[Xavier Verhoeven]

Guest blogger Richard Moss doesn't think so.

What do you reckon? Will it help people make the switch to Mac? Will Apple be more inclined to bring out computers designed specifically for gaming?

[Ken Gracey]

I wouldn't go as far as saying it will make people drop there PC in favour of a mac, but it at least should make mac users a bit happier, when they can say We Can Now play that latest cool game as well.





TL

[clinton1550]

I would certainly hope so. I don't hold out much hope for changes in Apple's hardware but I do hope that third party developers take OS X seriously by having simultaneous release dates for Mac and PC and develop fully native OS X versions in tandem with the native PC version, not dodgy Cider based ports that come out 5 years later.

[Thingme]

I no longer own a Windows PC. Once upon a time I built my own gaming PCs — I may do so again. I was and still am a serious gamer. The MacOS continues to suffer a dearth of games which could suit my entertainment preferences. I therefore support Valve's introduction of Steam and a paltry few old Valve titles to the MacOS platform. But it is far too little, far too late. Boot Camp indicates to me that the arrival of Steam is irrelevant.

It should come as no surprise that many Mac owners who were PC gamers now run Windows games on Intel Macs. Am I becoming excited that Steam is coming to the MacOS? Not at all. My Intel Macs play very well those PC games that interest me. I happen to adore Role Playing Games. There are no modern RPGs of any note ported to the MacOSX. But I don't care. BootCamp has solved the problem.

If Steam starts a small flow of MacOSX games, I couldn't care less. Running native PC games in Boot Camp will always satisfy my need to play on the Mac and a dribble of ported games over many years will never satisfy.

What will convince the likes of Bethesda Softworks to develop MacOSX versions of its extremely popular RPGs? Elder Scrolls V is claimed to be coming in 2010. Will there be a MacOSX version? There are no reports of this. Windows 7 and later will always be a part of my Mac experience and as the article warns, I won't be holding my breath.

By the way, I do own two gaming consoles, the X-Box 360 and the PS3. Both are never used these days. The reason for this is that PC versions of my favourite games, the Bethsoft series, allow player interaction through employing and or writing third party "mods" to enhance the game. Consoles do not allow that. In addition, the keyboard/mouse way of player input is IMHO far more user friendly that any gamepad — as an older player, my fingers don't have the dexterity needed for a gamepad.