Even though Apple likes to turn around and ignore the shortcomings of Mac gaming, it has pushed videogames in some of its recent keynotes like never before. But beyond the patented Apple Reality Distortion Field, what is the current state of videogames for all Apple users?
Most Macs are not for gaming. Take a close look at the Macs’ specs — good processor, memory… but a not-as-good graphics card is also present. And in the lower-end Mac models, such as the Mac mini and MacBook, they’re not even present — just an integrated graphics chip that steals memory from the RAM. If you want a Mac that’s up to today’s standards and not three-to-four generations ago, you won’t find it. The closest thing to today’s standards are the higher-end MacBook Pro and iMac models, which sport an NVIDIA GeForce 8600 and 8800, respectively. And those two are still from the last generation of graphics cards. The Mac Pro is upgradeable up to an 8800, at the moment — with the possibility of an ATI Radeon HD 3870 later in June. And then again, the only fully-upgradeable Mac is the Mac Pro — a costly choice that officially starts from $2799. So if you’re looking for some Mac gaming, you’ll probably have to stick with older or more casual games — both a blessing and curse the Mac is known for.
Independent developers. Since the Mac is a more casual machine, developers have noticed the trend, and are bringing more casual games to the users. There is a good number of addictive and innovative gaming titles available for the Mac — most of them from independent developers. Some good titles that pop into mind are Enigmo and Frenzic. Then you’ll probably find some joy from the MacGameStore, too.
Large game companies. There are also more games for the Mac appearing from big-name developers at the same time as the PC version launches, or shortly after. A couple of hyped Mac games that are coming within the next year are Blizzard’s (like always) WarCraft expansion and StarCraft II, alongside EA’s Spore. And the list of Mac games from this kind of developers is only expected to rise in the future.
Boot Camp. Now that Windows is being installed far more easily in Macs than in PCs, gamers are also jumping at the opportunity to play the newest and most exciting titles without the need of having to decide sticking with only a Mac or a PC. Since Boot Camp runs Windows at full speed, of course gamers are excited about this new option. Of course, some are discovering that most Macs have hardware that will make the newest titles perform lower than expected.
iPhone. Here’s the big push — the one that even analysts are betting will take some market-share from the Nintendo DS — the iPhone and iPod touch platforms. With the high popularity of both of these devices, not to mention a powerful mobile design, and a big touch screen — it’s no secret that even big game companies are jumping on board to bring some interesting titles. From Sega to EA to Pangea Software — current and future iPhone/iPod touch owners will be pleased with the variety of games that will be available from all kinds of developers with different approaches to gaming. And the future here only seems brighter.
The Mac as a gaming machine still has a lot of growing to do — and it still won’t be easy with all the game journalists claiming that PC gaming will die at the hands of console gaming, eventually. But then take a look at the iPhone and iPod touch — those have already sold millions, and many people are eagerly waiting for the first games to appear. If you are one of them, just beware and try not to drool over your shiny device.
Echoes on June 16th, 2008 at 4:36 pm says:
I am what you call a hardcore gamer, and have come to terms that my Mac isn’t for what I look into gaming. Sure, I can play World of Warcraft (what is your server and character name, btw?) on my MacBook, but the results ain’t pretty. That’s why I bought a cheap PC for gaming and haven’t looked back. And I am also hoping to soon be playing with my iPhone more than my DS or PSP.
Frank on June 17th, 2008 at 6:14 pm says:
If you’re interested in finding me on WoW, my character is Kreethos — a Draenei Shaman on the Runetotem server.
Peter on June 20th, 2008 at 6:15 pm says:
I would tend to disagree with Echoes as the new IMACs are more than capable of handling the demanding graphics and cpu speed that WoW requires, along with other games.
Echoes on June 20th, 2008 at 10:52 pm says:
@Peter
and tell me……. just how old is WoW? I will admit that the Macs are for casual gamers but try finding hardcore gamers like me who can settle for a Mac… not much. The biggest problem is that their GPUs and most parts are not upgradeable unless you have the insane amount of money to have bought a Mac Pro in the first place.
@Frank
It’s a shame that I am on the Illidan server…