I'm gonna get lynched for this, but I played Braid and I was a little underwhelmed, especially by that ending everybody was talking about. I understood it, sure, but...I wasn't really wowed by the manner in which it was presented. I'm sure I'm in the minority with this opinion.
Great. Good games like Braid need to be available to as many people as possible. It let's people revel in their awesomeness and have a whole diverse group of people enjoy it... Still wish it came to PSN or WiiWare though =/
The only challenge I had with Braid was to figure out a comfortable way to play it on my laptop while being at my aunt. Though I guess I could try the timed modes. But meh, I don't feel compelled to.
From a technical perspective, for an indie game which isn't concerned about pushing the graphical envelope, it's really not very hard to develop cross-platform code. Penny Arcade Adventures, for example, is built on the Torque engine, which is cross-platform. And there are cross-platform libraries available, too, like Allegro for C/C++. If you start from a cross-platform base, it's relatively trivial to stay cross-platform. Of course, for developers building on top of Windows-only platforms (e.g. GameMaker), it becomes nearly impossible to port the game to other platforms (note: platform emulation notwithstanding).
However, writing for multiple platforms does require extra time for platform-specific bug fixes, compiling issues, maintenance, support, etc. For a small (or one-person) development team, it might be more trouble than it's worth.
@zoesch: Yeah...its why you see so many people playing Halo 3 or other bungie games on 360 even if they're Mac users primarily, we still have some residual loyalty to Bungie, even now, even with half the people who made Marathon and Myth since departed.
Speaking of which, anybody wants to hit me for some Marathon: Durandal on XBLA should send a message to KingBullitTrain, I'm up for it.
Who's going to waste their time and money to make a case for Mac gaming? You have a stadium full of people fighting for market share on windows platforms and these guys are going to tell me the dog house out back only has two dogs in there so come join the fun. No thank you, keep your bones. I'll take my chances where there's clear success stories.
Can you even upgrade a Mac? I mean, games are getting more power hungry by the year and an avid player wants to keep on top of that. I know Linux is an open source OS which can be installed on pretty much any PC, but would Macs be able to keep up with the standards?
Yeah, I actually think he's right. I'm a Mac user, and people think that the Mac community doesn't really support gaming, cause they are no gamers. That's really wrong. Those few native games we have, like Unreal Tournament 2004, Command & Conquer 3, The Sims, Spore, Age of Empires III (and so on), we've been supporting them for years and years, and not just because they're the only games on the Mac platform, cause now there is Cider for Mac and Cedega, for Linux, where an individual can port Windows games into Mac OS X or Linux, respectively. There are a lot of unofficial Cider ports out there that work really good, and people don't even know about it.
Did you know that Oblivion, San Andreas, Red Alert 3, Half-Life 2, Counter-Strike Source and Left 4 Dead have been unofficially ported to the Mac through Cider?
Yeah, there's a ton of unofficial Cider ports these days. It's freaking crazy. There truly aren't that many indie games for the Mac these days. The last one that I played was called "Feist", and it's still in beta.
@yoshinatsu: Did you know I can build a PC for $650 that would cost me close to 3k if it were Mac hardware? And I don't have to run any sort of emulator or anything like that, the games (in fact, almost every single game *ever*) runs natively in the OS without having to fiddle with anything.
*Ed. note: my spell checker wants me to change natively to naively. :|
"Did you know I can build a PC for $650 that would cost me close to 3k if it were Mac hardware?"
Seriously? Do you think a person with half a brain doesn't know that what you just said is pure Windows fanboyism? The difference between a Mac and a similar spec PC is a couple hundred dollars, tops. That's why I bought one, because the difference is really small.
You get great customer service, great hardware, high quality materials and, if you're a design, video (like me) or audio artist, great software that can only run on Mac OS X. Also, the Mac OS is a lot less of a resource hog than any Win OS.
This comes from 15 years of Microsoft OSs and 2 years of having a Mac.
Also:
Did you know Intel Macs have BootCamp that lets you run Windows natively on Mac hardware? Did you know that running Windows via BootCamp is usually faster than on a similar spec PC?
Why is it that people that probably never even handled a Mac think they know everything about the platform?
@xenothaulus: You've already been told wrong but let me say a few more things. First, go build a Dell m1330 with the exact specs of a new Macbook 13 aluminum. Notice that the Macbook should come around 100 dollars cheaper if you did it right.
Second, I have a home built PC about six months old that cost $1700 so I am no Mac fanboy. I also have a new Aluminum Macbook.
Third, Macbooks are generally better hardware, better customer service, and sexy as hell. Nothing is unnecessary on a Macbook. They are clean from aesthetic to OS and have really great cheap tools that would cost a fortune on PC. Plus with bootcamp you can do anything on a Mac that you would want on a PC. Tired of people arguing over this. They are really not that different from eachother.
@ReVivAL: Really, now? Because, I went and tried it. And, what you're saying is a load of bullshit. The Mac price was significantly higher. With maxed-out options wherever available(as long as it's available on both systems), the Dell was $2,077. The Mac? $3,347. This was with no software.
Now, considering this might not have been the configuration you were considering, I decided to try again, this time going with the cheapest system parts for both. No frills, whatsoever. This was as crappy as you could possibly go, as long as it was identical on both systems. Final price? Dell- $1,148. Mac- $1,649.
@Caveat: I know I should just ignore you, but dude, what the hell? How do you manage to stay on here, when all you do is go onto every article and say "Not as creepy as Crecente"? You're just retarded.
I mean, this is a fascinating article on independent gaming on non-mainstream platforms, and you're spouting nonsense.
Now that SpoonyBard is no longer the comment moderator, things have seemingly gone to shit (not that it was that great when he was holding the hammer. Truly, no one will ever do as great as a job as Witzbold). The writers themselves are now handling the comments, so if you catch any trolls like Caveat, just send a tip into:
@NeVeRMoRe666: Spoony was fired by Gawker, not Crecente, due to heavy budget cuts, because ad revenue is down.
@dead_red_eyes: It's not that Witz was any better with the hammer. It was that he was given more freedom. When Spoony got the job, a lot more restrictions were placed upon him. And, you guessed it, those restrictions were placed courtesy of Gawker.
I didn't always see eye to eye with Spoony, but he really kept the idiots in check around here. Now it feels like the inmates are running the asylum and a lot of my favourite commentors are disappearing. Too bad.
@Ad-hominem: That's so effed. Spoony only made $200 a month for doing what he did and it improved the site tremendously. If Gawker can't even afford $200 a month, we're in for some hard times ahead...
@Ad-hominem: Also, I'm sure theres some out there who are more than willing and capable of doing the job for free. IrishNinja, EnigmaNemisis, Witz (again?) and other storied and popular commentators, I'm looking at you!
Wonder if this will be in next weeks episode of The Universe on the History Channel xD
The Jugs Nebula are greeted by the gravitational shock waves from the central star that gently jiggle them in all directions. What a site to behold. Just 100 light years away is the Clitoria Supernova.
CmdrBladeHearts is replacing his perfectly good screen name to express desire for a The World Ends With You sequel. Get on it! was starred
CmdrBladeHearts is replacing his perfectly good screen name to express desire for a The World Ends With You sequel. Get on it! was unstarred
CmdrBladeHearts is replacing his perfectly good screen name to express desire for a The World Ends With You sequel. Get on it! was starred
CmdrBladeHearts is replacing his perfectly good screen name to express desire for a The World Ends With You sequel. Get on it! was unstarred
05/20/09
05/20/09
05/20/09
05/20/09
The only challenge I had with Braid was to figure out a comfortable way to play it on my laptop while being at my aunt. Though I guess I could try the timed modes. But meh, I don't feel compelled to.
05/21/09
05/20/09
05/20/09
05/20/09
05/20/09
05/20/09
Lime Wire? Blow does love his green.
05/20/09
Who the hell uses limewire anymore? Do you even know how to use the internet?
05/20/09
05/20/09
05/20/09
All the cool kids use Napster.
01/10/09
However, writing for multiple platforms does require extra time for platform-specific bug fixes, compiling issues, maintenance, support, etc. For a small (or one-person) development team, it might be more trouble than it's worth.
01/10/09
[www.threadbombing.com]
But back on track...
It is true, the Mac and Linux communities are more loyal and rewarding to those developers who take the plunge.
01/11/09
Speaking of which, anybody wants to hit me for some Marathon: Durandal on XBLA should send a message to KingBullitTrain, I'm up for it.
01/10/09
01/10/09
Can you even upgrade a Mac? I mean, games are getting more power hungry by the year and an avid player wants to keep on top of that. I know Linux is an open source OS which can be installed on pretty much any PC, but would Macs be able to keep up with the standards?
01/10/09
Sure, you can upgrade a Mac.
01/10/09
Did you know that Oblivion, San Andreas, Red Alert 3, Half-Life 2, Counter-Strike Source and Left 4 Dead have been unofficially ported to the Mac through Cider?
01/10/09
Yeah, there's a ton of unofficial Cider ports these days. It's freaking crazy. There truly aren't that many indie games for the Mac these days. The last one that I played was called "Feist", and it's still in beta.
[www.indiegames.com]
01/10/09
*Ed. note: my spell checker wants me to change natively to naively. :|
01/10/09
"Did you know I can build a PC for $650 that would cost me close to 3k if it were Mac hardware?"
Seriously? Do you think a person with half a brain doesn't know that what you just said is pure Windows fanboyism? The difference between a Mac and a similar spec PC is a couple hundred dollars, tops. That's why I bought one, because the difference is really small.
You get great customer service, great hardware, high quality materials and, if you're a design, video (like me) or audio artist, great software that can only run on Mac OS X. Also, the Mac OS is a lot less of a resource hog than any Win OS.
This comes from 15 years of Microsoft OSs and 2 years of having a Mac.
Also:
Did you know Intel Macs have BootCamp that lets you run Windows natively on Mac hardware? Did you know that running Windows via BootCamp is usually faster than on a similar spec PC?
Why is it that people that probably never even handled a Mac think they know everything about the platform?
01/10/09
Identical spec laptops, $1000 price difference.
Cold, hard numbers.
And, yes, I own a Mac. I'm just well-aware that I paid a massive price difference than if I had bought a PC, instead of lying to myself.
01/10/09
Second, I have a home built PC about six months old that cost $1700 so I am no Mac fanboy. I also have a new Aluminum Macbook.
Third, Macbooks are generally better hardware, better customer service, and sexy as hell. Nothing is unnecessary on a Macbook. They are clean from aesthetic to OS and have really great cheap tools that would cost a fortune on PC. Plus with bootcamp you can do anything on a Mac that you would want on a PC. Tired of people arguing over this. They are really not that different from eachother.
01/10/09
Now, considering this might not have been the configuration you were considering, I decided to try again, this time going with the cheapest system parts for both. No frills, whatsoever. This was as crappy as you could possibly go, as long as it was identical on both systems. Final price? Dell- $1,148. Mac- $1,649.
You lose.
01/10/09
01/10/09
Mmmmm, pie.
01/10/09
01/10/09
I mean, this is a fascinating article on independent gaming on non-mainstream platforms, and you're spouting nonsense.
01/10/09
Trolling will earn you a ban sooner or later. Mark my words.
@Ad-hominem:
Now that SpoonyBard is no longer the comment moderator, things have seemingly gone to shit (not that it was that great when he was holding the hammer. Truly, no one will ever do as great as a job as Witzbold). The writers themselves are now handling the comments, so if you catch any trolls like Caveat, just send a tip into:
tips[at]kotaku.com
01/10/09
01/10/09
@dead_red_eyes: It's not that Witz was any better with the hammer. It was that he was given more freedom. When Spoony got the job, a lot more restrictions were placed upon him. And, you guessed it, those restrictions were placed courtesy of Gawker.
01/10/09
I didn't always see eye to eye with Spoony, but he really kept the idiots in check around here. Now it feels like the inmates are running the asylum and a lot of my favourite commentors are disappearing. Too bad.
01/10/09
01/10/09
01/10/09
01/11/09
01/12/09
Comments Moderator: Shiraz Malik
That's SpoonyBard.
;)
@NeVeRMoRe666:
You're too kind!
@Caveat:
Enjoy!
12/01/08
The Jugs Nebula are greeted by the gravitational shock waves from the central star that gently jiggle them in all directions. What a site to behold. Just 100 light years away is the Clitoria Supernova.
xD
12/01/08
12/01/08
12/01/08
12/01/08
Hrrm. As for the OP, this could open up all kinds of law enforcement opportunities.
12/01/08
12/01/08