I'm pretty sure the number of Mac users here is the minority, but us minorities got a pretty sweet deal today with the launch of the Mac App Store. Hopefully gaming on the Mac will be getting more interesting now. Super Meat Boy is already on its way to the service, and I'd say it's pretty unlikely that Gameloft and its arsenal of FPS's won't be up for download later this year. And Yet It Moves is also already available for 9.99.
There's not a whole lot in the way of choices available right now, but one game that caught my eye was LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4. It's 49.99, and appears to be the full retail game. That's pretty steep, but it could mean that we'll be seeing retail games available digitally for Mac, which is pretty dang cool.
Hopefully this will be a big step forward for Mac gaming. You can buy iTunes cards pretty much anywhere, which eliminates the need for buying digital games with credit cards. That opens things up a lot for kids (roughly) under 18 who don't have credit cards yet, which means more revenue for developers. :3
I'm really curious to see how many people here actually do use Macs. My folks have been using Macs since like, forever, back when they looked like this.
I'm a big Mac user (Macbook at home, then huge iMac, MacBook Pro, and iPad for work!) and was excited to check this out today. So far, I certainly see the potential for games, but I'm not as impressed overall as I'd hoped. Sure, it's revamping the purchasing and distribution process nicely, but I'd actually hoped that the apps might be integrated into the OS in a fashion bringing OS X a little bit closer to a hybrid of elements found in iOS. Instead, they are normal apps that launch in an ordinary app window, etc. It's not a new layer of apps akin to the dashboard or iOS in any way.
Twitter is a good place to throw your nonsense. Wii FC: 8378 9716 1696 8633 || "How can mushrooms give you extra life? Get the green ones." -
I still have my original "Fat Mac" from 1988. I've been using the Mac since then. I'm stoked about the App Store. Can't wait to see what shows up on there.
It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. I got my Macbook Fall of '08. I downloaded Steam for Mac along with Portal, since it was free. My computer can't really run it though, it skips a lot. It is playable on my boyfriend's Fall '09 Macbook Pro, but it still isn't great. Hopefully games will be optimized for the hardware that usually comes in Macs (or they will optimize the hardware that comes in macs to make them acceptable for gaming). I can't imagine playing full retail titles on my Macbook. It's really would just be a (possibly) cheaper version of WW/PSN for me.
Having a newish Mac Mini has rekindled my interest in Mac gaming since I can now run a lot more games than ever before. Finally it seems the technology has more or less stabilised and I don't need something on the order of a Mac Pro to run the good stuff. I plan on checking out Half Life 2 on Steam at some point, but presently have been enjoying the fact that Aspyr has updated a lot of golden oldies for current gen Macs like Jedi Knight II and Call of Duty Deluxe. I'm hoping they'll do the same for the Star Trek Elite Force games as I'd love to play those again.
Just did the upgrade to get the App Store tonight and it definitely has potential. Aspyr have submitted their free GameAgent app for approval and will apparently offer their games through the shop as well. My first purchase was Luc Bernard's Mecho Wars. Not only enhanced over the iPhone version, but still only 59p! I don't see any need to wait for a WiiWare version now, that's for sure. With the App store offering many of the same games (and loads of shameless knock-offs) I'm probably going to be more circumspect with my WiiWare purchases since many games are going for the cheaper rate of £5.99 in Apple's shop. Diner Dash 5 is available for only £3.99 and with proper controls and that airport game from the iPhone/DSiWare is there as well.
Hopefully this will help ensure more parity in game development between Mac and PC. My Wiis will still get use, but given I wasn't interested in getting another console, it's nice to have alternatives.
@Sean: Flight Control is much better suited to touch devices. I haven't bought the Mac version, but I imagine playing it with a mouse would be terrible, since you need a lot of control over how you plot the planes' courses. I saw on your BL that you have an iPhone, so I recommend getting it for that. :3
I'm curious, does your Mac Mini work really well? I'm currently on my family's "huge iMac," but if I ever need one for myself I've thought about getting one, since I already have a monitor and keyboard from my old computer. Plus, if I can make a successful go at App Store development, I'll need to stick to Mac computers in the future. I'm mainly wondering if it's stable and if it's fast enough for modern 3D games. :3
Don't have a Mac but this sounds pretty cool. Integrated with iTunes Cards works for me... don't have a credit card and my parents don't really want me buying stuff online with theirs. Super Meat Boy would be nice. D:
I use a Mac. Once I started using it I could never revert back to using a PC. Especially Vistas. Vistas are, like, the worst technological thing to ever come from humanity.
But on topic, yeah, the Mac App store seems pretty awesome. Now I can just download that writing program that I need for reports without buying the disc!
I'm really curious to see how many people here actually do use Macs. My folks have been using Macs since like, forever, back when they looked like this.
No, really, I'm happy for the people who wanted it and I think it's a viable market, but from what I can tell, there's not really anything that demands attention and is exclusively on a Mac. Notify me when Apple gets its Half-Life 2. I'll be the one chilling in the back with the triple-core PC.
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No, really, I'm happy for the people who wanted it and I think it's a viable market, but from what I can tell, there's not really anything that demands attention and is exclusively on a Mac. Notify me when Apple gets its Half-Life 2. I'll be the one chilling in the back with the triple-core PC.
Actually, this is not something I particularly care about (personal computer gaming of any sort generally = MEH for me), but I'd say that the newly emergent iPhone / iPad / Android gaming market will likely play a larger role in the future of gaming than the traditional PC market, and the new ease of targeting OS X for release along with the mobile i-platforms will only help expand that marketability further. Truth be told, I'm not a huge fan of mobile gaming either, but it at least seems more relevant than PC gaming is ever likely to be again. Sorry, and maybe it's just me, but whole idea the gaming rig just seems so archaic to me now, or at best a very limited niche market.
Twitter is a good place to throw your nonsense. Wii FC: 8378 9716 1696 8633 || "How can mushrooms give you extra life? Get the green ones." -
I use a Mac. Once I started using it I could never revert back to using a PC. Especially Vistas. Vistas are, like, the worst technological thing to ever come from humanity.
You'd be surprised how much better Windows 7 is! I've always been a PC user and yes, I've tried in the past to appreciate the Apple OS, but everything always felt out of place.
As for computer gaming, generally I'm only interested in getting games if its a ridiculously good deal, or not available on a Nintendo system.
Seems like it could really help indie devs sell a bit more similarily to steam. Im sure games are gonna revert back to very cheap after a while, which is a good thing. I just appreciate the streamlining of getting your software in one easy way. And being able to re-download it whenever you want from the same place. Also, the works on 5 macs thing should really help those who are accustomed to "family pack" software. Im also very curious as the whole iPhone as a controller idea with Copter 2. I think I may dish out some bucks just to try it out.
I want NightSky......It better come soon to the App Store as I still have some iTunes credit. How much does it cost?
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Topic: The Mac App Store launched today
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