Roughly 3.5% of the Steam user base is running some version of Mac OS X [1]. And if you look at Humble Bundle revenues [2], Mac users represent a significant portion of revenue (approximately 12%) [2]. Clearly Mac users are a minority, but they are disproportionately supportive of indie games. Considering Linux support has already been completed, it would seem like most of the work to port to OS X has already been done, and UWE could reap the benefit of an untapped market.
Problem is that most mac users are using a notebook which doesn't have the graphics card or cpu to run this game smoothly. So even if they port to Mac, out of the 3.5 Mac users only the people with ridiculous expensive Macpros and newer 15 or 17 inch macbooks can even run the game, which are probably not even a third of the user base. So your sinking money in 1% of the Steam community which could possibly play the game which economically is not very viable.
The Linux port also only made sense because SteamOS is Linux based and NS2 can be part of the coming Valve push for the living room. And you still need a really badass machine to run it smoothly on Linux, because OpenGL is very far from being optimized in this game yet.
No offense but when it comes to effort versus reward, this isn't worth it for the developers. I'm sure they'd love to have the game on every platform out there but I really can't see this happening. If it does happen, I'll be happy for you but I'd also be wishing they'd worked on bugs/performance/content instead. It benefits more people and is a better use of dev time.
I don't know why people here are saying "there's no point of a Mac version" when it's already been stated that the OS X version is coming "soonish". There will be a Mac client.
AsranielJoin Date: 2002-06-03Member: 724Members, Playtest Lead, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, Retired Community Developer
The effort should be pretty "low" because there is already a linux version out there. So i have no idea if a version will come, but i would say its not unlikely.
SebMelbourne, AUJoin Date: 2013-04-01Member: 184576Members, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, WC 2013 - Silver, Retired Community Developer
I'd actually like to correct the idea that Macs automatically have inferior graphics options. The iMacs have been shipping with high grade NVIDIA laptop gpus for a couple years now (660m, 675mx, 680mx) which perform like good mid range desktop gpus, and the macbooks come with similar hardware under the hood.
This is only in the last couple years however, and you have to make a build-to-order machine to get them, so it would be understandable if the majority of mac users are still running on integrated graphics or outdated cards.
OSX's Open GL implementation is notorioously slow and half-assed. There is more than just marketshare reasons for as to why game companies do not support it.
I game on Macs (OS X) too. I only buy games that support Mac-and have for a decade, now. I have several friends who play on Macs as well (though most of them spend extra money on a separate Windows gaming box). I've been to LAN parties where there's been a half-dozen macs being used. The only reason I'm registered on this site is to find out the status of the Mac port and to add my voice to the vote. The second it's supported, I'll buy it and recommend it to my friends.
I think some mod just ninja'd that guy away. He just searched out every thread that ever mentioned mac support and bumped it while spam agree/disagreeing things.
Perhaps it's an elaborate UWE conspiracy. They don't want to invest more money into mac development on a game they don't want to put much more money into anyway.
I think some mod just ninja'd that guy away. He just searched out every thread that ever mentioned mac support and bumped it while spam agree/disagreeing things.
Perhaps it's an elaborate UWE conspiracy. They don't want to invest more money into mac development on a game they don't want to put much more money into anyway.
Oh my god. Who else knows this? We gotta react quick, before they take us too. (We know too much)
OSX's Open GL implementation is notorioously slow and half-assed. There is more than just marketshare reasons for as to why game companies do not support it.
Absolutely not true, or at least not true anymore. Since 10.7 OpenGL is quite fast, faster than linux. 10.9 Mavericks is a very good gaming OS.
I actually run on a mac mini and it works ok under low settings, the only real issue I'm having is precaching load times. (besides the fact i have to reboot every time i want to switch between work stuff and ns2)
Not FlayraJoin Date: 2012-05-18Member: 152282Members
edited January 2014
I heard that they tried, but there was a resonance problem between the technology used in the RTs, and the winding-key on the back of the Macs.
Plus there was a software glitch that made it so the gnocchi-warmer attachment (if so equipped) would only produce chef boy-ar-dee ravioli after playing, leading some users to suicide, and the rest to pay another $899 each time to have the 'genius bar' push a button and restore factory defaults after the TOS-required prayer of shaking a credit card in the direction of Jobs' crypt.
Comments
[1] http://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey
[2] http://cheesetalks.twolofbees.com/humble/
The Linux port also only made sense because SteamOS is Linux based and NS2 can be part of the coming Valve push for the living room. And you still need a really badass machine to run it smoothly on Linux, because OpenGL is very far from being optimized in this game yet.
This is only in the last couple years however, and you have to make a build-to-order machine to get them, so it would be understandable if the majority of mac users are still running on integrated graphics or outdated cards.
I'd like to report the guy who flagged this.
Perhaps it's an elaborate UWE conspiracy. They don't want to invest more money into mac development on a game they don't want to put much more money into anyway.
Oh my god. Who else knows this? We gotta react quick, before they take us too. (We know too much)
lol
Absolutely not true, or at least not true anymore. Since 10.7 OpenGL is quite fast, faster than linux. 10.9 Mavericks is a very good gaming OS.
Anyway ery bad new for Mac version
http://www.insidemacgames.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=46200
http://forums.unknownworlds.com/discussion/133827/ns2-tech-support-faq-updated-january-6th-2013
Here is a thread relative to this. forums.unknownworlds.com/discussion/133116/petition-for-ns2-osx-port
Even im play on Window Xp , they still not fix the Hitching FPS yet , and Blank-Screen 30sec when you start game + long loading map change server
You should find and play L4D2 , its a great game compare to NS2 ( alien + zombie )
I actually run on a mac mini and it works ok under low settings, the only real issue I'm having is precaching load times. (besides the fact i have to reboot every time i want to switch between work stuff and ns2)
Plus there was a software glitch that made it so the gnocchi-warmer attachment (if so equipped) would only produce chef boy-ar-dee ravioli after playing, leading some users to suicide, and the rest to pay another $899 each time to have the 'genius bar' push a button and restore factory defaults after the TOS-required prayer of shaking a credit card in the direction of Jobs' crypt.