MacRaider :: the blog

Beyond Good & Evil 2 in pre-production?

2008-05-29T11:20:00.003+10:00

In an earlier post from March 2007 I wrote about my experience with the original Beyond Good & Evil, and how it is one of those great games that came in under the radar. Despite critical acclaim, it was released at a time (late 2003) when some high profile games were taking the spotlight, and unfortunately it got lost in the noise.

It's now apparent that Michel Ancel (the creator of BG&E and Rayman, among others) has been working on a sequel! Beyond Good & Evil 2 is far from a done deal yet, but there is some cause for optimism as the original BG&E has been widely acknowledged for its originality and gameplay in recent years, and surely Ubisoft will take this into account..?

Follow the links for more juicy bits:
Joystiq - Rumor: Beyond Good & Evil 2 in pre-production
Joystiq - Beyond Good & Evil 2 revealed at Ubidays 2008
Ubidays Beyond Good & Evil 2 teaser video at YouTube
Beyond Good & Evil at Wikipedia
Beyond Good & Evil 2 at Wikipedia

Thanks to Dave for giving me the tip a few days ago to follow up :-)

SheepShaver - Classic Mac software on an Intel Mac or PPC Leopard Mac

2008-05-28T21:47:00.003+10:00

SheepShaver is an open source PowerPC Macintosh emulator for use on both PowerPC and Intel Macs (and other systems, but that's outside the scope of this post). It enables the running of some types of classic Mac software which cannot be run any other way. It doesn't support games, and probably never will, but that doesn't mean it's of no use to Mac gamers. More on that below...

SheepShaver is not a commercial product and is in development, and as such requires some dedication by the end user to install and run. It requires a classic Mac OS install disc (not tied to a particular Mac model), and a Mac ROM image. It's beyond the scope of this post to go into detail - for more information on the requirements, installation, and running of SheepShaver, follow the links below:

Links:
SheepShaver home
SheepShaver Wikipedia page
SheepShaver article at Mac OS X Hints
SheepShaver article at Low End Mac

Although SheepShaver isn't a gaming solution, it does have some relevance to those people who are still using the Mac TRLE (Tomb Raider Level Editor). The TRLE includes a carbon Level Player that should run natively in Leopard on a PPC Mac, and in Rosetta on an Intel Mac. This is fine for those who are downloading already compiled, ready-to-play levels in TR4 format, but they might come unstuck with levels that are downloaded as WADs (the TOM file, along with other WADs), and which need to be compiled using the 'Tom2PC' converter included with the Mac TRLE - this converter is a classic Mac programme that can't be run in Leopard on any PPC Mac, or on any Intel Mac at all.

This is where SheepShaver may be useful for Mac TR players. If you have no other alternative but are eager to be able to convert and play a level posted as WADs, then SheepShaver might be able to run the 'Tom2PC' converter, thus giving you a compiled TR4 data file to run in the carbon Level Player!

As usual, please note that I don't have access to an Intel Mac, or a Leopard PPC Mac, so I'm not able to do any testing to verify any of the above. But in theory it should work, provided you're able to get a functional install of SheepShaver on your Mac.

Thanks to 'JQ' for bringing the 'Tom2PC' issue to my notice, and to Inside Mac Games for the referral to the Low End Mac article!

Another Review of CrossOver Games for Mac

2008-04-30T14:22:00.002+10:00

bit-tech.net have reviewed the Mac version of CrossOver Games (for Intel Macs only), and are very upbeat about it! In particular, they found that older games (2005 and earlier) using DirectX 8 are widely compatible, and many DirectX 9 games also run quite well. They also found that many older Win95/98 games that have issues with XP or Vista, may actually run better in CrossOver Games! It's largely with newer games and custom engines that more significant issues creep in.

As I mentioned before, many games aren't yet showing in the compatibility lists at the CrossOver Games site, but that doesn't mean they won't run. This review confirms that, and although CrossOver Games is still in its infancy it seems to be quite capable. With further development this could be turn out to be a real winner, and it doesn't even require a copy of Windows - just the purchase of CrossOver Games itself!

Although a purchase is required, this is still open source software based on Wine, covered by the GNU license, and still has plenty of development to go. It's up to the individual to decide whether they're prepared to pay for open source, and if so, whether this is the right choice for their gaming at this time. There is a free trial period, so you can at least give it a good evaluation. And bear in mind that financial support for open source developers does have benefits as it allows them to put more effort into the product (and donation based support is notoriously unreliable...)

iMac Range updated with new graphics!

2008-04-29T11:19:00.006+10:00

Apple have announced updates to the iMac range. There are a variety of changes, including a faster processor for the top 24" model, but the most interesting change from a gamer's point of view is the option of an NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS graphics processor with 512MB of GDDR3 memory to improve the graphics performance over the standard ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB memory. The GeForce 8800 GS is only available in the 24" models, and no benchmarks are yet available, but it's likely that this will be a significant and welcome improvement over the Radeon HD 2600 PRO for gaming!

The top end processor in the new 24" iMac is now a 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, but according to Electronista this is not a new CPU, but an overclocked version of an existing CPU, so there is likely to be a further revision sometime in the future once Intel release their Centrino 2 technology later in the year.

I have to say that despite the disappointing performance of the Radeon 2600 Pro in the original aluminium iMac (which for gamers was effectively a downgrading from the previous white iMacs with the GeForce 7600 GT 256MB), I'm a little surprised that Apple have moved back to a GeForce option less than 9 months after the release of the aluminium iMac in August 2007 - I didn't expect this for maybe a year or more. Not only surprised, but encouraged that Apple may actually be listening to gamers. Well maybe that's a little too optimistic, but this is still a welcome upgrade, whatever Apple's motivation... Now I only need to win the lottery ;-)

CrossOver Games Reviewed

2008-04-19T10:32:00.002+10:00

Although a reader of my previous post had some success with CrossOver Games and its handling of the old Tomb Raider III demo, it appears that it has some way to go yet before it can be taken seriously. The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) has published a review of CrossOver Games, and although they had some success, it was limited and somewhat buggy. So be sure to check the CrossOver Games Game Compatibility page for the games you want to run, and take some time with the demo version to satisfy yourself that it is right for you! (At the time of writing, Tomb Raider II is now on the compatibility list - as the PC TRII is a lot easier to find in stores than the Mac game, then I suppose that's a good sign ;-)

However, as CrossOver Games is a new product I expect that it will see considerable improvement in the months to come, but I doubt it will ever rival Boot Camp. It's the old story - you gets what you pays for! Best is to wait for a Mac version of your favourite game (on the off-chance it might appear...); next is to play the Windows version in whatever way you find works for you; or do what I did and move to the far cheaper high definition consoles.

For the absolute game fanatic who demands the best a Mac isn't an option anyway, and for everyone else an Xbox 360 and/or a PlayStation 3 will give a very satisfying experience at a budget price, only rivalled by a carefully specced Mac Pro at a much higher cost, or a custom built PC for maybe a little less than the Mac Pro. I may be biased here as I have a long familiarity with console gaming, but the modern Tomb Raiders (since Legend) are perfectly suited to the PlayStation controller, and only slightly less suited to the X360 controller (I found the 360 left stick/D-pad a little awkward at first, but that could be due to my 8 years or so with PlayStation). The traditional TR keyboard controls are nice but less relevant with the far more complex modern games which demand the mouse as part of the controls - a good gamepad would probably be a better option these days with Mac gaming.

CodeWeavers releases CrossOver Games

2008-03-26T19:50:00.003+11:00

CodeWeavers has announced their new solution for playing Windows games on an Intel Mac. Previously, gaming support hasn't been strong with CrossOver Mac, but they've now taken a different route for gaming. CrossOver Games is based on Wine, the already well known open source compatibility layer for running Windows software on x86 computers in Linux, OS X, and other BSD Unix based systems. In the case of CrossOver Games though, it's optimised for games, whereas Wine is intended for a more general catalogue of Windows software, although it does also run some games (and is popular with Linux gamers).

CodeWeavers claims that "you can run many popular Windows games on your Intel OS X Mac or Linux PC". However, when you check the list of compatible games it's not that large (45 at the date of writing this). They also seem have a tendency to pad the compatibility list; for example, not only is the Orange Box listed, but also every game contained within the Orange Box (5 separate games) making a total of 6 entries for what is essentially one release (unless you buy single games through Steam, which is also included in the list).

Of course the absence of a game from the compatibility list doesn't necessarily mean it won't run - it just may not yet have been tested. And much of the testing is not in-house, relying instead on public feedback, so some of those listed as supported may not have had comprehensive testing. Note that at the date of writing, no Tomb Raider is on the compatibility list...

So every potential MacIntel gaming customer will have to decide for themselves whether to use Wine, CrossOver Games, or some other solution like Boot Camp. At this time Boot Camp (native Windows booting on a MacIntel) is still by far the best way run PC games on an Intel Mac, and basically the only limitations are for games that run on the particular Windows version you're running (XP or Vista). One more consideration is that CrossOver Games comes at a cost of $US39.95, whereas Wine is free and may already cater for your specific game, and Boot Camp requires the purchase of Windows XP or Vista (neither CrossOver Games nor Wine requires a copy of Windows...)

SCi Entertainment Group Business Review

2008-03-03T21:03:00.004+11:00

SCi Entertainment Group are the parent company of Eidos Interactive, and as such have ultimate control over games such as Tomb Raider. However, SCi have been in financial difficulties recently and have reviewed their business model. In cases like this there is always the chance that the parent company might sell off their more attractive assets to raise capital, but in a recent announcement (29 February 2008) SCi have confirmed that Tomb Raider is not in their sights and is safe for now! In fact SCi have stated in that press release that Tomb Raider is a prime asset and as such is one of the cornerstones of their business, so there's no reason to be concerned that it will be sold off.

The next game in the series, Tomb Raider: Underworld, had already been pushed back to Christmas 2008 on all platforms (that is, all platforms they develop for - that doesn't mean on the Mac...) That date has been confirmed in the above press release, so although not set in stone TR Underworld is looking good for next Christmas!

(If the link above to the SCi business review doesn't work for you, then go to this page and open the RNS press release dated 29 February 2008 and titled 'SCI Entertainment - Interim Results')

Another article on Mac gaming

2008-02-22T20:15:00.003+11:00

This seems to be a big topic these days, and no wonder. This time MacNewsWorld has posted "Gaming on a Mac: Technically Speaking", which looks at the strengths and weaknesses of Mac game development, and the Mac as a gaming platform. Although this article looks at the subject largely from the industry's viewpoint it is still interesting reading for any serious Mac gamer. The general opinion seems to still be positive, but with reservations - the growing Mac market share should help, but market share isn't necessarily the primary driver of gaming.

'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey' Review

2008-01-31T22:41:00.000+11:00

I don't normally do reviews of games other than Tomb Raider, but Dreamfall is one out of the box!

Dreamfall is the sequel to the 1999 PC-only Longest Journey, and is a game like none other I've played. It's classified as a 3rd person adventure, and it has an occasional action sequence, but more than anything it's an interactive story with adventure style gameplay, in a 3D world based in both reality and dreaming. If you don't like to sit and listen to the dialogue that tells its strong story (much of which isn't strictly necessary to play the game, but is interesting and relevant none-the-less), then Dreamfall may not be to your taste, but if you do then this can be an engrossing experience. Note that this is an M-rated game as it does have adult themes, strong language, and some adult humour!

The main character you play is Zoë Castillo, a young woman from Casablanca in the 23rd century. You also play as April Ryan (the main character from the original Longest Journey who makes a second appearance here), and Kian (a deeply religious assassin from an occupying power, in opposition to both Zoë's and April's causes) - both these characters exist in an alternative reality, or parallel world, which Zoë visits several times. You switch between these characters, and a variety of locations, in a sometimes arbitrary manner, but go along with it as it becomes clearer as you learn more of the story.

Dreamfall has some things in common with the busy everyday world of Beyond Good & Evil, and the puzzles and fantasy locations from the Myst games (I was reminded of a mix of both Channelwood and the Haven swamps in one location), while not really resembling those, or any other adventure game I've played. The few action sequences are poorly implemented and would have been more appropriate as video cutscenes, the playable character of Kian would have been better left depicted in cutscenes as well, and the character animations are somewhat stilted for a game that is less than 2 years old (it was released in April 2006, roughly the same time as TR Legend, but the animations aren't even in the same class as TR1 from 1996). On the other hand the locations look very good, and in general the graphics are good for a last-generation game, so the minor flaws stand out that much more as a result.

The story, however, makes up for any shortcomings in other areas! The story makes the game, as you become engrossed in delving ever deeper into Zoë's story and dreams. There are influences from Australian Aboriginal spiritual mythology (The Dreaming) mixed with futuristic science and technology, a world of magic set in the Middle Ages, and a dystopian future Earth where Africa is a cultural powerhouse and North America and Europe are decaying and dysfunctional. Add to that a TV vision experienced by the main character that hints strongly at the movie 'Ring' (and the remake 'The Ring'), and you get the idea that this is an experience that is quite out of the ordinary! It has an ending that is an extended string of purely narrative scenes and leaves it wide open for a third part in the series (Dreamfall Chapters, which has only been announced so far for PC, is intended to complete the Longest Journey/Dreamfall story...)

One message that stands out, and which is relevant today, warns against a county imposing their religion and customs on others who, although having different beliefs and practices regarded as 'ungodly', are no less worthy, but who end up being labelled terrorists simply because they defend their land and beliefs. Yes, that isn't an alien concept in today's world either, nor in past ages for that matter, and I also feel strongly about it, so it resonated with me and increased my enjoyment of the game!

Dreamfall isn't for everyone, and action freaks aren't likely to enjoy it, but for those who appreciate a strong story that is told using in-game dialogue, it can be a very rewarding experience and I highly recommend it! I was strongly affected by the story, which as a result of the player having a close connection with the main characters through the game, is that much more powerful than it would be if it was just presented as a movie (the end credits include a fictitious 'filmed on location in...' credit, suggesting that it's as much an interactive movie as a game). I can't recall any other game having this strong an effect on me, and the final long sequence of video scenes that completed the story (so far) and ended the game moved me to tears more than once. Powerful stuff indeed, and I hope I'll one day be able to play the final parts of the game! (Xbox 360 version please :) It doesn't challenge my passion for TR, but that's mainly because they are such different games, not because one is better than the other...

More comment on Apple, gaming, and the future of MacRaider

2008-01-19T11:14:00.000+11:00

GameDaily have posted an article asking whether Apple will ever get serious about gaming. The Mac isn't totally bereft of games, but despite some Apple staff's enthusiasm for gaming over the years, that enthusiasm isn't followed up by much in the way of official Apple support. Check it out, it's an interesting read!

Those who've been following MacRaider for some time will know that I've long hedged my bets when it comes to Mac gaming, as the Mac has long been marginalised with a limited game catalogue. Up to 2003/4 Mac gaming was fine for me as those games I really wanted to play on the Mac were available. Since then though it's been increasingly difficult, and even though TR Anniversary is coming to Mac it's likely that I'd have to upgrade my Mac to play it. For any future TRs I'd certainly have to upgrade, but with the ongoing Mac limitations it would be a poor choice for gaming (Apple's obsession with thinness, with the latest manifestation the MacBook Air, is seriously compromising the Mac as a gaming machine anyway...)

I bought an original PlayStation (now known as the PSX) in 2000, and an original PlayStation 2 in 2001. Last year I upgraded to a slimline PS2, and I still have my original PS2 stored away in case it's needed. Then, last Boxing Day, I bought an HDMI equipped Xbox 360 Pro bundle. Lastly, I've now switched to a 66cm HD LCD TV which rounds out my console gaming rig nicely, giving me access to the high def X360 gaming catalogue, a wide selection of original Xbox games, as well as the gigantic PlayStation/PS2 catalogue! Consoles have given, and will continue to give me, a far wider gaming choice than was ever available on the Mac, although there are those Mac classics I already own to make it even better, such as the classic TRs and Myst IV Revelation among others :)

Considering that my current dual G4 MDD Power Mac is still very capable for all but gaming (and will be for some time to come), and that I could get a lot better value for my very limited gaming money by switching to console gaming, the purchase of the X360 and the LCD TV mean that I've now effectively finished with the Mac for my future gaming. However, all my classic Mac games are still covered with my old MDD Mac, so I get the best of both worlds, and can still provide Mac-specific support for all the TRs up to at least Angel of Darkness! And in the future I intend to continue my TR walks from the X360 game, so MacRaider lives on a while yet :)

Those of you who are disappointed in my switch to console gaming should remember that I've long been on a very limited income but I've never tried to turn MacRaider into a fund-raising exercise. I've never had a single ad on the site, and although I did test out a PayPal donation link for 12 months, it failed to bring a single cent in so I canned it. For me MacRaider was never about money - it was always about sharing my love for Tomb Raider, and to help people as best I could. I'll continue to do that, in my own way, and I look forward to a lot of fun in the future!

I hope you'll all come along for the ride :)

Xbox 360 - Backwards Compatibility & Dreamfall

2008-01-16T15:20:00.000+11:00

With my recent purchase of an Xbox 360 I was eager to get hold of a copy of 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey' for Xbox (see my earlier post about Dreamfall, among other games).

'Dreamfall TLJ' for Xbox has always been very difficult to get in Australia, and although I've been watching out for it since it was released in April 2006, I've never seen it in the flesh. But today, as I was browsing through the shelves at my local branch of GAME and hoping to come across maybe a used copy, there it was, a NEW copy of 'Dreamfall TLJ' for Xbox! When I took it to the counter I found it was marked down from the $AU19.95 ticketed price to $AU9.95, and in Aussie currency that's one hell of a cheap new game, the equivalent of around $US8.95! ($AU19.95 was cheap anyway...)

The remaining question was whether my late '07 Xbox 360 had built-in backwards compatibility support for that game. I'd already downloaded the November '07 updater but was yet to install it, but in the event it wasn't needed as the game runs fine. So I have to amend my earlier comment about backwards compatibility support as it only needs to be updated for games that have been added to the supported games list, not for those already compatible!

Although I've not gone far yet, I can give my first impressions. I'm running this game through HDMI to a 66cm (26") 16:9 LCD widescreen, and it does show its Xbox background, with some pixellation and slightly less sophisticated, although quite detailed, terrain (in this case a temple, ice-cap, and city - the former two are a short intro section that leads to the main character, Zoë Castillo, in her city home). I've not gone far yet, but although the graphics are naturally limited by the original Xbox capabilities, and the character animations are a little stilted, the world is quite interesting and even at this early stage, the story quite detailed. Zoë can interact with other people and many items, and it's worth taking the time to do this so you can learn about the world Zoë, and the player, inhabit.

This is a 3rd person full 3D action-adventure game with a female lead, but not like 'Tomb Raider' - it has more in common with 'Beyond Good & Evil' (see my earlier post about that one as well), in that there's a lot more non-playable-character interaction in a busier, more everyday world, although in other ways it resembles neither.

'Dreamfall TLJ' has a good reputation with both players and critics, and happens to be a sequel to the original 'The Longest Journey', which was PC-only. Aspyr have recently released a PC-only 'Dreamfall TLJ Game of the Year Ed.' which contains both the original 'TLJ' and the 'Dreamfall TLJ' sequel. That game would be great value, but unless they port the original 'TLJ' to Xbox or both to other platforms, it will remain PC-only...

Xbox 360 - Updated Impressions

2008-01-13T21:50:00.000+11:00

I've now completed the X360 TR Legend, and I was able to play the latter part of the game on an HD LCD TV via an HDMI cable at 720p 16:9 resolution. What can I say, it's superb! To get the same experience on a Mac or PC would require some serious hardware and a lot of readies, and as my current January 2004 vintage MDD dual G4 does everything else admirably, I'm quite happy to be able to get some great gaming at a comparatively low cost.

Apart from the high res texturing, which made searching the terrain such a pleasant job, the most impressive things are the fantastic lighting, and the gorgeous still water texturing. Places like the rocky pool at the start of the final part of the Peru levels looked stunning, and I almost felt wet when I dropped Lara in for a swim! The same with the swimming pool at Lara's manor - reflections on calm water are amazing! Moving water isn't as good, in fact not a lot better than on the PS2, but that's a much more difficult thing to get right and will probably take a jump in processor power to succeed. Another place that looked absolutely fantastic was the final big battle in Bolivia with the 'Unknown Entity', which had some wonderful lighting effects!

My only criticism is that at 720p you'll occasionally see a momentary slowdown in the frame rate that wasn't there at standard PAL res on the PS2 (480i). That could be due to the need to optimise the X360 game code, or it could be a limitation of the X360 GPU. Or a bit of both. It's likely that with more development time on the X360 developers will find ways to get more out of it, in much the same way that developers took a few years to wring the best out of the PS2. But I have to say that the few slowdowns I saw were only momentary and didn't affect the gameplay in any way - they were just something that you notice in passing.

I've also checked out part of the first level of TR Anniversary, and a couple of the Arcade races in Forza 2. Graphically they're both hard to fault, with the HDMI connection and 720p res making the most of what is an impressive console. I checked out Nurburgring Nordschleife in Forza 2, and compared to the same track in Gran Turismo 4 there is a lot more trackside detail, although Forza 2 looked a bit too clean, as if the track had just been scrubbed and polished. Gameplay-wise I prefer Gran Turismo 4, but Forza 2 does seem to have a bit better AI, and does damage, both of which are long term criticisms of Gran Turismo. On the other hand I found the Xbox controller a little harder to use in Forza 2 than the PS2 controller in Gran Turismo, but that could just be my many year's experience with the PS2 controller (I was able to 100% Gran Turismo 3 with just the Dual Shock controller, not an easy job...)

So is the Xbox 360 worth it? Well now that the processor is the smaller die 65nm, and the console runs cooler, it should be more reliable. The addition of the HDMI port on the new Pro consoles is welcome, and with a decent 16:9 HD TV you won't be disappointed with the graphics (unless you're very fussy). If you already have a decent gaming MacIntel then you'd probably be better off buying a copy of Windows XP and playing the PC games, but for the rest of us an HD game console would be a good choice, especially if you already have a good 16:9 HD TV (which generally means 26"/66cm or larger, as smaller than that you're likely to be looking at 16:10 computer monitor conversions, which will slightly distort the image in a console game designed for 16:9. Do your homework when buying an HD LCD TV...)

Personally I'm tickled pink with the Xbox 360, but others may prefer to go PlayStation 3, which has similar capabilities, for the next TR release in late 2008 (but it doesn't run the PS2 Legend or Anniversary unless it's an older PS3 so take that into consideration). As always, my advice is to first decide what you want to do with it, then pick the hardware that best does what you want. For me that's the Xbox 360, and I have absolutely no regrets. So far ;))

Xbox 360 - unpacking & first impressions

2007-12-27T12:46:00.000+11:00

Heading to the checkout with the 360 Pro Bundle through a heavy Boxing Day crowd I found out that this is no lightweight console! I didn't weigh the pack but it's pretty hefty and by the time I made it back to my car in a nearby multi-story car park I was glad for a rest (I'd made a short diversion to an Apple Centre to check out the new iMac for the first time as well). I later went to another store and picked up a dirt cheap new copy of the 360 Tomb Raider Legend, as you do...

Once home (after going via a friend's place for a little show-and-tell ;) I opened it up and started the setup. Unpacking it showed where a fair chunk of the weight was - the power pack is ginormous! By itself it seems bigger than the combined slimline PS2 and its power pack, although it's probably not. Well maybe it is... Apart from the console and power pack, the 360 Pro pack contained a combined composite/component cable, ethernet cable, controller, media remote, SCART adaptor, four AA batteries for the two gadgets, and a disappointingly small manual (which is actually fairly thorough). The build quality of all the components looks very good and one gets the impression that it's a very solid piece of equipment. I hope that impression holds up over time... (It's a pity it's beige, but it's a nice shade of beige ;) There was also the two-game bundle in a single case tucked in a narrow space on one side of the box. Internal packing material was kept at a minimum, with only folded cardboard around the console, and a couple of narrow foam strips under it, as well as a lot of mostly green plastic bags of course.

At this point I should say that a few months ago my 60cm Panasonic CRT TV lost its picture and I've yet to decide whether to get it repaired or just hang out until I can upgrade to an LCD. In the meantime I've been using my old 1986 National 34cm colour portable, which is 50Hz only, mono audio, and only has RF input (meaning the only way to get a signal into it is using the co-axial aerial connection). This means that I have to stage all my gear through a VCR, then into the TV via the aerial connection, thus requiring an AV switcher and standard composite cables, and some loss of quality even for standard PAL 480i. The TV does have a good picture though, which has deteriorated little over time apart from a slight decrease in contrast (not enough to really notice), and despite its size (or maybe because of it) it looks pretty damn good! On the audio side I have my big late-90's Aiwa Dolby Surround stereo, which is in its element with gear like the 360 which defaults to 5.1 audio (even though the Aiwa's Dolby Surround is only 4 channel, it translates 5.1 well).

Once I'd completed the simple assembly, the only complication being to add yet another! AV switcher to handle both the 360 and PlayStation 2, I fired it up. I positioned the console horizontally as I've seen advice on the internets that this puts less strain on the optical drive, and on top of my cabinet so it was well ventilated. Turning it on is most easily done using the cordless controller, which is able to switch both itself and the console independently (meaning that you can turn the controller off to save batteries but leave the console on, or save yourself that exhausting walk to the console to turn it on or off ;) After a very short and quite intuitive setup procedure, there followed a short intro video which was light-hearted and showed off the surround audio nicely.

One thing here - with the slimline PlayStation 2 sitting next to the 360, the difference of one generation in gaming consoles is highlighted by the fact that the PS2 is tiny in comparison, and virtually soundless at normal viewing distances. Close up you can just hear the PS2 optical drive working, but as there are no fans it's very quiet. Of course the main difference is in the games themselves, and the differences are massive there, as I mention a little later.

After browsing through the various blades (menu items) it was time for a game. The two bundled games are unfortunately 60 Hz only, so I can't play them until I either switch to a spare computer monitor (and lose the surround sound as it would have to go in a different room), get the Panasonic TV repaired, or upgrade to an LCD TV. But Tomb Raider Legend is PAL 50/60Hz (I already knew this from the PS2 game) so it found its way into the optical drive without further delay. Which happens to be the noisiest part of the revised hardware - the cooling fan is barely audible at normal viewing distance if you place the console near the TV, but there is the constant moderate optical drive noise. Fortunately with normal game audio it's not intrusive though, and it has to be quieter than my MDD Power Mac wind tunnel!

Tomb Raider Legend was quite a surprise! I've played the PlayStation game four times now and I'd got quite used to the fuzzy result of the graphic aliasing needed for the low power console, so to see it in DVD quality was quite an eye-opener, and I can only imagine how it would look in 720p or higher! The colour and contrast is fantastic, the graphic detail is everything I hoped it would be, shadows are mostly quite realistic (including the shadows cast by Lara's rechargeable light) and in the early stages the video is beautifully smooth. I don't expect every moment of the game to be as smooth but I'm very impressed so far. And the surround audio is also superb - even switching to the binoculars changes Lara's voice to closeup, as if you're right there with her!

The 360 controller is solid and robust (meaning that it's quite heavy) but as long as you can handle the extra weight it's nice to use, and the lack of a cable means you can get a more comfortable position than with a corded controller. I'm long accustomed to the PS2 controller, or more accurately the compact Logitech version, so the larger size and weight, and the difference in the position of the D-pad and left stick (they're reversed compared to the PS2 so I found myself going for one when I wanted the other) all took some getting used to. And the default shooting controls are also flipped vertically, with the weapons draw on the bottom left (trigger) button, and Fire the right trigger button. But it works well and I only need a bit more experience to settle in.

I have reservations about cordless controllers but I have to say that the lack of a cord does make it more convenient to use despite the extra weight, and I'll get a 'play and charge' kit which makes rechargeable batteries more convenient to use. I may also get a 'Sun' faceplate sometime so I'm not looking at beige but that's low priority. And if I decide to switch to a spare VGA monitor I'll need to buy the VGA adaptor as it's not included. But out of the box the 360 Pro pack has everything most people would need, it's easy to set up, and the performance of both video and audio is great. And as the Pro console has a hard drive it can also play many Xbox games, so the game catalogue is quite comprehensive if you don't mind a drop in graphic detail with the older games. If you do this though, you need to download or order a backwards compatibility update - I have to wonder why they didn't just have that installed from the start, it's not that big..? Oh, and don't forget to check the online listing of compatible Xbox games before you jump in and buy one.

The hard drive (Australia/New Zealand release) comes with a bunch of arcade games included such as Uno and Pac-Man, but they're mostly trial versions. There's also a Lego Star Wars II demo, and some promo movies for games like Bioshock & Halo. The 20GB hard drive has about 6GB taken up by the formatting & system and nearly 4GB by other content, so there's not as much room as you'd think until you trash some of the extra content. But unless you're downloading games or adding music or movies, there's plenty of room for any amount of DVD-based game's saves with about 10GB free. I don't think I'd use it as a music library as it's a lot easier just to plug my MP3 player into the stereo, or run an MP3 disc in my CD player - the 360 console uses a fair bit of power and for me it's a game machine, not a media centre...

I've never used an early model 360 with the overheating problems, but after about 30 minute's use, roughly evenly split between setting up and playing TR Legend, the case was still cool except for a small area around the rear vents which were blowing moderately warm air (a later session of about 30 minutes in Legend made the case slightly warmer, but not by much, although these sessions were on cool days). I've read that the new hardware configuration with better cooling, the 65nm CPU, and possibly a smaller die GPU, does run a lot cooler. One possible cause of the earlier three red ring failures could have been overheating, and if that's the case then I doubt it will be a problem with the new model with the Falcon board.

So was it worth it for me? Well as I managed to get a great deal that put the price of the Pro pack hardware around the price of a sale-priced Wii (allowing for a value of the two included 360 games at around $AU100) then it's a resounding yes, at least so far! It not only gives me high res TR Legend and Anniversary, but it future-proofs me for a few more Tomb Raiders to come, as well as complementing my PlayStation 2 game catalogue with a whole extra bunch to choose from. Heaps more games than a Mac, better graphics, and way lower cost (even with the cost of a moderately sized LCD monitor added on) make it compelling. Add to that the Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive add-on for maybe half the cost of a free-standing HD-DVD player, and it has a lot going for it in anyone's language, although the addition of the HD-DVD drive does put it up around the base PS3 price range. Time will tell if the reliability problems have been solved, but it's sounding good from what I've heard! I'm glad I waited all this time for the 65nm CPU, not to mention the much lower price :)

My gaming future is now decided!

2007-12-26T17:13:00.000+11:00

I've been giving a lot of thought to my gaming future in recent months. Due to cost considerations, and the fact that Apple still aren't serious about gaming, I'd come to the conclusion that there was no future for me gaming on a Mac. My current MDD Power Mac dual G4/1.25 is fantastic for everything but future gaming, and it does well for all those TR's that exist on Mac to this time (end 2007). It's also possible that it will just scrape through with the forthcoming Universal Mac TR Anniversary from Feral Interactive (but at very low settings), and if a Mac version of TR Legend appears in the future then I could get similar results as it's the same game engine. But the next TR - Tomb Raider Underworld, sometime late 2008 or even 2009 - will be more demanding, and if it gets a Mac port is sure to be beyond my Mac. Hence I had to start planning.

None of this affects MacRaider, except for any possible future Mac TR's some way down the track that I can't run - I'm still a Mac Raider, still ready to support as many Mac TR's as I can, and I'll still be going forward with my walkthroughs. So MacRaider lives on!

Although I'm also a long term PlayStation gamer (I have an original PS, an original PS2, and a slimline PS2) the cheapest of the PS3 models in Australia is close to $700, a cost I can't justify. I was considering a Wii (just under $AU400) but as Anniversary on the Wii isn't as good as it should have been, and the future of TR on the Wii is uncertain, buying one would be a risk. And a PC (shock, horror!) would also be unjustifiably expensive as it would only be for games. Which leaves me with only one real choice - an Xbox 360, which is what I've been tending towards for some time now.

Today I went out for price comparisons, which was a good time to do it for several reasons:
1) The latest 360 hardware update with the 65nm CPU, and revised board and cooling, is now on the street. This was my major trigger for buying a 360 - it makes for much improved reliability as it runs a lot cooler.
2) There is a good value 360 Pro Bundle (Viva Piñata + Forza 2) on limited offer at the moment.
3) Both those games were on my radar, especially Forza 2 as I need to replace my long term Gran Turismo passion (GT is PlayStation-only).
4) JB HiFi have a killer deal on that bundle just for this week that neither EB Games nor GAME can match, and which at $AU449 is way below the true value of the pack (the RRP nearly $AU580, and EB and GAME can only go down to $AU499!) That's the Pro console with 20 GB hard drive, component cable, & remote, and the games are worth around $AU100 by themselves. Compare that with the normal 360 Pro street pricing at around $AU550+ without the games, and you can see that it's difficult to resist!
5) The Xbox 360 uses a development of the PowerPC G5 CPU, with triple cores running at 3.2GHz. So even though it wouldn't be gaming on a Mac, for a Mac traditionalist like myself the simple fact that I'd be gaming on a triple core 3.2GHz PowerPC (albeit running a Microsoft OS) gives me a sense of continuity (of course the PS3 and Wii are also PowerPC developments, so any console would have filled the same gap...)

So now that all the barriers to buying a 360 have gone down, I finally gave into temptation and I now have an Xbox 360 :-) In my next post I'll give you my setting up experiences, and first impressions with the 360 TR Legend!

Blade Runner - I has it!

2007-12-19T19:55:00.001+11:00

(Updated 29 May 2008)

Today (19 December 2007) was the Australian release of Blade Runner: The Final Cut! I was intending to pick up the 5 disc Ultimate Collector's Edition box set (with 5 versions of the movie and heaps of extras), but when I went into my local Sanity store they had a numbered, limited edition, briefcase pack containing the 5 disc release, so once I saw it I couldn't resist ;) The number on it is one of 4,400 but exactly what that means I don't know - are there only 4,400 worldwide? That sounds more likely than the same number in Australia, which would make them quite common, so I'm very happy to have been able to pick one up.

The Ultimate Collector's Edition is stuffed full of goodies, and for more info on it you could do worse than check out The Digital Bits review, which focuses on that release, and lists all the limited edition goodies as well. It's a 4 page review and covers all the video extras in detail.

This is what it looks like - it's a replica of Deckard's briefcase. The extras it contains are a set of 8 prints of concept art, storyboards etc., a motion clip, miniature unicorn, and a model of the Police Spinner vehicle in the movie.

The Australian release slips into a light cardboard sleeve with the numbered sticker on the sleeve (the sleeve is the black part with the angled sides). More durable than the bare briefcase, especially as I carefully slit the shrink-wrap and folded it into the sleeve to protect the edge around the opening, thus leaving it on to protect the whole outside of the packaging as well.

(This image was taken from the Australian EzyDVD online catalogue...)

Once I've checked out all 5 versions of the movie (rare pre-release workprint, both original 1982 theatrical releases, the 1992 'Director's Cut', and the 2007 'Final Cut', in that order) I'll post a short comment here. For now though the limited edition extras are very cool, and the whole package looks like one of the best limited editions I've ever seen and puts many other wannabe LE's to shame!

UPDATE 29 May 2008
Sorry for the delay, I forgot to update this, but at least it gave me the opportunity to see the Final Cut on a good HD LCD TV and comment on that experience...

Having watched all the different releases of Blade Runner, I'm impressed! If you are a big fan, then you could do a lot worse than to buy the 5-disc release with all versions of the movie, but you should at least get the 2-disc Final Cut release!

So what about the 5-disc set? The first, workprint version, of the movie is fascinating as it was the original vision, but due to a poor test audience reaction there were dramatic alterations for the theatre release. The three subsequent theatrical and Director's Cut releases are interesting if only to see how the movie evolved, but most of us would be fairly familiar with those versions by now.

But I was floored by the Final Cut release - it's simply one of the finest sci-fi movies I've ever seen! I watched the DVD version, via YPbPr (composite) 576p output, upscaled to 720p on my 26"/66cm Panasonic HD LCD TV, and with Dolby Surround audio through my 5-speaker Aiwa stereo (made before the Sony buyout, when Aiwa were still a good product.) The quality is awesome! It's right up there with the best new release DVDs (like Ratatouille), and although I've not seen the Blu-ray release, there's very little room for improvement over the DVD on a smaller HD LCD TV, at least in the sub-40" range, as upscaling these days is almost flawless.

Highly recommended! Either of the Final Cut release formats (2 or 5 disc) is a must-buy for Blade Runner fans, and the only decision you need to make is which one you can afford, and find!

Feral Interactive Universal Patches

2007-12-08T11:57:00.000+11:00

Since Feral Interactive's recent announcement that they would be publishing the Mac Tomb Raider Anniversary, I've been keeping an eye on their site. (As you do if you're a mad Mac TR fan like me and have been hanging out for nearly 4 years for a new Mac release ;-)

Feral have just announced that they will be releasing Universal versions of most of their back catalogue, starting with Worms 3D, Ford Racing 2, and Bionicle. Stay tuned to Feral for news about which other games in their back catalogue will get the Universal treatment!

Feral Interactive

The True 'Blade Runner Director's Cut'

2007-11-25T21:04:00.000+11:00

Not game news, but geek news :)

The Australian release of the only true Director's Cut of Blade Runner is due for around 19 December 2007, with the title 'Blade Runner: The Final Cut'! The 1992 so-called 'Director's Cut' was not under the complete control of Ridley Scott so isn't definitive, but he had complete artistic control of the upcoming remastered 'Final Cut'. Blade Runner is one of my favourite sci-fi movies of all time (along with Alien, Contact, & Terminator) so I'm definitely hanging out for this one! It looks like it will be released around the same time in many countries with a date of 18 December mentioned on the Wikipedia page.

This will be the third version of the film I have. I already have the original (International?) version on VHS and the 1992 Director's Cut on DVD. Of those two the Director's Cut is better as it does away with the voiceovers which were a bit distracting, but the addition of the Unicorn scene doesn't necessarily help (it was intended to clarify Deckard's origins but you had to be aware of the possibility or it made no sense). On the other hand, the voiceovers did give the original release more of a link to the classic Film Noir genre to which it owes so much, so are not totally without merit. So I'm very interested to see how this new version stands up against the others..! Which means I'll have to subject myself to all 3 versions over a few days so they're fresh in my mind. I think I can cope with that ;-)

My favourite character? It has to be Pris, and not just because she's played by the almost unrecognisable Daryl Hannah (who I also like). To me Pris is a very complex and interesting character, played with finesse by Hannah, and a character you always sense is capable of extreme behaviour so is very menacing before she actually does anything. Her capacity for being so seductive one moment, and so violent the next, means you can never take her for granted!

The Last Classic Mac OS - A Tribute

2007-10-28T14:23:00.000+11:00

Officially deceased but won't lie down yet!

The release of OS X 10.5 Leopard on 26 October 2007 marks the end of Apple's support of the classic Mac OS. Leopard no longer supports PPC Mac Classic mode, so anyone who still relies on a classic Mac app is out of luck with Leopard. So here's my modest tribute to a legend.

Although Classic has been less and less useful as time goes on, there are sure to be some PPC Mac users out there like myself who still need to run classic apps, either because an update or replacement doesn't exist, or because they can't find a suitable replacement for a much loved classic app. I'm likely to upgrade to Leopard sometime, but it will be on a separate internal hard drive alongside Panther, for dual-booting. I can't bear to be parted from Panther, just yet, for reasons such as these classic apps:

- all the Mac Tomb Raiders up to The Last Revelation (TR 4). None of these (7) games have been confirmed yet for Carbonising by Aspyr, but although I'm not hopeful I've not yet ruled it out. These alone lock me into Panther for some time yet!

- Claris Home Page, which was discontinued in 2001 with v3. There may be better WYSIWYG website design packages these days, but I'm happy with the utility and ease of use of Home Page. It may be very basic by today's standards but what it does it does well and has been running this site since day one. Anyway, who needs templates or rollovers :)

- SoundApp PPC, which was a very useful freeware audio converter, capable of handling one of the widest range of formats at the time. The developer, Norman Franke, moved on to other things and the last release was v2.7.3 in late 2000. Although there are other audio utilities for OS X, none to this day have the simplicity or practicality of SoundApp PPC.

- The older F/A-18 Hornet flightsims, of which only F/A-18 Korea can be run in Classic with the help of MacGLide. The later F/A-18 OIF may be OS X native but for sheer flightsim fun on a Mac nothing can beat Hornet Korea. Well, except for Hornet 3 which won't run in Classic...

- I also have occasional use for a few odd things like my old GME97 Encyclopaedia (and some other references) and my faithful old Agfa scanner. Unfortunately the Agfa scanner will only work by booting into OS 9 as the SCSI connection doesn't work properly in Panther.

So the end of Classic support by Apple is, for myself and many other long term Mac users, an event to rank up there with the last PPC Mac. Hence my modest tribute to an operating system family that may not have always been cutting edge, but will always be fondly remembered.

RIP Classic Mac OS
24 January 1984 - 26 October 2007

Valve's Gabe Newell on Apple & Gaming

2007-10-03T17:04:00.000+10:00

Updated 5 October 2007
Updated 6 October 2007

In a recent interview between Kikizo and Gabe Newell, the MD of Valve (developers of Half Life), there are some interesting comments about Apple's attitude to gaming and why Half Life isn't on the Mac.

Valve have approached Apple on a number of occasions in recent years, and although the Apple people they've spoken to have expressed interest in helping make the Mac better for gaming, nothing has ever happened. As Gabe Newell says "I just don't think they've ever taken gaming seriously." He goes on to say "If I were a Macintosh product manager, it [gaming support] would be pretty high on my list, and a problem to get taken care of, as probably the number one thing holding them back with consumers."

Read the interview - the Apple comments are on the first page and paint a bleak picture of Mac gaming any time soon.

This reinforces my long held belief that by ignoring gaming Apple have missed the bus when it comes to getting hardware into homes and giving Microsoft some serious competition (as I've said more than once in this blog, right from the start). Mac gaming may not technically be dead yet, but outside of casual games it's looking more ordinary every day. And comments like those from Gabe Newell certainly don't do anything to make me think that things will change...

Update 5 October

Inside Mac Games' Tuncer Deniz, in his blog, has commented on Gabe Newell's remarks about why Half Life 2 isn't on the Mac. While accepting that some of his comments are valid, Tuncer points out that part of the reason at least is "because of Valve's insistence that anyone who wanted to port Half-Life 2 to the Mac had to advance $1 million to Valve." Now to those who have some idea what the market is for Mac games, that amount of money up front is quite unrealistic!

That aside though, Tuncer, a long term Mac gaming advocate, does accept that "the Mac is NOT a great gaming platform", that competition from consoles in particular isn't helping, and nor is Apple's attitude. But he remains optimistic about the future of gaming on the Mac given that the Mac's market share is rising and there is still strong support from developers and gamers. I hope he's right...

Read Tuncer's blog post for more.

Update 6 October

Macworld have commented on Gabe Newell's remarks in the above interview. They also note that much of what Gabe Newell says has merit, but they agree with Inside Mac Games that money is the main reason Half Life hasn't made it to Mac. In the article comparisons are drawn between Valve, and other publishers who have been successful and profitable with cross platform releases.

But one point was mentioned that has a wider significance. Whatever Valve's reasons for avoiding the Mac, they have game technology that they license out to other developers, and if Valve isn't developing for the Mac then neither are any of the developers using their technology. So Valve's attitude does have other ramifications for Mac gaming!

On the intensive use of DirectX with many new games on the PC, and whether it's another factor impacting on Mac conversions, they comment "It’s a technical problem, sure, but it’s not insurmountable", pointing out that this hasn't stopped other developers porting PC games to the Mac.

Read the Macworld article for more details.

But I still have reservations about the future of Mac gaming after Valve's comments. If developers like Valve, for whatever reason, aren't pursuing Mac gaming, then something will have to change before we see Macs taken seriously by the wider game development community. Eidos is a good example, with Tomb Raider Legend being released by them on almost every conceivable platform, even a version for mobile phones, but not for Mac or Linux. If they're not prepared to put that extra effort into at least one more version of the game (given all those that have been released), then what hope is there..?

New iMacs - Graphics Update 2 (Benchmarks)

2007-08-12T11:20:00.000+10:00

Updated 16 August

Benchmarks for the new iMacs are starting to appear. I'll update this post as I see new reviews that include graphics benchmarks, so check back periodically! (NOTE - due to problems with my ISP's server that's blocking some sites I've not been able to access Inside Mac Games for some weeks now, so I won't be able to include any IMG articles until that's fixed. If it's fixed... UPDATE 13 August - I now have access to IMG! It wasn't my ISP, rather IMG's server was blocking an IP range that included my ISP, but it took a long time to get sorted...)

Macworld's first look at benchmarks.
This one is very interesting. They don't yet have the 2.8GHz Core 2 Extreme to test, but Macworld included one game benchmark on the other three new iMacs - Unreal Tournament 2004. These were using the new ATI HD 2400XT/2600PRO graphics with 128MB and 256MB memory respectively, compared to the previous 24" 2.16GHz with GeForce 7300GT 128MB graphics.

NONE of the three new iMacs tested could match the 2.16GHz Core 2 Duo with the GeForce 7300GT - even though the 7300GT was only using 128MB memory compared to the HD 2600's 256MB! And don't forget that the GeForce 7300GT/128MB was the lower graphics option in the previous model iMac - the 24" could be upgraded to the GeForce 7600GT/256MB graphics which were significantly better! So at first glance it seems that the previous model white iMac with either the GeForce 7300GT or 7600GT graphics is a better gaming machine than the new aluminium iMacs! And I don't expect much improvement with the 2.8GHz Core 2 Extreme in the new 24" as it uses the same graphics as the standard 24".

Mac gamers, now might be the time to think about getting the previous white iMac 24" with the GeForce 7600GT graphics and 2.33GHz CPU, before stocks run out! There should still be some available on special order from Apple or Apple retailers at this date (12 August), but it won't last long. I wish I could afford one because I'd buy it in a flash now I know more about the new models!

14 August Update

There were a couple of reviews posted for the new iMacs yesterday:

Macworld Review
AppleInsider Review

Both these reviews have reservations about the new ATI graphics and the glossy screen. Although not comprehensive graphics reviews they both voice disappointment at the lack of improvement to the graphics over the previous GeForce 7300GT/7600GT options. Note that the AppleInsider review shows benchmarks for the old G5 iMac against the new aluminium Intel model, so the gains are NOT over the previous Core 2 Duo iMac and are somewhat misleading!

16 August Update

There is now benchmarking comparing the new top end aluminium iMac 2.8GHz Core 2 Extreme/Radeon HD 2600 Pro 256MB with the old top end white 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo/GeForce 7600 GT 256MB:

Bare Feats Benchmarks

I've been hanging out to see these top end models compared, and I have to say I'm not surprised to see that the old white iMac absolutely FLOGS the new aluminium iMac in most games! In fact the only way to beat the old top end iMac is with a Mac Pro with Radeon X1900 XT graphics!

So serious Mac gamers who want the best Mac game box but can't afford a Mac Pro, should seriously consider trying to get a white iMac 24" 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo with the GeForce 7600 GT 256MB graphics before stocks at Apple run out. If you already have one, then congratulate yourself for not waiting for the 2007 iMac revision, although you would have payed more ;-)

The old white iMac pricing has now been discounted so there is a big saving over its price before the new model was released, making them around the same price as the roughly equivalent aluminium iMac.

New iMacs - Graphics Update

2007-08-11T18:11:00.000+10:00

In my previous post I originally suggested that the new 256MB ATI graphics were more powerful than the previous top end iMac's GeForce 7600 GT 256MB graphics. But I've since seen comments that this may not be the case, and that the ATI graphics could actually be less powerful!

Much of this depends on Apple's implementation and whether they've limited the clock speed, but it is a fact that in PC gaming ATI are lagging behind nVidia with Vista drivers so the ATI's DirectX 10 support could well be limited at this time for those who want to dual boot into Vista for gaming (DirectX 10 is Vista-only).

The 2600 Pro is also a poor brother to the 2600 XT which has 512MB memory, but Apple's decision to slim down the iMac case may have made the 2600 XT non-viable due to space and cooling issues. But I would have thought that if Apple are throwing a 2.8GHz Core 2 Extreme at the iMac, then couldn't they at least have given it high end graphics as well, even just as an option..?

Is this yet another case of 'form over function' with Apple..? And even though we know Apple don't take gaming seriously, when are they going acknowledge that there are some serious Mac gamers out here and give us decent graphics in the consumer model Macs..?

New iMacs - 7 August 2007

2007-08-08T12:50:00.000+10:00

As expected, Apple has announced the new iMac range. They are now cased in aluminium (also as expected), offset with a black screen surround and back. I have to say they look rather nice! But I'm not so sure about the keyboard which is a very thin laptop style with low flat keys (which was leaked some days ago so has also been expected). I've yet to check out the new glossy screen - similar products I've seen have looked all right at a casual glance, but it's a very personal preference that won't suit everyone. The 17" model has been dropped (widely predicted) to concentrate on the 20" and 24" models. One thing that didn't transpire was a model with a larger screen than the 24" but you can't have everything.

I was a little surprised to see the new CPUs - the top 24" model now has a 2.8GHz Core 2 Extreme! The other three models keep the Core 2 Duo now at 2.0GHz and 2.4GHz. All models now have dedicated ATI Radeon graphics, and all but the base model now have as standard the Radeon HD 2600 Pro with 256MB memory (512MB would have been nice though...) The top 24" now comes standard with 2GB RAM, with 1GB for the other three models. And the top 24" now has a 500GB hard drive standard, with options for up to 1TB! The full range now comes with an 8x dual layer Superdrive.

As a comparison, the previous model top end 24" upgraded to the faster processor, 2GB RAM, 500GB hard drive, and 256MB graphics memory, is broadly the same specs as the now standard top end 24", except the CPU has been significantly boosted with the new model, going from the Core 2 Duo to the much faster Core 2 Extreme. And all that comes with a price drop of about $800 Australian for the significantly more powerful machine!

I suspect some of the price drop is due to the lower manufacturing costs of LCD screens these days, but the new top end 24" is priced around 20% lower than its predecessor, which makes it a very attractive option!

It shouldn't be too long before the new models start getting tested against the old, and I'd guess that they will compare very favourably.

The Future of Mac Gaming..?

2007-07-11T14:02:00.000+10:00

Is this the future of Mac Gaming?

I don't think I need to say anything more about this, except to point you back to this post from March...

'Is MacRaider still relevant?' Poll result!

2007-07-03T19:53:00.000+10:00

I let this poll run for 5 weeks until I finished my TR Anniversary walkthroughs. Apart from the poll comments I had a few emails as well, and I want to thank everyone who responded!

The total responses weren't overwhelming at 11, but with human nature being what it is there is likely to be a silent majority out there who feel the same way. The most surprising things to me were that there was not a single negative comment, and there are several people who would like me to continue even though they may not be playing on a Mac in the future! And I'm particularly pleased that there are some who prefer my writing style - I always write as though I'm talking to the reader and that's not something I've cultivated, it's just the way I am. In fact I doubt I could write any other way...

So I've decided that I'll continue supporting the site for some time to come! There may not be a lot of news between games, and there's no guarantee that the next TR will be released on a platform I can use (there won't be another PlayStation 2 TR after Anniversary so if I jump the wrong way I'll be left out in the cold) but if I can find a way to continue my coverage I'll be doing it. And you'll be pleased to know that my email support will also continue!

Thanks again everyone, and keep on MacRaiding!

Poll - is MacRaider still relevant?

2007-05-27T13:23:00.000+10:00

Update 3 July: This poll is now closed and I've made my decision - go to the Poll result post for more!

The last Mac Tomb Raider, Angel of Darkness, was released nearly 3.5 years ago in December 2003. With the release of Anniversary in a week or so there will be two new Tomb Raiders since the last Mac TR game hit the shelves, with no word from Aspyr, or anyone else, that there will be a future TR release on Mac. This may or may not be Aspyr's decision - it could be a decision by Eidos to deny a Mac license, or they may be asking too much for licensing. But considering that TR Legend is available for almost every conceivable platform except Mac and Linux, it seems unlikely that the decision is purely Eidos'...

MacRaider is, by definition, a Mac Tomb Raider site, so the absence of any new Mac TR in 3.5 years seems to make MacRaider largely irrelevant, especially if there won't ever be another TR on the Mac. So I am now left with a decision - do I continue publishing Tomb Raider information and walks from other platform versions, or do I tidy up MacRaider and leave it as an online archive for the few Mac gamers who still play the old Mac Tomb Raider games? And do you still want me to provide email support for the Mac Tomb Raider games? (I get very few emails these days for Mac help...)

As for my future gaming, it's likely that I'll be moving more and more to consoles and away from the Mac. Mac gaming seems to be getting more marginalised every year, largely as a result of Apple not supporting serious gaming - OpenGL isn't a patch on DirectX and Apple are unlikely to do anything about it. I've been gaming on PlayStation for some years now for games that never came to Mac, and sometime in the future I intend to include an Xbox 360 in my lineup. The Mac will still be my computer of choice for general use, but not an Intel Mac - I'm very happy with my MDD Power Mac for everything other than games and I can see no reason to spend a small fortune on a game-ready MacIntel when consoles are far cheaper and have a far larger game catalogue to choose from. I've been a Mac Advocate for a long time now and I still am, but no longer for gaming...

Why don't I use Linux?

2007-05-24T12:32:00.000+10:00

Increasingly these days on the web this question is being asked, with a wide variety of suggestions as to why more people haven't switched to Linux. So here are my reasons.

As I run the Mac OS I'm not subject to all the problems with Windows, and I don't just mean malware. Yes, I don't currently have a problem with malware but I acknowledge that Mac OS X isn't totally safe, it's just not targeted by malware writers - it is much more secure than Windows but it is still vulnerable. But the best thing about the Mac OS is that we don't have all the Digital Rights Management restrictions built into Windows - we can reinstall OS X whenever, wherever, and how ever many times we like without breaching any useage restrictions. Try doing that with Vista... One exception to this is a user's iTunes library where they can run foul of DRM restrictions with their existing iTunes library if they need to reinstall the system or change computers. I get around this by not using the iTunes store at all - in fact I still run iTunes 4.2 which suits me fine and is probably the best iTunes of all for just playing music! So the main reason to switch - usability - just doesn't apply to me.

Now, the real reason.

I do like the idea of Linux, and some time ago I decided to at least evaluate it on my MDD G4 as Linux has supposedly evolved into a good solution for people like me. So I did my research, and finally settled with Ubuntu, which at the time was at version 6.06 and was the most popular general Linux release. I read all the release notes on the site prior to downloading, then downloaded the required ISOs and burnt the discs exactly as per the instructions. But I was unable to even begin the install to any disk, let alone the external Firewire drive I wanted it on. Why? Well I'm not a computer newbie so it wasn't a lack of familiarity with computer concepts. I went to the Ubuntu support site and after a lot of burrowing around I found the answer, by accident - Ubuntu 6 was incompatible with my dual G4 Power Mac! Why wasn't this stated in the release notes? Well I have no idea why a known problem wasn't clearly stated up front, and this leaves me wary of any future Ubuntu release - how can I know that any Ubuntu release is compatible with my Mac before downloading it and trying it..?

OS X 1, Linux 0.

Not totally discouraged, I did more research and settled this time on Yellow Dog Linux, which is considered the best PowerPC Mac Linux release. I downloaded all 4 ISOs, burnt all 4 discs, and this time I was able to commence an install on my MDD Power Mac. Commence being the operative word... I wanted to install YDL on my Firewire drive, and leave the Mac's firmware untouched as for evaluation purposes I wanted to select YDL to boot rather than have it boot automatically. Now this wasn't a big problem as although YDL does update the firmware it can be reset within OS X using the Startup Disk panel. But then a second problem arose - YDL couldn't install on my Firewire drive due to a known formatting issue that is seen in some circumstances. I could get around this by completely reformatting the Firewire drive but then I'd lose all the stuff I keep on it. I could back it up, but why should I have to do this at all? I declined to proceed...

OS X 2, Linux 0.

Then there are the known Linux issues of hardware compatibility for things like graphics cards, printers etc. Some of these require downloading even more installers, others require editing system files! Despite being an experienced computer user I'm not about to start learning how to modify Unix system files just to get the thing running - as a long term Mac user I'm used to having the Mac OS 'just work' through every update I've ever done (well, 99% of the time, and the other 1% just requires a minor updater download). I can only recall one instance in 15+ years where I needed to mess with a Mac system file, and that was renaming an OS 8.5 extension (Sound Manager) to force it to load earlier in the startup process to fix an audio problem, a process that had no risks at all and could be done safely by almost anyone with little instruction.

OS X 3, Linux 0.

I currently run OS X Panther, which is somewhat out of date now so limits what I can do, but is rock solid and does everything I really need it to at this time. I intend to skip Tiger and go directly to Leopard sometime after it's released, but I'll wait until it gets updated to maybe .3 or .4 so the major bugs are sorted. When I do install Leopard it will be on a separate internal drive (which I've already installed for other reasons), and I won't be running it as my primary system as I have a continuing need for the solid Classic support I currently have in Panther, which will probably be lost with Leopard (if it even supports Classic at all...)

It comes down to user-friendliness, pure and simple. The Mac OS 'just works', but Linux requires a lot of messing around to reach the same point, and I'd still be left with some software that couldn't be replaced so I'd still need the Mac OS. End of story...

More on the future of Mac gaming...

2007-03-22T14:18:00.000+11:00

In the last couple of days there have been two Mac game announcements that are a bit ominous for those of us who still rely on PowerPC Macs (G5, G4, G3 etc.)

Firstly there was the GameTap announcement of the Mac release of Myst Online: Uru Live, for Intel Macs only. Then Aspyr announced a demo of Star Wars: Empire At War, again for Intel Macs only.

Is this a portent of Mac gaming's future, and will many future ports of PC games to Mac be Intel Mac only? Time will tell, but it's beginning to look a little like the end of gaming on the PowerPC Mac may be in sight, at least as far as PC game ports are concerned!

If gaming is important to you, then now could be a good time to start saving for a MacIntel, or to reconsider your commitment to Macs for gaming. For less serious gamers there should still be a few years left in the casual PowerPC Mac game market, but the time will eventually come when the PowerPC Mac will no longer be viable so it might be a good time to start thinking about your future direction...

Intel Macs and gaming

2007-03-08T12:05:00.000+11:00

If you're considering buying an Intel Mac, I thought I'd post a few comments about the suitability of the various models for gaming. These are my personal opinions, so don't take them as gospel - do your own research as to which MacIntel would be the most suitable in your situation! But these guidelines might help you focus a little better as it can be quite confusing if you're not very familiar with computers and gaming. And I do know of people who've bought the wrong Mac because they made some false assumptions - Apple love to tell you how great their computers are, but don't emphasise the limitations...

Bear in mind that no Intel Mac can play a classic Mac game, which means any game that only runs in Mac OS 9 or earlier (or in the PPC OS X Classic Mode) - this rules out every Tomb Raider up to Last Revelation (TR4)! The only software you're able to run in OS X on an Intel Mac (apart from software designed to run on it) is PPC OS X software, which is software designed to run in the PowerPC version of OS X (Cocoa or Carbon software). But this runs in the Rosetta translator and takes a big speed hit so don't expect too much. For games, look for software and updates labelled 'Universal', which is written to run in OS X in both PPC and Intel Macs. Most Mac game companies are working on Universal updaters for some of their older games, so check them out (an American McGee's Alice Universal patch has just been released by Aspyr - see my previous post!)

A further consideration is that all Intel Macs are able to be booted into Windows XP. To do this requires you to buy a copy of Windows XP Service Pack 2 and download Apple's Boot Camp software to run the install. Boot Camp updates the Mac's BootROM to allow the Windows boot, and also updates the Windows hardware drivers to be compatible with Mac hardware. This allows you to boot into XP and run Windows games on your Mac utilising the graphics hardware and DirectX - generally you'll experience much the same compatibility and performance as you would running a standard Win XP PC with similar specifications! Note that virtualisation software such as Parallels is yet to support gaming, but they intend to include support in a future update. Parallels already supports running a virtual machine from a Boot Camp partition though, so you can install Boot Camp for PC gaming use first, then use Parallels with the same Win XP install for other Windows software!

The addition of an Elgato EyeTV Hybrid video input device would allow an Intel Mac to be used as a display for a games console instead of a TV, as well as doubling as a TV and digital video recorder. The EyeTV Hybrid contains an analogue TV receiver, as well as an SD and HD digital TV receiver (depending on your regional compatibility) so could conceivably replace your TV and digital set top box, thus turning a Mac into a digital TV and a hard drive DVD recorder as well! None of the other EyeTV models are suitable for games consoles due to input lags so be sure to choose the Hybrid for this purpose.

The following comments on individual models refer to the currently available models at March 2007!

Mac mini - A capable little Mac for general use, but suitable only for lightweight gaming use due to its Intel integrated graphics (which shares its RAM with the system). I've heard that it's just possible to play some of the more intensive games on it, but only with all the game graphics options turned off. Undemanding casual gaming only, and max out the RAM for best performance.

MacBook - Again, a capable general purpose computer but as it has Intel integrated graphics this is also only recommended for undemanding casual gaming, best with maxed out RAM.

MacBook Pro - More powerful than the MacBook, and with a dedicated graphics chip, so capable of running more demanding games. If you're serious, choose a model with the 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo processor and Radeon X1600 256MB graphics! A top end MacBook Pro has gaming potential for most but the more demanding games today.

iMac - Varies a lot depending on the model, from very ordinary to very good. The base model 17" has integrated graphics so my comments on the Mac mini and MacBook apply here as well. All the others have dedicated graphics chips, and gaming performance improves as you go up the list. The top end 24" iMac optioned with the 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo, GeForce 7600 GT 256MB graphics, and 2-3GB of RAM, is a quite capable gaming machine for anything except the most intensive games. The 20" when optioned up to the 2.33 GHz Core 2 Duo, Radeon X1600 256MB graphics, and 2-3GB RAM is also a capable gaming machine for most purposes, the most significant difference being the screen size. The only limitation with these is the fairly slow response times of the monitors (around 14ms) so if possible take a DVD movie into an Apple Store or Apple Centre and run it in your iMac of choice to see whether motion blur may be a problem for you. But for most of us either an optioned 20" or 24" is a good choice as a general purpose Mac with decent gaming capabilities. One of these iMacs would also make a nice PC game machine for the average gamer! If you want to use it as an entertainment centre in your living area then the 24" (61cm) 16:10 screen is a quite decent size for longer distance viewing, but be sure to check it out in an Apple Store if possible before deciding.

Mac Pro - Option this up and you're in gamer's heaven, Mac or PC! At a cost... (Unless you're one of those gamers who overclocks everything, uses liquid nitrogen to cool it, and can't do with less than twin high end graphics cards, in which case build your own PC...) For the rest of us, don't bother with the insanely expensive nVidia Quadro FX 4500 graphics option, rather go for the ATI X1900 XT 512MB graphics which is almost as good for gaming but far, far cheaper. The multiple GeForce 7300 GT options are intended for general multiple screen use, not games, so don't bother. The twin 3GHz dual core Intel Xeon processor option is also expensive and 4 processor cores won't be much use in games yet, so the 2.66GHz option could be quite adequate and a lot cheaper. There's room for 2 Superdrives, up to 4x 750GB hard drives, and 16GB RAM, so if you love upgrading and have a very generous bank manager, this gives you plenty of scope ;)

LCD Monitors - if you're running a Mac Pro you'll need a good monitor. Apple monitors have good colour and contrast but a fairly slow response time of around 14ms. That is, the time for the screen elements to respond to colour changes, which very roughly equates to refresh rates in the old CRT monitors. Apple monitors would be fine for the average person (albeit a little expensive), but serious gamers will want to buy something a lot faster, down around 2ms response time or less, to reduce motion blur as much as possible (this is also relevant when playing movies). There are some good fast LCD monitors around now which deliver high performance with good colour and contrast, so check them out in a store which displays them running to see if they'd suit you!

What to do when there's no Mac TR?

2007-03-07T12:46:00.001+11:00

You could always go outside and do the gardening, but what about games? If you're reading this then you're probably a fan of Tomb Raider on the Mac, but as there's been no Mac TR release for over 3 years, and no Mac TR game is readily available any more, new or used, how do you get your action-adventure fix? Apart from TRLE custom levels of course... So here are some games that I like, some on console, and some on Mac (don't forget, console games must match your video format, NTSC or PAL, so it's risky buying in from overseas!) Links are to the Wikipedia pages...

American McGee's Alice (Mac, PC) - this is a similar game to Tomb Raider, but with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland as a theme. You play as Alice, but in a future where she's comatose after a fire that claimed her family and sent her insane. She's institutionalised in an asylum and has nightmares that Wonderland has turned really evil. The object of the game is to visit the Wonderland worlds, right the wrongs, and restore Alice's sanity. Note that it's her sanity, not her life, that you're playing for - you're actually playing in a world within Alice's mind, a world in her nightmares, and restoring her sanity will also mean she will rejoin the real world. Fail and she will be consigned to the asylum for life. Alice is a very dark game, more in line with the underlying dark theme of the book, and a good game with some very atmospheric music and graphics. Alice was released on Mac and although it is now difficult to find it may be possible to pick it up at places like Amazon.com. Interestingly, Aspyr have just released a Universal patch for Alice so it's now playable on Intel Macs - go to Aspyr Support and look for the Alice 1.1.2 patch (Universal).

Beyond Good & Evil (PS2, Xbox, GC, PC) - this game was never released on Mac, but should have been! Dating from 2003 it's a bit of a 'sleeper', and is now considered to be one of the most under-rated games of its type and one of the games most worthy of a sequel. Like Tomb Raider, it's a 3rd person action adventure with a female lead, but the setting is an alien world - Hillys - inhabited by humans, human hybrids, and weird and wonderful creatures. Lots of them! You play as Jade, a freelance photo-journalist, and your goal is to use your camera to expose a conspiracy and save your world! Of course ;) The game isn't totally serious, and there are MANY other characters you're able to interact with if you wish, with sometimes quite funny results. Jade also has a couple of helpers at various points in the game. In fact the whole BG&E world is busy, something we've not seen in any TR, and moving around the city can be an eye-opening experience. It does include some fighting but Jade's only weapons are a staff which has 'powers' to increase its effectiveness, a disk projector which can damage some items or trigger switches at a distance, and a cannon on her hovercraft. Controlling Jade is somewhat easier than Lara as some of her moves (like jumps and vaults) are automatic and only require the player to move Jade in the desired direction. It has an unusual save function - Jade carries a savegame memory disk and you save by inserting it into one of the many readers scattered around Hillys. This game, although possibly difficult to find now, sometimes turns up in the used game bins in game stores. It is also plentiful at Amazon. I picked up a cheap used PS2 copy in near new condition from my local EB Games recently and it was so much fun that I'll be keeping it for future replays!

Dreamfall: The Longest Journey (Xbox, PC) - I've not played this game, but it has been getting some good press and when I get an Xbox 360 it's on my 'wanted' list. It's the second in the series, the first was The Longest Journey on PC only. It's an adventure game with, yet again, a female lead (Zoë Castillo), and was released on PC and Xbox (Aspyr published the Xbox version last year). It's played in a sci-fi setting, and has an engrossing story and wonderful graphics. It does contain some action but the action doesn't take over the game which remains primarily an adventure, and an adventure with one of the best stories ever in a video game. The Xbox version of the game is apparently compatible with the Xbox 360, but do your own checking on this. Dreamfall: The Longest Journey Xbox version should be easy to find at the usual places, but the Xbox game may be less available in some PAL countries.

MediEvil/MediEvil2 (PS, PSP) - these are old PlayStation games (yes, PlayStation, not PS2). There were two episodes on PS, with a third release (MediEvil Resurrection, a remake of the original) on PSP only. MediEvil is a 3rd person action adventure game where you play as a skeleton. You read me right, a skeleton! Always VERY tongue in cheek, this is a game that definitely doesn't take itself too seriously. You play as Sir Daniel Fortesque, or at least his remains, in the fantasy country of Gallowmere. Sir Daniel wasn't a very successful knight but hopefully under your control he'll be a little more successful at ridding his world of evil this time. One of the more under-rated PlayStation games, MediEvil is a lot of fun and even the starting video is hilarious! Probably very difficult to find now outside Amazon, but worth looking for if you have a PS or PS2 and should be very cheap so what do you have to lose!

Myst IV Revelation (Mac/PC hybrid, Xbox) - a pure adventure game, as are all the Myst games, and as for all the Myst games (except Uru) it's available for Mac. Myst is a puzzle game where you don't fight and can't die (it's fun to be in a world where it's completely safe) and Myst IV has the best environment and gameplay of all the Mysts! This has been achieved with a combination of pre-rendered backgrounds, realtime 3D foreground objects, and 360 degree node-based play. Which means that you 'point and click' to move from node to node, and have full 360 degree vision at every node, with a 'living' world around you, including, where appropriate, insects, birds, animals, breezes, water, trees, and even leaves falling. You are also able to interact with many items in the environment, with the appropriate reactions and audio feedback. For example there are some places where you can stick a finger in a tub of water, which results in ripples and a splashing sound. Or tap a saucepan hanging in the kitchen, which gives an appropriate hollow metal sound and starts the pan swinging. And many more, so don't be afraid to touch the environment! These are not gameplay elements, just diversions, but give the player a sense of really being there! You'll often come across creatures in the environment, many in realtime 3D. One of the creatures you come across (the Mangree in Haven) is one of the cutest I've ever seen in a video game, resembling a large Lemur but with bigger ears, and which sometimes comes up to you to have a look. Myst IV draws you into its world like no other Myst game, and few games at all for that matter, and is one of my all time favourites, but as with all the Myst games the puzzles can sometimes be almost incomprehensible so it's good to keep a walkthrough handy! If you play this be prepared to spend more time just looking around than you would have thought possible, it can be that immersive :)

Myst 10th Anniversary DVD Edition (Mac/PC hybrid) - if you like Myst IV Revelation then you may want to try the earlier games. If so then try to get hold of the Myst 10th Anniversary Edition with the first 3 games (Myst, Riven, Myst III Exile) on a single DVD each, as opposed to the original multiple CD sets for Riven and Myst III. None of them run in OS X (even Myst III, which is supposedly compatible, doesn't run properly in Panther due to audio problems), but in my experience they all ran fine in Panther Classic mode. This release includes the Myst Masterpiece Edition, which is the original Myst with upgraded graphics. Of course the puzzles you come across in the first 3 Mysts aren't easy, especially in Riven, so play with a walkthrough at hand (there are plenty of good walkthroughs on the web still). Myst Masterpiece and Riven don't have full 360 degree views, but you will occasionally see life in the environment around you. Myst III does have 360 degree views, with only a little more activity in the environment, but nothing like Revelation. Myst 10th Anniversary is probably still available at Amazon.

Tomb Raider Legend (PS2 etc. etc. but not Mac, yet...) - not really what I was intending to include. Check my Legend page for more information, but this game is perfectly suited to the PlayStation 2 controller, and looks remarkably good for a PS2 game, even on an old CRT TV that supports 60Hz mode (PAL only?) I've not tried it on Xbox 360, but it looks even better and should play just as well. Considering that a new PS2 can be picked up now for less than half the cost of a Wii, less even than an iPod Nano, and that the next TR, Anniversary, will also be released for PS2, then this is something to seriously consider if the Mac version doesn't appear soon!

Tomb Raider & the future of Mac gaming

2007-03-06T10:36:00.000+11:00

Back in 1998 Aspyr was a small game company with aspirations. They made their first move into the mainstream game market by publishing a conversion of the PC game Tomb Raider II, a decision based on the topicality of the second TR game at that time (it had been released on PC in 1997 and was a major hit). Released in the last quarter of 1998, the Mac Tomb Raider II was a hit and started Aspyr on the road to success.

During 1999 this was followed by Tomb Raider Gold, which contained the original Tomb Raider I and the Unfinished Business TR I expansion, or 'Gold' game. In the next few years they released Mac conversions of Tomb Raider II Gold, Tomb Raider III and III Gold, Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation (TR 4) and Tomb Raider Chronicles (TR 5) and the TR Level Editor. On 18 December 2003 Tomb Raider: the Angel of Darkness (TR 6) shipped. In this time there was only one official TR game that was not ported to Mac - The Times Exclusive Level, which was a single level game produced by Core Design on commission from The Times newspaper to commemorate their sponsorship of the finding of Tutankhamun's tomb in the 1920's.

Since December 2003 there has been one new PC Tomb Raider release, Tomb Raider Legend (TR 7) in April 2006, which has been a big hit and is a major improvement on Angel of Darkness and a return to the original Tomb Raider concept. There is also the upcoming release of Tomb Raider Anniversary - a 10th anniversary tribute to the original Tomb Raider that started it all off - to be released in May 2007. However, there has been no mention from Aspyr as to whether they intend to undertake a conversion of Tomb Raider Legend, let alone TR Anniversary - the only TR activity from Aspyr that I'm aware of since December 2003 was an update to Angel of Darkness.

It seems that at least part of the reason for this is Apple's switch to Intel processors, along with the high cost of game conversions. The Intel switch was first announced in mid 2005, and the first MacIntel hit stores in early 2006. This fundamental switch in Apple hardware threw a big spanner in the works for PC-Mac conversions, and as a result 2006 was a lean year for Mac games while the developers kept their eyes on the marketplace to see how things transpired. Boot Camp (Windoze dual booting) didn't help either... Mac games from Aspyr are starting to pick up again this year and although their confidence doesn't seem to have fully recovered there is a definite improvement. But Aspyr have now widened their market by publishing PC and console games, so Mac games are no longer their staple fare.

Just whether this will translate to a Mac conversion of Tomb Raider Legend and the new TRs to come is as yet unknown, and my approaches to Aspyr for clarification of the future of TR on the Mac have met with no response at all, just a deafening silence. I suppose that could be a case of 'no news is good news', but I won't see it that way until I hear something definite.

There's also a potential for any future Mac TR to be Intel only, partly due to the complexity of the graphics in TR Legend - Legend requires a lot of grunt to run and outside top end G5 Power Macs only the Intel Macs are likely to have enough power to run it (and any future TRs for that matter). If this is the case then only recent Macs will be able to handle it, thus sidelining all of us who still use older Macs, and can't afford to upgrade. Like me...

On the other hand, the next gen console wars are now well under way, which muddies the water even more. For the cost of a top end 24" iMac optioned up to run games (fastest CPU, best graphics, extra RAM etc.) I could buy all three new consoles and a top quality 32"/81cm HD TV! That's an Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 3, and Panasonic HD TV, the combination of which should be able to play virtually every game in the marketplace today, and for years to come, the vast majority of which will never see the light of day on the Mac under any circumstances. With the exception of the Wii the consoles would be far more powerful game machines than any Mac (bar maybe the top end Mac Pro booted in Windoze XP), and certainly much better value for money than a top end optioned iMac, even if the iMac was dual booting Windoze XP and OS X, thus opening it up to a slew of PC games. And the Wii has one of the best titles in gaming history - Zelda: Twilight Princess - which is by itself almost justification for the cost of the console, and is exclusive to Wii!

So what does this mean for Mac games? Well I have to be honest here and say that I don't see much of a future for Mac games outside the casual market. There is way too much competition out there for gaming hardware, which leaves the Mac with its small market share out in the cold, especially without Apple taking gaming seriously. Tomb Raider Legend, for example, is now available on almost every platform you can name - there's even a mobile version for phones - with the only two significant exceptions being Linux and Mac OS (well, and Wii, but it is available for GameCube).

As for myself, if no Mac Legend appears, or if it does but needs me to buy a new Mac to run it, then I can see myself switching to console gaming. I already have a PlayStation 2 which actually runs Legend well and looks good, and should also handle Anniversary with no problems. I should be able, in the not too distant future, to afford an Xbox 360, maybe even a Wii (and maybe even a second PlayStation 2 as a fallback, mine's an early model), to use with my old 60cm CRT TV, but no way could I afford a game ready MacIntel which at the very least means an optioned 20" iMac or better.

If this happens then MacRaider will continue, although much in the form of my TR Legend coverage, written from the PlayStation 2 game but mostly applicable to the other versions. Despite its possible reduction in relevance I get too much enjoyment from running MacRaider to seriously contemplate terminating it in the foreseeable future, so at least my inimitable walkthroughs ;) will continue to be available, as will whatever online help I can give. So I'm here to stay for some time yet!

The MacRaider blog is here!

2007-03-05T17:37:00.000+11:00

I thought it was about time to start a blog for those things that may be Tomb Raider or games related but don't merit a news entry on MacRaider. Stay tuned for a trickle of (probably) marginally interesting stuff. Or don't.