but no longer, and have started to see games I would like to see ported.

Have to agree with that statement.

 

[N19h7m4r3]

Folks are forgetting that they're working on more than 1-2 titles at a time. Feral and Aspyr are doing great jobs, and even if the games are old it's all helping the platform.

It could also be due to licensing and contracts that Activision or they did MW2 & 3. A case of do these, or no ghosts or advanced warfare.

In the case of Wolfenstein, I'm actually surprised there wasn't a Mac and Linux client on launch. The game's engine is OpenGL based as far as I know. Like all Id Tech engines, and I certainly hope it's coming very soon.

In the case of info from Feral, there's their Radar, and you can always go have a gander and try and guess at that their little messages mean.

 

[saturnotaku]

In the case of Wolfenstein, I'm actually surprised there wasn't a Mac and Linux client on launch. The game's engine is OpenGL based as far as I know. Like all Id Tech engines, and I certainly hope it's coming very soon.

RAGE uses the same engine, and it was almost 4 months before it debuted on OS X. That's certainly a much quicker turnaround than most ports, but it's wishful thinking to believe a AAA title will see a Mac release at/within weeks of launch. Far as I'm aware, that's only happened a very small handful of times and then only with DLC or expansion packs.

 

[N19h7m4r3]

RAGE uses the same engine, and it was almost 4 months before it debuted on OS X. That's certainly a much quicker turnaround than most ports, but it's wishful thinking to believe a AAA title will see a Mac release at/within weeks of launch. Far as I'm aware, that's only happened a very small handful of times and then only with DLC or expansion packs.

Quite true. Although with the way things are going and more major engines having native OSX support from the start, and Feral and Aspyr always getting better I have high hopes.

The biggest issue is always the red tape of clearing it for a port I'd say.

 

[saturnotaku]

My hope is that with Mavericks finally supporting OpenGL 4, we will start seeing faster turnarounds. Tomb Raider and Hitman: Absolution require 10.9+ so it's not unprecedented for older operating systems to be left behind.

 

[kaltsasa]

I will buy this on Mac. So aspyr "shut up and take my money".

 

[madeirabhoy]

Folks are forgetting that they're working on more than 1-2 titles at a time. Feral and Aspyr are doing great jobs, and even if the games are old it's all helping the platform.

It could also be due to licensing and contracts that Activision or they did MW2 & 3. A case of do these, or no ghosts or advanced warfare.

In the case of Wolfenstein, I'm actually surprised there wasn't a Mac and Linux client on launch. The game's engine is OpenGL based as far as I know. Like all Id Tech engines, and I certainly hope it's coming very soon.

In the case of info from Feral, there's their Radar, and you can always go have a gander and try and guess at that their little messages mean.

this. feral especially are doing a great job, and at any one time theres at leat 5 or 6 games on their coming soon radar.

CoD will sell well and a lot of people will enjoy them, so even if they arent to someone's taste you cant really complain.

from img, feral seem to be working on sleeping dogs, so ill wait for that whilst enjoying deus ex human revolution directors cut.

 

[saturnotaku]

from img, feral seem to be working on sleeping dogs

That wouldn't surprise me. Feral must have a nice deal with Square Enix considering they've done Deus Ex: HR, Tomb Raider, and Hitman. Further, kudos should go to Square Enix for doing excellent PC ports and opening them up for conversion to Mac.

 

[Cougarcat]

Folks are forgetting that they're working on more than 1-2 titles at a time. Feral and Aspyr are doing great jobs, and even if the games are old it's all helping the platform.

Well, sure, but compared to Feral it seems Aspyr is on life support. All they port these days are Civ expansions and CoDs. (Although I am excited about civ: Beyond Earth, which they are doing.)

My hope is that with Mavericks finally supporting OpenGL 4, we will start seeing faster turnarounds. Tomb Raider and Hitman: Absolution require 10.9+ so it's not unprecedented for older operating systems to be left behind.

I'm sure Edwin could give a better/more technical answer, but OpenGL 4 doesn't necessarily make it quicker to port games, it just supports more graphical features. In fact once we start seeing next-gen only ports porting time could get worse as optimization might become harder/more important.

 

[Aspyr-Blair]

Well, sure, but compared to Feral it seems Aspyr is on life support. All they port these days are Civ expansions and CoDs.

Awww, cmon now Cougar. Your forgetting:

- 15 Borderlands 2 DLC's shipped simultaneously with PC
- BioShock Infinite + 2 DLC's sim shipped with PC
- KOTOR iOS
- SimCity4 Deluxe re-release that was completely overhauled
- 5 more projects I cant talk about yet

I'm sure Edwin could give a better/more technical answer, but OpenGL 4 doesn't necessarily make it quicker to port games, it just supports more graphical features. In fact once we start seeing next-gen only ports porting time could get worse as optimization might become harder/more important.

Totally agreed, current OpenGL support simply means we have more, and more up to date tool sets to use. Likely it will increase the amount of man hours needed for the ports, not make them easier.

 

[N19h7m4r3]

A
- 5 more projects I cant talk about yet

I'm very trust worthy mate.
Wanna send me something to play with?

 

[saturnotaku]

Since Aspyr did RAGE, Doom 3, and other id and Bethesda properties, I have to imagine they would be the ones doing Wolfenstein...if Wolfenstein were allowed to be ported.

 

[Cougarcat]

Awww, cmon now Cougar. Your forgetting:

- 15 Borderlands 2 DLC's shipped simultaneously with PC

It's just DLC, and I dont have the game, so it slipped my mind (although simultaneous releases are awesome)

- BioShock Infinite + 2 DLC's sim shipped with PC

Legitimately forgot about this one. It was the last Aspyr game I played, too.

- KOTOR iOS
- SimCity4 Deluxe re-release that was completely overhauled

These, while appreciated, are just re-releases (even if they were a lot of work, I want new stuff!)....

- 5 more projects I cant talk about yet

Now you have my interest. I hope you've been knocking on Bethesda's door. And the developers of Ethan Carter, it's been ages since the Mac (or the PC for that matter) has seen a AAA adventure game.

Is Civ: Beyond Earth one of those five? Because Firaxis already revealed you're porting it. I'm looking forward to that one the most this year.

I know I was being unfair, but as I said above, when there are only two mac porting houses left and one of them devotes a lot of energy to release one CoD game after another, it's easy to picture it as a CoD assembly line, even if that's not accurate.

 

[Aspyr-Blair]

Now you have my interest. I hope you've been knocking on Bethesda's door. And the developers of Ethan Carter, it's been ages since the Mac (or the PC for that matter) has seen a AAA adventure game.

Haha...we are always knocking on everyone's door! We hear you though, and would love to see more adventure and RPG's hitting the Mac. Of course I cant say anything about whats to come, but I will say 2014 will be a great year for the Mac gamer. You'll see some new, some beloved old, and some surprises from us this year.

 

[MichalM.Mac]

Well, sure, but compared to Feral it seems Aspyr is on life support.

You would have been right back in 2009. I think zhey are doing ok now

 

[Solomani]

It would be nice, though. It makes me slightly depressed that one of only two dedicated Mac porting houses have spent their time porting two CoDs when there are much better games out there. But I guess they sell well.

Yeah I also agree. Our two most talented Mac porting houses sometimes keep revisiting the same same same same same old series of games rather than porting those unique delicious games that OSX gamers simply don't have.

But I guess I can't blame them…. they HAVE to port games that a history of strong sales on the PC side.

 

[David085]

Hopefully Wallenstein port is on the way to Mac would like this game to come to mac aswell lol

 

[s.horsfield]

Haha...we are always knocking on everyone's door! We hear you though, and would love to see more adventure and RPG's hitting the Mac. Of course I cant say anything about whats to come, but I will say 2014 will be a great year for the Mac gamer. You'll see some new, some beloved old, and some surprises from us this year.

I'd be curious to hear about the economic logistics of porting games to OS X. From my very limited understanding of economics it would seem like a no-brainer to get a team like Feral or Asypr working on an OS X port as it opens a game up to a larger market. On top of that it also opens games up to a less saturated market of people with more disposable income.

 

[cryingrobot]

Aspyr has been doing a great job with the ports. BL2 DLCs have been coming out at same time as PC releases and run flawlessly.

 

[saturnotaku]

Yeah I also agree. Our two most talented Mac porting houses sometimes keep revisiting the same same same same same old series of games rather than porting those unique delicious games that OSX gamers simply don't have.

Not sure what you're getting on about here because there are plenty of independent games that have seen OS X releases over the last couple years. Rogue Legacy, The Stanley Parable, Bastion, Dust: An Elysian Tale, Papers Please, and Thomas Was Alone among many, many others.

 

[N19h7m4r3]

Not sure what you're getting on about here because there are plenty of independent games that have seen OS X releases over the last couple years. Rogue Legacy, The Stanley Parable, Bastion, Dust: An Elysian Tale, Papers Please, and Thomas Was Alone among many, many others.

It really is many many! I get so many thrown at me usually to cover I just can't get through most of them.

Indie developers have a knack for multi-platform, and the Unity engine helps a great deal. Everything from fun and enjoyable games, to shovel ware.

The only thing OSX is lacking is a constant up to date stream of AAA titles, although thanks to Feral and Aspyr those gaps are constantly closing, and quality is improving.

 

[saturnotaku]

The only thing OSX is lacking is a constant up to date stream of AAA titles, although thanks to Feral and Aspyr those gaps are constantly closing, and quality is improving.

I'm glad you brought up the quality aspect because that's so important to the growth of Mac gaming. Mac releases are now, for the most part anyway, on par with, and in select cases superior to, their PC counterparts. Case in point is Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut. The game runs and plays better in OS X because Feral took the time to fix a lot of bugs that are still plaguing the Windows version.

Now of course, there are still more than enough games that have the opposite problem. The biggest offenders today, IMO, are Valve's games. I have to bump down the resolution and in-game settings to get good performance in OS X compared to running the same title in Windows. I wish Valve would hand the reins over to Aspyr or Feral to fix what needs fixing, but that's not going to happen.

 

[smoketetsu]

Just so you all know. I've seen indication from error logs for Wolfenstein The New Order that it doesn't use the latest OpenGL available on Windows. Not even the latest available in Mavericks.

Instead it uses OpenGL 3.2. Much like RAGE did.

So, being slightly behind at OpenGL 4.1 isn't what's going to hold the Mac back from getting this game. If anything lack of interest from the publishers or Anti-Mac sentiment is what's going to hold it back.