CNET News recently posted an article examining the current status of Macintosh gaming and changes Apple could make to encourage more gamers to consider Macs. The article features commentaries from industry notables such as Aspyr's Glenda Adams and Al Schilling of Macsoft.

But Apple, despite having the horsepower to satisfy those gamers with products like the Mac Pro, doesn't need that category as much as the rest of the PC world, Baker said.

"That segment is profitable to (Windows) guys because they don't have a solid way to make themselves profitable in the low-end market," Baker said. "But Apple is more profitable off the bat. They don't have to go searching for those smaller niches, their main niches are already relatively profitable."

And with most of the growth in the market heading to the consoles, that might not be a terrible stance, Baker said.

Still, game developers naturally believe that if Apple took a few steps to improve game performance and availability on Macs, the company's market share would grow, encouraging more developers to create titles for the Mac, thereby attracting more gamers, and so on.

"I think if they dug into it," Aspyr's Adams said, "they'd make the connection that a good thriving Mac gaming market would help their market share."

CNET News: Apple Still Quiet on Game Strategy

Apple (add to watch list)

Macgamestore.com today announced the availability of the digital download version of MumboJumbo's Luxor 2 on its web site. The much anticipated sequel to the #1 casual game of 2005, Luxor 2 sets the new standard for action-puzzlers.

Luxor 2 still offers the addictive and easy-to-learn, yet difficult to master game play which made the award-winning Luxor franchise such a smash hit, while taking the game to a completely new level.

Luxor 2 takes you on a beautiful voyage through the land of ancient Egypt. Play 88 all-new, gorgeously rendered levels of brilliantly displayed crisp and stunning graphics set amongst the pyramids and temples of ancient Egypt. Use your mystical winged scarab to shoot and destroy the approaching magical spheres before they reach the pyramids at the end of their path. And to help you shoot down those enemy spheres, Luxor 2 features more explosive power-ups than ever before.

System Requirements:
- 700MHz or Intel Core Processor
- 128MB RAM
- 25MB free HD space
- Mac OS X 10.3.9 through 10.4.8
- 16-bit or 32-bit Video Card with 32MB VRAM

Luxor 2 is available at Macgamestore.com for $19.95 as a digital download. A free demo version of the game is available on the web page.

Macgamestore: Luxor 2

Click to enlarge

Inside Mac Games has posted a review of Kult: Heretic Kingdoms. Here's a clip from the review:

Developed by 3D People and distributed by Virtual Programming, Kult is an isometric point and click, hack and slash RPG that takes place in a medieval fantasy world (Diablo). The fact that the storyline to the game is interesting doesn’t save the format of the game from being derivative. Where 3D People earns marks, however, is in some of their small innovations. After all, there are dozens of first person shooter titles released every year, and we don’t fault them for all following the same basic gameplay paradigm, but we do praise them for their little extras. With a title like this, the gravy is in the details. So, let’s create a funky metaphor as I ask you to jump in my gravy boat to sail around and see what Kult does to entice gamers into the, by now, tried and true isometric RPG world.

Inside Mac Games Review: Kult: Heretic Kingdoms

Virtual Programming (add to watch list)

Kult: Heretic Kingdoms (add to watch list)

Buy Kult: Heretic Kingdoms

J&R Computerworld has deals on a variety of Mac compatible hardware and software products including: ARXP62 Bookshelf speakers from Acoustic Research reduced to only $99.99!; Sims 2 Pets Expansion Pack from Aspyr for only $34.99!; Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark from MacSoft for only $19.99!; Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Warlords Expansion Pack from Aspyr for only $27.99!; Eye-One Display 2 professional monitor calibration tool from Gretagmacbeth for only $199.99!; 1GB Lexar JumpDrive Secure II flash drive for only $29.99!; HL-2040 compact personal laser printer from Brother for only $99.99 after mail-in rebate!; CanoScan LiDE 70 USB 2.0 color image scanner from Canon for only $79.99!; and much more. Get all the details at the following URL: 

http://hotdeals.apple.com/jandr/index.php

O'Reilly Media, Inc. has Hot Deals exclusive prices on a variety of Mac related publications including: Mac OS X: The Missing Manual, Tiger Edition for only $20.97!; Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Tiger Edition for only $17.47; Dreamweaver MX 2004: The Missing Manual for only $24.47; iMovie 6 & iDVD: The Missing Manual for only $24.50!; iPhoto 6: The Missing Manual for only $20.99!; iPod: The Missing Manual for only $13.99!; Photoshop Photo Effects Cookbook for only $20.96!; Photoshop Fine Arts Effects Cookbook for only $20.99!; Photoshop CS2 RAW for only $24.50!; and much more. Get all the details at the following URL: 

http://hotdeals.apple.com/oreilly/index.php

Click to enlarge

In an article posted over at IGN's RPG Vault, Avernum creator Jeff Vogel makes some suprising statements about the very genre of game that he has spent so much time creating.

[The] games I write are no better. They do exactly the same thing. Sure, it might be cool to make a game where your character starts out a level 50 badass and then just trashes bozos. But it just wouldn't sell as well. The addictive, statistic-increasing, time-eating quality isn't the problem with these games. It's the point.

I'm tired of starting a new game and being a loser. I'm tired of running the same errands to prove myself. The next time I enter my fantasy world, I want it to not assume that I'm a jackass.

So now, thinking about playing an RPG just makes me tired. I may play one again someday. All I need is a huge surplus of time oppressing me that I need to kill with extreme prejudice. And, until that happens, unless a game can be finished in under 10 to 12 hours, I'm not interested.

RPG Rault: Jeff Vogel's View From the Bottom

Spiderweb Software (add to watch list)

Avernum 4 (add to watch list)

Click to enlarge

Brad Custer has updated his section at IMG today with a great new desktop just in time for fans of Star Wars. This week's picture is inspired by Aspyr Media's upcoming strategy title, Star Wars: Empire at War.

Here's an excerpt from Brad's update:

With our recent news that Star Wars: Empire at War from Aspyr Media should be ready to ship this month, I decided to venture back into one of my favorite genres. The east coast has been experiencing subzero temps that could rival the conditions on Hoth so it was the natural choice for this week's desktop. I was able to make this feature with the help of Aspyr Media.

IMG Desktop: Hoth

Aspyr Media (add to watch list)

Star Wars: Empire at War (add to watch list)

Buy Star Wars: Empire at War

In a recent Gameindustry.biz interview EA Mobile's Javier Ferreira discussed the company's successful collaboration with Apple to bring games to the iPod. The interview also covers future projects with the iPod and iPhone, including the possibility of key EA properties like The Sims making their way to Apple handheld hardware.

The publisher has enjoyed success with titles such as Mahjong, Tetris and Mini Golf on the market-leading entertainment player, with future projects on the highly-anticipated iPhone expected to be announced shortly.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz at 3GSM in Barcelona, Ferreira said, "As the iPhone comes to the mobile space it's an exciting opportunity for us. It's a marriage made in heaven.

"For us, fundamentally, we love new platforms, we love new ways of playing and new ways growing the market."

With EA's Mitch Lasky recently revealing the company is in talks to develop games for the iPhone, the publisher clearly sees another opportunity to expand its gaming reach. And although titles deemed 'casual' are only currently available for the iPod, it won't be long until some of EA's key brands appear on Apple's hardware.

"The more devices that people can play on, the better. You'll see people play The Sims on the Xbox, the PC, their iPod and then the mobile phone," Ferreira said.

GamesIndustry: EA and Apple "A Marriage Made In Heaven"

Joystiq has posted a new interview with Wideload Games' Alex Seropian. The subjects discussed include politics, Bungie, and the company's upcoming next gen console game, Hail to the Chimp.

Let's move away from politics for a bit. In a piece you did with Gamasutra many months back, you talked about the benefits of having a small group of developers and contracting the work out in much later stages. Is this still the business model for Wideload?

Oh yeah, in fact we've really run with that kind of setup and since we've shipped Stubbs, we've done quite a few things here internally, both with our staff and the tools that we use and the process we go through to further orient ourselves toward that business model. We really do like working that way and we're continually trying to improve that process that we have to take advantage of all of the external relationships.

Yes, yes, an emphatic yes. With another yes after that. And maybe an exclamation point.

Click on the link below for more information.

Joystiq: Alex Seropian Interview

Wideload (add to watch list)

Hail to the Chimp

Search for other Mac games news stories or browse our Mac Games News Archive.