Is Apple starting a games renaissance?
Tuesday, June 12, 2007 | 01:50 PM ET
by Saleem Khan, CBC News Online
As usual when he speaks at an event like the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, the video of Steve Jobs' keynote address, has been posted on the company's website.
The emphasis on video games is intriguing, between William "Bing" Gordon, chief creative officer of the industry's $3 billion gorilla Electronic Arts announcing the company's renewed focus on the Mac and the godfather of modern first-person shooter games (and space entrepreneur), John Carmack, unveiling the next-generation id Tech 5 engine.
Windows-based PCs have long been the platform of choice for hardcore gamers, given the wealth of titles available for them and their capacity for upgrades to stay on the cutting edge of graphics and processor technology. They are the hot rods of personal computing and command premium prices, making them virtually the only machines on which hardware manufacturers make any real money.
There was a time when the best, most technologically advanced, most innovative games were released on the PC first, if you were serious about your work. That changed in a big way when Microsoft bought then-independent Bungie studio to make its science fiction action game Halo an exclusive launch title for the original Xbox.
But between Apple's switch to Intel processors, Electronic Arts' wave-making move to develop first-release titles for Macs and Carmack unveiling id's new high-performance games engine for Mac OS X (although it is also to run on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows PCs), it's starting to look like Apple might be making a play for a space it has traditionally ceded to others.
Computer games remain the only area in which people think of Apple dead last when it comes to buying a computer, so it stands to reason that the company would seek to exploit the previously untapped market.
EA's first Mac titles to be available this summer include Battlefield 2142 and Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars – two games that are popular with hardcore gamers (the others are Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Need for Speed Carbon).
With newsmakers like EA and John Carmack investing their companies' efforts in the next generation of the Mac OS, it may be worth paying closer attention. Just as there are differences between console and PC gamers, it's not unreasonable to think that Mac gamers would have their own tastes and preferences that would set them apart.
Given the popularity of Apple machines among people who work in creative industries, this push for Mac computer games might even spark a renaissance that sees new game types and genres flourish and draws in a new audience as it unfolds.
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Comments
MT
Ottawa
As long as Macs are pre-built, with essentially no ability to customize or 'build-to-order', they will never even come close to rivalling PCs in the game industry. Most hard-core gamers build their gaming systems from the ground up, using componants *they* choose - and many even modify the componants in ways that certainly void warrantees.
The whole basis of the success of the Mac is that they come as a complete package - hardware, software, and even most periferals like your keyboard, mouse, and monitor. Just watch any of those annoying Mac commercials - they advertise simplicity based on the fact that there is no need for custom configuration. Yes, plenty of PCs come as package deals too, but 'gamers' don't buy Futureshop's deal of the week... These complete systems are for people who just want a computer that lets them live their lives - email, web browsing, word processing, and the occassional game for the kids. There's nothing wrong wanting that sort of system if you are an average user, but that's definitely not what a true gamer is looking for. A true gaming system is build for gaming and really nothing else - and unfortunately that doesn't really mesh with the Mac 'iLife' philosophy.
Posted June 13, 2007 07:51 AM
AverageGamer
Edmonton
I don't see how a Mac is going to be able to run some of the high end games that are being produced for PCs these days. As MT pointed out every Hardcore PC gamer out there builds their own system and doesn't muck around with Dell or HP type systems. The systems we build are extremely high end and can run games at a very high frame rate and at very high graphics level. Command and Conquer 3 is a game that runs best on high end systems and its graphics are phenomenal. The only way that this game will run on a Mac is with some serious retooling. That alone is worrisome, but from a graphics standpoint C&C3 is going to lose its finely polished edge just so it can run on a Mac. Mac may be good for the average person just like a Compaq or HP computer is but a gamer isn't likely to go to a Mac just because EA announces that they will produce games for Apple.
Posted June 13, 2007 03:42 PM
Greg
Calgary
Gaming on the mac is really something that will affect a small portion of users, Most mac fans are not interested in games unless they are composing music for them and those that are have the super high end Mac-pro systems that can be up to $15000.00, I assume the mac versions of these games will be scaled down in some way for use with os x and the specific hardware on consumer level machines.
Posted June 15, 2007 07:26 AM
Lon
Regina
I agree with MT, a serious gamer will need to custom build their machine in order to get the full experience of the current genre of hardcore games.
Even if Apple does catch up to PCs in the performance category, it is more cost effective to build a PC using parts from the huge list of vendors than it is to spec a high end Mac.
Most Mac users appreciate simplicity and do not want to spend their valuable free time assembling electronics in order to get sucked into the addicting world of gaming. They are best off purchasing a console if they want to continue their brand loyalty.
The only way I see Apple getting into the gaming world is if they follow Nintendo's model and develop new creative games that appeal to a different market segment than hardcore gamers.
Posted June 16, 2007 05:39 PM
Ron Boyd (PC user - but maybe not for long)
I think that some here are forgetting that the majority of the video and graphics used in the high end games were created on Mac's!
With quad-core processors, 2GB - 4GB RAM and some of the best and fastest video hardware out there, couple all that with the fact that Mac's are getting more and more customizable now (using mostly PC parts) I think that gamers will be pleasantly surprised at Apple's fore into the gaming world.
As for Mac-ites wanting to game.. they drove the console industry initially (cause they didn't want to submit to MS rule on a PC (LOL)) and created many of the graphics for games over the years.
Posted June 18, 2007 04:23 PM
RW
Penhold
This past year my brother and I started gaming on Mac. There is limited titles but so far we have been impressed with the performance. Blizzard titles have been the main games we have tried out and find no significant difference in performance from a PC to the Intel Mac. Of course we loaded the system with extra memory and the high end video card option. The lower end Mac systems with integrated video controllers would never perform though.
Posted June 21, 2007 09:17 PM