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BioShock 1 due for Mac next month News

News by Tom Bramwell

25 September, 2009

British Mac conversion specialist Feral Interactive has announced that it will release 2K Games' BioShock for Macs on 7th October.

The game requires a 1.8GHz Intel Mac with at least 1.5GB RAM, a 128MB graphics card, DVD drive and 8GB of hard disk space, running OSX 10.5.8 or later. Apparently it doesn't like Intel GMA integrated graphics chips, but does run on the latest MacBooks and Mac Minis.

You can pre-order the game from Feral's online shop for £34.99 / €39.95 if you like.

Does anyone need introducing to BioShock? Released just over two years ago, it's a first-person shooter in which the player explores a dystopian underwater city ruined by infighting and too much Ayn Rand.

It's also one of our favourite games of this generation, and you can read our BioShock review to remind yourself why.

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Comments: 1-32 of 32 in total

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andromeda
25/09/09 @ 07:41
#1
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This'll sit nicely next to Myst on my games shelf :(
gilroyneil
25/09/09 @ 07:48
#2
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I think I might buy a £40 copy of Civ 4 too ;-)

They must be nuts! BOOTCAMP...
themorganator
25/09/09 @ 08:17
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Good news!
bad09
25/09/09 @ 08:21
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This makes me think of THIS I found on Youtube :)
Edited 1 times, most recently on 25/09/09 @ 09:22
space ace
25/09/09 @ 08:42
#5
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it's about £10 for pc/boot camp...
dominalien
25/09/09 @ 08:47
#6
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it's about £10 for pc/boot camp...

Plus a Windows license plus the hassle of rebooting :-(
space ace
25/09/09 @ 08:49
#7
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windows 7 rc is free and will do the trick, but you have a point, it's a hassle :) then again it will probably run better than the mac version :-/
dominalien
25/09/09 @ 08:56
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then again it will probably run better than the mac version :-/

Perhaps. On the other hand, it may run well, considering it's "native", as opposed to e.g. the stuff available from gametreeonline, which is emulated via Cider.

Still tempted to try, even though I'd already played it through twice on the PS3, but rather not at this price. Maybe they'll make a demo.
Edited 1 times, most recently on 25/09/09 @ 09:57
dominalien
25/09/09 @ 08:58
#9
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ALSO:

windows 7 rc is free

It will not be free forever.
space ace
25/09/09 @ 09:05
#10
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yes, but in this case - playing bioshock - it's free for enough time :)
dominalien
25/09/09 @ 09:17
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On a different note: I wonder how much Feral had to pay for the "privilege" of porting Bioshock to the mac. Seeing as the price is very high, I guess a lot. This, BTW, is the reason none or almost none of the big games make it to other platforms (especially Linux, but the Mac as well): publishers demand a large sum up-front, which not many are able to pay.

As an interesting point, while making a game requires entire teams of people, porting it to another platform can be done by a handful, or even one (as was the case with, for example, the recent Linux version of Prey).
Cappy
25/09/09 @ 09:59
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I can't even get a consistent frame rate on the lowest settings with Mac native Universal Binaries of games from 2001-2003 on a 3.06 GHZ machine with a 512MB graphics card.

I suspect all the money goes on the license with Mac ports whilst the standard of the port is very low on the agenda. I never even got to play Sim City 4 it always crashed within minutes of booting.
CARL05
25/09/09 @ 10:07
#13
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It's a shame the prices are so high for mac games but at least they go through the trouble of giving mac owners the option.
edddeduck
25/09/09 @ 11:06
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The Mac version has a consistent frame rate on all Intel Mac's (apart from the GMA based machines which like the PC are unsupported). We worked hard with ATI, Nvidea and 2K Games to make sure the Mac experience is just as good as playing on the other platforms and I hope when Mac users get to play it they will enjoy it as much as we did while making it. :)

We will be having a demo so you can all try out the game on your specific Mac and see how you like it. Just like the PC demo the demo will be the first 2 levels of the game.

Edwin

Feral Interactive
TheVoice
25/09/09 @ 11:22
#15
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Utterly ridiculous price for a game of this age, especially considering it was £3.49 on Steam for a weekend some time ago.

Respect deserved for the effort in getting some decent games onto OSX, but I imagine the vast majority of mac owners who wanted to play this would have done so via a Windows installation long ago. Or just have played it on a console instead.
Moribundman
25/09/09 @ 11:47
#16
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Honestly, who uses a Mac for games in this day and age? ;-)

Macs = Design & Internet, PCs=High spec games (if you like) and strategy, 360/PS3=bread an butter gaming, Wii=Stupid kiddy games and gimmicks for casual gamers...

Now *iPhones* are a different matter entirely!
bigbadbeasty
25/09/09 @ 11:52
#17
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I have the PC version. I can just remember the amount of hassle I had running it on Vista 64-bit, total nightmare, I never did get to finish the game because of all the issues it had.

I will certainly at least try the demo on my iMac.

And Cappy I dunno what is wrong with your iMac, I have found it can handle pretty much everything I throw at it at 1920x1200, just don't get greedy with the AA/AF settings.
Cappy
25/09/09 @ 14:26
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Try running the Universal Binary of KOTOR at a smooth frame rate, it won't even do it on the lowest settings.
dominalien
25/09/09 @ 15:19
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Try running the Universal Binary of KOTOR at a smooth frame rate, it won't even do it on the lowest settings.

That's true... I thought it was my Mac mini, but it runs like crap. It's from Aspyr, though, not Feral. And the "universal" patch was put out long after the game's release and has been in beta for a long time now. I'd be surprised if Aspyr was still working on it.
Cappy
25/09/09 @ 15:28
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Perhaps I'm just unlucky but that's my typical Mac gaming experience.

I wanted to see if Black & White (ported by Feral) would finally run at a smooth frame rate the other day and it still can't manage it, I expect Rosetta was slowing it down a bit though. I've never got decent performance out of the game in all the years I've owned it despite my previous two Macs exceeding the minimum recommended spec by a considerable margin.
Edited 1 times, most recently on 25/09/09 @ 16:29
IneptPercy
25/09/09 @ 15:28
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If people are stupid enough to buy a computer because it looks nice rather than a computer with highly compatible OS and better specs then they don't deserve to play good games.

People can argue all day about PC vs MAC but if you want to play games then there is only really one way to go.
el_pollo_diablo
25/09/09 @ 16:44
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As much as I love my dear old mac this is a bit sad really. I mean, Bioshock 1? Bit long in the tooth now isn't it?
edddeduck
25/09/09 @ 16:56
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If you have a problem with a Mac game by Feral drop us an email (using the support address in the game) and we can have a look usually we can solve the problems with a few hints. If not we can log the problem for fixing in a patch. We do pride ourselves on making sure our after purchase support is good and that we keep supporting games long after they shipped we have even committed to slowly patching our more popular PPC only games to Universal binaries so people can keep playing them when they upgrade.

Edwin

Feral Interactive
MrED209
25/09/09 @ 18:07
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Macs = Design & Internet, PCs=High spec games (if you like) and strategy, 360/PS3=bread an butter gaming, Wii=Stupid kiddy games and gimmicks for casual gamers...

I've got to say as a long time Mac user this is pretty much on the money. I'd take issue with the idea that there's no point playing any games on the Mac. I don't really like sitting at my desk to game anyway, but Sims 3 is excellent on my iMac 2.4GHz and the way I use my machine suits casual games like Plants vs Zombies and Peggle. But I just don't want to play many other games sitting here.

360 is more than just bread and butter for me - it's pretty much all the games I want to play. And Wii, meh. Not been on for over a year now.
MrED209
25/09/09 @ 18:09
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Oh, and Feral have always been very nice chaps in my experience. Loved their work in eventually getting the Tropico and The Movies games out (I love sim management games with a fun twist like that). They were also very quick to answer some queries I once had, avoiding that horrible 'form reply' feel you get from big companies.

A shame that there's no denying that the price tag for fresh Mac ports of relatively old games continues to be so high. It surely eliminates the real gamers market because like someone else said, they'll have just booted into Windows or whatever.
Edited 1 times, most recently on 25/09/09 @ 19:12
notmyrealname
25/09/09 @ 19:45
#26
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mac, where the noobs play
Edited 1 times, most recently on 25/09/09 @ 20:45
Cappy
26/09/09 @ 12:10
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Thanks edddeduck.

It's great that Feral don't wash their hands of their back catalogue, I wouldn't expect any form of support for an old title like Black & White. It's just disappointing that I never once got to experience Black & White in a fully playable state. Choppy frame rates are not nice but the real problem is with another of Peter Molyneux's 'great' ideas. Inscribing symbols with your mouse in real time to cast spells, it's really hit and miss when the frame rate is all over the place, you just can't draw accurately with the pointer moving at such a variable speed.

It gets a bit irritating when your computer far exceeds the minimum spec on the back of the box and that sort of stuff is happening even on the modest settings.
AlMcD
26/09/09 @ 14:13
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I agree, MrED209. I leave games to my Xbox and the Mac for everything else. I could, if I wanted, install Windows on my MacBook Pro and play the latest PC games, but I'm too used to gaming chilled out on the sofa, not using a mouse leaning over a screen.

Still, Apple really do need to give developers more of a reason to develop games on the Mac. Perhaps if the rumours of a gaming AppleTV are true, then perhaps we may have a solution...
commissar\'s_handgun
26/09/09 @ 18:22
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My macbook is too old to run this, plus i played it on my 360 anyway. But I do play Paradox and Civ games on my mac and I prefer the mac versions rather than using bootcamp, I hate having to use windows even for the short time it takes to reboot and launch a game...

If I was rich I would get a gaming pc, but I would get a sweet mac for all non-gaming computing tasks. Macs own.
septimus
27/09/09 @ 18:04
#30
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Bioshcok PC £3. BioShock Mac £35. Seems about right.

Anyone looked at the game shelf in an Apple Store? It pure comedy genius.
JensonJet
27/09/09 @ 22:19
#31
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Is it envy or immaturity that has dickless PC owners make pathetic comments regarding Macs. I guess it's the same attitude as PS3 owning children that make comments about the Xbox. It must be a depressing life when other peoples choices upset you. Let's hope they have a short one!
clockworkzombie
28/09/09 @ 02:49
#32
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I think this is good timing, granted I played this on 360, enjoyed it and won't pick this up.

With the sequel coming out soon it will pick up sales from the hype for that and there are mac users that refuse to buy consoles.

I have some friends in this category. They were, for example, overjoyed at the mac release of Halo and that was way later than Bioshock.

Comments: 1-32 of 32 in total

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