Joystiq

League of Legends will shut down its Mac client Tuesday, so play now

Jessica Conditt — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST

Riot Games has officially canceled OSX support for League of Legends, concluding after 13 months of work with TransGaming and Mac beta-testing. The Mac beta client will be shut down "indefinitely" at 12 a.m. on September 6, this Tuesday. LoL Mac-ers, if you didn't have plans for Labor Day on Monday, now you do. Riot hasn't eliminated the possibility of a Mac version in the future, but it won't be any time soon.

"We realize our current approach regarding the Mac platform won't guarantee the quality and frequent updates we deliver today on the PC and are expected by our player community. We will continue to investigate the opportunity to provide player access on the Mac Platform in the future that aligns with our service and content update standards. We are committed to building a solution that will work on the Mac in the long run, but it will take some time."

Mac beta testers who used the store can keep their accounts open and continue playing on PC, or receive a full refund on their purchases, which would close the account entirely. As consolation, Riot will give all Mac testers a code to unlock the Champions Pack, which can be redeemed if a majority of your logins come from the Mac client and you enter the Store before service is shut down Tuesday.

League of Legends will shut down its Mac client Tuesday, so play now originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 04 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mac gamers to enter the Dragon Age on Dec. 21

Randy Nelson — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:20:00 EST

It's a much-better-than-usual day to be a Mac gamer: EA and Transgaming have announced that they're bringing BioWare's downright fabulous Dragon Age: Origins to OS X on December 21. The game will be released via "popular online digital retailers" including GameTree, Direct2Drive, GamersGate, GameTap and Best Buy as a download only (sorry, packaging-philes).

Two versions of the game will be offered up: Standard and Digital Deluxe. Both will include the Stone Prisoner add-on content and Blood Armor, while the later grows that list with the Warden's Keep expansion, wallpapers and in-game items. They'll run $49.95 and $64.95, respectively.

Mac gamers to enter the Dragon Age on Dec. 21 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Star Trek D-A-C coming to M-A-C

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:00:00 EST

Paramount has announced that it's bringing the downloadable Star Trek D-A-C -- based on the recent film -- to the Mac. The game will be released with the help of TransGaming, meaning it will utilize Cider, software that allows PC games to be run on Macs. In other words, your hopes of experiencing the mediocrity of Star Trek D-A-C in an Apple native format have just been dashed. Sorry.

The game is scheduled to launch this December and is currently available for pre-order at GameTree Online.

Star Trek D-A-C coming to M-A-C originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

City of Heroes making the MMOve to Mac

Randy Nelson — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:45:00 EST

Filed under: Mac, RPGs, MMO

Better late than never? Coming just days after Apple's roll-out of new MacBooks with mightier gaming capabilities, NCSoft has announced that its superhero (and villain) MMORPG, City of Heroes, will be released for Mac in partnership with Transgaming.

According to NCSoft, the Mac version of CoH - really the PC version in Transgaming's Cider "wrapper" for Intel-based Macs - will go into beta around the same time as the latest game update, "Issue 13: Power and Responsibility," releases (currently slated for fall). NCSoft is planning the full release for "pre-holiday" in digital form, available from its online store and GameTree Online. There are no plans for a boxed retail release.

Following its release, "the Mac version will parallel the developments of the PC version, providing all game updates, new features, and storylines simultaneously on both platforms," said Vikas Gupta, Transgaming's president and CEO. Excelsior!

City of Heroes making the MMOve to Mac originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Puzzle Quest spreads to iPhone App Store 'this fall'

Christopher Grant — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:27:00 EST

Filed under: Mobile

Intent on making Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords impossible to avoid regardless of your platform preferences (seriously: DS, PSP, Xbox Live Arcade, Windows, Mac OS X, Wii, PlayStation 2, mobile phones), D3Publisher has announced the puzzle phenomenon will be its very first foray into the wide, wide world of iPhone apps.

Having proven their chops getting things to run on Apple platforms with Cider, the alchemists at TransGaming will be responsible for the iPhone port, bringing all the match-three slash RPG gameplay you know and love to the App Store "this fall."

Puzzle Quest spreads to iPhone App Store 'this fall' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Spore coming to Mac, simultaneous release with PC this year

James Ransom-Wiley — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:35:00 EST

Filed under: Mac, PC, Simulations

Spore will launch simultaneously on Mac and PC later this year, reports Cnet. An official announcement from EA is expected today out of MacWorld where EA will apparently preview the everything-sim on - you guessed it - Macs. As with EA's previous PC-to-Mac titles, TransGaming technology will handle the conversion process. Spore is expected to be one of several EA games targeted for simultaneous release this year.

"[We] think the Macintosh user is somebody who is, typically, a creative individual," said EA Maxis VP of marketing Patrick Buechner, "Part of the appeal of the Mac is that it allows you to do creative things very easily. And we think that lines up very closely with what you can do with Spore ... So it just feels like a natural place for Spore to be, and we're thinking about it up front rather than as an afterthought."

Spore coming to Mac, simultaneous release with PC this year originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple GameTap 'Lite' launches June 28, Intel Macs only

James Ransom-Wiley — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 19:56:00 EST

Filed under: Mac, Retro, Online, Casual

Just a few scant weeks after revealing to Joystiq their plans to release a Mac client, GameTap has outlined the details of its branching service, which will debut with the free ad-supported "Lite" model for Apple users on June 28th. Like its PC counterpart, GameTap's Mac Lite client will feature a rotating selection of 30-40 games, but will not support newer Windows-based offerings like Tomb Raider: Legend. The "Deluxe" pay-to-play service will follow later in the summer, with a goal to provide a catalog of nearly 500 titles, including Saturn and Dreamcast games -- but again, Windows titles are out; so no episodic originals like Sam & Max or American McGee's upcoming Grimm. The Deluxe client will also support online multiplayer modes featured in GameTap's "Challenge" games category.

Like Myst Online: URU Live and EA's forthcoming Mac lineup, GameTap for OS X will utilize Cider emulation technology, which is only compatible with Intel-based Macs. Cider will support cross-platform competition, allowing Mac and PC players to face off in Challenge games. Which will prevail: the one-button mouse or two?

Apple GameTap 'Lite' launches June 28, Intel Macs only originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Jun 2007 19:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

EA employs Cider to bring games to Mac OS X

Christopher Grant — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 14:27:00 EST

Filed under: Mac, PC

All of those "games" that Electronic Arts pledged to bring to the Mac? Well, they're not doing it alone, they've got some help. Transgaming, the folks behind the Cider portability engine, are going to do it for them just like they did with GameTap's Myst Online: URU Live. As Apple's marketshare (or, more importantly, mindshare) grows, giant publishers like EA will naturally see business opportunities there. Cider allows the financial feasibility of supporting a niche platform not geared towards gaming.

There are some downsides of course. While Transgaming insists their software wrapper offers little to no slow-down, the reality is that there's still some translation happening. But if you can't notice it, no big deal right? Well, if you're running a PowerPC Mac, you won't be able to notice it at all since you won't be able to run these games. Part of Cider's magic comes from the software's Intel Mac requirement, so if you're running a machine more than a couple years old, you won't be eligible. But that's par for the course for PC gaming and just another way Mac gaming is growing up.

[Via TUAW]

EA employs Cider to bring games to Mac OS X originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Jun 2007 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

GameTap's Myst Online: URU Live available on Mac OS X

Christopher Grant — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 17:17:00 EST

Filed under: Mac, PC, Online, MMO

GameTap announced today that the Mac OS X port of Myst Online: URU Live -- built using Transgaming's Cider technology -- is available for download. Rand Miller, CEO of Cyan Worlds and creator of Myst Online, offered this heartfelt sentiment: "Many of the original Myst fans were Mac users, so for GameTap to reopen the door to this audience really means a lot to Cyan on a personal level."

Though we're sure there's lots of hugging going on in the Cyan Worlds offices this morning, we're just excited to test the Cider-built version and see how it compares to the existing PC client. A reminder: while your $10 monthly GameTap subscription buys you full access to the GameTap service, Mac users should know that Myst Online is the only GameTap offering that will work natively on your computer. Our recommendation for Intel Mac users: play URU Live natively, Boot Camp the rest.

Already a GameTap subscriber and want to take the Mac version of URU Live online for a spin? Head on over to this login page, enter your GameTap login information and get downloading!

GameTap's Myst Online: URU Live available on Mac OS X originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Mar 2007 17:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Holiday 2006 best bets for Mac gamers

Alan Rose — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 14:18:00 EST

Filed under: Mac, Action, Adventure, First Person Shooters, Online, Puzzle, RPGs, Simulations, Strategy, MMO

With Apple's transition to Intel processors completed earlier this year, and emerging technologies such as Cider promising full compatibility with Windows games, the Mac platform is seeing even fewer native releases these days. But there are still some gems for dedicated Mac gamers this holiday season:

Age of Empires III
Big Bang Brain Games
Call of Duty 2
Cars: The Videogame
Civilization IV
Dominions 3: The Awakening
Quake 4
Sims 2: Nightlife
Spongebob Squarepants Diner Dash
WingNuts 2: Raina's Revenge
World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (coming in Jan.)
X-Plane 8.5

Apple's gaming page has additional information, and check out last year's holiday recommendations for a little more variety on your Mac.

Holiday 2006 best bets for Mac gamers originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 27 Nov 2006 14:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Heroes V hits Macs for the holidays

Alan Rose — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 12:26:00 EST

Filed under: Mac, Online, Strategy

The Heroes of Might and Magic series has long been a mainstay of Mac gaming, and Freeverse plans to continue the tradition by delivering HoMM V for OS X this Christmas. However, it is uncertain if Ubisoft's popular strategy title will ship as a native Mac app, or if it will come wrapped in TransGaming's Cider emulation software.

Freeverse's Colin Smith had previously indicated the game would be a full blown port, but at the end of last week, he told Inside Mac Games that his company is now "actively evaluating" Cider for HoMM V. This would be an interesting test for Cider, given Heroes V's hefty hardware requirements, and it could be just what TransGaming needs to get their new portability engine off the ground.

See also: Cohen on Mac Pro's gaming prowess

Heroes V hits Macs for the holidays originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Aug 2006 12:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Cider promises Windows games in Mac OS X

Christopher Grant — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 10:45:00 EST

Filed under: Mac, PC

TransGaming, makers of the Linux-based gaming virtualization software Cedega (née WineX), have announced an ambitious Mac OS X variant known as Cider (like Apple cider, get it?). Unlike Cedega, Cider is not being targeted towards end-users, but rather to publishers and developers eager to capitalize on the growing Mac OS X userbase but wary of investing in a niche platform.

With Apple's new Intel-based Macs capable of running Windows natively, Cider's allure is from its ability to run Windows games from inside Mac OS X. No dual booting necessary. How does it work:

"Cider is a sophisticated portability engine that allows Windows games to be run on Intel Macs without any modifications to the original game source code. Cider works by directly loading a Windows program into memory on an Intel-Mac and linking it to an optimized version of the Win32 APIs. Games are simply wrapped up in the Cider engine and they work on the Mac."

Our spidey sense is alerting us to the grist-filled rumor mill called "the internet" which is currently vibrating with its semi-annual Mac expo buzz. Monday kicks off WWDC, which promises "the world's first look at Leopard," the next version of Mac OS X. And, if we were a betting blog, we'd put our money on Apple announcing some sort of built-in virtualization software (å la Parallels). But we're not, so we won't. Regardless, software like Cider promises another end to the Mac gaming doldrums, if Apple doesn't beat them to it.

[Thanks, KBeat]

Cider promises Windows games in Mac OS X originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Aug 2006 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments