Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

Captain Egotist · Mar 10, 2005, 02:45 AM

Can I buy a PC version of halo just for the CD key? Then pirate the game? I don't want to pay $40 for a game that old.... the PC price is reasonable, the mac price is not.

- Rob

i am yujin · Mar 10, 2005, 04:18 AM

Yeah..it is horrible paying around $40 for a Mac game rather than $20 for a PC game that has been out for an year already..

..but whatever, I've gotten used to it after like 8 years of it.

And to answer it, unless they have some check online for CD-Keys, I highly doubt they would be able to make some sort of difference between PC and Mac keys.

Cadaver · Mar 10, 2005, 10:34 AM

...then chalk up one less Mac sale and one more PC sale, making future Mac games even more expensive and fewer in number.

Captain Egotist · Mar 10, 2005, 01:13 PM

Originally posted by Cadaver:
...then chalk up one less Mac sale and one more PC sale, making future Mac games even more expensive and fewer in number.

I really don't give a ****. If they want me to buy the mac version, price it like the PC version. It's stupid that this game is still $40, it's been out like 2 years. Also, the reason that mac games are so expensive and few is that 99% of people who enjoy games have a pc. Why? Because the graphics cards in EVERY SINGLE MAC COMPUTER are not only shitty, they're not upgradeable. The one exception is the ever expensive powermac, which most gamers cannot afford.

- Rob

goMac · Mar 10, 2005, 03:46 PM

Originally posted by Captain Egotist:
I really don't give a ****. If they want me to buy the mac version, price it like the PC version. It's stupid that this game is still $40, it's been out like 2 years. Also, the reason that mac games are so expensive and few is that 99% of people who enjoy games have a pc. Why? Because the graphics cards in EVERY SINGLE MAC COMPUTER are not only shitty, they're not upgradeable. The one exception is the ever expensive powermac, which most gamers cannot afford.

- Rob

Halos only been out for a little more than a year...

What does the graphics cards Macs ship with have to do with the Mac game companies? The two points aren't connected. Mac game companies decide which games to keep porting by how many Mac sales there are. If GreatGame 1 only sells 10,000 copies on the Mac side, while the PC version sells 5 million, a company like Aspyr may decide GreatGame 2 is not worth porting, because GreatGame 1 sold poorly. Added to that, because you bought the PC version and pirated the Mac version, MacSoft is getting ripped off of the extra work they had to put in to port and optimize the Mac version. Do you think they're just taking the PC code, compiling for Mac, and throwing it into a box? They had to do a lot of extra work beyond the PC version to make it work on Mac, and that is what that $20 is going for. You're still cheating the software industry because you're not paying for the extra work that brought that game to the Mac. So next time around there won't be a Mac version to use a PC serial with. There will only be a PC version. It's not like MacSoft made any money when you bought the PC version.

I agree the price is high (It was still $50 at the local CompUSA), but what your doing does hurt the industry. If you like how games are so much cheaper on the PC, go get a PC. Thats what I did for games.

Captain Egotist · Mar 10, 2005, 04:06 PM

Originally posted by goMac:
Halos only been out for a little more than a year...

It's been out a long long time on the Xbox.

What does the graphics cards Macs ship with have to do with the Mac game companies? The two points aren't connected.

A lot. They're VERY connected. The fact is, that macs suck at gaming. Why? Video cards. Computer games are aimed at the consumer market, and Apple's consumer lineup has always suffered from incredibly outdated pathetic video cards. The original imac for example... a Rage IIC. 2 megs. THey quickly realized how horrible it was, and replaced it with the mighty rage turbo (6 meg). They've always been about a generation behind... when the geforce 2mx was hot, they were still using Rage 128s. When the Geforce 3 was hot, they started using Geforce2MXs. It's fine that they come that way, because honestly most mac users do not need a very good video card. HOWEVER, the fact that all the video cards are part of the main board and NOT UPGRADEABLE is a real problem. You're left iwth a consumer lineup that's unable to play today's games, and if someone WANTED to, they'd have to sell their entire system and either purchase a PC, or spend shitloads of money on apple's professional series power macs. Considering that most people don't have that kind of money, people interested in games usually end up purchasing a PC. Out of all my friends, the BIGGEST MOST GLARING REASON they will not get a mac is one thing: Gaming. In order to game remotely well, YOU NEED A POWERMAC. $$$$$$$$.

Mac game companies decide which games to keep porting by how many Mac sales there are.

Exactly. And the number of mac systems that can play a game DECENTLY decide how many POTENTIAL customers there are for said game. Considering the VAST majority of all apple computers are consumer level machiens with shitty video cards, this means that the mac market for a game is even SMALLER.

If GreatGame 1 only sells 10,000 copies on the Mac side, while the PC version sells 5 million, a company like Aspyr may decide GreatGame 2 is not worth porting, because GreatGame 1 sold poorly.

And the reason it sold poorly? Because thousands of mac users WANTED to play it, but htey downloaded the demo and it ran like total ass on their imac. They then come to macNN, and ask how they can upgrade the video card on their iMac, at which point they find out the awful truth: You can't. So, they don't buy the game. A loss.

You're still cheating the software industry because you're not paying for the extra work that brought that game to the Mac. So next time around there won't be a Mac version to use a PC serial with. There will only be a PC version. It's not like MacSoft made any money when you bought the PC version.

I don't really give a ****. A company either suceeds or fails based on the market. The market dictates price, and honestly, $50 is way too ****ing high for me to even remotely consider paying money for a game that old.

I agree the price is high (It was still $50 at the local CompUSA), but what your doing does hurt the industry. If you like how games are so much cheaper on the PC, go get a PC. Thats what I did for games.

This is where I use your own logic to bite you in the ass. If GreatGame 1 only sells 10,000 copies on the Mac side, while the PC version sells 5 million, a company like Aspyr may decide GreatGame 2 is not worth porting, because GreatGame 1 sold poorly. You decided to cheat the mac industry by not purchasing a gaming mac and mac game, and instead you bought a PC and a PC game! So next time around there won't be Mac version at all since you keep buying all the PC versions! There will only be a PC version. It's not like MacSoft made any money when you bought the PC version!

- Ca$h

goMac · 05:08 PM

Bad graphics cards on the Mac gives you no excuse to not pay for the work it took to port the game to the Mac.

Mac game companies have to make money somehow, because they have to pay a license for the game, and it costs them additional money to port to Mac. If you have any other suggestions on how to pay for these things, have at it. Until you come up with something better, Mac game companies have no choice. The alternative is no Mac version at all.

I am not a Mac gamer right now. If I choose to run a game on my Mac, I will buy the Mac version as opposed to pirating it because "I already own the PC version". I own a few games for both platforms because I want to play them on the go for my Powerbook. I don't buy once for PC and think that gives me an excuse to own the Mac version.

Cadaver · Mar 10, 2005, 05:03 PM

Take a look at most pre-built PCs (Dell, HP, eMachines, etc). They all have crappy video cards. The average (sub-$1,000) PC that people buy has just as bad, if not worse (think Intel integrated video) graphic subsystems.

The difference is sheer volume of gaming PCs to gaming Macs, not Apple putting a GeForce FX 5200 in the iMac. Gaming PCs are still on the high-end of the spectrum. Its just that the cost spread of the spectrum is a certain percentage less on the PC side than on the Mac side.

You make it sound like most PCs sold are far more capable game systems compared to most Macs. I would respectfully disagree. Its just that if only 10% of PC buyers buy high-end systems, and 10% of Mac buyers do the same, obviously there will be more high-end game PCs out there.

Its the fault of Apple's low total market share, not the lack of GeForce 6800 Ultras in iMacs. There still would be game porting issues and production limitations even if Apple did put X800 XTs in the Mac minis.

The bottom line is far greater numbers of PC users vs. Mac users. Thus more people to buy the games... thus overall profit after game production is greater... thus games hit the "$20 bin" faster.

Keep buying PC games for the codes and pirating the Mac versions, and there wont be any games left at all to play on your Mac.

Rationalize yourself all you want. You're still wrong.

Captain Egotist · Mar 10, 2005, 05:10 PM

Originally posted by goMac:
Bad graphics cards on the Mac gives you no excuse to not pay for the work it took to port the game to the Mac.

I disagree with you.

Captain Egotist · Mar 10, 2005, 05:16 PM

Originally posted by Cadaver:
Take a look at most pre-built PCs (Dell, HP, eMachines, etc). They all have crappy video cards. The average (sub-$1,000) PC that people buy has just as bad, if not worse (think Intel integrated video) graphic subsystems.

The difference is that they have EXPANSION SLOTS, be it AGP or PCI or whatever. I've had this same argument in another thread and I put together a sub five hundred dollar PC that could lay the smack down on a G5, in terms of gaming performance.

The difference is sheer volume of gaming PCs to gaming Macs, not Apple putting a GeForce FX 5200 in the iMac. Gaming PCs are still on the high-end of the spectrum. Its just that the cost spread of the spectrum is a certain percentage less on the PC side than on the Mac side.

But what MAKES it a gaming system? THE VIDEO CARD. The fact is that you cannot upgrade an iMac's video card, so it will forever be a little bitch and unable to run games very well. This is NOT the case for your average PC box. You can spend $75-150 on a video card, plop it in, and POOF your game performance has improved DRASTICALLY.

You make it sound like most PCs sold are far more capable game systems compared to most Macs. I would respectfully disagree. Its just that if only 10% of PC buyers buy high-end systems, and 10% of Mac buyers do the same, obviously there will be more high-end game PCs out there.

And I'll respectufully disagree with your opinion also. Look, yes, there are HIGH END SYSTEMS on both sides. But what I'm referring to is the middle of the road, or low end systems. Mac has the mini, emac, and imac. PCs ahve tons of cheap boxes. The differnce is that I can throw in a CHEAP (under $50) geforce 4 titanium inside ANY of those PCs and it will utterly destroy any of the macs I listed. For $50.

Keep buying PC games for the codes and pirating the Mac versions, and there wont be any games left at all to play on your Mac. Rationalize yourself all you want. You're still wrong.

Fine. Build yourself a gaming PC and you're doing the same EXACT f*cking thing. Only worse. You're spending more money on PC hardware. I'm doing what all these people in here who have PCs for gaming are doing, only to a LESSER extent.

- Rob

goMac · Mar 10, 2005, 05:17 PM

Originally posted by Captain Egotist:
I disagree with you.

So you're going to blame Apple's mistakes on Aspyr and MacSoft? If you are unhappy with Apple's graphics cards, don't use Apples for games. You can't pirate from one company based on a seperate companies actions.

Thats like saying I'm entitled to pirate PlayStation 2 games because a PlayStation 2 isn't nearly as powerful as the Gamecube. It's rediculous.

Captain Egotist · Mar 10, 2005, 05:22 PM

Originally posted by goMac:
So you're going to blame Apple's mistakes on Aspyr and MacSoft? If you are unhappy with Apple's graphics cards, don't use Apples for games. You can't pirate from one company based on a seperate companies actions.

Thats like saying I'm entitled to pirate PlayStation 2 games because a PlayStation 2 isn't nearly as powerful as the Gamecube. It's rediculous.

>sigh< You know what I just noticed? It seems that people who disagree with me cannot possibly spell ridiculous correctly. I don't know if it's an intelligence issue, or what.

Anyway, about what you said: NO. I blame APPLE for the shitty hardware, and I blame APPLE for the sad state that mac gaming is in today. It isn't MY fault they make it impossible to upgrade the imac or emac or mini. Heck, I have the most upgraded 1st gen imac in the world! I spent a ton of money upgrading it! I supported the mac gaming/upgrade community! That said, I don't think it's UP TO ME TO SAVE MAC GAMING. Apple makes the stupid decisions, they can pay the piper.

Also, I think this whole 'get a PC for gaming' idea is just incredibly ****ing retarded. You guys tell me that I'm KILLING mac gaming companies by being an avid mac user and refusing to buy a PC, and pirating a game... yet you suggest that I purchase a complete PC system, a PC game, and that somehow is more helpful to the mac gaming community? What a load of total horse ****!

- Rob

goMac · Mar 10, 2005, 05:34 PM

Originally posted by Captain Egotist:
>sigh< You know what I just noticed? It seems that people who disagree with me cannot possibly spell ridiculous correctly. I don't know if it's an intelligence issue, or what.

Anyway, about what you said: NO. I blame APPLE for the shitty hardware, and I blame APPLE for the sad state that mac gaming is in today. It isn't MY fault they make it impossible to upgrade the imac or emac or mini. Heck, I have the most upgraded 1st gen imac in the world! I spent a ton of money upgrading it! I supported the mac gaming/upgrade community! That said, I don't think it's UP TO ME TO SAVE MAC GAMING. Apple makes the stupid decisions, they can pay the piper.

Also, I think this whole 'get a PC for gaming' idea is just incredibly ****ing retarded. You guys tell me that I'm KILLING mac gaming companies by being an avid mac user and refusing to buy a PC, and pirating a game... yet you suggest that I purchase a complete PC system, a PC game, and that somehow is more helpful to the mac gaming community? What a load of total horse ****!

- Rob

If you don't like Apple hardware for games, don't buy Apple hardware for games. Simple as that. Apple might notice that. Apple won't notice anything if you keep buying Macs for games. You might as well do something constructive and show Apple you don't like their graphics cards as long as you're destroying Mac gaming.

I'll repeat it again. What you're going is the same thing as pirating PlayStation 2 games and justifying it by saying Gamecube (or insert XBox here if you want) hardware is more powerful so you feel cheated. A rational consumer in this case would buy a Gamecube or an XBox.

Captain Egotist · Mar 10, 2005, 06:05 PM

Originally posted by goMac:
If you don't like Apple hardware for games, don't buy Apple hardware for games. Simple as that. Apple might notice that. Apple won't notice anything if you keep buying Macs for games. You might as well do something constructive and show Apple you don't like their graphics cards as long as you're destroying Mac gaming.

I send them criticism quite often actually.

I'll repeat it again. What you're going is the same thing as pirating PlayStation 2 games and justifying it by saying Gamecube (or insert XBox here if you want) hardware is more powerful so you feel cheated. A rational consumer in this case would buy a Gamecube or an XBox.

That analogy doesn't make sense. Sorry. You can't play a PS2 game in any other system, or vice versa. If the Xbox version of GTA was only $5, I wouldn't spend $30 on the same thing for my PS2. That said, it's harder to pirate PS2 games since you need a mod chip... so in that case, I just wouldn't buy the ****ing game or play it.

- Rob

willed · Mar 10, 2005, 06:27 PM

Originally posted by Captain Egotist:
>sigh< You know what I just noticed? It seems that people who disagree with me cannot possibly spell ridiculous correctly. I don't know if it's an intelligence issue, or what.

Anyway, about what you said: NO. I blame APPLE for the shitty hardware, and I blame APPLE for the sad state that mac gaming is in today. It isn't MY fault they make it impossible to upgrade the imac or emac or mini. Heck, I have the most upgraded 1st gen imac in the world! I spent a ton of money upgrading it! I supported the mac gaming/upgrade community! That said, I don't think it's UP TO ME TO SAVE MAC GAMING. Apple makes the stupid decisions, they can pay the piper.

Also, I think this whole 'get a PC for gaming' idea is just incredibly ****ing retarded. You guys tell me that I'm KILLING mac gaming companies by being an avid mac user and refusing to buy a PC, and pirating a game... yet you suggest that I purchase a complete PC system, a PC game, and that somehow is more helpful to the mac gaming community? What a load of total horse ****!

- Rob

Get over it, or get a PC. Simple really. You need to calm down or grow up, possibly both.

Captain Egotist · 05:44 PM

Originally posted by willed:
Get over it, or get a PC. Simple really. You need to calm down or grow up, possibly both.

Getting a PC has the same problems that people were bitching to me about (not supporting the mac community).

- Rob

blizzard · Mar 10, 2005, 09:15 PM

Is there something in the air here tonight?