Unless you're willing to install Windows, there isn't so much choice just now. \ Prey or C&C3 might be best.
Unreal Tournament 3 and Gears would definitely be good for your stated purpose, but they aren't out yet. Of the two, I'd probably prefer UT3. Gears was sorta flat and dull when I tried it for a couple hours on a friend's 360, didn't like it. I expected more of a fast tactical shooter, but it always ended up in me running to very close range in cover and shotgunning and meleeing the enemy at bad breath distance because they could soak endless fire at long range.
World of Warcraft - the macbook pro gets a little overworked with it, though. It gets too hot and the framerate drops after a couple hours when you use it with a 24" external monitor at 1900x1200 - I put blocks under each corner to get some extra cooling, but it still has occasional problems.
I was going to protest that WoW isn't much of a stress test for a new and shiny graphics chip, but the free 10-day WoW trial would be a nice cheap way to play something, actually. Being a stylized fantasy environment, it still looks decent when cranked up and high resolution even if it's from 2004.
I was going to protest that WoW isn't much of a stress test for a new and shiny graphics chip, but the free 10-day WoW trial would be a nice cheap way to play something, actually. Being a stylized fantasy environment, it still looks decent when cranked up and high resolution even if it's from 2004.
It is a stress test for something in the macbook pro - I don't know what part is failing, but after a couple hours it gets quite hot in the back left corner, and frame rates drop from 40fps to 8fps.
The only thing that mac user missing is (iGAMES)! ,, in my opinion there is no perfect game for mac. if you are thinking about computer games, windows has a lot of games
I wasn't trying to be sarcastic, I am 39, played all consoles and formats over 30 years,
nothing beats an Xbox 360 connected to a 60" Hi def set with surround sound.
I love macs, have owned 6 of them, but game selection is pathetic, try playing halo or call duty 4 on a mac, you are shit out of luck...
I'm sure pac man on a mac is rockin though.....
The original poster explicitly wants to try out his computer hardware. Which is, in fact, quite nice for gaming. The suggestion of another hardware is just weird in this context.
If he's not content with the quite narrow game selection and slightly lower graphic performance on OS X, just installing Windows would solve the problem.
All the major consoles as well as the PC have strengths and weaknesses. The 360 is no different.
The original poster explicitly wants to try out his computer hardware. Which is, in fact, quite nice for gaming. The suggestion of another hardware is just weird in this context.
If he's not content with the quite narrow game selection and slightly lower graphic performance on OS X, just installing Windows would solve the problem.
All the major consoles as well as the PC have strengths and weaknesses. The 360 is no different.
You can disagree all you want about my advice, that is your choice. After spending 30 years playing games, and spending thousands on macs, pc's and consoles, I find the best gaming experience to be a 360 and an HDTV. Cheap, simple and more fun than I ever imagined. Gaming on a mac is just a waste on money IMHO. Thus the comment. Just trying to help someone else from throwing money down a rat hole, like I did.
The gaming industry got jittery about Apple's move to Intel and more or less stopped porting games altogether. They got better, but you might have to wait a while for a current, A-list title to appear. In the mean time, try out Penumbra: Overture. I'm not going to say that it's BioShock, but try it.
Also, don't take away from my first paragraph that there is some imminent renaissance in Mac gaming. It was just particularly bad last year, and it will likely return to being lukewarm this year, where we get a few of the big titles 6-14 months after release.
You can disagree all you want about my advice, that is your choice. After spending 30 years playing games, and spending thousands on macs, pc's and consoles, I find the best gaming experience to be a 360 and an HDTV. Cheap, simple and more fun than I ever imagined. Gaming on a mac is just a waste on money IMHO. Thus the comment. Just trying to help someone else from throwing money down a rat hole, like I did.
OEM Windows costs what, $100 or something? And games are cheaper than on the console. 360 plus a good HDTV is $1500 and multiplayer costs extra per month. "Cheap" isn't supportable in this context.
I'm guessing you have no interest for strategy, simulation or RPG games. The 360 is especially weak at these things. There's no way to make an informed recommendation without knowing what kind of games a person wants to play and what kind of hardware he already has.
I find the best gaming experience to be a 360 and an HDTV. Cheap, simple and more fun than I ever imagined. Gaming on a mac is just a waste on money IMHO.
I agree completely with that. Gaming on a console has reached a point where it's just not worth using a PC. For one thing you waste as much drive space (3-4GB per game), you get incompatibilities with the graphics card, uneven performance, crashes.
Console games are heavily tested and optimized and run from the disc so the experience is just so much nicer overall.
The only thing is that the PC allows more mods and cheats but usually you find they aren't worth bothering about anyway and they're not always compatible with the Mac version of the game.
Even if a 360 is too expensive, you can get a PS2 or original XBox for about 1/4 the price of a 360 and the amount of games available is incredible. The games are also a fraction of the price of next-gen games.
The original Splinter Cell is still sitting at £20 for the Mac. You can even get the newer Splinter Cell games for XBox for under £5. You also get games that will never be ported to any other platform like the Oddworld games.
Comments
Gears of War might be good though.
Both will require good graphics hardware though. What kind of computer do you have?
Bejeweled 2
Peggle Deluxe
Unreal Tournament 3 and Gears would definitely be good for your stated purpose, but they aren't out yet. Of the two, I'd probably prefer UT3. Gears was sorta flat and dull when I tried it for a couple hours on a friend's 360, didn't like it. I expected more of a fast tactical shooter, but it always ended up in me running to very close range in cover and shotgunning and meleeing the enemy at bad breath distance because they could soak endless fire at long range.
I can't wait to get a Mac Pro...
I was going to protest that WoW isn't much of a stress test for a new and shiny graphics chip, but the free 10-day WoW trial would be a nice cheap way to play something, actually. Being a stylized fantasy environment, it still looks decent when cranked up and high resolution even if it's from 2004.
It is a stress test for something in the macbook pro - I don't know what part is failing, but after a couple hours it gets quite hot in the back left corner, and frame rates drop from 40fps to 8fps.
Also I suck lots of time into Civilization 4.
Go buy an Xbox 360 if you want good games.
Buy two, just in case one stops working...
Buy two, just in case one stops working...
I wasn't trying to be sarcastic, I am 39, played all consoles and formats over 30 years,
nothing beats an Xbox 360 connected to a 60" Hi def set with surround sound.
I love macs, have owned 6 of them, but game selection is pathetic, try playing halo or call duty 4 on a mac, you are shit out of luck...
I'm sure pac man on a mac is rockin though.....
I wasn't trying to be sarcastic, I am 39, played all consoles and formats over 30 years,
nothing beats an Xbox 360 connected to a 60" Hi def set with surround sound.
I love macs, have owned 6 of them, but game selection is pathetic, try playing halo or call duty 4 on a mac, you are shit out of luck...
I'm sure pac man on a mac is rockin though.....
The original poster explicitly wants to try out his computer hardware. Which is, in fact, quite nice for gaming. The suggestion of another hardware is just weird in this context.
If he's not content with the quite narrow game selection and slightly lower graphic performance on OS X, just installing Windows would solve the problem.
All the major consoles as well as the PC have strengths and weaknesses. The 360 is no different.
Go buy an Xbox 360 if you want good games.
Sorry no. I want good games on my Mac. It's not too much to ask.
The original poster explicitly wants to try out his computer hardware. Which is, in fact, quite nice for gaming. The suggestion of another hardware is just weird in this context.
If he's not content with the quite narrow game selection and slightly lower graphic performance on OS X, just installing Windows would solve the problem.
All the major consoles as well as the PC have strengths and weaknesses. The 360 is no different.
You can disagree all you want about my advice, that is your choice. After spending 30 years playing games, and spending thousands on macs, pc's and consoles, I find the best gaming experience to be a 360 and an HDTV. Cheap, simple and more fun than I ever imagined. Gaming on a mac is just a waste on money IMHO. Thus the comment. Just trying to help someone else from throwing money down a rat hole, like I did.
Also, don't take away from my first paragraph that there is some imminent renaissance in Mac gaming. It was just particularly bad last year, and it will likely return to being lukewarm this year, where we get a few of the big titles 6-14 months after release.
You can disagree all you want about my advice, that is your choice. After spending 30 years playing games, and spending thousands on macs, pc's and consoles, I find the best gaming experience to be a 360 and an HDTV. Cheap, simple and more fun than I ever imagined. Gaming on a mac is just a waste on money IMHO. Thus the comment. Just trying to help someone else from throwing money down a rat hole, like I did.
OEM Windows costs what, $100 or something? And games are cheaper than on the console. 360 plus a good HDTV is $1500 and multiplayer costs extra per month. "Cheap" isn't supportable in this context.
I'm guessing you have no interest for strategy, simulation or RPG games. The 360 is especially weak at these things. There's no way to make an informed recommendation without knowing what kind of games a person wants to play and what kind of hardware he already has.
I find the best gaming experience to be a 360 and an HDTV. Cheap, simple and more fun than I ever imagined. Gaming on a mac is just a waste on money IMHO.
I agree completely with that. Gaming on a console has reached a point where it's just not worth using a PC. For one thing you waste as much drive space (3-4GB per game), you get incompatibilities with the graphics card, uneven performance, crashes.
Console games are heavily tested and optimized and run from the disc so the experience is just so much nicer overall.
The only thing is that the PC allows more mods and cheats but usually you find they aren't worth bothering about anyway and they're not always compatible with the Mac version of the game.
Even if a 360 is too expensive, you can get a PS2 or original XBox for about 1/4 the price of a 360 and the amount of games available is incredible. The games are also a fraction of the price of next-gen games.
The original Splinter Cell is still sitting at £20 for the Mac. You can even get the newer Splinter Cell games for XBox for under £5. You also get games that will never be ported to any other platform like the Oddworld games.