It's like a water faucet for games
The Steam service downloads games directly to your Mac, so the hardware you’re using significantly affects how well that game will run. But a competing new service called OnLive (scheduled to have launched on June 17) takes the hardware out of the equation entirely, letting you play games without even having to install them.
OnLive’s data centers are crammed with high-performance servers that run the games, and the company’s new technology for streaming low-latency video allows you to play remotely on your client Mac through a browser plug-in. Since OnLive’s computers are doing all the heavy lifting--including keeping the games running, for example--you can jump into Unreal Tournament 3 within a couple of seconds, instead of the two-minute startup time you’d experience on a high-end gaming PC. OnLive also shoulders the burden of keeping the game servers updated with the latest hardware upgrades, so you’ll always be able to play the latest games without worrying about your processor speed or graphics card.
OnLive's catalog offers Mac users their first crack at some hugely popular PC games.
OnLive CEO Steve Perlman says that any Intel-based Mac running OS 10.5 will work with the service, except the first-generation MacBook Air, which can overheat. Of course, since all the game data (both what you see on your screen and the input from your controllers) is streamed live, you’ll need a high-speed internet connection to avoid latency and lag--a 5MB/s connection is best for games in HD resolution. At launch, this connection must be wired (no Wi-Fi), and OnLive will manage peak-time demand by adding users to the service gradually. “We’re not going to let more people on than we can handle the load for,” Perlman promises. “We want it to just work.”
OnLive’s service also lets users demo games before buying, spectate other gamers’ matches, record and share “brag clips,” and even pause a game on a PC and pick it up on a Mac later. Later this year, OnLive’s planned MicroConsole add-on will even stream games directly to your TV, no computer required. After seven years of development, OnLive’s goal is to treat games as media that should work the same anywhere, rather than applications that are tied to a single platform’s capabilities. Pricing details can be found at onlive.com, and we’ll have more coverage at maclife.com/tag/onlive once the service is live.
Don't try to game with your trackpad--trust us
These Mac|Life-recommended gaming peripherals and add-ons might not make you an FPS sharpshooter or an MMO wizard overnight, but at least they’ll eliminate the time-honored crutch of blaming your equipment.
A top-quality mouse should be any gamer’s first purchase. Razer’s classic DeathAdder ($59.99, razerzone.com) now comes in a Left Hand Edition (pictured) especially for southpaws, and both the right-handed and left-handed options are totally Mac-friendly.
MMO junkies will love Razer’s Naga ($79.99) and its 17 programmable buttons, which include a 12-key thumb grid. You can program thousands of key combinations and keep ‘em right under your thumb. It’s even comfortable enough to quest all day.
No other gamepad can compete with Microsoft’s timeless, ergonomic, vibration-equipped, USB-connected universal Xbox 360 Controller ($39.95, microsoft.com). It should work perfectly, but if you have trouble using any gamepad with your Mac, download GamePad Companion ($15, carvware.com).
The Steelseries 5L ($39.99, steelseries.com) is plastic but feels as soft as cloth. Suitable for all mouse sensitivities, it’s especially optimized for laser mice. Even non-gamers will feel the difference.
Steam and OnLive are just the giants. Other Mac-only and Mac-friendly download services each have their own flavor--and occasional aftertaste. Each leaves DRM copy-protection (or lack of it) up to game publishers. Since content often overlaps, shop around for the best deals.
Deliver2Mac - With 120 games, this Mac-only service owned by Virtual Programming emphasizes customer support, and you can re-download purchases later if needed. VP’s own titles appear here two weeks before being available at competitors’ sites.
Direct2Drive - IGN-owned Direct2Drive emphasizes other platforms, but Mac games are well represented with about 45 titles. You can re-download prior purchases, plus you don’t need to run a special client outside your browser.
GameAgent - Nearly all of GameAgent’s 19 Mac games are exclusive titles from its owner, Aspyr, so you’ll find many greats, especially Star Wars games. The dark side? It costs an extra $5.99 to re-download titles for up to two years.
GamersGate - Re-download-friendly, 180-title GamersGate has a community rewards program that rewards active fans with discounts or free games. Post enough on the boards, buy other games, and otherwise engage to unlock the bonuses.
GameTreeOnline - Mac-only GameTreeOnline is owned by TransGaming, whose ties to EA and Ubisoft secure occasional exclusives and firsts. Around 50 games are available, and unique community features include beta access for in-development titles.
Greenhouse - The digital store owned by Penny Arcade, Greenhouse’s small catalog of seven indie-developed games is a delightful garden of off-the-beaten-path titles that hold their own against anything the big publishers have.
MacGamesArcade - MacGamesArcade serves the Mac-only niche of its owner, Inside Mac Games, with clean browsing, buying, and re-downloading of its catalog of 1,000-plus games.
We’ve got a community on Steam, and we’d love nothing more than for you to join and, oh, shoot us in the face. Find us at steamcommunity.com/groups/official_maclife, join, invite your friends, chat, comment, go nuts. As more multiplayer games are added to the roster--Team Fortress 2!--we’ll let you take us on head-to-head every Friday at 4 p.m., Pacific time, for a bloodless massacre we like to call “Frag the Editor Fridays.” (No skill required…believe us.) See you in the virtual trenches.
