# Good quality Mac games are seriously lacking.



## monokitty (Jan 26, 2002)

How many of you are Mac gamers?

Back 10 years ago from today, there were plenty of Mac games. In direct comparison to the PC side of the gaming world, there were few games available for the Mac, but the games that were available for high-quality, enjoyable ones, like Quake, Unreal, Unreal Tournament, Warcraft series, Starcraft, Diablo series, etc. I've been itching to play a new game for a while now, yet on my search, all I find are lousy, flat-out lame games for the Mac. What the heck? As far as I'm concerned, the few games available for the Mac 10 years ago were GOOD games because developers didn't want to waste money creating or coding a game for the Mac also if it was a lousy, lame game. Now, though - and in the past 3 years - fewer games are coming to the Mac, and at least half of them suck. Blame consoles, blame Windows, - whatever. I'm pissed that the gaming market on the Mac is drowning. Granted, if money isn't to be made porting games to the Mac, then I can understand why it isn't happening.

I just played Rainbox Six: Raven Shield (FPS) - it's from 2003-2004. A killer game, yet almost 3 years old. One of the few, GOOD games that were ported to the Mac in that time frame. Still enjoyable to this day, just like Warcraft 3.

Intel users might argue that you can install Windows and play Windows games, but I don't own an Intel Mac, and even if I did, wouldn't install Windows on it, because I wouldn't pay for a copy. Consoles are even worse, because first-person shooters are my choice of game genre, and playing those with a controller is a joke. (though I hear that you can buy mice for consoles now?)

What are your thoughts on gaming on the Mac?


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## gizmo321 (Oct 27, 2006)

Well, I remember when I was in elementary school...like 10-12 years ago and we had Macs to learn on. And the coolest game was Oregon Trail!!! I loved that game so much!! I've always wanted a mac since then... :love2: 

But I finally got the chance to purchase my macbook this summer and I love it. As for games I also like FPS games. I've been playing Halo UB and Call of Duty 2 on my macbook, and it plays quite well. Although, I know I could install bootcamp and windows I don't want to risk getting nasty adware and viruses. But yeah, I wish they had more games for mac!! :-(


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## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

World of Warcraft?


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## RevMatt (Sep 10, 2005)

Yeah, all of Blizzard's stuff is Mac native. They dual-stream program. And their stuff is hardly sub-par. Also, for very good quality downloadable games, see Ambrosia. It is a different class, of course, but if you want to give your brain a work and not just kill stuff, several of their games are wonderful. I don't know their newest stuff, but the Escape Velocity series is legendary, and they are the distributors for Uplink.


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## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

Pay for a copy of Windows? What a novel concept! I did pay for my copy of Ship Simulator, tho'!


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## Kosh (May 27, 2002)

As one Mac gaming said, it's been a slow year. I did buy Quake 4 this and it's a good game. Other than that, I tend to play UT2004 and look forward to the release of UT2007. It would be cool if Hellgate: London made it to the Mac too.


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

Two games I'd like to see return, in Intel-format: Deus X and Carmaggedon.

I recently purchased Redline - it's somewhat entertaining, with an ok online multiplayer feature, but the debauchery of Carmaggedon keeps coming back to mind...

M


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## Kosh (May 27, 2002)

Oh, and for those that want to play World Annihilation, Ambrosia will be coming out with Defcon. You can play the US or Russia and destroy the whole world.

Redline looks interesting...


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## macguy.nielsen (Sep 18, 2004)

What about Call of Duty 1 and 2? Those are some pretty nice mac games. There is also Diablo, WoW, Dungeon Siege, and Age of Empires III.

I have personally given up on gaming on my Mac for now. I just run Windows on bootcamp. Sorry!


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## VNJ85 (Feb 24, 2006)

just give it some time, this year has been the BIG transition year to the intel chip.

No games will be made for PPC, it just doesn't run the way game designers want it to.

Everything will be Intel (maybe they will make it also PPC compatible, but I think the move is a step forward, not backwards to PPC).

So give it time and games will be made with Mac in mind now that it is:
1. gaining more market share
2. developers taking more advantage of the Intel Processor.

Just Patience... something us gamers have very little of.


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## gwillikers (Jun 19, 2003)

I went out and bought a used Xbox for a hundred bucks, along with a couple of games I wanted to try. I need a gaming fix now & then, but it doesn't have to be on my Mac.

If I had more time for games, I'd either buy a Mac Pro/Boot Camp, or get a dedicated console like the new Sony PS, or Xbox 360.


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## Lawrence (Mar 11, 2003)

Any or all of the Journeyman Project series:
http://www.thejourneymanproject.com/

Any or all of the Myst series:
http://www.mystworlds.com/us/

Warcraft series, Diablo series, Indiana Jones, Lara Croft...
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/index.xml
http://www.blizzard.com/diablo2/
http://www.lucasarts.com/products/indiana/
http://www.tombraider.com/

Also I've been playing some of the latest iPod games on my Video iPod.

If I could play Zelda on my Mac I would,
I'm still waiting for the final Zelda release for GameCube in December 2006.

Dave


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## darkscot (Nov 13, 2003)

Star Wars Empire at War is in the works at Aspyr. was just announced. haven't tried it on a PC so don't know how good it is.


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## imactheknife (Aug 7, 2003)

CubaMark said:


> Two games I'd like to see return, in Intel-format: <a href="http://www.eidosgames.com/games/info.html?gmid=109">Deus X</a> and <a href="http://games.sci.co.uk/games/basic.asp?version_id=28">Carmaggedon</a>.
> 
> I recently purchased <a href="http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/redline/">Redline</a> - it's somewhat entertaining, with an ok online multiplayer feature, but the debauchery of Carmaggedon keeps coming back to mind...
> 
> M


I can finally finish Deus Ex with the help of bootcamp! I had the mac version but lost it along time ago and it wasn't OSX comaptible. I bought the PC version at Value village for 3 bucks and am finally past the place I was 4 years ago! I do wish they had more Awesome mac games....but I am not crying...as thats all I use windows for:clap:


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## macmac (Oct 22, 2006)

OREGON TRAIL!!!!!!

I LOVED THAT GAME... Anyone know where I can get a copy?????
lol

Personally, i've fallen in love with Call of Duty and it IS available on a mac

Oh...anyone know if the arcade games..classic ones like ghost and ghouls is available?

I just downloaded pacman awhile ago and i really like it.

Worms is also a game available on mac..(some of them only)


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## Bjornbro (Feb 19, 2000)

I believe computer games have gone as far they could in terms of quality. The simple fact of the matter is, console games have surpassed computer games in all areas. So I think we'll see fewer computer games (both Mac and PC) as high-end console games become ubiquitous. Consider Sony will have true HD gaming with the PS3, nothing compares to that level of quality in PC games.


Lars said:


> Back 10 years ago from today, there were plenty of Mac games.


Ten years ago? What did we have then? The SNES, Sega Genesis and Windows '95.


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## Trose (Feb 17, 2005)

macmac said:


> OREGON TRAIL!!!!!!
> 
> I LOVED THAT GAME... Anyone know where I can get a copy?????


Macintosh Garden.


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## macguy.nielsen (Sep 18, 2004)

Bjornbro said:


> I believe computer games have gone as far they could in terms of quality. The simple fact of the matter is, console games have surpassed computer games in all areas. So I think we'll see fewer computer games (both Mac and PC) as high-end console games become ubiquitous. Consider Sony will have true HD gaming with the PS3, nothing compares to that level of quality in PC games.


A PS3 or Xbox 360 or Wii can't compete with a ever evolving gaming PC. Have you played Half-Life 2? That games blows xbox/ps3 graphics out of the water.


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## martman (May 5, 2005)

If you were a Diablo fan, I'd get Balder's Gate and better still for graphics is Neverwinter Nights. My gf and I had great fun playing Neverwinter. 

I also enjoy first person shooters and really enjoyed Doom 3 and Quake 4 (both use the same Graphics engines). 

I really liked Max Payne and also XIII for animated story driven games.


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## rodneyjb (Apr 9, 2006)

Can anyone provide feedback on Neverwinter Nights on an intel based iMac. I have been holding off on getting it...jsut want to see how it runs under Rosetta.

Thanks


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## Vexel (Jan 30, 2005)

Seems that it's "Tolerable" under Rosetta.


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## jdurston (Jan 28, 2005)

I loved Deus Ex. I think I'll load it up on the old Quicksilver for old times sake. I still have the CD kicking around somewhere.

I agree there aren't that many modern Mac games.


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## zoziw (Jul 7, 2006)

> What are your thoughts on gaming on the Mac?


My thoughts are that Mac gaming is in a pretty poor spot right now and I don't know when it will improve.

Also, with Direct3D 10 (aka DirectX10 or DirectX Next) on the horizon with Vista, if you plan to game through Boot Camp you are going to have to go with a MacPro or, iirc, a 24" iMac, so that you can upgrade the graphics card once game developers start using this API.

After reviewing my options in September, I went with a PC with a PCI-E motherboard so I can make this transition once most of the bugs in Vista have been cleared up (ie. SP1).

Lastly, console games will never beat PC games in the graphics department. It always looks like they will when they are released but by late 2007 and early 2008, when the DirectX10 native games start showing up for the PC, the Xbox 360 ain't going to be looking so pretty.

Keeping on top of PC gaming is certainly more expensive than buying a console every 4 - 5 years, but if graphics are what you want, PC's will always come out ahead.


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## johnb1 (Aug 6, 2006)

*lacking?*

Yeah I loved carmageddon 1 (and 2) and Deus Ex
I'd also like to see ZPC, and maybe Killing Time
if you like there's a version of wolfenstein 3d that runs on jDoom, if that helps
(and there's always Aleph One and Marathon)
jb


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## Oakbridge (Mar 8, 2005)

zoziw said:


> My thoughts are that Mac gaming is in a pretty poor spot right now and I don't know when it will improve.
> 
> Also, with Direct3D 10 (aka DirectX10 or DirectX Next) on the horizon with Vista, if you plan to game through Boot Camp you are going to have to go with a MacPro or, iirc, a 24" iMac, so that you can upgrade the graphics card once game developers start using this API.
> 
> ...


The PC gaming market is a shrinking (note I didn't say dying) market. The industry shot itself in the foot by constantly bringing out new versions of games that required hardware upgrades. I'm not a gamer myself but I do follow the industry trends and I talk with sales reps, etc. who supply games to retail stores. 

Perhaps console games will never beat PC games in the graphics department, but for most 'average' gamers, when they look at the price for a decent gaming PC compared to the price of a gaming console, they will probably go with the gaming console. Especially when they factor in that until that console is replaced by a new model, ALL games for it will run without any hardware upgrades. 

In come cases, the prices for graphic cards required to play some new games have almost equalled the entire price of a console. Do the math, what makes more sense for Mom and Dad who have a couple of teenagers in the house?

"... by late 2007 and early 2008, when the DirectX10 native games start showing up for the PC ..." there will be a replacement for the XBOX 360 either announced or available. 

There will be games available for Windows and possibly ports to Mac but if you look at the number of titles available even for Windows, it has dropped substantially in recent years.


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## Pylonman (Aug 16, 2004)

I loved Deus Ex, so much fun and you can try out different tactics for each level (sneak around and hide in the shadows, got out blasting, etc). After I got my eMac, I went out and bought Medal of Honor: Allied Attack and Spearhead. Can't finish Spearhead because of my limited video card. Got hooked on Call of Duty. As mentioned earlier, Escape Velocity series, is very good. Purchased a license through them. Just finished playing the demo Nova.


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## ltzrok (Nov 26, 2006)

Newbie question... What is Bootcamp? I've checked all the big box stores, plus the Mac store for FPS games, and so far the only one I've seen(and just bought) was Call of Duty 2.......


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## Bjornbro (Feb 19, 2000)

ltzrok said:


> Newbie question... What is Bootcamp?


Boot Camp.


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## rondini (Dec 6, 2001)

LOL...hate to break it to you but Boot Camp is not a game!. However...with the right Mac and a copy of XP you will get access to a lot of games.
http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/

Did "it" to my iMac, so now I can boot into XP and run ShipSimulator, URU, Syberia and some yet to be determined games. Makes me sick to do it, but as an ex-ship's officer I "needed" to be able to play "ShipSim" , also a hard core Myst fan so this solution was cheaper than buying a PC just to play URU.


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## jamesB (Jan 28, 2007)

gizmo321 said:


> Well, I remember when I was in elementary school...


Yeah those were the days...
I remember the best game in town when I was in school also,
it was called "marbles", we'd spend each recess trying to win all the other guys marbles, and we always had our super favorite "shooters".

jb.


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## monokitty (Jan 26, 2002)

jamesB said:


> Yeah those were the days...
> I remember the best game in town when I was in school also,
> it was called "marbles", we'd spend each recess trying to win all the other guys marbles, and we always had our super favorite "shooters".
> 
> jb.


Digging up old threads?


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## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

rondini said:


> LOL...hate to break it to you but Boot Camp is not a game!. However...with the right Mac and a copy of XP you will get access to a lot of games.
> http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/
> 
> Did "it" to my iMac, so now I can boot into XP and run ShipSimulator, URU, Syberia and some yet to be determined games. Makes me sick to do it, but as an ex-ship's officer I "needed" to be able to play "ShipSim" , also a hard core Myst fan so this solution was cheaper than buying a PC just to play URU.


as an ehmacers signature says something like; "windows xp turns an intel mac into a gaming platform"


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## Monkeyman eh? (Jul 26, 2005)

I would have to say that the best game is bugdom.


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## tedj (Sep 9, 2004)

jamesB said:


> Yeah those were the days...
> I remember the best game in town when I was in school also,
> it was called "marbles", we'd spend each recess trying to win all the other guys marbles, and we always had our super favorite "shooters".
> 
> jb.



On an all new, very special ehmac thread: nostalgia at its best, one year old!


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## Vexel (Jan 30, 2005)

Has anyone heard of the Cider project from Transgaming Technologies?



> Cider
> 
> TransGaming's brand new Mac portability engine, Cider, gets Apple users to the core of gaming.
> 
> No longer will Mac users be forced to wait months or years for the few top tier titles to get into their hands. With Cider, video game developers and publishers will finally have access to the rapidly growing Mac market, quickly, easily, without the costly price tag of traditional, arduous porting. Thanks to Cider, video game developers and publishers can extend their content to the Intel Macs quickly, cost-effectively, and with little to no effort on their part.


If this holds true and works well.. I think we can expect to see some great games being released. I'm not sure how well it will work for graphics intensive games.. but, if it does them well.. what a great tool it's going to be for game developers.


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## Macaholic (Jan 7, 2003)

macmac said:


> Oh...anyone know if the arcade games..classic ones like ghost and ghouls is available?



You mean... like this?


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## robert (Sep 26, 2002)

How about "Pathways to Darkness"
My all time favourite game. Mazes, mysteries, weapons, aliens.
A very cool game.


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## 20DDan (May 2, 2005)

martman said:


> If you were a Diablo fan, I'd get Balder's Gate and better still for graphics is Neverwinter Nights. My gf and I had great fun playing Neverwinter.
> 
> I also enjoy first person shooters and really enjoyed Doom 3 and Quake 4 (both use the same Graphics engines).
> 
> I really liked Max Payne and also XIII for animated story driven games.



Doom 3 was and still remains my all-time favourite Mac game! When I had my 20inch iMac Intel that game kicked ass! The only other one I enjoy now is Warcraft III - Reign Of Chaos... it surprisingly works on my Pismo


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## lewdvig (Nov 20, 2003)

Not only are they lacking, but the few that come out are hard to find. New games can be found at local Mac shops, but the old stuff doen't even turn up on eBay anymore.


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## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

> Any or all of the Journeyman Project series:
> The Journeyman Project Trilogy


i really enjoyed this series
first time i ever played a game and felt like i was in a movie


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## monokitty (Jan 26, 2002)

I'm currently hooked on Age of Empires 3 - what a killer game. If you liked Warcraft 3, definitely take a look at AE3. I was never a big fan of AE1/2, but AE3 has totally grabbed my attention again. Good game play, plenty of units and buildings (and maps), plenty to do, and absolutely beautiful graphics - even on the default setting.


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

What are you looking for? : )




lewdvig said:


> Not only are they lacking, but the few that come out are hard to find. New games can be found at local Mac shops, but the old stuff doen't even turn up on eBay anymore.


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## lewdvig (Nov 20, 2003)

HowEver said:


> What are you looking for? : )


Icewind Dale
Fallout 1&2
Monkey Island 4
Indiana Jones

Pretty much any RPG or adventure that I have not played before (and some like Fallouts that I have).


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## lewdvig (Nov 20, 2003)

I just found a guy in Texas that had the Fallouts and Icewind Dale (among others) so I ordered a whole pile of them.


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## DoNotPokeTheScreen (Jun 9, 2005)

Anyone play Diablo2 here?
I want to give away my pretty decent account that I've been routinely keeping alive for the past 2 years on the USEast realm.
Give me a message


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