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>Now if we could only play with the console-tards as well

I'm an avid gamer on PC and PS3 (and am also pretty well-versed with the 360) and it's my opinion that controllers are just way better for gaming. Several research studies that I just made up prove that having an input device arranged in a symmetrical layout increases your reflexivity and overall control.




Now I'm fully aware that most PC games that come out today have support for gamepads and controllers, but not all of them do. Plus I feel that consoles are just less troublesome than computers are- you don't have to worry about setting the quality low for a higher FPS or messing with your audio card or installing a new driver or DirectX version because, hell, every game made for the PS3 and 360 and hell, even the Wii, is tailored to the exact specs of the respective system- this is why lag is virtually nonexistent in console games. Constantly upgrading your PC or just buying a godly machine from the getgo can cost a pretty penny- for instance, those "GRAET A+++" gaming PCs from Alienware can cost more than $3000 last time I checked. This is ten times the price of a PS3 or 360 Elite, for god's sake, for equal performance.



But uh, back to the topic: I'm not really affected by this because I use neither Steam nor a Mac.

EDIT: Correction, I use Steam but only for Trackmania Nations Forever.

I'll leave my screenshots here, just don't tell anyone


The updater seems to use AppKit elements.

The rest of the interface looks just like the Windows beta with Mac buttons in the top left and the title is centered. Also, most of the striped part in the main window can be clicked and dragged to move the window as expected in Mac apps.


(Click For Original)

Sadly, it runs in 32-bit mode. Maybe they'll fix that in the final release.

In reply to ragdollmaster, I agree with your points, but you have to acknowledge that both have pros and cons.

Basically all RTS-style games fail on consoles due to the advantages in precession a mouse provides, which are also -very- much apparent on shooters. There is a reason why most console shooters have at least some degree of built in auto-aiming, be it Halo, gears of war, or Left 4 dead, where the pc versions don't. Also have you tried things like playing split-screen coop Left 4 dead 2 on a 360? The frame-rate is atrocious and the graphics are already turned down compared to the single player, as they have to be in most games for split-screen coop because otherwise the hardware can't handle it.

But let's please not turn this into a consoles vs. pcs discussion, feel free to make a topic just for that, but this topic is specifically about steam on mac. (yeah I realize this is a bit hypocritical of me after my response, but I won't say any more though)


Concerning Ss2man44's screenshots, you lucky dog you =P

I have to ask, is this just the interface so far, or do some games actually instal and run? If so how well, and what hardware are you on?

Portal is supposed to come free with the beta, but I'm actually running a leaked copy and can't do anything but chat.

So, really, Portal is the only known game to be working in Mac right now.

Ragdollmaster wrote:

I don't know if your keyboard really looks like that, but someone gave me one just like that last week.

Ragdollmaster wrote: I'm an avid gamer on PC and PS3 (and am also pretty well-versed with the 360) and it's my opinion that controllers are just way better for gaming. Several research studies that I just made up prove that having an input device arranged in a symmetrical layout increases your reflexivity and overall control.

Have you ever tried playing Bad Company 2 on 360 where you have to disarm an M-Com station, move, look, and shoot all at once? This means that you have to have your right thumb on both the B button and the right thumbstick, while also keeping your index finger on the right trigger. I dunno about you, but that's just painful to me. Plus, spotting in that game requires you to take your thumb off the left thumbstick to press Back, which makes you more vulnerable to attack while you scream on the radio, "Hey, there's a guy right here trying to ki-" and you die because you're busy spraining your thumb trying to reach a button that's not only tiny, but ridiculously far away from the edge of the controller where the part of your hand between your thumb and index finger rests. The buttons can't easily be reached in some combinations. Not only that, but aiming with a little joystick is hellish.

Ragdollmaster wrote: Constantly upgrading your PC or just buying a godly machine from the getgo can cost a pretty penny- for instance, those "GRAET A+++" gaming PCs from Alienware can cost more than $3000 last time I checked. This is ten times the price of a PS3 or 360 Elite, for god's sake, for equal performance.

I have a gaming rig that's worth less than $1,000 and it can run all games maxed out (Even Crysis, at Very High settings, 1080p resolution.) You never, and I mean EVER buy Alienware if you're serious about gaming. Those machines are for rich slobs that want "the best" so they go out and buy something they don't understand and end up paying over $400 extra for a shiny case. You can save so much money by custom building a rig. Also, buying a new console every few years to play the latest games can add up to as much as upgrading your PC at about the same intervals. (Not to mention service costs when your console goes kablewy, like both PS3's and 360's are prone to do.)

And that's my opinion. I mean no hostility, I'm just explaining why I think the PC is superior to consoles, not particularly why you should think so.

EDIT: And here I am forgetting the best reason: Indie development support. The 360 has the XBLA indie section, but let's face it, it only supports one library and one language and none of the games have the option of being free. The PC is the only platform where what you publish isn't limited to a ridiculous extent.

It's not hard plastic, it's actually a wrist rest. Putting keys there would defeat the purpose.

cameleopard42 wrote:It's not hard plastic, it's actually a wrist rest. Putting keys there would defeat the purpose.

Carpal tunnel for the loose. =(
Ergonomics for the win. =D

The rest makes a huge difference. I can't stand typing on keyboards that don't have one - and even worse are keyboards that wobble.

i'll second on the wobbly keyboard bit *dislike*