It’s here. They finally did it. Steam is being natively built for Mac. What is Steam you might ask? Well, it is only the largest direct download service for games today. Valve’s extremely popular games, based on their Source engine, will be readily available for Mac this Spring.
But here’s something a lot of people have been wondering: will the games be ported using Cider (a decrepit software used to cheaply port games), or will it have some love put into it and be natively ported? Well, wonder no more! According to Valve, “We looked at a variety of methods to get our games onto the Mac and in the end decided to go with native versions rather than emulation.” This had me jumping up and down!
Also, all further Valve games will be released on Mac simultaneously. This includes their next game, Portal 2, due for release the same day as the Windows version. Patches will also be released on the same day.
But what does this matter to you non-gamers?
A lot. Valve is one of, if not, THE largest game developer today. Consequently, they have the power to influence a lot of key players in the gaming world. For example, to keep up with the advancing specifications necessary for computers to run games, Apple may begin producing more powerful computers and, hopefully, at cheaper prices. Likewise, it may soon be possible to replace parts, making upgrades and tune ups a practical alternative.
Indeed, Apple admits that today’s computer game industry is a large market and one which, up until now, they have mostly unaccommodated. In fact, this is the #1 reason why people do not switch to Apple products — no computer game works on them! But, that day when Macintosh finally taps into the gaming market seems just around the corner.
In fact, if more companies jump on the bandwagon, their customers will readily follow. Simple as that.
What do you think about Steam coming to the Mac? Leave a comment!