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jorgem4 · Jan 20, 2004, 12:48 PM

Is there a Halo Demo one can download to see if it will run well in ones machine?

Thanks.

Arkham_c · Jan 20, 2004, 01:59 PM

Not yet, no. There is a PC demo, so it's feasible that there could be a Mac one, but so far no demo has been released. You could email MacSoft and ask if one is forthcoming.

Angus_D · Jan 24, 2004, 04:10 AM

There isn't and they have indicated that there won't be one. Your only option to see how well it will run is to pirate the full game. Yes, this sucks. Tell MacSoft that you think this sucks.

a2daj · Jan 24, 2004, 02:25 PM

Where did you hear that there won't be a Mac demo of Halo? Even suggesting someone pirate the game to see how it runs is stupid and irresponsible.

blizzard · Jan 24, 2004, 10:55 PM

One might think a better idea as to how well your system might run the game would be incorporated into my friend the 'minimum system requirements' on the side of the box?

madmacgames · Jan 25, 2004, 12:12 AM

Well seeing as though out of their 7 flagship games on their main page and the 10 on their "Games" page, only 2 of them offer demos (tech demos at that), I really would not expect a Halo demo. I would not be surprised if a tech demo was released, but I would not count on it. As I recall both the Neverwinter Nights and UT2003 tech demos were released prior to the games being released.. It does not look good for a Halo demo.

Luca Rescigno · Jan 25, 2004, 04:48 AM

Originally posted by blizzard:
One might think a better idea as to how well your system might run the game would be incorporated into my friend the 'minimum system requirements' on the side of the box?

Those never tell you anything important. Some games have "minimum requirements" that must be raised greatly to be truly honest, while others can be played on a system far below the minimum specifications.

a2daj · 06:23 AM

The PC Halo demo came out after the game was released. As for the Mac demo, if you think about it, they spent most of their time finishing up Mac Halo. Once it was done, they got the 1.0.31 code and then came Christmas, New Years, and Macworld SF, three big events that aren't exactly conducive to getting things done. The actual demo porting could be relatively easy since it's just the Silent Cartographer and Bloodgulch but it still takes time to do it, plus test it, and then get it approved.

When Mac Halo 1.0.31 finally came out, NVIDIA users got a nice surprise with the NV Shaders for the GF3, GF4Ti, and GFFX5200. That patch had more involved in it than just rolling in the 1.0.31 code. Shader's aren't exactly trivial to write, especially with various shader languages to work with. I believe the extensions for the NVShaders are new with Panther, and they have some issues with 10.3.2.

Since the NVIDIA cards got some new shaders, it's possible that they may be working on new shaders for the Radeon 8500 and 9000 class video cards as well (maybe I should ask them before I get people's hopes up...), using ATI extensions (like ATI_text_fragment_shader). If that were true (have no idea if it is or isn't) then maybe they would rather get those cards working before releasing a demo. You want a demo to show off the game, right? So, wouldn't you want as many cards as possible to run the game looking as good as possible? That way, they can have a highly polished demo to show off the game.

Arkham_c · Jan 26, 2004, 08:50 AM

From a MacCentral article today:

"There's no demo available."

Another common argument some Mac pirates use to justify their actions is that there isn't or wasn't a demo version of the game available at the time that they stole it. The CEOs are sympathetic to gamers who want to kick the tires before they buy, but they don't accept the rationalization.

Now that Halo is finished and has been updated to version 1.03, Tamte said that MacSoft is focused on bringing forth a demo version of Halo.

"MacSoft releases demos for the majority of its games and a demo of Halo will be available shortly," said Tamte. "Besides, regardless of why you're stealing that game, you're stealing, and it's illegal."

madmacgames · Jan 26, 2004, 10:09 AM

Originally posted by Arkham_c:
From a MacCentral article today:

"MacSoft releases demos for the majority of its games and a demo of Halo will be available shortly," said Tamte. "Besides, regardless of why you're stealing that game, you're stealing, and it's illegal."

Ha, since when has 2/10 been a majority?

a2daj · Jan 26, 2004, 01:15 PM

Originally posted by madmacgames:
Ha, since when has 2/10 been a majority?

Since we got a president who didn't win the popular vote?

OwlBoy · Jan 26, 2004, 02:50 PM

I hear there is one coming, partly to help stop piracy.

-Owl

Angus_D · Jan 27, 2004, 12:20 PM

Originally posted by OwlBoy:
I hear there is one coming, partly to help stop piracy.

Indeed - I seem to remember someone getting an e-mail from either Westlake or MacSoft indicating that they wouldn't be making one. I guess they reversed that decision. This is a good thing.

Angus_D · Jan 27, 2004, 12:20 PM

Originally posted by a2daj:
Even suggesting someone pirate the game to see how it runs is stupid and irresponsible.

I'm sorry, where did I say that? I just said it was the only way to check how well it runs on your computer.

a2daj · Jan 27, 2004, 01:15 PM

Originally posted by Angus_D:
I'm sorry, where did I say that? I just said it was the only way to check how well it runs on your computer.

You answered your own question.

ae77 · Jan 27, 2004, 09:28 PM

they were stupid anyway for not releasing a demo.

min. system req. don't mean anything. playable could mean running at 7 fps.

blizzard · Jan 27, 2004, 10:05 PM

Originally posted by ae77:
they were stupid anyway for not releasing a demo.

min. system req. don't mean anything. playable could mean running at 7 fps.

I'm pretty sure the game guys know better than to do that. THEY have to play it too.

a2daj · Jan 28, 2004, 11:52 AM

Originally posted by ae77:
they were stupid anyway for not releasing a demo.

min. system req. don't mean anything. playable could mean running at 7 fps.

Uh, it was either release Halo and then the update, or release Halo, then the demo, then the update. If they did the latter, people right now would be bitching and moaning about the Halo 1.03 patch not being released and that MacSoft sucks because they don't support their games. No matter what, armchair Mac publishers will bitch.

madmacgames · Jan 28, 2004, 12:25 PM

Originally posted by a2daj:
Uh, it was either release Halo and then the update, or release Halo, then the demo, then the update. If they did the latter, people right now would be bitching and moaning about the Halo 1.03 patch not being released and that MacSoft sucks because they don't support their games. No matter what, armchair Mac publishers will bitch.

uh, actually MacSoft/Destineer's recent history of releasing game "demos" has been: develop game, release tech demo as game nears completion, release the game.

Angus_D · Jan 29, 2004, 04:15 PM

Originally posted by a2daj:
You answered your own question.

I didn't suggest that someone should do it, I was merely making a perfectly valid and truthful observation.

Angus_D · Jan 29, 2004, 04:17 PM

Originally posted by a2daj:
Uh, it was either release Halo and then the update, or release Halo, then the demo, then the update. If they did the latter, people right now would be bitching and moaning about the Halo 1.03 patch not being released and that MacSoft sucks because they don't support their games. No matter what, armchair Mac publishers will bitch.

No, I'm pretty sure I read a claim a while back that they wouldn't release a demo. They appear to have reversed that decision since a lot of people were pirating it.

a2daj · Jan 29, 2004, 06:11 PM

Originally posted by madmacgames:
uh, actually MacSoft/Destineer's recent history of releasing game "demos" has been: develop game, release tech demo as game nears completion, release the game.

With the holiday season approaching and the Halo ship date so close to Christmas I don't think they could take the time out to get a demo working, which is why I said the things I did. We're talking specifically about Halo here.

a2daj · Jan 29, 2004, 06:13 PM

Originally posted by Angus_D:
Your only option to see how well it will run is to pirate the full game.

For those who can't read minds this sure looks like a suggestion.

a2daj · Jan 29, 2004, 06:15 PM

Originally posted by Angus_D:
No, I'm pretty sure I read a claim a while back that they wouldn't release a demo. They appear to have reversed that decision since a lot of people were pirating it.

I don't recall reading any claims by MacSoft representatives. I've only seen claims by people who believe that MacSoft was purposely trying to rip people off by not releasing a demo so they can test it out before they buy Halo.