Surly Mac Gamer v1: STFU!!!

Any public discussion that mentions gaming and the Mac is likely to recieve the above enlightened wisdom from some jackass.  Granted, hot new titles are predictably released for Windows well in advance of a Mac release... if a Mac release ever comes.  However, I think the above comment is based solely in ignorance of the complexity that is Mac gaming.  I'm suspicious that even gamers with Macs aren't fully aware of the situation, or the potential of Mac gaming.  So, let's see if we can clarify some things.

Boot Camp was born shortly after Apple made the change from PowerPC to Intel processors.  This little bit of software made it possible for anyone with an Intel-based Mac to run WindowsXP or Vista.  It wasn't an emulator like VirtualPC.  Instead, the Mac running Windows as if it was just a regular PC.  This opened the door to a whole new world of gaming for Mac users.

Apple's switch to Intel processors, however, had another effect on Mac gaming.  As time progressed, new games began appearing that would only run on Intel-based Macs.  Those of us with PowerPC-based computers, even though still powerful machines, were left with fewer new titles to choose from.  Boot Camp and the switch to Intel processors is slowly killing Mac gaming for older machines.  Here we have a duality, and I think it is important we draw a distinction between Mac gaming and gaming on the Mac.

Mac gaming involves playing games native to the MacOS.  Call of Duty 2, Doom 3, World of WarCraft and EVE Online are all games that can be run from within the MacOS.  No need to run Boot Camp.  This category can be further sub-divided into PowerPC-based Mac gaming and Intel-based Mac gaming.  The first category is slowly dieing (with a few major exceptions), while the later category is starting to thrive.

Gaming on the Mac involves playing games on a Mac regardless of whether they are Mac-native apps or require running Windows via Boot Camp.  New Macs can handle both situations.  My new MacBook runs Warhammer Online without problem.  In fact, I have yet to find a game that won't run on the new MacBook.  I can go to my favorite game store and choose anything I want from the selves.  Although I still prefer to run MacOS-native software when possible, being able to run Windows games is very cool.

Here we could get into the differences in hardware and operating system, DirectX vs Quartz and OpenGL.  But I think the answer to this question is very simple: I game on the Mac because I love the Mac.

I use the Mac for work and every aspect of my personal life.  And when I want to game I want to game using my Mac.  I don't want to deal with Windows.  I don't want to deal with loading video card and audio drivers just so my hardware will work with the operating system.  And I don't want to reload my entire OS and all my applications every 6 months because viruses and spyware have take over my computer.  I use a Mac specifically so that I DON'T have to deal with those issues.  So why would I want to deal with them when I want relax and play games?

There's nothing scientific or objective, and it doesn't even have anything to do with games.  It's 100% a matter of personal choice.  If you like using Windows and tinkering with PC hardware, then I can totally understand and respect your preference.  My preference is different.

Blizzard is the current powerhouse in the gaming industry.  World of WarCraft is the biggest MMORPG, with some 8-10 million subscribers.  Being #1 means that everyone releasing a new MMO has their sights set on taking business away from Blizzard.  How do they seek to do this?  Game mechanics, slick graphics, setting the game in a popular world, blah, blah, blah.  What they don't do is look at how Blizzard approaches its games.

Blizzard has a long history of shipping Windows AND MacOS versions of their games right from day one.  You buy one copy of the game and you can install it on either a PC or a Mac.  They've been doing this since the earliest days of the company.  WarCraft, StarCraft, Diablo and World of WarCraft have all shipped supporting the Mac from day one.  In fact, WoW is the only AAA MMO that still supports PowerPC-based Macs.  Perhaps this helps explain why WoW is such a huge success (The Secret of WoW's Success).

Blizzard has always been a corner-stone of Mac gaming.  They've proven that supporting the Mac doesn't have to mean compromising income, and that it doesn't have to be done as an after-thought.  It's good to see games like EVE Online and City of Heroes producing MacOS-native versions of their games, but why is this done years after their games go live?  Here again, I think the reason stems from ignorance.  Developers under estimate the capabilities of the Mac, underestimate the value of the Mac gaming market, and overestimate the effort it takes to build Mac software.  Blizzard has been doing it for over a decade, and they continue to grow and grow.  Supporting the Mac equally with the PC hasn't hurt their business, and I would be so bold to suggest that their success is due in large part to their support for the Mac.

Mac gaming is a subset of the huge realm that is gaming on the Mac.  Now that Apple has switched to Intel processors, Macs can run a huge selection of Windows games.  We get the best of both worlds.

That being said, I am a Mac gamer because I am a Mac user.  And to all you Mac-ignorant forum-troll douche-bags: STFU!