Curse

Eigir · Apr 04, 2007, 12:02 PM // 12:02

I know EVE now is using Cider from Transgaming (http://www.transgaming.com/) to port its game to the Intel based Mac. Anyone know if the people behind Guild Wars have been looking into that option?

From the FAQ at Transgamings site:

Quote:

4) How long will it take to get my game to market? ?Since Cider encapsulates the original source code to make it work on the Mac, your game will be ready for market in record time. TransGaming works with the game developers and publishers to optimize the game for Intel Mac but this process takes hours to a mere few days. Thus, games currently in production can be ready in time for a simultaneous release as the Windows versions. Cider can also be used to revitalize already released games by offering them to a brand new market, quickly and easily.

As a mac user I would love to be able to play Guild Wars... But I don't have the time to fiddle around with Wine and those other windows emulators. Dual booting is not an option ether as I don't have a license for windows (too expensive).

vaxmor · Apr 04, 2007, 12:34 PM // 12:34

who cares if macs can play GW or not? the reason why there are so few games for macs is because so few people use them - why waste development time supporting/developing/maintaining software that such a tiny base of people will use?

if you want to play on a mac - say hello to BOOTcamp.

Etta · Apr 04, 2007, 12:53 PM // 12:53

You can say hello when you know for sure that your mac/mac book have an intel chipset base. As always I'm to lazy to type so here's the link:

http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/

Basically it is a Window emulator for mac (intel base chipset only).

Clone · Apr 04, 2007, 01:11 PM // 13:11

Hi! I'm a Mac. I like to go on smug little rants about how I'm much more "fun" than PCs, while in reality the amount of games that I can run natively is pretty pathetic compared to a PC.

vaxmor has it right. This isn't an issue of whether developing for a Mac will gain you a few customers. Its an issue where doing something else, like getting more new chapters and contet, will get you more. Opportunity costs are a great concept to learn.

Exoudeous · Apr 04, 2007, 01:29 PM // 13:29

nice anti mac rants clone and vaxmor, but try and be helpful ok?

and he also said boot camp wasnt an option

vaxmor · Apr 04, 2007, 01:38 PM // 13:38

I want to run GW natively on MS DOS v3.30, I do not want to install windows. Please devs - port GW to DOS v3.30. Anything other than this isnt being 'helpful'. Anyone telling me that having an entire development team + testing team not focussed to this end is 'ranting' at me, too.

Welcome to gaming - if you want to play on mac - then youre going to have to start getting real inimate and familar with BOOTcamp.

Clone · Apr 04, 2007, 01:41 PM // 13:41

Apologies if you deemed my post unhelpful, but there isn't a lot to work with if he doesn't have the time to fiddle around emulators, and boot camp isn't an option. I'm just saying, Arenanet is a business. Spending resources to port a game already written with DirectX to a Mac isn't a small order, and most companies wouldn't view doing such a thing in their best interest. Without boot camp or emulators and no natively built executables, about your only option for Windows gaming is to go out and buy a Windows box.

Exoudeous · Apr 04, 2007, 01:51 PM // 13:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clone

Hi! I'm a Mac. I like to go on smug little rants about how I'm much more "fun" than PCs, while in reality the amount of games that I can run natively is pretty pathetic compared to a PC.

its comment like that I was talking about. that was full of mac ranting and not even saying anything about business practice of game companies.

and saying just get a pc doesnt help much either. belive it or not some people dont like pc's and thats why they dont buy them.

also lots of big companies port their games to mac if there is a demand. look at WoW for instance. theres few mmos available for mac, and it sure would be nice for business if people bu your game cause there is no alternative.

He has as much right to ask for a mac prt as you do asking anet to make game fixes

Tachyon · Apr 04, 2007, 08:40 PM // 20:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exoudeous

belive it or not some people dont like pc's and thats why they dont buy them.

Yet they still expect to be able to run PC games and then moan about the lack of cross platform media when they can't! Just for the record, I can legitimately moan about Macs as I own both PC's and Macs!

Dex · Apr 04, 2007, 11:28 PM // 23:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azagoth

Yet they still expect to be able to run PC games and then moan about the lack of cross platform media when they can't! Just for the record, I can legitimately moan about Macs as I own both PC's and Macs!

That's actually a great point.

Anyway, it does all come down to NCSoft and ArenaNet's decision as to whether or not it's worth their time and (quite a bit of) money. Personally, the Mac users I know aren't gamers and couldn't care less which games are available to them.

Sorry to say that I wouldn't hold your breath. Games like WoW are worthwhile to port because the company continues to make money via subscription fees. It's actually in their best interests to make a port because it opens the door to where their product is truly profitable: the fees. ArenaNet and NCSoft have no such incentive to make a Mac port.

As was said, it you intend to play very many games on your Mac you're best off to get an Intel-based Mac and run BootCamp. Most games do not ever make it over to MacOS. You should actually feel very lucky that you have the option of running both OSes. Macs are now pretty much just PCs with a different OS. In fact, there's no technical reason that MacOS can't run on a PC except that Apple won't allow it. Well, I suppose there is a very limited set of device drivers for Mac as well, seeing as how Macs use a very narrow range of hardware between models. Heck, if they added more diversity to their configurations they'd have all the same stability and security problems that PCs do, so that'll never happen.

I personally have no problem with Macs...except for Apple's advertising. Their ad campaigns are so blatantly misleading and false that I'm surprised that they don't get sued for them.

Tachyon · Apr 05, 2007, 02:11 AM // 02:11

My Mac has served me well in editing the families digital video. It's a lot more user friendly than anything Windows based, and I have to admit it's a lot quicker too. For some reason, video editing on Windows based PC's has always been way too bloated and erratic.

That said though, I'll never prefer it over the PC as I lovingly built all mine myself and tailored them to a particular duty. Like, the office PC doesn't have a great graphics card in it, an AGP Ti4400 to be exact, as it doesn't need a lot of power to manipulate words, databases and spreadsheets. Whereas this gaming machine is tailored to just that, gaming.