Boot Camp and Mac Game Developers?

i' so unsure of what is going to happen wiht mac games. i don't play many games, but i'd like to see the games developed for mac, not windows xp/vista

i want the new iBook

cause for worry..... unless, of course, mac sales really do take off.... i hope there is some sort of "halo effect" now that macs can easily run windows.

A mac user will always get a mac version of a game over a pc. The only instance where that wouldn't happen is if he or she already had a pc version for some other purpose which isn't as common.

I buy very few games but if Mac games continued to be made, I'll continue to buy them.

It would be bad for Apple if companies like Aspyr did stop producing Mac games. It's just a bad user experience to be forced to boot into some different operating system to run a game, or any other piece of software. What would people new to OS X think about that? It would definitely be a major turn-off. I can just see it now:

Installation instructions:
Windows:
1. Insert CD and double click installer.

Mac:
1. Restart your computer and hold down the option key.
2. When prompted to select an operating system, choose Windows XP
3. Follow instructions for Windows

:(

Mac games are dead. I see little point for publishers to port new games to the platform. I really think this dual boot idea will take off. I don't think there will be enough people buying the mac version 6 months later when they can have the pc version now if they install windows.

A mac user will always get a mac version of a game over a pc. The only instance where that wouldn't happen is if he or she already had a pc version for some other purpose which isn't as common.

This may be true, but remember that oftentimes there is 6 month or more lag between the PC version and Mac version of a game. I'm not convinced that people will wait 6 months to experience a game when they could run down to Best Buy, pick it up, and play it on the day it is released. There are no UI advantages in running the game in OS X versus in Windows. While I would prefer the native Mac version for stability and easy access, I suspect that Boot Camp may indeed have a negative effect on Mac game producers.

All this, to me is good news, solves all my problems, and Games? Well I would still rather see the games on OS X. I mean who wants to look at Windows anyway?!?

Yes all sounds good - Now all I need is a New Intel iBook to try it on! :rolleyes:

I can understand the uncertainty in the minds of Mac game companies. But some of the developer comments in the same article were much more positive, and I choose to be optimistic and agree with those!

Re general fears that development of Mac-native apps will diminish: no way. That will INCREASE because of Boot Camp.

Demand for native Mac apps will increase faster than ever now, and demand drives sales. Developers won't turn away now!

The only way demand for native Mac apps would decrease is if the number of Mac users willing to "settle for Windows" increases FASTER than the overall growth of the Mac OS X user base.

Settling for Windows means rebooting, giving up iLife and all your Mac apps, abandoning the security and ease of use of OS X, and--don't forget--PAYING for a copy of Windows. That's too much to settle for unless you have to. And then you'll do it only WHEN you have to. Not by choice. You will still demand OS X and OS X apps.

So I see the number of Mac users willing to settle for Windows being VERY small, increased only slightly by people now choosing Boot Camp Macs for their next "PC." (A great many of them will end up using Mac OS X even if that wasn't their intent at first.)

Meanwhile I see the overall Mac user base growing a LOT--and growing even more because Boot Camp gives switchers a reassuring safety net.

Result: more Mac OS X users, more Mac OS X apps. Not less.

Now, re games specifically: gamers are the most likely to "settle" for Windows because you're not using the OS at that time, and you're not trying to collaborate among multiple apps. Windows is "good enough" at that point, if you accept the inconvenience of having to reboot just to game. Except for three factors:

1. When you go online to game in Windows (or download content, or chat/email to set up a match, or browse for hints/cheats), you are subject to Windows malware.

2. To game in Windows, you must buy--and take the time to install--a copy of Windows. Mac games don't need that. Mac games will run right off the shelf.

3. If you find Windows gaming acceptable (which I can totally understand), then you ALREADY were gaming in Windows. You owned a PC on the side. Mac owners buying Windows games is NOT anything new with boot camp--it was a factor Mac game companies were already contending with. At least now Mac game companies will have an ever-increasing base to sell to.

I trust the game companies to know more about all this than I, but I tend to think the overall growth of the Mac platform will ultimately help Mac game developers more than the harm done by Intel and Boot Camp. The good will outweigh the bad, and we'll all have more games.

I know I for one will gladly wait a few months more for a native Mac port of a game! Will everyone? No. Will everyone buy a copy of Windows because they can't wait? No. All that is needed is enough new Mac users who want Mac games--and I expect that will happen.

It does sound kinda sad when you put it like that. Hard working mac game developers, struggling against the giant that is Windows XP and it's abundance of high quality gaming titles in every available category known to gaming man and woman.

ho hum...

BRING ON THE XP GAMING BABY! WOO HOO!