Registered Member #578
Joined: 6:16:29 am GMT 07/21/05
Posts: 1454
i vote "I don't know!"
On the one hand, yes, because maybe the nwn developer types will all go nwn2. On the other hand no, because there'll have to be some weirdos like me left. (Who have Favored Enemy: Windows.)
Registered Member #597
Joined: 11:12:32 am GMT 08/15/05
Posts: 68
Bonesly wrote ...
Taniki wrote ... why cut a hole out of your market and upset your loyal ones?
Companies don't always do what they would like to do... in this case, some bean-counter has probably pointed to the sales volume for Windows vs non-Windows platforms and the cost to port to non-Windows platforms and said "If we want to ensure a profit, then you can't be doing these expensive ports to niche operating systems... we need to focus on our core market segment." Sounds bogusly familiar? *sighs*
P.S. I voted buy a PC.
P.P.S. Given my love of Thain, I'd be only too happy to buy NWN2 and continue immersing myself in the experiences of this community! [ Edited 01:24:10 AM 08/20/05 ]
As a mac user who has some connection with the online gaming business, I'm always irked by this sort of discussion on mac or linux port feasibility. People watch very meaningless "marked share" and tend to conclude, that if you make a mac port, then you get similar share in sales of your game (that is about 5-7% depending on the country). And that is not true. Especially in cases of MMO games - whenever there is a monthly fee, mac users usually make about 30% of all the players. It gets even more interesting in games depending heavily on user created contents - it is roughly 50% of mac based players then, even if the game is free beta (which would attract thousands of PC kiddies one would suspect). That's why it was so crazy not to port the toolset to linux or mac in case of NWN. Bioware has botched the NWN port terribly and if they are basing their future decisions on their own failures, then I guess the company itself doesn't have long and happy life ahead.
To quote (in approximate words) a public statement by a maker of certain 20$ a month MMO - "it takes 2% of the development time to make a Mac port nowadays, and it gives us 30% of our best paying customers' base".
I still think it will be even easier to port games to mac in the near future (with Apple going intel), so there is still hope NWN2 makers will change their opinion. They may discourage any discussion and refuse to host threads on it, precisely because the decision is not made yet. Bioware and their partners on the Mac side have a long history of being not communicative enough while negotiations are still under way.
Registered Member #34
Joined: 11:01:04 am GMT 02/26/04
Posts: 2778
A few points...
@DizzyJ: Don't kid yourself about the speed of a Mac. Just because the box has an Apple icon on it doesn't make that Intel chip run any faster than any other comparable Intel chip. Go fire up a FPS that can run on both, put the same video card and RAM in both a Mac and a PC, and compare. You're not going to see any big differences in performance.
Moving on, I've heard talk that some groups will likely try to port NWN2 to Linux or Mac. I'd expect that any such work would come along at a pace similar to the porting of Thain.
The choices of mod groups (DLA in particular) might play a large role in what happens with the NWN community.
We'll see what happens, but it IS a long way off still.
Registered Member #399
Joined: 5:30:18 am GMT 01/11/05
Posts: 1455
Nivaurum wrote ... @DizzyJ: Don't kid yourself about the speed of a Mac. Just because the box has an Apple icon on it doesn't make that Intel chip run any faster than any other comparable Intel chip. Go fire up a FPS that can run on both, put the same video card and RAM in both a Mac and a PC, and compare. You're not going to see any big differences in performance.
Erm, I was only saying that runnings Windows on a Intel-based Mac would be faster than running it on a G5-based Mac. Running in emulation mode, even on an Intel processor, Windows will be slower than OS10 on an Intel Mac. It may be that it will be possible to boot into Windows on start-up, skipping emulation. However, for most people, that would be less desireable than an emulation layer (you'd be stuck using all Windows apps when in Windows mode, not just a few that you can't otherwise run while in Mac mode).
Insofar as NWN2 goes, I'm far less excited about it than I am with Dragon Age. A chance to play a game that throws out the many annoying things left in DnD from way back when Gary Gygaxx invented RPGs would be great. Of course, if Bioware is stuanchgly opposed to porting NWN2, then I doubt they would be porting DA. ... but then again, I think it's too early to tell how things will play out. Apple is gaining market share--especially in NA, the move to Intel chips, etc., all could create a different market environment when NWN2 launches.
Registered Member #599
Joined: 5:26:42 pm GMT 08/16/05
Posts: 17
I believe that NWN2 is being developed by Obsidian Entertainment, not Bioware. I believe that NWN2 was dumped to Obsidian, as was Knights of the Old Republic 2 when Bioware decided to develop Jade Empire (incredibly fun game by the way).
I think anyone that played KOTOR 2 will be slow to jump on NWN2. I know I will be. The original KOTOR had a great cinematic feel to it. The Obsidian created sequel was about as exciting as watching paint dry, and I cannot believe they finished the game properly before release since their influence system was so incredibly ill-implemented. It is the first game that I felt I needed to purchase the strategy guide to complete, and alas, to this day I have not completed the game due to incredible frustration.
I suppose that my rant was a little off topic, but it seems to be an opinion shared by my local gaming community ... therefore, I think that NWN will have to prove itself before the community decides to strip it from the shelves. Just my take.
Registered Member #164
Joined: 7:11:43 am GMT 07/03/04
Posts: 88
The joy of a Mac is purely esthetical, imho. It looks better than Windows, it's manages to somehow look smoother than a PC when opening windows, clicking on icons, etc. If you are hardware enthusiast and you open the case of a G5... it's beautiful. However, pretty much every kind of software I can think of would run better on another architecture than on a Mac. When it comes to games the difference in performance between machines in the same price range is about 100%, because of the aforementioned lack of optimization of the software and the drivers (add to that the lack of DirectX support), poor memory performance (slow memory timings). If you buy the best G5 there is it will cost you about $ 5000. Athlon FX-57, 2 x 7800 GTX and you'll still have 3000 bucks to spend...
Registered Member #276
Joined: 2:25:48 pm GMT 09/23/04
Posts: 133
I read a rumor that NWN2 will be less centered on MP play and that development towards support for PW's will not be concidered whatsoever (Same with Dragon Age)
Can anyone confirm or deny this with any validity?
[ The Island of Thain ]
[moved] [poll] NWN2 & Thain's Future
