Will Macs ever be a force in gaming?

[Lilani]

The short answer is no
The long answer is NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
They're for photoshoping and video editing, not entertainment.

What are you talking about? I enjoy all my Valve games and all my TV shows through my Mac. I have Windows dual-booted for the rest (and 3DS Max which runs best on Windows), but at this point that's basically just Skyrim.

You use Windows, that's cheating. And did you reeeeeaaaaally get that Mac to play games on?

No, but who gets a computer for one particular reason? I get the best of both worlds--the wonderful Mac interface, better use of Adobe programs, and virus-free browsing, and then the programs I can't use with Mac on the Windows partition. I say why choose one when you don't have to? Of course it's not for everybody, but don't knock it just because it's not your thing.

 

[Bertylicious]

In the past I'd say "no" because Steve Jobs vehemently excercised copyright control and thus caused content creators to be constrained, therefore stifling developers from creating the foundation from a technical/business point of view.

He's dead now though, so who knows?

Edit: Don't know why I quoted your post immediately below it. Pavlovian response maybe?

But this isn't really true... sure, Apple has major control over the apple store, but you can still sell software for the Mac OS yourself without Apple's consent. You just can't put it on the Apple market thing. But you could still sell it on Steam, or just in retail.

Gaming on an Apple computer is possible - I got BF3 and Skyrim on this one installed, and it runs fine. Maybe not on UBERHIGHMEGATURBO graphics, but whatever.

Well, you've called me out and I must admit that I don't really know how jealously Apple actually guard their hardware in terms of opening it up to 3rd party developers. My understanding is that the Apple Mac, in terms of hardware, is wholesale owned by Apple, where as the PC is a load of different companies like Nvidia, AMD and so on boshing out different bits of kit. Those developers can then liaise with games developers to innovate new ways of using their kits, pushing forward the development of drivers and other stuff.

See to me that is the core principle of what the gaming industry is about; innovation. Perhaps that's true of the computer industry as a whole. Let us consider where Apple does well; it rinses the market for sexy, handheld, gadgets and have broken new ground time and time again with their products. Those products, however, have come into the market place with very specific remits: the Ipod is a music player. The IPhone is phone. The Ipad is tool for minimising your boredom whilst sitting on the shitter. The mac is a specialist piece of gubbins for browsing the internet and using microsoft specific packages which, in my limited experience, are themselves targeted mostly at the design and creative industries.

Please correct me if I'm wrong because I'm a pretty ignorant ************ and need all the help I can get.

So anyway, it's all pretty awesome but it's all pretty parochial. The gaming industry works on group innovation and robbing one another's ideas which seems at odds with Apple's preffered modus operandi. That's my view anyway.

 

[Bertylicious]

The short answer is no
The long answer is NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
They're for photoshoping and video editing, not entertainment.

What are you talking about? I enjoy all my Valve games and all my TV shows through my Mac. I have Windows dual-booted for the rest (and 3DS Max which runs best on Windows), but at this point that's basically just Skyrim.

You use Windows, that's cheating. And did you reeeeeaaaaally get that Mac to play games on?

No, but who gets a computer for one particular reason? I get the best of both worlds--the wonderful Mac interface, better use of Adobe programs, and virus-free browsing, and then the programs I can't use with Mac on the Windows partition. I say why choose one when you don't have to? Of course it's not for everybody, but don't knock it just because it's not your thing.

I bought a PC so I could play games and look at porn at he same time.

I love living in the future.

 

[zachusaman]

nope. nope. nope.
seeing as how OSX is a trash OS with really no support, Mac users wont see much on that side, but even booting into windows to play games throws your hardware restrictions into the play.
macs will be a force in gaming, and by gaming I mean solitaire, angry birds and a few other apps...

 

[Lucem712]

Eh, I can't really see it. I'd see linux become a powerhouse before Mac, as they are just as powerful as windows machines (after all, running on the same hardware.)

Though, I don't know if there is anything holding back developing for it. (Besides proprietary things Microsoft holds on a short leash, such as Silverlight.) So, that could change.

 

[Thedutchjelle]

In the past I'd say "no" because Steve Jobs vehemently excercised copyright control and thus caused content creators to be constrained, therefore stifling developers from creating the foundation from a technical/business point of view.

He's dead now though, so who knows?

Edit: Don't know why I quoted your post immediately below it. Pavlovian response maybe?

But this isn't really true... sure, Apple has major control over the apple store, but you can still sell software for the Mac OS yourself without Apple's consent. You just can't put it on the Apple market thing. But you could still sell it on Steam, or just in retail.

Gaming on an Apple computer is possible - I got BF3 and Skyrim on this one installed, and it runs fine. Maybe not on UBERHIGHMEGATURBO graphics, but whatever.

Well, you've called me out and I must admit that I don't really know how jealously Apple actually guard their hardware in terms of opening it up to 3rd party developers. My understanding is that the Apple Mac, in terms of hardware, is wholesale owned by Apple, where as the PC is a load of different companies like Nvidia, AMD and so on boshing out different bits of kit. Those developers can then liaise with games developers to innovate new ways of using their kits, pushing forward the development of drivers and other stuff.

See to me that is the core principle of what the gaming industry is about; innovation. Perhaps that's true of the computer industry as a whole. Let us consider where Apple does well; it rinses the market for sexy, handheld, gadgets and have broken new ground time and time again with their products. Those products, however, have come into the market place with very specific remits: the Ipod is a music player. The IPhone is phone. The Ipad is tool for minimising your boredom whilst sitting on the shitter. The mac is a specialist piece of gubbins for browsing the internet and using microsoft specific packages which, in my limited experience, are themselves targeted mostly at the design and creative industries.

Please correct me if I'm wrong because I'm a pretty ignorant ************ and need all the help I can get.

So anyway, it's all pretty awesome but it's all pretty parochial. The gaming industry works on group innovation and robbing one another's ideas which seems at odds with Apple's preffered modus operandi. That's my view anyway.

I'm not a big pro in hardware either. But in this iMac is an ATI card, it's not an Apple card or anything (although it's probably a version specifically made for the iMac case with Mac OS Drivers etc).

You're right about the iPad and the iPhone being closed off garden. This is because you can only get applications on it through the Apple marketplace. The Apple Mac OS is just a regular OS however, like I explained in the previous message. You /can/ buy programs through the apple store for it, but I haven't bought anything of that place myself and I still run TONS of programs.

I'm not a developer so I don't know how it works for them and the Apple hardware. It's not a big secret what's in it though. And although it's true that iMacs all have somewhat sub-par stuff in it (even I won't deny that and I love my current computer), there are only a few iMac models and so it's probably a ton easier to program for. You don't have to take 800 different drivers into account.

I don't hate Windows though. I don't hate Macintosh either. I use both - I 'm really happy with the look and feel of the mac GUI and how wasy it all works for me but I realize I need Windows for gaming and certain applications, and I'm fine with that.

Apple products are probably just not your thing and that's ok. I got an iPod myself as I love the long battery live and easy integration with iTunes - my mom has an iPad as the big screen is easier for her than a tiny smart phone and it can play the game she wants. And that works for us.

 

[Warped_Ghost]

For the love of god can we stop refering to Microsoft as 'PC'.
Both Mac and Microsoft computers have the potential to be PCs.


OT: I don't consider it likely unless someone with a brain gets a hold of Apple.

Well Steve Jobs (Post secondary dropout) vs the new CEO Tim Cook (Industrial engineer).

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

There's 257 games in Steam Store for Macs. Including great titles like HL2, Civ V, Portals, older GTAs, Bastion. There's some great indie games too, like SpaceChem, LIMBO, Amnesia, and so on. And Diablo III, just like Diablo II, is for Macs too.

But they'll continue to be a secondary market. That's for sure.

aye, i read your first part and was sharpening my pitchfork, but then..

Just to make sure of my stance:
Fuck the over-simplified, overpriced, restricted... Macs, and Apple. The only things I can give them credit for, are branding and design.

Spoiler: you're awesome

thank you for that wonderful approach to an opinion that I highly agree with.

OT: it will never be THE main force to contend with, but indie and pro-mac people will always develop for it, sure, and with boot camp and other procedures it's definitely a decent secondary market.

still...overpriced and overrated garbage

 

[Iwata]

Will Macs ever be a force in gaming?

Well, I don't like to use the word never, but... never happen!

 

[mooncalf]

Quite probably! I don't think they have a strong enough reason to be right now. They already found their calling in professional applications. However if laptops endure beside tablets and handhelds then it seems likely that everything you get on the app store will be compatible with your powerbook, and those applications are getting more and more sophisticated. They will have therefore enjoy the force of the app wave. Not inconsiderable.

 

[aksel]

One simple step that will boost their sales, up to a level that will make developers interested in them.

Open up the OS, so you don't have to either a) Buy a horrendously overpriced computer, or b) Go the Hackintosh way, just to run the OS.

Spoiler

This will never happen.

 

[distortedreality]

You wanna know why Macs will never be a good gaming set?
Go to apple.com and look up the mac pro.
no really
go do it.
See it? the cheapest one? with one quadcore non hyperthreaded 3generations old CPU one HD 5770 3GB RAM no overclocking yeah that peice of crap costs you...2.5grand

I don't know where you're looking but my current gen 15inch MPB cost way less than $2500, and the specs are better.

Yes, Macs cost more than a comparable desktop - which isn't surprising if you think about it - but if you're going to quote numbers, at least do it correctly.

 

[lapan]

Probably not a force in normal (PC, notebook) gaming, but at least in mobile gaming they are doing well since the competition isn't as strong.