News, info, and opinion by Mac users, for Mac users.

February 22, 2008

games

Mac gaming: present and future issues

Posted Feb. 22, ’08, 4:22 PM PT by David Dahlquist
Category | Games

apple game counsel.jpgIt’s been over two years since Apple announced the switch to Intel, but we still haven’t seen the surge in Mac-compatible games we hoped we would. For those wondering what the dilly is, MacNewsWorld has put up an interesting overview about that status of Mac gaming. They note that the three major issues that have put Macs at a gaming disadvantage to PCs—the small installed base, the OS, and the hardware differences—are gradually diminishing.

One of the major roadblocks for Mac gaming developers is the relative lack of gaming software developer kits (SDKs). While Microsoft provides the DirectX SDK, which makes game programming much easier, Apple offers nothing analogous to it. The move to the x86 chip has helped gaming developers, but hassles like modifying 3-D graphics designed for Direct3D to work on Apple’s OpenGL isn’t something a lot of game developers are up to just yet.

Another issue is the relatively low-end graphics processing units (GPUs) on Macs and the inability of Mac users to upgrade their GPUs on all but the pricey Mac-Pros. That said, as Apple continues to gain a larger hold of the home computing market, developers will be forced to take notice and start hopping those hurdles toward getting more top tier games on Macs.


2 Comments

Erik said:

One thing that has struck me as amusing about the way Windows machines have become a dominant gaming platform, comes from a comment my father made ages ago.

He dismissed Macs and Amigas as 'toys', while PCs were 'real computers'.

(Yes, Amigas. Just goes to show how long ago I'm talking about.)

His argument was based on the perception that a 'real computer' was something for spreadsheets and databases, with a little word processing thrown in.

Considering the arguments I used to have with him about computers being for much more than just office tasks, he always claimed that Microsoft would prevail.

Nowadays there are comparatively few new games for the Mac, and none for the Amiga (RIP).

Instead, it is the gaming industry that is pushing the specs for Windows PCs upwards at a dizzying rate, while the Mac I bought five years ago is perfectly serviceable.

I don't really have a serious point to make with this post, except that the reversal of roles strikes me as amusing.

February 23, 2008 6:53 AM
krye said:

PC gamers are hardcore. I work with guys that spend $500, $600 on video cards, and tons of memory to match just to play the latest games. Usually with the Mac, the video card is old news as soon as the machine hits the shelf. Unless the Mac supports end-user upgradable graphics, the Mac will never be the gaming platform that PCs are. I for one almost never play games on my Mac. The games I do play are usually silly little games just to kill time. For "real" games I have a PS2

February 23, 2008 8:13 AM

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