Steam on Mac OS X is 'the biggest event in Steam's history'

:o

Big words. Joystiq posted a great new article about Valve's Apple transition; an interview with John Cook.

We consider this to be the biggest event in Steam's history since the service was first launched. There are several people involved, from the UI team working on Mac support in the Steam client to graphics engineers working on the native version of Source and our games. It's a big effort.John Cook

Full article in the link. Interesting stuff. Agree or disagree? What is potentially a bigger event in Steam's history than stretching that platform muscle?

For Mac fanboys, yes, yes it is. Fuhgeddabouditt

Wow, you would post something like this :P

Anyway, its certainly a big effort. I don't PC game so I don't know the effects but Valve seems to be taking it seriously so I suppose they feel this is a good thing for them to try and get into.

[QUOTE="Fuhgeddabouditt"]For Mac fanboys, yes, yes it is. musicalmac

Well, they did have to go back and rewrite their games to support Mac. And I'm thinking they're going to release all Source engine games at one time so maybe it is the biggest Steam event ever.

Wow, you would post something like this :P

Anyway, its certainly a big effort. I don't PC game so I don't know the effects but Valve seems to be taking it seriously so I suppose they feel this is a good thing for them to try and get into.

ActicEdge

Well, they did have to go back and rewrite their games to support Mac. And I'm thinking they're going to release all Source engine games at one time so maybe it is the biggest Steam event ever.

Superbored

Is there any point in Steam for Mac when so few games even run on it? :?Ninja-Bear

[QUOTE="ActicEdge"]

Wow, you would post something like this :P

Anyway, its certainly a big effort. I don't PC game so I don't know the effects but Valve seems to be taking it seriously so I suppose they feel this is a good thing for them to try and get into.

musicalmac

I know it wan't your words lol. I meant, "you wold RELAY this message" :P

I know it wan't your words lol. I meant, "you wold RELAY this message" :P

ActicEdge

[QUOTE="Ninja-Bear"]Is there any point in Steam for Mac when so few games even run on it? :?musicalmac

How well do PC games even sell on mac anyway?

No not Valve, but other developers. I cant see there being nearly as much stuff to download off Steam on the Mac as on the PC, that was my point. Ninja-Bear

Steam's launch is Steam's biggest event in its history.Einhanderkiller

Is there any point in Steam for Mac when so few games even run on it? :?Ninja-Bear

Actually a good bit of games are playable on Macs.

[QUOTE="Ninja-Bear"]Is there any point in Steam for Mac when so few games even run on it? :?Ross_the_Boss6

Actually a good bit of games are playable on Macs.

[QUOTE="Ross_the_Boss6"]

[QUOTE="Ninja-Bear"]Is there any point in Steam for Mac when so few games even run on it? :?110million

Actually a good bit of games are playable on Macs.

Well that's not what I meant but okay. Funny.

Valve was focusing on the UNIX kernal long before they announced OSX support. OSX uses the UNIX kernal which is why it is also going to be released on it. The original intention was to give support to ubuntu and other linux distros. OSX lacks full support for OpenGL while Ubuntu does not. In OSX many features of OpenGL must be enabled through various tweaks and hacks. Why would Valve make OSX their first priority if this is the case? They didnt, they choose to support Linux, and the only reason they are making a Mac version is because OSX uses the UNIX kernal. And no it is not the biggest event in steam history. The biggest event was its founding upon windows. Windows nurtured it to what it is today. This release is nothing significant as most games will preform poorly compared to their Linux and PC counter parts.

I'd rather Value put more effort into catering to their current PC audience...**coughs** EPISODE 3**coughs**

lmao...talk about misleading topic titles :D :D :D

But yeah..since the launch they haven't actualy had any bigger event. Steamworks was cool addition, but it's rate of adoption is slow, so it's not like it's a big event. And rewritting your own engine and launching it on other platform is pretty big deal, even if that platform is bassicaly yet another brand of PCs, not unlike Dell of HP, just with more quirky OS :)

Is there any point in Steam for Mac when so few games even run on it? :?Ninja-Bear

How well do PC games even sell on mac anyway?

JangoWuzHere

The original intention was to give support to ubuntu and other linux distros. OSX lacks full support for OpenGL while Ubuntu does not. In OSX many features of OpenGL must be enabled through various tweaks and hacks. Why would Valve make OSX their first priority if this is the case? They didnt, they choose to support Linux, and the only reason they are making a Mac version is because OSX uses the UNIX kernal.

painguy1

For Mac fanboys, yes, yes it is. Fuhgeddabouditt

So every Mac user who happens to like video games are fanboys? Then everyone who plays games on any sort of machine is automatically a fanboy of said electronic?

So in conclusion...everyone on this website is fanboy...and we love using this same word as an insult to others who uses things we don't like...

Great, that makes complete sense now.

Hah. There has been some amazing stupidity posted in here. Valve is bringing Steam to Mac now because the timing is oh so perfect. the iPhone has, out of nowhere, become the premier mobile game platform. I game on mine more than my DS and PSP these days. Companies who never looked at Apple before are really excited about the iPhone and their attention will naturally turn towards the Macintosh, which just keeps eating into Windows' marketshare. Crucially though is where the mac is gaining. Once upon a time it was the Graphics Design market and Education where Apple had the numbers, that has shifted now as it's growing marketshare in in the home, where people actually play games. Their consumers are families and young students, the people who actually play video games. So when we live in a world where Unreal Engine 3 is being ported to the iphone. A world where companies like Sega and Rockstar have topped teh sales charts on an Apple platform. Valve is very, very smart to bring steam to Mac. For over a year now EA have had simultaneous PC/Mac releases, on hybrid discs no less. Now Ubisoft do it. Developers selling their games digitally online have almost always done it. The Mac market is growing and Valve want to control the digital distribution. When steam comes over you can expect to see an avalanche of developers getting their games already on Steam working for Mac. It's going to be huge.RABicle

Yeah a whole 5.90%.

Figures differ but anything under 6% is to be laughed at http://statowl.com/operating_system_market_share.php Gets over 12% of residential connections.RABicle

about time something became available for the Mac...besides World of Warcraft there are only a handfull of others.

Go to the Apple Store and look for games. half a dozen outdated titles.....developers no longer make games for the Mac.

Even the Intel Mac is not quite the same as Windows.....you can port more games but it is not all that.

if the market share doubles they could reach 10% but that is darn unlikely so Windows has no reason to fear the Apple attack

lmao...talk about misleading topic titles :D :D :D

AdrianWerner

How is it in any way misleading? It's a direct quote. :?

Maybe I do have to link the whole article, if people don't understand this thread.

when mac is getting you games you know you have a problem microsoft

[QUOTE="AdrianWerner"]

lmao...talk about misleading topic titles :D :D :D

musicalmac

How is it in any way misleading? It's a direct quote. :?

Maybe I do have to link the whole article, if people don't understand this thread.

How is that not misleading?

Should be in the PC and Mac forum... J/Ks :P I kid, I do.

I think this could be a great for mac owners. But how will they cope with the GPU thing, I mean for a lot of macs you can't change them and they are mobile gpus so I wonder if that holds this back.

I want to know that if I buy a game for a game for the PC, that if I want I can also download a Mac version. They have hinted at this so I think it will happen.

Also I wonder about the performance of games, as you get constant new drivers for windows, you don't get that on mac.

So it will be interesting to see how this unfolds.

As to this being the biggest step, in terms of a good way of tapping into the mac market sure I guess. I don't expect this to achieve massive growth because the mac is still priced around the mac pro, and all the un-upgradable macs under it, are still a bit too expensive.

I want to know that if I buy a game for a game for the PC, that if I want I can also download a Mac version.

Darth_DuMas

You've cut half of the sentence out, changing the meaning of it completely, which resulted in a thread's title that's simply completely untruee.

How is that not misleading?

AdrianWerner

:?

We consider this to be the biggest event in Steam's history since the service was first launched.John Cook

I think you're choosing to misinterpret the quote. Obviously the biggest even in Steam's history was its inception. Nothing would have been possible without the launch of the service. The same can be said for the PS3, the 360, the Wii, or even indoor plumbing.

Adding the end of the quote doesn't really change anything, especially since VALVE is the one who said it.

I bet Mac threatened Valve with his mod powers. Still this will add $$$ to Valve's buisness (and yes I mean 3 dollars :P )blue_hazy_basic

I did. Gabe was all, "Don't taze me, bro!!"

Blamo. Steam on OSX.