On Saturday , theGame Developers Conferencewraps up at San Francisco ’s Moscone Center . By all account , it ’s been a very exciting calendar week for Mac play .
Though Nintendo , Sony , and others had physically levy booths that dominated much of the acreage on the showroom floor , the Steam / Valve section of the floor was by far the most crowded area I saw this workweek . While many people desire to work for the developer that create the Half - liveliness , Left 4 numb , and Portal serial publication , there ’s another reason for the crowd : As citizenry in line of reasoning revealed to me , the annunciation that Steam is coming to the Mac stand for the ship’s company needs workforce to make it bechance . With such a massive task underway , aspiring architect and artists reckon this was a great time to enforce to body of work for Valve .
But interest group in Steam is only one reason Mac gamers should be delirious . As any play diarist will differentiate you , the floor is only part of the experience at GDC . The majority of my coming together with developer take place in the various hotels surrounding the Moscone Center . And while you ’ll get plenty of news from these interviews , some of the bigger stories took post in the after hours parties .
Street Fighter IV for the iPhone
Street Fighter IV for the iPhone
Capcomhad a swanky political party to launch Street Fighter IV for the iPhone . Namco held an event at a syndicate hall to further its new hybrid chopine technology and to demonstrate a fresh secret plan on iMacs and iPod touches . These parties show that developers hire the Mac and iPhone seriously , and they ’re investing serious money in these labor . Just a twelvemonth ago , an iPhone / iPod touching game proclamation would garner no more than a speedy meeting and a small news item . Now publishers rip out total night club and have extravagant parties to promote their titles . As a diary keeper taking advantage of these clubs ’ open bar , I indorse this modification .
Nowhere was the Mac political platform ’s rise more apparent than on Thursday evening at The Independent Games Festival Awards and Games Developer Choice Awards . The two award show are a nerdier , techno - steep version of the Grammys or Emmys . rather of musical enactment , they have hilariousMega64videos . Presenters are big names in the gaming business and though no one wears tuxes , it ’s still a very high - profile effect if you ’re a gaming developer .
Street Fighter IV for the iPhone
The Independent Games Festival Awards stylizes itself after the Sundance Film Festival . The one-year accolade reward the good in self-governing and pupil play . Many of these developer go on a shoestring budget and have a history of offering their games for the Mac . Some , like this class ’s Best Mobile Game Award success , Spider : The Secret of Bryce Manor ( ) , already appear in the App Store .
Shank
That ’s the only game recognized by the IGF that I ’ve played this year , but I ’m hoping as these games are loose to the aggregative public , they ’ll amount to the Mac or iPhone / iPod speck platform I ’m front at you , Shank — based on theamazing lagger , the secret plan is a bally escapade / platformer game involving lots of fierceness ( I support this ) . Shank was nominate for Excellence in Visual Art , which turned out to be an especially hard class this class .
Shank
Owl Boywas also nominate in the class . Unlike Shank , Owl male child attend more like a PG - rat platformer the likes you have n’t view since Duck Tales . It look old schoolhouse but remarkably well - envisioned with compelling artwork and unequalled gameplay elements .
Owl Boy cease up losing out toLimboin the Visual Art family . oblivion , by PlayDead , habituate light and silhouettes to achieve a singular ocular dash and horse sense of smooth fear throughout . I ’ve never seen anything quite like it . Not surprisingly , Limbo also deliver the goods the Technical Excellence awarding .
Though not a winner , Rocketbirds : Revolution ! had themost exciting clipof any game I saw that night . Tasked with defeating the evil penguin , you toy as a commando poulet codenamed Hardboiled in this military action / stealth secret plan . I ’d encourage you to check out the newsflash demo online .
Limbo
I also desire to give a quick shout out toEnviro Bear 2000 . I ’ve get word more about this game from my non - gaming friend than any other this calendar week . It attend completely idiotic ( the premiss , from what I can tell , require a bear driving and running over things ) and I want to play it very badly .
Limbo
Then there’sSuper Meat son . To cite the information Thomas Nelson Page : “ Super Meat Boy is a tough as nails platformer where you diddle as an animated third power of meat who ’s trying to save his girlfriend ( who come about to be made of bandages ) from an malevolent fetus in a shock wearing a black tie . ” It ’s unearthly , it ’s funny , it did n’t win any awards but should have .
Enviro Bear 2000
Immediately keep up the IGF Award , the Game Developers Choice Awards recognized the good in gaming for the year . Games that come along on the Mac and iPhone / iPod jot were surprisingly well represent in the nomination . Even compared to a class ago , Mac users are getting more quality game to play .
Dragon Age : Origins ( ) for Mac was nominated for Best Writing and Best Audio ; Plants vs. Zombies ( ) for Mac was nominated for Best Game Design , Best Downloadable Game , and the Innovation Award ; Spider : The Secret of Bryce Manor was nominated for Best Debut and Best Handheld Game ; and Flight Control ( ) was nominated for Best Handheld Game . These were all serious contenders to take home the hardware , and while none of them bring home the bacon any of the Game Developers Choice awards , you could make an debate for each of them they were deserving . Dragon Age : Origins and Plants vs. Zombies , two games that appear on the Mac within months of their original release on other platforms , were particularly recognized by their multiple nomination . Yes , sometimes it is an honor to be nominated .
Enviro Bear 2000
Finally , there’sTorchlight . Torchlight is a illusion RPG that make headway for Best Debut and is a title that every Mac gamer should pay tending to . As submit in their blog , Runic Games are presently make on a variant for Snow Leopard . If there is anything that is drop dead to challenge Dragon Age for the in demand title of “ best RPG I ’ve encounter in the last twelvemonth ” it ’s probably Torchlight .
[ Chris Holt is a Macworld associate editor in chief . ]
