I've played Warhammer Online with Mac users in the past, but it generally involved them rebooting and twisting dials, injecting strange substances into their machines. Thanks to TransGaming's Cider Portability Engine, Mac users will now be able to double-click an icon like the rest of us, or whatever it is they do with those odd little mice.

"The MMORPG audience continues to expand, and that means gamers eager to experience WAR aren't all playing on a PC," said Jeff Hickman, Executive Producer of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. "We want as many players as possible to experience the glory of Realm vs. Realm combat, and bringing WAR to the Mac makes this an exciting reality."

Players can visit the Mac Warhammer website to download the beta and sign up for a free trial. The official version is due out this fall.

Sorry if I am a bit off when it comes to Mac terminology. It's not that I am PC biased. If I had the money, I'd buy a Mac in an instant, welcoming the feeling of being a complete computer virgin all over again.

Perhaps best known for enabling PC games to play on the Mac, TransGaming now enters the full-on game development biz, partnering with Foreign Media Games on Armin van Buuren – In the Mix. Calling it "the ultimate DJ experience", TransGaming reveals little about their first title in the official announcement other than the involvement of the Dutch trance DJ and host of A State of Trance, the most listened to radio show in the world, with 30 million listeners in more than 40 countries.

It's nice to see TransGaming branching out into console development, but with DJ Hero, Scratch, and DJ Star for the DS in the works, they could have picked a less competitive genre to dive into.

Rather than release the entire game in one large chunk, D3 and TransGaming instead decided to split the original Puzzle Quest and its expansion, Bane of the Plague Lord, into three more manageable chunks, releasing the first one with a lowered level cap on Apple's iTunes App Store for the premium price of $9.99. Does the price match what is essentially one-third of a much larger title, or are players better off playing the versions already released on consoles and dedicated gaming portables?

Loved
The Game Remains The Same: This is still the same Puzzle Quest that I've played through a dozen times, with an extra shot of touchscreen support. The combination of jewel-matching puzzles with roleplaying game concepts like spells, experience points, and stats is just as compelling and addictive as it was the first time I got my hands on the Nintendo DS version of the game.

A Nice-Sized Chunk: Despite being only half of the original Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords game, The Battle of Grulkar still manages to deliver a great deal of gameplay for a relatively modest price. You not only get half of the main quest, which is a god 18 to 20 hours worth of puzzle battles, you can also continue playing once the story ends, leveling up to 25 (the original cap was 50), conquering cities, capturing monsters, and developing new items and spells in preparation for the release of part two.

Hated
Big Fingers Need Not Apply: The main issue with the porting of Puzzle Quest to the iPhone is that the menus and indeed playing the actual game itself can be frustrating with the tiny touch targets presented. While touching worked on the Nintendo DS with a stylus, having to hit impossibly small menu buttons with the tip of your finger, especially with fingers as large as mine, gets old fast. The game seems a bit more forgiving in terms of actually moving gems during battle, but you still have to play pretty close attention to what you are doing in order to avoid screw ups.

A lot have fuss has been made over the price of Puzzle Quest: Grulkar, which gives you half of a $14.99 game for $9.99. At first glance it seems like a bit of a rip off, but when you take into account the fact that TransGaming has included the four additional classes that so far have only appeared in the Xbox 360 downloadable expansion Bane of the Plague Lord, which was included in the recently released PlayStation 3 version. With D3Publisher having confirmed that the next two installments would be at a lower price, it isn't quite as bad a deal as people had feared.

For those of you who've not yet experienced the sublime melding of roleplaying and puzzle genres that Puzzle Quest delivers, Puzzle Quest: The Battle of Grulkar is still one hell of a game, and the perfect title to hide on your strictly-for-business iPhone.

Puzzle Quest: The Battle of Grulkar was developed by TransGaming and published byD3Publisher, released on December 23rd, 2008 for iPhone and iPod Touch. Retails for $9.99. Played game once to completion. Reviewed version 1.1.

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According to Paul Nowosad, Marketing Director at TransGaming, an update is being submitted to the Apple Store this week. This "version 1.1" will fix the bug "as well as address some graphical issues."

Hit the jump for full details on the fix.

"Pretty much what happens is, as soon as people load up 1.1, they’ll have all their characters restored provided they didn’t delete that character to begin with," Paul said in a voicemail message. "For anybody right now who has one character [that's been deleted], it’s not an issue. If they had more than one character, they’re actually in the system, they’re just not able to be seen. If they were to delete a current character [after loading up 1.1], they would have access to the other one. The best thing to do is load in 1.1 version [and see which heroes show up]."

Version 1.1 of Puzzle Quest is being submitted to Apple as we speak, which means the official release for the patch is technically TBD. But it sounds like it won't be long now before I get my level 8 bard back.

“Players will soon be able to join the battle of good versus evil in the most popular comic book MMO on both the PC and Mac platforms…and in the same game world,” commented Brian Clayton, executive producer of City of Heroes for NCsoft West. “Given Mac’s fame as a platform for creative people and City of Heroes’ unprecedented character customization options, I think City of Heroes is a perfect fit for the Mac gaming community.”

Of course City of Heroes will already run on an Inter-based Mac using Boot Camp, but this news just makes it that much more convenient.

NCsoft and TransGaming Announce City of Heroes for the Mac

Battle of Good vs. Evil Now Available on Two Platforms

SEATTLE and TORONTO, Ontario, October 30, 2008 – NCsoft®, the world’s premier publisher and developer of massively multiplayer online games (MMOs), today announced a partnership with TransGaming, Inc. (TSX-V: TNG) to bring their award-winning City of Heroes® franchise to the Apple® Macintosh®. The game has been enabled for the Mac by TransGaming, a leading developer of portability technologies for the electronic entertainment industry. City of Heroes for Mac will be available for public beta testing with the release of the game’s thirteenth expansion, Issue 13: Power and Responsibility later this fall. The official launch will occur pre-holiday this year with a special digital-only Mac edition of City of Heroes, available across all NCsoft West consumer territories.

“Players will soon be able to join the battle of good versus evil in the most popular comic book MMO on both the PC and Mac platforms…and in the same game world,” commented Brian Clayton, executive producer of City of Heroes for NCsoft West. “Given Mac’s fame as a platform for creative people and City of Heroes’ unprecedented character customization options, I think City of Heroes is a perfect fit for the Mac gaming community.”

In City of Heroes, the most popular comic book inspired MMO on the market, players craft their hero or villain identities and join millions of other player created characters in a constantly expanding universe. Unparalleled character customization is a hallmark of the City of Heroes franchise. Players can choose from hundreds of different powers and thousands of costume options, resulting in near limitless personalization. Players may go it alone or band together with others in super groups.

City of Heroes for Mac was made possible using TransGaming's CiderTM Portability Engine, which acts as a "wrapper" around the game software, enabling it to run seamlessly on Intel-based Macs. The partnership with NCsoft to develop and publish City of Heroes for Mac offers the Mac gaming community its first opportunity to do battle in the streets of Paragon City™ and the Rogue Isles™ in a persistent universe with no differentiation between the PC and Mac. “NCsoft’s City of Heroes MMO is an incredible franchise and TransGaming is thrilled to provide Mac gamers the ability to demonstrate their creativity by building their own heroes and villains and immersing themselves in the battle between good and evil,” commented Vikas Gupta, CEO & president of TransGaming. “Through Cider, the Mac version will parallel the developments of the PC version, providing all game updates, new features, and storylines simultaneously on both platforms.”

The City of Heroes Mac Special Edition digital product will be sold at the PlayNC store and at GameTree Online. City of Heroes is rated "T" for Teen. For more information about City of Heroes go to http://www.cityofheroes.com.

“It has been a wild and exciting ride for us at D3Publisher to watch Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords progress from a unique release on handheld platforms to one of the most beloved puzzle game franchises of today, raising demand from gamers everywhere to be able to play it on their platform of choice,” said Yoji Takenaka, President and Chief Executive Officer of North America and Europe, D3Publisher.

Gah! I just want to hug this man and punch him at the same time, but not as much as Crecente, who actually contacted both companies and harassed them about making the port. Thanks, Brian. Look for Puzzle Quest to hit the iPhone and iPod Touch later this fall, at which point I will begin spending all my time in the bathroom.

TransGaming Launches Into iPhone Marketplace with Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

Toronto, Canada,– September 29, 2008 – TransGaming Inc. (TSX-V: TNG), announces the company’s expansion into the development of applications for Apple’s portable devices commencing with Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords® from D3Publisher for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords has been honored with numerous awards and accolades including the prestigious Best Downloadable Game award at the11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards. The title is a natural fit for Apple’s mobile devices and, coupled with TransGaming’s industry experience and technology, will impart a user experience that is being fully customized for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords for the iPhone and iPod Touch portable devices builds on an existing relationship between TransGaming and D3Publisher. “The iPhone and iPod Touch are natural extensions to TransGaming’s existing Mac business and we are focused on bringing only the highest quality content to these devices. Puzzle Quest is an outstanding franchise and we have no doubt this game will have incredible appeal to a broad range of gamers”, commented Vikas Gupta, CEO & President of TransGaming. “We have established a leadership position in bringing top tier games to Mac and we are now setting our sights on the Apple mobile market opportunity.”

“It has been a wild and exciting ride for us at D3Publisher to watch Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords progress from a unique release on handheld platforms to one of the most beloved puzzle game franchises of today, raising demand from gamers everywhere to be able to play it on their platform of choice,” said Yoji Takenaka, President and Chief Executive Officer of North America and Europe, D3Publisher. “After making the rounds on consoles, PC and Mac, we are thrilled to have TransGaming bringing it back to a handheld device, and not just any handheld, but the iPhone—a platform that D3Publisher looks forward to utilizing to reach a whole new group of gamers with this title and many more to come.”

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords offers players a unique combination of classic RPG elements and fun puzzle mechanics. Designed specifically to entertain both casual and hardcore gamers Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords incorporates strategy, role-playing elements and a persistent storyline in a puzzle board setting that is sure to deliver an immersive gaming experience.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is rated “E 10+” (Everyone 10 and older—suggestive themes) for most platforms by the ESRB and is rated “RP” (Rating Pending) for iPhone. The game was originally developed by Infinite Interactive Pty. Ltd. and published by D3Publisher, Inc. The game is being customized for iPhone by TransGaming Inc. and will be available for purchase on the iTunes App Store this fall.

"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.

It isn't just emulation: publishers will need to support Cider and will sell copies of PC games that are Cider enabled. However, where the ease of use comes in is that they will supposedly not have to port the games to OS X... they can just slap their Windows game on a Cider installer and ship it out.

If TransGaming is successful, Mac gamers should start seeing Cider-enhanced games as early as October. The aim is simultaneous release of both Mac and PC games. About half the staff here at Kotaku are Mac users: we're all crossing our fingers on this one. Florian Eckhardt

'Cider' makes Windows games run on Intel Macs [Yahoo News]