Apple making big about games...

[Mackilroy]

It's not that there's harm in asking Apple to try - it's that it isn't going to happen. The cost/benefit analysis of porting decades-old games when they don't have legal access to them has more costs than benefits. You may as well ask why aren't we translating all Sumerian works into English and putting them on the shelves for newly released books in bookstores; there's just not enough interest or demand.

 

[MRMSFC]

It's not that there's harm in asking Apple to try - it's that it isn't going to happen. The cost/benefit analysis of porting decades-old games when they don't have legal access to them has more costs than benefits. You may as well ask why aren't we translating all Sumerian works into English and putting them on the shelves for newly released books in bookstores; there's just not enough interest or demand.

Dunno about that actually, I think it’d be a solid business idea.

Retro gaming is actually pretty popular right now, and the largest hurdle (in my uninformed opinion) is the legal wrangling over those old games. Being decades old would mean (theoretically) that one could write a quick and dirty emulator or translation layer and still get excellently performance.

Slap those old games on Apple Arcade and you have something more compelling than the oddball indie games they have now.

 

[Mackilroy]

Theoretically - but theory is always easy. Reality is much harder. Mobile gaming is already huge for Apple.

 

[JustinePaula]

All the streaming agencies do this, they basically rent media from the owner, so you might see the same movie on Hulu for a couple months, then on another service, then on a 3rd, there is nothing stopping Apple from say having a "season of retro.." where they pay for the catalogue for say 90 days, you can buy a copy from Apple, which of course you never really own, but can download for say 3 yrs, or 30 times, all sorts of licence agreements, etc...

Anyway this was me just being a bit bored, frustrated, that I cannot play red alert 2 on one of 2 macs I own.. anyway just my thoughts, comments appreciated...support would be great, nothing in business says Apple cannot lease..Steve did it with his cars, why not data??

 

[Irishman]

Hi, I am wondering with Apple making such a big song and dance about games on the iphone, why are games like Snowrunner, De Rail Valley train Simulator, and old PC classics such as Command n Conquer Red Alert 2, Red Alert 2 Yuri's Revenge are not available on the mac app store? I would, and am itching to play, spend money.... Invest in upgrades, wheels, etc... The Silicon has been out for almost 4 yrs..2024 is approaching fast.. or is this all sizzle and not steak??

I've got 4 words for you: hardware-accelerated ray-tracing!!

 

[Irishman]

I did kind of wonder, what is up with Apple, making a fuss about games... then what games, come on, how hard can it be to port a 32bit game off a dvd??? Really? Was that last keynote just gaslighting???

I'd say gaslighting wouid only apply if Apple had worked really hard to convince you that YOU were the one who was insane.

I found the non-phone parts to be slow and boring, and I wasn't expecting much on the phone front. They wowed me, and that's been increasingly difficult over the past few years. I didn't expect them to embrace real-time hardware-accelerated ray-tracing.

 

[Irishman]

So by that same logic, all of the music on Apple's systems prior to say 2013 should be deleted? Why? Retro gaming is fun, the old games are just as great as the new games, Apple could buy a company, create a catalogue of old games, anyway just a suggestion, not meant to offend you, I apologise!

Retro gaming IS fun, but it's not the end all, be all of gaming.

Emulators on Apple Silicon are having a moment.

Not even Tim, I guess, can please everyone.

 

[Irishman]

Yes, I have a steam account, the only game I bought was Wizard of Firetop Mountain, I saw that Snow Runner was coming to Mac, Apple has been touting games for at least 2 years... Surely something would have appeared by now... I love certain games, Red Alert 2, played it so much on the pc, Snow Runner looks great, I would love a train sim game, for me it is about the game play, not the graphics, for that yes, buy all means spend $100 000 grand for a 96GB what what PC..not for me.. I love the missions, the quality of the graphics are of so low importance.

Why can't Apple try to satisfy both those who are more into gameplay and those who are more into graphics??

 

[JustinePaula]

I cannot see the harm in asking, I loved playing Red Alert 2, and other such 32bit games, would love to be able to buy through the Arcade system the same games, so I can play offline on my M1 Macbook Air, not all games have to max out the graphics, for me and others it is about the strategy...

Red Alert 2, created a genre, many maps created that made the game harder to play, fun times, I so want to play again, and drop a couple $$ on the app store, why not...There is a "porting kit" and an online store, but I am a bit suspicious of it, but if the same game was on the app store, for $29, or the deluxe version, all games for $199, I would pay the $199...

 

[Mackilroy]

There's no harm in asking, but you should also ask if that's a realistic request. I don't think it is.

 

[JustinePaula]

There's no harm in asking, but you should also ask if that's a realistic request. I don't think it is.

That is such a harmful viewpoint, like saying chess is of no value... Limited graphics, but still for some a great game, it is about the strategy, the various solutions, OMG, the hours I spent playing, if I could find a copy here, I would do the bootcamp, but I have spent a couple years and so far nothing...

 

[Mackilroy]

How does it harm anyone to say it’s unrealistic? You’ve become so captivated by this idea you can’t see alternatives; if anything, you’re harming yourself.

Also, most of the Command and Conquer games are now available for Windows through the EA store.

 

[JustinePaula]

Hello, did you read my post, what forum is this posted on? At no point is anything about a pc discussed... this is not that forum for HP and the like, this for the product of Apple INC...ONLY!!!! Me making a comment, suggestion about something to play on an Apple Inc product..

 

[diamond.g]

Hello, did you read my post, what forum is this posted on? At no point is anything about a pc discussed... this is not that forum for HP and the like, this for the product of Apple INC...ONLY!!!! Me making a comment, suggestion about something to play on an Apple Inc product..

Apple doesn’t seem to be interested in retro games.

 

[Mackilroy]

Hello, did you read my post, what forum is this posted on? At no point is anything about a pc discussed... this is not that forum for HP and the like, this for the product of Apple INC...ONLY!!!! Me making a comment, suggestion about something to play on an Apple Inc product..

You mentioned you’d try Boot Camp. That implies you’re willing to run Windows.

 

[MRMSFC]

How does it harm anyone to say it’s unrealistic?

It doesn’t harm anyone for sure, but I don’t think the scenario is unrealistic necessarily.

If anyone could untangle the web of intellectual property for old game ports, I’d think it’d be Apple’s team of lawyers.

And I certainly believe their engineers are capable of getting those old games working quickly.

Not that I believe Apple would do it.

 

[Mackilroy]

Right, that’s what I mean. Is it possible technically or financially? Sure. Is it likely from a (for lack of a better term) political angle? No.

 

[kaioshade]

While it is hardly ideal, if you want to play those older games on macOS, there is always the route of Parallels or VMware. 3D performance is not the best, but those particular games do not have steep requirements, at least nothing even a virtualized OS can’t handle.

 

[JustinePaula]

OK, then where do I get all the items you mention? parallels/VMware? Windows? The games? Easy to list a solution, put verbs into your post, where, how, what?

 

[Mackilroy]

You don't need to be spoon-fed everything; you have the same access to a search engine as everyone else posting here.

 

[JustinePaula]

Clearly you misunderstood my post, it is not about using windows, so why would you suggest using windows?

 

[Mackilroy]

If you want to play Red Alert 2 on an Apple Silicon Mac, your only option is to virtualize Windows and run the game through that. Your post may not be about using Windows, but that is the realistic option.

 

[JustinePaula]

Yes, that may be a solution, I did not want to discuss this option, that was never my intention, so I am annoyed you suggested it.. It was never about windows, that is not a good idea, for a lot of reasons... If you have ideas, educate instead of making comments about spoons.

 

[Mackilroy]

If you genuinely want to play Red Alert 2 again, you have the option. It isn't what you consider ideal, but it's there. It will work on your Mac. You can be annoyed about it, and likely remain forever frustrated that you can't play it as an Apple Silicon-native game, or you can swallow your pride. I won't respond again; you seem to want commiseration, agreement that Apple should do whatever you want, not a solution.

 

[Irishman]

Yes, that may be a solution, I did not want to discuss this option, that was never my intention, so I am annoyed you suggested it.. It was never about windows, that is not a good idea, for a lot of reasons... If you have ideas, educate instead of making comments about spoons.

I have a question, because I don’t know. Has this game (Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2) ever played on your Mac?

Was it something that used to run but doesn’t anymore after we lost 32-bit support? If so, you may be able to downgrade back to Mojave and see if that helps with your problem.