Gaming Crossover Games for Mac

[Tim S]

http://www.bit-tech.net/gaming/2008/...ames_for_mac/1

With so many great games now exclusive to Windows, are Mac and Linux users getting left out in the cold? Not if CodeWeavers and its new program Crossover Games has anything to say about it. But does it really bridge the gap, or is dual-booting still the way to go?

Diggs win cookies

[sotu1]

fate of the world? bit dramatic isn't it!?

thanks for the article brett. there's plenty of mac users out here who appreciate this. i imagine some benchmarks for games on mac would be much appreciated feature too (though is bound to throw up some mac vs windows arguments)

[Leitchy]

Gaming on a Mac? This is blasphemy!

[iwog]

EA are supporting this kind of software, well Maxis is. Spore will be using "wrapper" technology so that it can run in the Mac OS environment. link

I'm not sure but is this s a similar thing to Crossover and Wine but it seems to be. They talk about using the Windows code and then wrapping it in Mac/Linux code so that those systems can run it.

[Digital-Prozac]

@iwog

EA use Cider on all of there Mac supported games (BF2142 et al). As do Aspyr (QW:ET, CoD4 & GH3). Difference between Cider and Crossover, Games have to be converted to use Cider where as Crossover doesn't require the game to have any tweaks done to it first.

I've used an early version of Crossover and was quite impressed with it's handling of HL2 and CS:Source on my Mac. Have yet to try anything Cider based, but for those who may be interested, you can convert your own games to use Cider if you Google a bit.

[bsport]

I used this to run TF2 on my macbook. good program, still using the trail but most likey going to buy soon. Altho my macbook can get alittle hot from playing TF2

[p3n]

Interesting! Theres a Mac client for WoW though so thats rather odd Oo

[phuzz]

planning on a bit of C&C against my flatmate on his macbook, me on my vista box, this weekend.
Any suggestions for mac vs pc gaming (given that his macbook has pretty rubbish 3d graphics)?

[HugoB]

Originally Posted by Leitchy

Gaming on a Mac? This is blasphemy!

THIS IS CROSSOVER!!!

Cool feature guys, nice break from the norm.

[DXR_13KE]

i heard that some games work faster here than in windows....

[Da Dego]

Originally Posted by DXR_13KE

i heard that some games work faster here than in windows....

In my testing, I found this to be subjectively true. However, as I mentioned, it's pretty hard to get real numbers for this...so I didn't want to put it out there to find out it was wrong. However, I will say that HL2:Ep 2 actually runs better on my mac than on my desktop, which has an E6600, 4GB of RAM and an 8800gtx..

[Curila]

can you make the game play at full screen.... ????

Originally Posted by Da Dego

In my testing, I found this to be subjectively true. However, as I mentioned, it's pretty hard to get real numbers for this...so I didn't want to put it out there to find out it was wrong. However, I will say that HL2:Ep 2 actually runs better on my mac than on my desktop, which has an E6600, 4GB of RAM and an 8800gtx..

i fink its because you didn't run it at full screen.....

[Da Dego]

Yep, I can play it at full screen and did. Running it windowed can actually be more intensive, as the computer has to track the desktop as well. But at equal resolutions, the game played better on Crossover. But, like I said - this is hard to verify, as FRAPS and in-game counts are not really assuredly accurate.

[StephenK]

Time to break out the copies of Thief 1 & 2 then. Always hated the number of crashes I get with XP. I'm so happy I could cry

[Firehed]

Originally Posted by Da Dego

In my testing, I found this to be subjectively true. However, as I mentioned, it's pretty hard to get real numbers for this...so I didn't want to put it out there to find out it was wrong. However, I will say that HL2:Ep 2 actually runs better on my mac than on my desktop, which has an E6600, 4GB of RAM and an 8800gtx..

What res/settings though?

Originally Posted by Da Dego

Yep, I can play it at full screen and did. Running it windowed can actually be more intensive, as the computer has to track the desktop as well. But at equal resolutions, the game played better on Crossover. But, like I said - this is hard to verify, as FRAPS and in-game counts are not really assuredly accurate.

Shouldn't really be the case in OS X, since it's a fully 3d environment all around. It's not like windows where it flips out trying to draw a 3d window in a 2d desktop environment. That said, you always end up clicking out of the window and screwing yourself up in game anyways.

I'm quite tempted to get this if I ever have free time again to play some more games. I first got Crossover more than a year ago so that I could run... I have no idea at this point.

An e-cookie/e-beer/e-tc to the first person that can tell me whether Dungeon Keeper runs properly under this. Oh yes, hail the power of DX3.

[koola]

Will deffo be purchasing this. Bye bye bootcamp partition.

[airchie]

LMAO @ Hugo!!

This sounds awesome though.
I will be waiting patiently for the linux version review though as I intend to install Hardy Heron soon.
Quite coincidentally, when I finish the coursework I'm working on I can scrap my vista install and the day the coursework is due is the day Hardy comes out of Beta!
Fate??

Cannot wait to get stuck into linux properly.
Vista sucks ass IMO.

[Thacrudd]

right click? Do you have any idea how long it took for me to get used to not using a right click?! AND you want me to game without it?!!

[OtakuHawk]

These guys just released a version for BSD. once it goes stable, I think I'll try that.

[koola]

Originally Posted by Thacrudd

right click? Do you have any idea how long it took for me to get used to not using a right click?! AND you want me to game without it?!!

They do!