I’m a Mac and I’m a PC, and we can both play games
A majority, if not at least a sizable number of students on this campus, use a Mac for everything. From taking notes in class, editing a video clip or creating a presentation, the Mac has become the popular choice for college students. However, its weak point lies in games, but thanks to a few programs, any Mac user can now turn their laptop into a gaming machine.
The first wave of the new era of Mac games is the addition of Steam. Steam allows players to download games directly from the Steam website, instead of purchasing games at stores. The induction of Steam on the Mac is huge because Steam offers a gargantuan amount of games that range from the casual tower defense game to huge titles such as Half-Life 2 and Team Fortress 2. Steam also includes a multiplayer feature, so competitive gameplay will not be an issue.
The most recent gaming source to be brought to the Mac is the Mac App Store. It seems like something that should not have taken this long to be included in the Mac, but nevertheless it has arrived. Just like the App Store on the iPod touch, iPhone and iPad, the Mac App Store features apps of all kinds including games.
For Apple, its featured games seem to be played on screens that progressively become bigger because of its many products, so it will be interesting to see games on the iPhone or iPod touch compared to the same game on the Mac. The App Store looks to be more targeted for mobile gamers and most of those games are for casual players, but its inclusion to the Mac might appeal to more people.
Another solution is Boot Camp, a utility on the 10.5 version Leopard and 10.6 Snow Leopard. It allows the installation of Windows XP, Vista or 7 onto a Mac, so it becomes an Apple and Windows hybrid. It is up to the user to determine the amount of space given for Windows, so feel free to turn your Mac into a Windows with just a few clicks.
A few developers have noticed the demand for Mac games and there is potential for more games to be on the Mac. The most notable game that allows Mac users is World of Warcraft, which already attracts millions of players. With the Mac, it could reach even more people.
Do not count out the Mac in the gaming platform arena. It is still a young gaming platform and with time, it could be a serious contender.
