"Ubisoft is extremely excited about the partnership with TransGaming to bring our titles to the Mac," said Jay Cohen, senior vice president of publishing at Ubisoft. "This is the perfect opportunity to reach the growing Mac community so they can enjoy games such as CSI: Hard Evidence and our Petz franchise with Catz and Dogz."

Oh. That's...nice? Finally Mac gamers will be able to experience the titles PC gamers have been raving about for ages! I assume we'll see something a bit more meaty (yes, I know Petz have meat) as the partnership continues.

TransGaming to Bring Ubisoft Titles to Mac

Ubisoft® Games for Mac Now Available for Purchase and Download at GameTreeOnline.com

Toronto, Canada – July 2, 2008 – TransGaming Inc. (TSX-V: TNG), has announced that video game publisher, Ubisoft (PARIS:UBI.PA), is collaborating with TransGaming to distribute video games on Mac via TransGaming's CiderTM Portability Engine. TransGaming, a leading developer of portability technologies for the electronic entertainment industry, has signed a multi-title agreement with Ubisoft that will bring titles immediately to the Mac community via gametreeonline.com, TransGaming's digital distribution portal. The partnership extends TransGaming's publisher network and offers both parties a revenue-sharing model in addition to TransGaming's Cider licensing fee.

"Ubisoft is extremely excited about the partnership with TransGaming to bring our titles to the Mac," said Jay Cohen, senior vice president of publishing at Ubisoft. "This is the perfect opportunity to reach the growing Mac community so they can enjoy games such as CSI: Hard Evidence and our Petz franchise with Catz and Dogz. To expand our business position and serve the growing Mac gaming community, additional key titles will follow later this year, including several day-and-date releases this Fall.

Ubisoft ranks among the top three independent publishers of video games in the world and has chosen to leverage TransGaming's technology to deliver multiple Mac titles each year. All titles for Mac are being made possible using TransGaming's Cider Portability Engine, that acts as a "wrapper" around the game software, enabling it to run seamlessly on Intel-based Macs. This collaboration by two industry leaders will serve to provide the Mac gaming community with a significant increase in the availability of video games, while simultaneously improving the timeliness of Mac games on sale to the consumer market, a dual benefit rarely possible prior to TransGaming's Cider Portability Engine.

"We are delighted to offer consumers Ubisoft's titles through our digital distribution portal, GameTree Online, and at traditional Mac retail locations over the next few years. Ubisoft has been creating award winning games for Windows-PC and I have no doubt that Mac consumers everywhere will be thrilled to have access to this great content," commented Vikas Gupta, CEO & President of TransGaming Technologies. "Leading publishers continue to recognize the value of TransGaming's Cider Engine to bring their high quality content quickly and efficiently to the growing Mac community. The addition of Ubisoft titles further broadens the Mac games market and provides further evidence that TransGaming is the partner of choice for Mac enablement."

Ubisoft's Petz® series will be available immediately for consumers to purchase and download at www.gametreeonline.com. Other Ubisoft titles that have never been available on Mac before will be deployed throughout the Summer, and simultaneously in the Fall with the Windows-PC platform releases.

Serving the gaming industry for many years, TransGaming is a technology leader signing Ubisoft, another top-tier publisher, will ensure all Mac consumers have the game-title availability they demand. TransGaming is 'Broadening the Playing Field' as more and more consumers choose Mac as their personal entertainment solution.

I've managed to avoid the Creature Creator for the most part myself, but this launch trailer sucked me in as soon as I heard the bizarre little critters making cute squeaking noises. I am a complete sucker for cute squeaking noises, as my dating history is sure to prove.

SPORE CREATURE CREATOR AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE TODAY

Spore Creature Creator Kicks off the Countdown to the Release of Spore this September

Redwood City, CA – June 17, 2008 – Prepare to test the limits of your imagination! Maxis, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) studio, today released the Spore™ Creature Creator, an introduction to the highly-anticipated and groundbreaking video game, Spore™ which will ship worldwide this September.

Available today for both PC and Mac, the Spore Creature Creator is a stand-alone product and creativity toy box where players create their own unique creatures, bring them to life with entertaining animations, and share them online with friends around the world. The full version of the Spore Creature Creator will be available for $9.99 at retail stores or by visiting www.spore.com. A free trial version of the Spore Creature Creator is also available today at www.spore.com. The trial version features 25% of the creature-making parts from Spore and lets players shape, paint and play with their custom-created creatures. Creatures made in the Spore Creature Creator can also be imported into the full Spore game, allowing players to populate their own galaxies when the game ships worldwide later this year.

The Spore Creature Creator lets players create their own creatures, take them on a test drive, snap pictures, and make movies of them. Sharing pictures or videos with friends is as easy as the click of a button. Players can also share their creations with others by uploading to the Sporepedia™ at www.Spore.com. The Sporepedia is an extraordinarily vast online destination where people worldwide can search for and share Spore creations, comment on other player’s designs, check out celebrity creature creations and much more.

“Today is the day we begin to see Spore come to life,” said Executive Producer and General Manager of Maxis, Lucy Bradshaw. “We’re excited to see what players will do with the powerful and intuitive creativity tools we’ve put into the Spore Creature Creator. Our team will be excitedly keeping an eye on the Sporepedia to check out creations made by players from around the world.”

The ability to upload players’ creations to YouTube™ has also been integrated into the Spore Creature Creator. Players can import and upload video of their creatures' moves directly to YouTube with only two clicks within the game. Spore will have its own YouTube Channel where all videos of users' creations uploaded from the game will be showcased for the YouTube community to watch, share, rate and comment on. Check it out at http://youtube.com/spore.

Love your creature so much you want the entire world to see? Post it to your blog for people to check out, even create an avatar for your favorite social networking site. And if you want to see your creature come to life in the real world – now you can! Visit www.zazzle.com/sporestore to upload your creature and turn it into a custom coffee mug, t-shirt, magnet, stickers and more! Zazzle allows you to instantly create cool products for your creature so you can take your creature on the go, wherever you go!

Spore, the highly-anticipated game from the creators of The Sims™, gives players their own personal universe in a box. Create and evolve life, establish tribes, build civilizations, sculpt entire worlds and explore a universe filled with creations made by other gamers. Spore gives players a wealth of creative tools to customize nearly every aspect of their universe: creatures, vehicles, buildings, and even UFOs.

The Spore Creature Creator is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB. The downloadable demo version is free. The complete version has an MSRP of $9.99 in North America. Spore ships for the PC, Mac, Nintendo DS™ and mobile phones on September 5, 2008 in Europe and September 7, 2008 in North America and Asia. Visit www.Spore.com to download a free version of the Spore Creature Creator, sign up for the Spore newsletter or check out all-new screenshots and videos from the game.

On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Demo [Windows, Linux, Mac]

Penny Arcade Adventures [Xbox.com]

The game is currently listed only for Window, Mac, Linux and the Xbox 360's arcade.

I shot a quick question over to Tycho to find out what exactly the deal was. He said they hate all things Sony. Ah-hahahaha, just kidding. I got ya didn't I? Actually it's all about the hardware. Right now the Penny Arcade game will only be shipping on platforms that support Torque because that's the blood that runs through their game's veins.

So no partisanship here, just cold hard hardware issues.

The Windows, Mac and Linux game will sell for $20 and the 360 arcade version will go for 1600 Microsoft Points.

Hit the jump for the full release.

Windows, Mac and Linux Versions of Episode One Reach Gold Master

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - May 1, 2008 - Hothead Games is thrilled to announce that the Windows®, Mac®, and Linux® versions of Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One have reached gold master status and are planned for worldwide download via the new digital download service Greenhouse at www.playgreenhouse.com later this quarter. In celebration, Hothead gave some infamous Penny Arcade characters a new look and let them loose on the unsuspecting websites www.rainslick.com, www.hotheadgames.com, and www.playgreenhouse.com for the public to enjoy.

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One is an RPG-adventure game set in the comic-book-meets-pulp-horror-meets-H.P. Lovecraft deranged 1920s universe of New Arcadia, delivered to gamers via accessible episodic releases. Players join Gabe and Tycho, the crime-solving team of the Startling Developments Detective Agency, to combat savage enemies and solve mysteries hidden deep in the sinister heart of New Arcadia. The game is the result of close collaboration between Hothead Games and Penny Arcade, featuring distinct artwork and characters designed exclusively by Mike "Gabe" Krahulik, story and dialogue by Jerry "Tycho" Holkins, and both brought to life by the Hothead team.

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One is priced at $19.95 for the Windows, Mac, and Linux versions and at 1600 Microsoft points via Xbox LIVE® Arcade, with a rating of "M" for Mature by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board for all platforms.

Confirmed - Patch 2.4 Today [WorldofWar.net]

"Those kind of games were never designed to be played by users with physical disabilities," Niemeijer said, "but with universal access software, such as on-screen keyboards, they can be played also by people with physical impairments."

Niemeijer became a developer of universal access software for Mac in 1996, after a friend of his was paralyzed in an accident. With a number of websites already available for PC gamers with physical impairments, Niemeijer decided that the Mac gaming community needed its own centre of support, too. Niemeijer calls the website a collaborative effort, right down to the website's banner (partially shown above), which was created by an individual who can only move his head.

All of the website's team members, currently four editor/contributors and three contributors, use assistive technology to interact with their computers (all Macs). They speak from experience in their articles on hardware and software using assistive technology for the Mac, reviews of Mac games, and other issues that arise with assistive technology. Anyone who uses assistive technology on a Mac is welcome to contribute to the website, which Niemeijer says has received very positive feedback so far from the assistive technology community and the website's users.

According to Niemeijer, the games that work best with assistive technology are ones that offer a windowed mode of gameplay, otherwise the assistive software won't be accessible during gameplay. He also said that games which allow for multiple forms of input and output work well.

"Games that can be played with keyboard or mouse or joystick or game pad will allow many more people to play then those that only accept keyboard input or only joystick input," Niemeijer said. "Similarly, games that rely only vision or hearing in terms of output exclude people. If a hint or story line is only spoken by the game, deaf users will be left out. If information is only visual, vision impaired users will be left out."

Once the barrier of accessibility has been lifted from the world of gaming, Niemeijer says that online games provide a world of options to people who can't otherwise go outside to play soccer, golf, or travel to other countries. It provides them with new experiences they may not have without assistive technology.

"The nice thing about many of the online games is also that no-one knows you have a disability," Niemeijer said. "In the virtual word there are no disabilities."

To give you an idea of the impact that assistive technology can have, Niemeijer's company AssistiveWare has created a video of one of Assistive Gaming's editors, Michael Phillips, playing a number of video games, including Unreal Tournament 2004 and World of Warcraft.

NEVERWINTER NIGHTS™ 2 SHIPPING NEXT WEEK FOR MAC AUSTIN, TX - February 19, 2008 - Aspyr Media, Inc. announced today that Neverwinter Nights™ 2 has been declared Gold and will begin shipping to retail stores in North America next week. The computer role-playing game set in the fantasy world of the Forgotten Realms, one of the popular campaign settings of Dungeons and Dragons, was licensed from Atari and developed for Mac by Aspyr Studios.

Rise from a peasant to a full-fledged hero as you defend the Realms against one of the greatest threats of the age!

Build a character that suits your style of play - good or evil, chaotic or lawful, with any number of skills, feats and professions available at the click of a button. Whether lobbing fireballs and researching forgotten spells as a powerful Wizard, hacking a trail through legions of orcs as a Fighter armed only with a battle axe and your courage, or taking on the role of a Rogue that can slip into the shadows at a moment's notice, the choice is yours. Choose your alignment, your allies, your companions, and how you want your character to develop... design the character you want, role-play the way you want, and carry the battle to the enemy.

Features:
Choose your Alignment, Allies, and Enemies - Design the character you want, role-play the way you want, and carry the battle to the enemy.
Neverwinter Nights™ 2 is now available for preorder through Aspyr's website, http://www.aspyr.com/product/info/84, for only $49.99. For more information, fans can also visit the official Website, http://www.atari.com/nwn2/US/index.php.

You can have a penis car flying into a vagina house. If you want to live in penistown, that's fine. We'll give you the filter to ban it out.

"It's very gratifying to see gamers around the world continuing to show such enthusiasm and support for World of Warcraft," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We're always pleased to welcome new players to the game, and we're looking forward to sharing the next major content update with the entire community in the months ahead."

World of Warcraft® Reaches New Milestone: 10 Million Subscribers

Subscriber base for Blizzard Entertainment®'s massively multiplayer online role-playing game now exceeds 2.5 million in North America, while Europe passes the 2 million mark

IRVINE, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. announced today that subscribership for World of Warcraft®, its award-winning massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), has continued to climb, recently passing 10 million worldwide. Interest in the game has remained high in all regions, with thousands of new and returning players signing up through the holiday season. World of Warcraft now hosts more than 2 million subscribers in Europe, more than 2.5 million in North America, and approximately 5.5 million in Asia.

"It's very gratifying to see gamers around the world continuing to show such enthusiasm and support for World of Warcraft," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We're always pleased to welcome new players to the game, and we're looking forward to sharing the next major content update with the entire community in the months ahead."

Since debuting in North America on November 23, 2004, World of Warcraft has become the most popular MMORPG around the world. It was the bestselling PC game of 2005 and 2006 worldwide, and finished behind only World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade®, the first expansion pack for the game, in 2007.* In addition to being the bestselling PC game of 2007 in both North America and Europe, The Burning Crusade holds the record for fastest-selling PC game of all time, with nearly 2.4 million copies sold in its first 24 hours of availability and approximately 3.5 million in its first month.* Development is underway on World of Warcraft's second expansion, Wrath of the Lich King™, which was unveiled at the company's BlizzCon™ gaming festival in August 2007.

World of Warcraft is currently available in seven languages, with a Russian version in development and scheduled for release later this year. In addition to North America and Europe, World of Warcraft is played in mainland China, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.

For further information on World of Warcraft, The Burning Crusade, and Wrath of the Lich King, please visit the official website at www.worldofwarcraft.com. To keep pace with the continued growth of World of Warcraft as well as development on other Blizzard Entertainment games, the company is currently hiring for numerous open positions — more information on available career opportunities at Blizzard Entertainment can be found at http://jobs.blizzard.com.

World of Warcraft's Subscriber Definition

World of Warcraft subscribers include individuals who have paid a subscription fee or have an active prepaid card to play World of Warcraft, as well as those who have purchased the game and are within their free month of access. Internet Game Room players who have accessed the game over the last thirty days are also counted as subscribers. The above definition excludes all players under free promotional subscriptions, expired or cancelled subscriptions, and expired prepaid cards. Subscribers in licensees' territories are defined along the same rules.

Earlier today Cnet broke the news that Electronic Arts' hotly anticipated sim, Spore, would be hitting the Mac and the PC at the same time.

Now EA has sent out a release backing that story up with a touch, just a touch more information. The Mac version of the game will be full featured and will run on TransGaming's Cider Portability Engine, which is what has been used for previous EA Mac games.

"I am excited that we'll be able to bring Spore directly to the Mac community. The intuitive Creature, Vehicle, and Building Creators in the game are so powerful that the possibilities are limitless. Players can create anything they can imagine and see them come to life in the game," said Lucy Bradshaw, Executive Producer of Spore.

Hit the jump for plenty of PR speak and not a single date.

EA REVEALS SPORE™ FOR THE MAC

From the Tiniest Amoeba to the Entire Galaxy Gamers Create, Customize and Share their Personal Creations

Redwood City, CA - January 15, 2008 - At the Macworld Expo today, Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced that SPORE™ will be available for the Mac later this year. From Will Wright, creator of the mega-hit The Sims™ comes Spore, the only game that allows creative personalities to explore the depths of their own personal galaxy. A sneak peek of the game will be on display at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco, CA throughout this week. A PC version of the game will also be released later this year.

"We couldn't be happier to bring Spore to the Mac at the same time as the PC version. Spore is a highly creative game and I look forward to seeing what the players come up with to fill the universe they design," said Will Wright, Chief Designer of Spore.

Spore is your own personal universe in a box. In this universe you can create and evolve life, establish tribes, build civilizations and even sculpt entire worlds. In Spore you have a variety of creation tools at your disposal that allow you to customize nearly aspect of your universe: creatures, vehicles, buildings, and even spaceships. While Spore is a single player game, your creations and other players' creations are automatically shared between your galaxy and theirs, providing a limitless number of worlds to explore and play.

"I am excited that we'll be able to bring Spore directly to the Mac community. The intuitive Creature, Vehicle, and Building Creators in the game are so powerful that the possibilities are limitless. Players can create anything they can imagine and see them come to life in the game," said Lucy Bradshaw, Executive Producer of Spore.

Spore is made up of five phases, each corresponding to a stage of evolution: cell, creature, tribe, civilization and space. Each phase presents different challenges and goals. You may choose to start with the cell phase and nurture one species from its humble aquatic origins to its evolution as a sentient species. Or you may decide to start building tribes or civilizations on multiple planets. What you do with your universe is up to you.

Both the PC and Macintosh versions of the game will feature the full experience of cell through to space with editors for designing creatures, buildings, and vehicles. Spore for the Mac will be made possible through TransGaming's Cider Portability Engine, with experience gained from the past EA Mac titles.

EA, who shipped a number of PC games for the Mac last year, plans to have Spore on hand at MacWorld 08, going on right now.

Coming to the Mac in 2008: 'Spore' [News.com]

[via Engadget]

PopCap [via opposablethumbs]

"MacSoft couldn't be happier to bring Unreal Tournament 3's insane fast-paced action and brutal weaponry to the Mac," said Peter Tamte, president of MacSoft parent company Destineer. "We have a long history of bringing the Unreal series to Mac gamers, and with its expanded campaign mode and killer vehicles, Unreal Tournament 3 is the biggest, best and bloodiest game in the series yet."

The Deadliest Tournament in the Universe Comes to the Mac.

Announcing "Unreal Tournament 3" For Macintosh

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - December 18, 2007 - MacSoft, a leading publisher of Macintosh games, is proud to announce the Macintosh version of Unreal Tournament 3. Licensed by Midway Home Entertainment and developed by Epic Games, one of the world's most acclaimed video game developers, Unreal Tournament 3 delivers the most frantic gameplay and stunning visuals yet in the award-winning Unreal series, as well as new vehicles, new weapons and the deepest single-player campaign in the series to date, all developed on the industry's leading engine, the Unreal Engine 3. Best of all, it is scheduled to be available in early 2008.

"MacSoft couldn't be happier to bring Unreal Tournament 3's insane fast-paced action and brutal weaponry to the Mac," said Peter Tamte, president of MacSoft parent company Destineer. "We have a long history of bringing the Unreal series to Mac gamers, and with its expanded campaign mode and killer vehicles, Unreal Tournament 3 is the biggest, best and bloodiest game in the series yet."

Created with the groundbreaking Unreal Engine 3, Unreal Tournament 3 brings unparalleled visual fidelity to the Macintosh, and new gameplay additions including an enhanced single-player mode with a branching mission structure and wickedly intelligent enemy AI make this the deepest, richest entry in the franchise. Also featuring new gameplay modes like Unreal Warfare, two distinct vehicle rosters including devastating machines like the Necris DarkWalker and all new gadgets like the hoverboard and grappling beam, Unreal Tournament 3 is poised to take the Mac gaming community by storm!

New features to Feast of Winter Veil 2007

- The Preserved Holly - http://www.wowhead.com/?item=21213 - that players can get from completing special holiday quests can now be used on flying mounts. This will temporarily turn their flying mount into a flying reindeer that trails sparkles as it flies through the air

- Handful of Snowflakes - this is a new item you can obtain by /kiss -ing a Winter Reveler NPC. It will create a light snowfall above any targeted player.

- Burning Crusade Holiday Bosses - as in past years, certain bosses will be dressed in a festive fashion and will drop seasonal hats when defeated. The holiday versions of the bosses will begin on Dec. 25 and end on Jan. 2. These bosses include:

o Grand Warlock Netherkurse (Shattered Halls)

o Grandmaster Vorpil (Shadow Labyrinth)

o Exarch Maladaar (Auchenai Crypts)

o Captain Skarloc (Durnholde Keep)

o Nethermancer Sepethrea (Mechanar)

o High Botanists Freywinn (Botanica)

- Mechanotoy - This is a new gift that can be obtained from under the Winter Veil tree in Ironforge and Orgrimmar. It lets you summon a Mechanotoy non-combat pet to follow you around.

Connect360 [via tuaw]

DISNEY'S PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN ONLINE SETS SAIL

Highly Anticipated Free-to-Play Massively Multiplayer Online Game Launches for PC and Mac Platforms

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - October 31, 2007 - Disney Online today announced that Pirates of the Caribbean Online (www.PiratesOnline.com), an immersive massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) and virtual world inspired by the popular film franchise, has launched for the PC and Mac platforms. Pirates of the Caribbean Online allows thousands of players to fully experience the adventures made famous in the films and explore beyond these boundaries in a quest to become the most legendary pirate on the high seas.

"The launch of Pirates of the Caribbean Online opens up an entirely new world of pirate adventures to thousands of fans who can now play alongside their favorite characters in a fully-immersive environment that builds on and goes beyond the epic stories created in the films," said Paul Yanover, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Disney Online. "We believe the game's focus on action and adventure, combined with many customization options will appeal to a broad audience of both gamers and fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise as they set out on their own course to live the legend."

In Pirates of the Caribbean Online, players create and customize their own pirate, captain their own ship, and assemble a crew of their fellow rogues in an effort to become the Caribbean's most legendary Pirate. Along the way, players will interact with characters made popular by the films, like Jack Sparrow, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, and will also encounter a host of new characters and enemies unique to the game. To become the most notorious pirate, players must forge alliances, hunt for buried treasure, battle evil undead forces, and use cunning and strategy to outwit their foes.

Game features include:

• Create your own Pirate character - Players choose from over a million combinations to fully customize their own Pirate (body type, face, hair, clothing, names, etc.).

• Set sail on your own Pirate ship - Captain your own ship then recruit a crew of fellow players to set sail for the adventure of a lifetime.

• Quest for adventure and treasure - Embark on ship and land-based missions to locate buried treasure. Explore lush jungles, volcanic caves, and vast tropical islands but beware of traps, ambushes, and double-crosses which are an every day occurrence when keeping company with Pirates.

• Use advanced weaponry - Players engage in epic battles using a variety of weapons such as cutlasses, grenades, pistols and cannons and can unlock more powerful weapons as they improve their reputation as a fighter to be reckoned with.

• Become a legend - Master a variety of skills, including sword fighting, card playing, and treasure hunting to become the most notorious pirate in the world.

• Work your Voodoo Magic - Voodoo magic is used to heal, travel and cast curses on enemies.

• Get some Booty - Earn extra loot by competing in parlor games such as poker and blackjack.

• Build a notorious crew or guild - Players band together with others for expanded adventures and added power, forming a crew for quick battles or joining a guild for longer-term strategy.

• Grow your wealth with money and rare items - Hunt for buried treasure including gold, precious gems and mysterious artifacts.

The successful Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise, including Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), has grossed close to $2.7 billion at the worldwide box office.

Pirates of the Caribbean Online, developed and published by Disney Online, is rated E10+ and features lower PC and Mac system requirements than most other games in this genre, allowing for easier access to a broader audience of players.

Players can download the game directly and access additional information at the game's Web site, www.PiratesOnline.com. A portion of the game is available for free and players can get unlimited access for a monthly subscription fee. At launch, Disney Online is offering new players subscriptions to Unlimited Access for a first-month fee of $4.95 and continuing with a $9.95 fee for following months.

Hahaha! "Mac gamer demographic." Anyway...

According to the main man at IMG, Tuncer Deniz, his info comes straight from the folks at Apple, following an e-mail trail that involved Newell and Mr. Steve Jobs himself. It doesn't seem like an unreasonable request to me. Just charged Mac users a thousand bucks for the game and you'll recoup your costs in no time. We're quite used to overpaying for all things Apple.

Thanks for the heads up, Kaji.

One Million Reasons Why Half-Life 2 Isn't on the Mac [Inside Mac Gaming via Apple Insider]

ASPYR MEDIA ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH ACTIVISION TO BRING GUITAR HERO™ III: LEGENDS OF ROCK TO PC AND MAC

AUSTIN, TX – Sept. 11, 2007 – The rock gods have spoken, and gamers around the world will now be able to unleash their inner-rock star on two brand new platforms. Aspyr Media, in partnership with Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), today announced that the third iteration of the wildly popular Guitar Hero franchise, Guitar Hero™ III: Legends of Rock, will be available to PC and Mac gamers for the first time ever this fall.

Being developed and published exclusively by Aspyr, the PC and Mac versions will match their console counterparts with explosive new content and features including a multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a host of exclusive unlockable content and visually stunning rock venues. With more than 70 songs in the set list, and more original master tracks than ever before, players will be able to shred from many of the freshest and hottest artists today, along with many of the most popular rock songs ever recorded. Expanded online multiplayer game modes will also allow PC and Mac enthusiasts to rip head-to-head against players around the world and across either platform, raising the level of competition for true legendary rock status.

“Working with such a wildly successful franchise and helping to strengthen an already powerful brand has us feeling like rock stars ourselves, only without the fame, money or musical talent,” said Ted Staloch, Executive Vice President, Publishing for Aspyr. “But even without Slash’s chops, we still have what it takes to bring the best music game on the planet to PC and Mac gamers. Aspyr’s expertise in developing and publishing for these platforms means that we will deliver a game that wails just as hard as it does on consoles but feels natural on this audience’s chosen platform.”

“Providing the option for our fans to play Guitar Hero at their desk or on a laptop on the go is incredibly exciting, and we’re thrilled to now offer the ability to rock out literally anywhere and everywhere,” said Dusty Welch, head of publishing at RedOctane. “PC and Mac gamers can now shred as hard as their console counterparts do, and it’s a great opportunity to help promote musicianship and expand the growing number of Guitar Hero fans worldwide.”

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock on PC and Mac is rated T for Teen by the ESRB, and will be available this fall. For more information, please visit www.aspyr.com.

About Aspyr Media
Aspyr Media, Inc. is a leading video game publisher that creates, packages and delivers fun to millions around the world. Hailing from Austin, Texas USA, Aspyr strives relentlessly to ensure a quality experience for consumers and industry partners.

To fall deeper in love with Aspyr and its amazing line of products, visit www.aspyr.com and see just how much fun you can legally have.

"We're pleased to extend our relationship with TransGaming, as the company's expertise allows us to deliver the most innovative MMOG to more platforms," said Halldor Fannar, CTO of CCP Games. "By integrating TransGaming's excellent technology, we are able to keep our laser-focus on evolving EVE Online, while simultaneously expanding the EVE universe to even more players."

CCP Games and TransGaming Partner to Bring EVE Online to New Platforms

Reykjavík, Iceland, Toronto, Canada - September 11, 2007 - CCP Games, one of the world's largest independent game developers, today announced a partnership with TransGaming Inc. (TSX-V: TNG) , a leading developer of software portability products for the electronic entertainment industry. The strategic relationship will enable CCP to deliver its popular massively multiplayer online game (MMOG), EVE Online, with Linux and Macintosh platforms later this year.

TransGaming provides technology and expertise to deploy games across a range of platforms without the need for redevelopment and still maintaining the high quality of gameplay and allowing users of different platforms to play in the same perpetual online universe. As a result of this partnership, CCP will be able to expand the reach of its Sci-fi MMOG to new groups around the world.

As an element of the partnership, EVE Online and TransGaming will share quality assurance as well as technical support responsibilities but TransGaming will lead partnership and OEM opportunities for the Linux version of EVE Online. The two companies will work hand-in-hand to ensure all releases go smoothly, creating a transparent integration of the original EVE Online code with each platform.

TransGaming first introduced Linux users to EVE Online through Cedega, a software product that allows Windows games to run on the Linux operating system completely transparently and seamlessly. It was the popularity of this solution that indicated the strong demand for further integration between CCP Games and TransGaming. Later this year, EVE Online will be released for Linux with Cedega directly integrated into the game and on Mac through TransGaming's Cider portability engine.

"We're pleased to extend our relationship with TransGaming, as the company's expertise allows us to deliver the most innovative MMOG to more platforms," said Halldor Fannar, CTO of CCP Games. "By integrating TransGaming's excellent technology, we are able to keep our laser-focus on evolving EVE Online, while simultaneously expanding the EVE universe to even more players."

"EVE Online has always ranked highly with our Linux users and there is significant demand for it among other platforms, including the rapidly growing Mac base," said Vikas Gupta, CEO of TransGaming Technologies. "As EVE takes place within a single-server persistent universe, it's vital that the game is identical in every way across different platforms. This challenge is what makes the partnership with CCP both important and rewarding."

EVE Online is available for download now at www.eve-online.com.

Apple stock was up 5.01 (4.28%) on news that probably had nothing to do with this at all. Full press release after the jump.

EA SHIPS FOUR GAMES FOR THE MAC

First EA-Published Titles Ever for Mac OS X

Redwood Shores, Calif., - August 17, 2007 - Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that
Battlefield 2142TM, Need for SpeedTM Carbon, Harry Potter and the Order of the PhoenixTM and Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium WarsTM are now available to order for Mac users. These are the first games ever published by EA for Mac OS X, Apple's advanced operating system. Users can go to the Apple Store (www.apple.com) to purchase the games today.

All games will also be available at Apple's retail stores nationwide. Need for Speed Carbon and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be available on Tuesday, August 21, and Battlefield 2142 and Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars will be available on Tuesday, August 28.

The first games from EA for the Mac are:

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, licensed by
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts is shaping up to be his most exciting yet. Fearing that Hogwarts' venerable Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, is lying about the return of Voldemort in order to undermine his power, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge appoints a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to keep watch over Dumbledore and the students. But Professor Dolores Umbridge's ministry-approved course leaves the young wizards woefully unprepared, so Hermione, Ron and Harry form "Dumbledore's Army" with the goal of preparing themselves and other courageous young wizards for the extraordinary battle that looms against VoldemortTM and his Death Eaters.

Need for Speed Carbon - What starts in the city is settled in the canyons as Need for Speed Carbon
immerses you in the world's most dangerous and adrenaline-filled form of street racing. You and your crew must race in an all-out war for the city, risking everything to take over your rivals' neighborhoods one block at a time. As the police turn up the heat, the battle ultimately shifts to Carbon Canyon, where territories and reputations can be lost on every perilous curve.

Battlefield 2142 - Earth, 2142. As a new ice age depletes the planet's resources, two massive multinational coalitions wage a brutal war for the only cause that matters—survival. Armed with a devastating arsenal of futuristic weaponry and gear, including active camouflage, EMP grenades, and sentry guns, plus Battle Walkers and vast airborne bases called Titans, you must coordinate the efforts of your teammates to win the war for Earth's last fragile pieces of livable land. With extensive improvements to the groundbreaking Battlefield 2TM ranking and upgrade system and the new Titan gameplay mode, Battlefield 2142 brings the franchise's award-winning online warfare into a harsh and desperate future.

Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars - The year is 2047. A massive nuclear fireball explodes high in the
night sky, marking the dramatic beginning of the Third Tiberium War and the long-awaited return of the most groundbreaking Real-Time Strategy franchise of all time. Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars unveils the future of RTS gaming by bringing you back to where it all began: the Tiberium Universe. With the corrupt substance Tiberium blanketing most of the Earth, the infamous Kane is back to lead his Brotherhood of Nod in a massive global assault on the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and the few remaining livable Blue Zones left on the planet. Only you can stop him. Featuring state-of-the-art next-generation graphics, an epic story, and truly innovative features such as the ability to transform online battles into a spectator sport, Command & Conquer is about to reinvent RTS gaming ... again. Welcome back, Commander.

Further rounding out EA's portfolio of Mac games is the release of Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 08 and
Madden NFL 08 in the September/October window.

In addition to these games, other EA titles available for Mac include The SimsTM 2, The Sims 2 Open for
Business, The Sims 2 Pets, The Sims 2 Nightlife, The Sims 2 University, The Sims 2 Family Fun Stuff, The
Sims 2 Seasons, The Sims 2 Life Stories and more.

Screenshots from the games can be found at http://www.info.ea.com.

I don't spend much time looking at Epic's current offering or what their product line is — we've always just done our own thing at id, so we don't spend too much time thinking about them...

We have the PS3, the 360, the PC and the Mac all running at a very high frame-rate - basically all running at 60fps right now - and what's really unique is that when an artist builds an asset they don't know what they're building it for. They build the exact same model, the exact same level, and it doesn't matter what platform they're putting it on. That's a huge breakthrough. A lot of times you'd have your PS3-optimized assets, your Xbox-optimized assets, your PC-optimized assets, and at the end of the project you'd do this ugly Mac port. If not an ugly PC port. We think that the fact developers can cleanly simultaneously develop all four platforms is a huge change.

Prices range from $1199 to $2299 with LCD screens running from 20" to 24". For the record, the lowest end iMac in the new configuration just meets the minimum specs for BioShock. Interested gamers with thousands of dollars and Mac gaming on their minds should probably look somewhere in the mid-range. And, yes, you can use a two-button mouse, for Christ's sake.

This concludes my Apple Computers viral marketing broadcast. (Buy a Mac.)

iMac - Technology [Apple]

John Carmack today announced id Software's new franchise, Rage, a game that blends the best elements of action and adventure built on id's new id Tech 5 engine and developed for a simultaneous launch on the PC, Mac, PS3 and Xbox 360.

Todd Hollenshead, CEO of id Software, walked me through what to expect from the game and the Quake Con presentation earlier this afternoon.

"It's more than just a first-person shooter, we will show vehicles and racetracks, driving and racing elements," he said. "It is an action-oriented game but with a lot of adventure elements. It will be story driven, but you can also choose your own route to go through things."

The game's basic story is one centered around an oppressive "machine" you are rallying against. While the game, which id has been working on for more than 18 months, will still have indoor and outdoor shooter elements, it will also have plenty of racing including some road rage and the ability to mod and soup up your vehicle.

While Rage will be the first game to launch on id Tech 5, that doesn't mean that id has ruled out future versions of their exiting franchises hitting the new engine, Hollenshead said.

"We haven't made the decision that that's not going to happen, it just isn't internally." he said. "We've been helping out with Quake 4 and with Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, but we wanted to do something new and different and get everyone's creative juices flowing. That's the impetus behind this. id is a studio that has the ability to launch new IPs and give people something new and not have to swim as much upstream."

While the fact that id Software is working on an entirely new franchise is exciting, the big news, Hollenshead said, is the engine the game is running on an engine that can allow a developer to create games for the Mac, the PC, the Xbox 360 and the PS3 simultaneously by using identical media for all four platforms.

"Rage looks the same on all four platforms. It's all the same media, it's the same art, literally" he said. "It's damn hard to do that, but if you're a genius you'll figure out how to do it and that's what (Carmack) has done."

The brief tech demo of Rage shown at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference was running at 60hz on the Mac, something it will do on all platforms without any discernible difference, he said.

Typically when a game is being developed for multiple platforms, Hollenshead said, you have to lower the resolution for different platforms, or have less stuff in the environment going on. But with id Tech 5 there is no changes in any of the versions, Hollenshead said.

"That is huge, you don't have to have a second, third development team working on your different ports," he said. "For instance with a game based on a movie license, where you are tied to a specific launch date, previously you had your problem platform and you would put 150 people on it to get it to work. There's no need for that with id Tech 5 as long as you are prudent with your production management."

I asked Hollenshead about the whole furor surrounding Unreal's engine and accusations that it doesn't work as well with the Playstation 3. Hollenshead acknowledged that the PS3's architecture does have some interesting challenges, but said they figured them out. id brought on one of the top PS3 programmers in the world to help with the design of the engine from the beginning.

"From a architectural standpoint, (id Tech 5) was intended from the beginning to be a multiplatform engine," he said.

While id Software plans to eventually license their new cross-platform engine, that probably won't happen until closer to the end of this year.

Can You Survive The Call Of The Wild? [Official Wolfquest Website, via Joystiq]

Early on in life I was an Etch A Sketch fanatic, though I ruined more than a few smashing them open to see what was inside (its delicious candy, kids!). This announcement brings my gaming life nearly full circle. Just waiting for the release of virtual womb and I am done.

Gameshastra Expands its Worldwide Customer Base, Inks Deal with Freeze Tag for Master Game Development

HYDERABAD, India, July 30, 2007: Gameshastra, India's largest game services provider has signed a Master Game Development Agreement with Freeze Tag, a California based casual game publisher and developer. Gameshastra will develop and Freeze Tag will publish "Etch A Sketch®," a new game inspired by the classic toy from The Ohio Art Company. Under the terms of the agreement, Gameshastra will develop PC, Web, and Mac versions of the game, as well as any future versions for platforms such as Xbox 360 Live Arcade and Nintendo Wii.

Craig Holland, CEO of Freeze Tag says, "We have worked with many offshore developers, and Game Shastra is the first company that has truly 'exported' US game development expertise and management to its offshore operation, while still maintaining a US onshore staff in key developer roles. Gameshastra's talented and experienced management team and competitive pricing were attractive features, but the main reason we picked Gameshastra to develop our high-value licenses was simply the opportunity to work with a really great game development team."

Prakash Ahuja, CEO, of Gameshastra, says "We think Freeze Tag as a publisher has great vision for identifying good titles. It has chosen some very exciting and unique licenses that we hope to develop jointly under this partnership." Ahuja continues, "This agreement with Freeze Tag reiterates our position as a leading global game services provider for both Core and Casual games."

Gameshastra's worldwide customer base has been expanding rapidly as it offers richer, faster and more efficient game services to game publishers globally. "At Gameshastra we provide a very flexible project environment for our customers for game development, game art and game testing in a single location which is very difficult to pull off on-shore, besides offering competitive development costs leading to shorter development timelines and higher quality products," Bjorn Book-Larsson, CTO and VP of Game Development, Gameshastra, said. "Our presence in Los Angeles provides quick response to our customers, and keeps us tightly integrated throughout the entire project."

Image courtesy of Level 99

ESRB Game Ratings

We're guessing that Apple's move to the Intel chipset has made Unreal-based software a lot easier to port into Apple's OSX. So Epic's confirmation here doesn't just speak for their two popular titles, but for every game based upon the Unreal Engine 3...which is basically every game. You poor Mac gamers have suffered long enough. Expect to see a lot more titles coming your way in the future. Epic Confirms Gears... [insidemacgames]

Marathon:Resurrection 2.0 Complete Release [Official Project Site, via BeyondUnreal]

The GameTap client for Macintosh will rely on Cider, the "wrapper" that allows Windows-based games to play on Mac OSX. That means some of GameTap's offerings won't be immediately available to Mac gamers, including releases like Sam & Max, Tomb Raider: Anniversary and Far Cry.

GameTap for Mac users will, however, have access to over 500 classic games, including titles released for the Sega Saturn and Dreamcast when the full service is launched. Michael McWhertor

GameTap to bring classic gaming service for Mac [MacWorld]

EA and id have announced their support of the under-supported Mac gaming platform, that means there'll be a steady flow of Mac-geared games. Right? Well... Over at GameSetWatch, there's a fantastic piece in which Gamasutra Alex Handy chimes in on what this all means:

When it comes down to it, though, this news is just a bunch of fluff. We've been here before. I've been here before. Waaaaaaaay back in 1999, id was right there at MacWorld, with Carmack talking about how rad the OS was, and demanding that a multi-button mouse arrive. And this was Mac OS 9!

People applauded. Those, like myself, who covered the Macintosh gaming world for a living saw a bright future ahead. EA wasn't there, but Activision was, and Aspyr was bringing Madden to the Mac anyway. MacSoft was bringing Unreal Tournament over, and StarCraft was still on the Mac, and still kicking ass.

And then, nothing happened.

Mac Gaming? Hah! [GameSetWatch]

It sounds like EA wasn't the only one hanging out with Steve Jobs today. id co-founder John Carmack showed off the company's new game engine, codenamed id Tech 5, during today's Worldwide Developers Conference 2007.

Carmack showed the audience a canyon fly-through that bore a close resemblance to something seen in Motorstorm. The developer said that they id will be showing off some of their good at this year's E3 on the PC, PS3, Xbox 360 and, yes, evn the Mac. He also said that another Mac announcement was coming at E3. It's gotta be a new multiplatform game. Brian Crecente

Live blogging Jobs [Gizmodo]

UPDATE Id just sent over the official release. Hit the jump to read it.

id Software Debuts id Tech 5
Groundbreaking New Videogame Engine Previewed on a Mac

WWDC, San Francisco, June 11, 2007 - Today, id Software unveiled their never-before-seen next-generation game engine technology, id Tech 5™, running on a Mac at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference. This revolutionary new technology will power the studio's internally created new game property and will be available for licensing to third parties. Previous iterations of id technology have powered games with worldwide retail sales totaling more than $1 billion, cementing id's status as the premier technology provider for the industry.

id Software's co-founder and technical director, John Carmack, demonstrated id Tech 5 during the keynote address and commented, "Since many developers at id have made the switch to the Mac for their personal use, we decided it was now time to bring our core game technology to OS X. After a rapid bring up of the codebase, we were delighted to find that the latest Macs are the fastest systems in our offices for some of the time consuming processing jobs and will be contributing to our development process in many useful ways."

The new id rendering technology practically eliminates the texture memory constraints typically placed on artists and designers and allows for the unique customization of the entire game world at the pixel level, delivering virtually unlimited visual fidelity. Combined with a powerful new suite of tools designed specifically to facilitate and accelerate the content creation process, id Tech 5 will power games that contain vast outdoor landscapes that are completely unique to the horizon, yet have indoor environments with unprecedented artistic detail.

While shown for the very first time running in real time on a Mac, id Tech 5 additionally supports the Xbox 360 and Playstation3 console platforms as well as the PC, and will be available for licensing to developers and publishers interested in working with a truly next-generation rendering and game development solution. id Software will be showing id Tech 5 to interested developers and publishers by appointment only at the E3 Media & Business Summit from July 11 - 13, 2007 in Santa Monica, Calif. Companies interested in id Tech licensing information can visit www.idsoftware.com or email licensing@idsoftware.com with an E3 appointment request.

The latest version of ambient mutual destruction strategy game DEFCON: Everybody Dies allows windows users to take on Mac gamers in the game, Introversion said today.

Another patch, which should hit by the end of the month, will allow Linux gamers to join in the nuclear fun.

Following on from the successes of Uplink and Darwinia, Introversion has teamed up with Mac publisher Ambrosia Software, to bring DEFCON to the Mac.

"We really strive to make our games accessible to as many people as possible, so this version was an important priority for us, and we're looking forward to welcoming some newcomers to DEFCON", confirmed Chris Delay, creative director at Introversion. DEFCON Mac will be available to buy online from Ambrosia Software's website http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com at a price of $25.00.

The new version will also include amBX support for PC gamers so they can actually see and feel the glow, warmth and blow of a bomb extinguishing millions of lives.

Finally, a chance to nuke Mac gamers. Brian Crecente