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Aspyr bringing latest Civ 5 expansion to the Mac same day as PC
Firaxis has announced a brand-new expansion pack for Civilization 5, called Brave New World. The expansion, coming later on this summer, will add new civs, units, buildings and wonders to the game, along with the ability to create trade routes that circle the world, and ideologies that can be used to win a cultural victory or a World Congress that will make the diplomatic game more complex than ever. And the best news about this expansion for us Mac gamers is that it's going to arrive same day and date as the Windows version, thanks to the developers at Aspyr. Aspyr teased this to us when we talked with them earlier this year, but it's now official: The Mac version of Brave New World will be out right alongside the Windows version. Having the Mac and Windows versions available on the same day is a good thing. The expansion will be US$29.99 when it drops, and we'll keep an eye out for an official release date.
Aspyr Media charges on in the wild world of Mac gaming
I've been vocal for many, many years now about Aspyr and their like, and exactly how I feel about them. I'm a big fan of gaming, of course, and a big fan of Apple and the Mac. And Aspyr sits right at the intersection of those two worlds: They're a company, based in Austin with about 50 employees, that ports AAA and big-budget games over to the OS X platform. Given my dissatisfaction with the company and how vocal I'd been about it in the past, it was with not a little bit of temerity that I went to finally meet with them here at Macworld 2013. But Aspyr's VP of Publishing Elizabeth Howard and Sales Manager Michael Blair kindly welcomed me into the company's suite and sat down to talk about the state of Mac gaming from their point of view. The good news is that Aspyr has seen all of the signs that I've seen the past few years, and the two main concerns I've had for so long are their concerns as well. Buggy ports of PC games on the Mac was a big problem, but in the past few years Aspyr has worked hard to make things better, and even I'd agree that the ports we're seeing these days, from Aspyr and other companies, are light years better than what we used to see. The other big complaint I've had is delays -- games on the Mac often come out months or even years behind their PC and console releases. But both Howard and Blair agreed this was an issue as well, and in fact one of their biggest concerns. Late Mac releases was "definitely the most important thing to us in 2012," said Howard. Aspyr is working as hard as it can to juggle licensing partnerships, engineers, code bases and platforms to try and get these games out as close to the PC release as possible, and Howard says that "it's getting much better." With a few exceptions, Aspyr essentially has the porting process down to just a couple of months, with most releasing coming out either day and date or soon after. It's not perfect. Just recently, Aspyr had to release Borderlands 2 without multiplayer content on the Mac App Store, though it was able to get multiplayer ready for the Mac Steam release (and the Mac App Store patch is coming as soon as it's ready). But both Howard and Blair said they share the timing concerns, both because they are fans of Mac games, and simply because games released alongside the PC versions (and alongside all of the marketing and promotion for them) . "Revenue is a huge difference for us" when games are released together, said Blair. It turns out that fans like me aren't the only ones bugging Aspyr -- the companies they license the games from aren't always helpful either. Not only do a lot of AAA developers not have time for Mac ports, but they often don't have time to even help Aspyr figure out what code goes where, which adds time to the process and frustrations to Aspyr's engineers. Finally, Aspyr has one more source of concern, and it's the distributors that it chooses to deal with. The company releases games on its own website through the official GameAgent store, but most of its sales come these days through either Steam or the Mac App Store, and Howard says those are two very different marketplaces. How sales look on one or the other tends to depend on the title you're talking about (Rollercoaster Tycoon 3, for example, does well on the Mac App Store, while Borderlands 2 is a much better hit on Steam, presumably because of that multiplayer problem, among other things). But Howard said that just releasing games on one platform or the other is even more work for the company's engineers: Steam has its own achievements and features, and the Mac App Store of course has Game Center and other features to deal with. I asked Howard, given how much success the company has found on the Mac App Store, what Apple could do better for games like theirs, and she said Steam is really leading the charge in supporting game developers. Steam "engages that audience constantly," she said, putting together lots of regular sales and promotions for customers to find, and leaving promotional banners and ads up as long as their relevant, rather than changing them out from week to week. Apple, on the other hand, isn't quite as active in its promotion, and definitely isn't as open in terms of how it deals with the store, says Howard. That seems to be a legacy of Apple's relationship with gaming in general: The company has never really understood gamers, and even on the Mac App Store tends to promote and sell more of its own apps rather than much more popular games. Aspyr didn't have a lot of information to share about their exact catalog this year (unfortunately, recent changes in the gaming industry have put some of their titles in question for the moment), but Howard said the content lineup for 2013 would be very impressive. She promised more content for Civ 5 (Aspyr has published both the game and the Gods and Kings expansion on the Mac), some more indie-style titles, and lots of other new titles on Mac and Steam. Howard also mentioned, though again without specifics, that the company was thinking about a new plan as well: Bringing "catalog Mac experiences" over to the iOS platform. She mentioned Grand Theft Auto: Vice City as a desktop game that had done well on Apple's mobile devices, and said that Aspyr was considering bringing games that were a few years old to touchscreens. There's no more information on that, unfortunately, but it was definitely an intriguing idea. Aspyr is definitely working hard to try and make all of its Mac ports better, and while I'm still not completely satisfied with the release schedule (and I definitely got the impression that Howard and Blair weren't yet either), it's definitely clear that the company is facing a whole lot of pressure from all sides for doing something that all of us Mac gamers want: Bringing us high profile games that run natively on the computers that we love. The quality and timing of the ports has gotten better over the last few years for sure, and I would no longer call the company "a complete dealbreaker," as I wrote five years ago. Still, there's always room for improvement, and hopefully we'll see even more of it this year, as Aspyr is able to convince more and more of the companies it licenses games from just how wonderful and loyal the Mac community can be.
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy enrolls in Mac App Store, cross-platform on Steam
Aspyr has ported Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy to Mac, available today through the Mac App Store or as a cross-platform Steam Play game. Tuition for the Jedi Academy will set Padawans – and whatever the Sith equivalent of a Padawan is – back $9.99.Of course, if you've already purchased the Windows version on Steam, you get access to the Mac port as part of that initial purchase. Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy requires OS X 10.7.5 or higher – if you're looking to enroll in a real Jedi class, you should probably think about moving to New York.
Mac Game of the Week: Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
Odds are that you may have played Knights of the Old Republic once before, but even if so, you may want to pick it up and go through it again anyway. These days, it's a classic, but back when we first heard Bioware (the company behind legendary RPGs like Baldur's Gate) was going to try and make its mark on the Star Wars universe, gamers weren't sure what to expect. What they got when the game released in 2003, however, was a brilliant take on George Lucas' universe, a fascinating tale of the light and dark sides of the Force, and a tactical yet action-packed tour through the history of the world of lightsabers. Knights of the Old Republic cemented Bioware's reputation as a legendary RPG company, and not only did it push them on to make great titles like the Mass Effect and Dragon Age series, but it spawned a universe of its own, including the Obsidian-developed sequel and eventually The Old Republic MMORPG. And yet, despite its age (almost ten years now!), Knights of the Old Republic still tells a great yarn of a story, with some brilliant dialogue, tough decisions to make, and plenty of lightsaber and blaster fighting. Plus, right now the game is only $4.99 on the Mac App Store, and at that price, the title is a must-have. You may have played through this once already, either on the original Xbox or the PC, but KotOR is a classic, and it's a great game addition to any Mac as well.
Borderlands 2 now available on Mac
Odds are that you're seeing Borderlands 2 on sale all over the Internet today, as Black Friday goes down (and we head towards Cyber Monday next week). But we did want to let you know that just in case you were waiting for a Mac version, the wait ended last week. Aspyr has released the Mac port of the sequel to Gearbox's popular open-world shooter, and you can get it nearly everywhere Borderlands 2 is available. Including on Steam, where it's currently on sale for US$44.99. I haven't had much time to play it yet, but the reviews on this one are great, and especially if you were a fan of the first title, there's definitely reason to grab this and play it on the Mac of your choice. Enjoy, and here's hoping you find all of your other Black Friday deals today as well.
Borderlands 2 on Mac Nov. 20
Borderlands 2, which has already shipped 5 million copies on other platforms, will become available for Mac players on November 20. Porting duties will be handled by Aspyr, purveyor of many major Mac ports.The Mac version will support the same drop-in/drop-out features found elsewhere, so the Apple crowd won't be left out of some of the best co-op action of the year.%Gallery-161206%
Black Ops takes down Mac on September 27
Call of Duty: Black Ops is set to invade Mac on September 27 through Steam and a host of other digital retailers, port wizard Aspyr announced.Black Ops will run $50, including the First Strike Content Pack. The Rezurrection Content Pack will hit digital shelves at the same time, sold separately for $15, and Escalation and Annihilation will be available later on as a bundle.The Steam version will not include SteamPlay. Black Ops will be available via the Mac App Store "shortly after" the September 27 launch.
Call of Duty: Black Ops to invade Macs on Sep. 27
Get ready, Call of Duty fans. Aspyr Media has announced that Call of Duty: Black Ops will be available for Macs as of September 27. The hugely popular first-person military shooter has been available for Windows machines and consoles since 2010. Later this month it will debut in the Mac App Store and Steam for Macs simultaneously. The game will cost US$49.99 and include the First Strike add-on pack. This will mark the first stand-alone Mac app that Aspyr has released to Steam. And I haven't finished wasting time with Modern Warfare yet. [Via The Loop]
Call of Duty: Black Ops makes a run at Mac this fall
While Treyarch is hard at work on Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 for this year, its previous game is getting ready to hit the Mac.A Mac port of the hugely popular FPS is currently underway at Texas-based Aspyr Media. You may recall Aspyr's previous efforts porting Windows games to Apple's platform, including 2007's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. System specs for Black Ops aren't known right now, but we can't imagine they'll be much different from Modern Warfare's requirements.
Rage: Campaign Edition available on Mac for your pleasure, anger
Rage has officially launched on Mac with the Campaign Edition, which includes the complete single-player campaign, the Wasteland sewer missions and Anarchy Edition content for $40. Rage: Campaign Edition is available through the Mac App Store, publisher Aspyr's Game Agent, and other Mac retailers (excluding Steam, it seems).Obviously Rage: Campaign Edition doesn't include multiplayer, but we assume that's why it's not called Rage.
TUAW Giveaway: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for Mac
One thing I love about the Mac App Store is that, game-wise, it eliminates the need to insert physical media into your Mac to play games. Over the past few days I've been playing Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare on my MacBook Pro, and without the need for a disc, the game just flies, which helps make it that much more enjoyable. It also, of course, helps that Call of Duty is a heck of a great series. TUAW has teamed up with Aspyr to give away three Mac App Store copies of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare to some lucky readers. To enter the giveaway, mentally prepare yourself to take down some bad guys and then simply leave a comment below. As always, here are the rules: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter leave a comment on this post. The comment must be left before Tuesday, April 12, 2011, 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. Three winners will be selected in a random drawing. Each winner will receive one Mac App Store promo code for a copy of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Value: US$49.99). Click Here for complete Official Rules.
Civilization 5 for Mac dated Nov. 23, 2010 CE
Porting powerhouse Aspyr Media has announced the Mac version of Civ 5 will be available through its GameAgent retail portal -- both digital and boxed copies -- on November 23. Confirmation of its exact availability on Steam is pending. Estimated system specs are posted after the break.
Civilization 5 brings diplomacy to Mac this holiday
Guys, can you believe it? Mac is, like, totally a gaming platform now! We never thought we'd say that but with support from Valve, Blizzard and the likes of PopCap, it's gotta be an exciting time for Mac-owning gaming enthusiasts. And joining the platform is the sensation dominating your nation, Civilization 5. Aspyr has announced that it'll publish the 2K Games/Firaxis sequel on Apple's computer platform "this holiday season." Sorry, no exact launch date for the port beyond that. Oh, and sorry-er, but the press release doesn't mention the first DLC pack, which is set to launch on PC later this month. We've sent a caravan bearing goods and questions to Aspyr and 2K Games and will let you know what we hear back.
Report: Aspyr lays off majority of staff
In what's apparently the latest game industry victim of a down economy, Big Download reports that, according to its sources, Austin, Texas-based publisher Aspyr has laid off more than 50 percent of its employees. Though you likely recognize the Aspyr name from its PC-to-Mac ports, the company recently published the Call of Duty Classic port on XBLA and PSN, as well as Fighting Fantasy and Treasure World on DS. We've been in contact with Aspyr in attempt to clarify the situation over there. We'll keep you posted.
Hands-on: Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (DS)
Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is based on a fantasy gamebook of the same name -- essentially Dungeons & Dragons crossed with Choose Your Own Adventure. In my case, the story I managed to weave for myself is the epic tale of an adventurer who wanders into a cave and is swiftly murdered by dwarves. %Gallery-69535%
First look in first-person: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain
click to Firetop Mountain-sizeAspyr kindly sent us some exclusive screens and artwork for Big Blue Bubble's Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, the action-RPG based on the classic roleplaying book. Looking over the screenshots, we get a very mid-'90s PC RPG vibe, which is totally cool with us. Stuff like Etrian Odyssey and The Dark Spire satisfies our nostalgia for even older first-person role-playing, but these high-detail 2D sprites on 3D backgrounds hit a different era of nostalgia. Also in the gallery, two panoramic pieces of environment concept art like the "Dwarven Room" above. The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is expected to reach the Fortress of Retail this holiday season.%Gallery-69535%
Steam weekend sale: Velvet Assassin, X3: Terran Conflict, Men of War
If our inability to finish Velvet Assassin hasn't diminished your interest in the game, know that Steam is slashing 50% off its price this weekend. Joining the stealth title in this weekend's sale is Egosoft's X3: Terran Conflict, which has also been discounted by 50%, and Aspyr's Men of War, which has been discounted by a huge 75%. Of course, none of this probably matters to most Steam users, as they're most likely enjoying a romp through Monkey Island right about now.
Warlock of Firetop Mountain dev: 'big guys' not interested in DS-exclusive games
Big Blue Bubble had difficulty finding a publisher for The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, its newly announced DS adaptation of the Fighting Fantasy book series, before finally discovering Aspyr Media. Damir Slogar, the developer's CEO, told CVG (who also has the first screens of the game) that other publishers expressed a lack of interest in the game based on its platform."Everyone we showed the game loved it but the 'big guys' like EA, Ubi or Activision were not interested in DS only titles," Slogar said. That attitude is no surprise from the massively multiplatform EA and Activision, but it's unusual coming from Ubisoft, which has the DS-exclusive COP: The Recruit on the way and has made a pile of money from the infamous, primarily DS-based Petz and Imagine lines.
Snap Judgment: Treasure World (DS)
Treasure World is such an innovative, potentially important game that I felt like it needed to be highlighted with a review, if only to get the word out about one of the most clever ideas to hit the DS (a system overrun with clever ideas). However, time constraints and Wi-Fi issues prevented me from obtaining what I would consider an exhaustive enough experience for an authoritative review. Hence, Snap Judgment.%Gallery-67057%
Dreamkiller: It's like Psychonauts and Painkiller had a baby
click to PROBE THE INSIDIOUS DEPTHS OF THE SUBCONSCIOUS (ie: peep the gallery) What is Dreamkiller? It's like Psychonauts and Painkiller had a baby, and that baby has grown into an angry teenager who then scratched the design doc for the game on the outside of his notebook. Mindware Studios – the developers behind Painkiller Overdose – are back to "probe the insidious depths of the subconscious" with Dreamkiller for the Xbox 360 and PC platforms, available this fall.Ever wanted to go "inside the dark and twisted nightmares of tortured souls possessed by unknown forces"? Yeah, us neither ... but that's just what you'll do in the "role of Alice Drake, a psychologist with the extraordinary ability to enter the minds of her patients and combat the ravenous foes haunting their dreams." So, 12 "mega-bloodbath" single-player levels and "numerous multiplayer modes" are what they're offering.The bad news: that same design doc was already used for some levels in Psychotoxic, where you also play a female protagonist who can enter people's dreams and do battle with their subconscious. Our own Ludwig Kietzmann, in a previous life, wrote, "Setting yourself on fire and then diving into a pool of broken glass is more fun than playing this absolute disaster of a game." So, the good news: it couldn't possibly be any worse than Psychotoxic. %Gallery-67105%
