Apple's official Mac gaming solution: Windows
Tired of the long wait for the few games that do get ported to Mac OS X? Tired of waiting for that one favorite game to get upgraded to Universal so you can play it on your Intel Mac? Tired of playing an unaccelerated Half-Life 2 on the hacked together, unsupported version of Windows XP you managed to get running on your Mac? This morning, Apple announced an official solution: use Windows, with (almost) full hardware support.
"Boot Camp lets you install Windows XP without moving your Mac data, though you will need to bring your own copy to the table, as Apple Computer does not sell or support Microsoft Windows." The download includes a driver CD with Windows XP compatible drivers for the ATi graphics chips, Intel's integrated graphics chips, ethernet, audio, WiFi, Bluetooth, and more. The only unsupported items are iSight, the Apple remote, Apple's USB modem, and the MacBook Pro's backlit keyboard.
While this is great news for would be hardcore Mac gamers, whose choices have been limited by market pressures for years, it also raises doubts about the continued economic viability of porting games from Windows to Mac OS. Will companies continue to invest the resources in providing a seamless Mac experience for gamers, or expect them to pony up for XP and dual boot their boxes?
[Via TUAW]
