The Secret History of Mac Gaming
Tags: #technology #gaming #history #culture #apple #macintosh
Authors: Richard Moss
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Overview
This book explores the often-overlooked history of gaming on Apple’s Macintosh computer, from its humble beginnings in the mid-1980s to its resurgence in the late 1990s and eventual decline in the mid-2000s. It’s the story of the developers, publishers, and players who embraced the Mac as a platform for games and the unique challenges and opportunities they faced. I highlight the Mac’s early struggles to be taken seriously as a gaming platform, its eventual embrace of innovative technologies like digitized sound and 3D graphics, and the rise of a vibrant shareware scene that fostered a strong sense of community and creativity. The book also delves into the impact of Apple’s corporate culture and strategic decisions on the Mac gaming ecosystem, exploring the tension between Apple’s focus on the business market and the desires of its passionate but often-ignored gaming community. It concludes by examining the factors that led to Mac gaming’s decline in the mid-2000s, including the rise of Windows PCs as the dominant gaming platform and Apple’s shift in focus to consumer electronics like the iPod and iPhone. The book is aimed at anyone interested in the history of video games, the evolution of personal computing, and the unique culture of the Macintosh community. It also offers insights into the challenges and opportunities of developing games for niche platforms and the importance of community and creativity in driving innovation.
Book Outline
1. A Serious Machine
In the early days of the Macintosh, games played a crucial role not just as entertainment but also as a way to showcase the platform’s unique capabilities and drive software development. They served as a testing ground for innovative features like the graphical user interface and mouse input, and early business plans at Apple recognized the potential of games to attract a wider audience and solidify the Mac’s appeal.
Key concept: Games were more than a fun testing ground for Mac software development. An early business plan called for a minimum of two ‘Macintosh-quality’ games that would be ‘unlike the world has ever seen’ because ‘it further endears the office user to his Mac, titillates the college user, and provides a reason for office types to carry their Macs home to their family.
2. Nineteen Eighty-Four
The year 1984 marked the dawn of Mac gaming, a period of experimentation and exploration as developers grappled with the Mac’s unique capabilities and limitations. Early games spanned a variety of genres, from text-driven adventures to arcade-style games, and laid the groundwork for the platform’s distinct gaming identity.
Key concept: Nobody knew, in 1984, quite what to do with the Mac. It was such a different beast to all that had come before that they had no clear reference point to guide them.
3. Game Development for the Rest of Us
The lack of sophisticated development tools in the early days of Mac gaming forced creators to be resourceful and inventive, pushing the boundaries of what could be achieved with limited resources. World Builder, one of the earliest multimedia authoring tools, allowed anyone to create their own black-and-white adventure games, fostering a vibrant community of amateur game developers.
Key concept: It wasn’t much to work with, especially given that you only had two ‘colours’ (black or white), but many creative souls managed to make these tools portray people, fields, castles, water fountains, starry skies, trees, and other objects in impressive detail. Often they used dithering to create the illusion that there were multiple shades of grey being displayed.
4. MacVenturers
The emergence of innovative game engines like ICOM Simulations’ MacVenture engine, pioneered by developers like Craig Erickson and Darin Adler, enabled the creation of sophisticated point-and-click adventure games that would become synonymous with Mac gaming.
Key concept: Erickson put together a team of programmers to develop the necessary technology. Jay Zipnick, Steve Hays, and Darin Adler formed a core triumvirate that worked on what they called the ‘Filter Engine’.
5. Simulated
Mac gaming embraced a variety of genres beyond adventure games, including simulations that offered players a taste of real-world experiences. Developers like Sean Hill and Gordon Walton at Digital Illusions focused on creating realistic and engaging simulations of submarines, space shuttles, and torpedo boats, highlighting the Mac’s capabilities for both entertainment and education.
Key concept: ‘A true simulation is boring as crap, just like all the rest of the things in the world,’ says Walton. ‘If you simulate combat, 99 per cent of it is sitting around being bored crapless and then there’s 1 per cent of it that you’re in total terror for your life.’
6. Macintosh Arcade
The Mac also proved to be a fertile ground for puzzle games, with titles like Shanghai capturing the hearts and minds of players worldwide. These games often combined simple mechanics with surprising depth, demonstrating the Mac’s versatility and appeal to a broad audience.
Key concept: Shanghai involved 144 mah-jong tiles arranged in a dragon-shaped pyramid. The goal was to remove all 144 tiles by finding pairs of ‘free’ tiles with matching faces.
7. Into a Castle Darkly
Silicon Beach Software, founded by Charlie Jackson, played a pivotal role in pushing the boundaries of Mac gaming by pioneering the use of digitized sound and creating iconic titles like Dark Castle. Their innovations not only elevated the quality of Mac games but also inspired a new generation of developers.
Key concept: The Macintosh screen refreshed sixty times a second, and each time a vertical retrace interrupt would run. This interrupt served a very specific and important purpose. It allowed the retrace beam that draws the graphics across the screen, one line at a time from left to right and top to bottom, to return to the top left corner, ready to redraw the graphics.
8. A Story Told by Treasure Hunt
Cliff Johnson’s The Fool’s Errand, a unique blend of storytelling and challenging puzzles, exemplified the Mac’s ability to host unconventional and intellectually stimulating games. Its success demonstrated the platform’s appeal to a discerning audience that valued creativity and originality.
Key concept: Johnson gave out copies of ‘The Fool’s Errand’ to friends as Christmas presents, thinking they could each solve it over a relaxing afternoon. Much to his disappointment, most failed to solve the storybook’s grand puzzle.
9. AppleTalk
AppleTalk, Apple’s built-in networking protocol, facilitated the development of early multiplayer games like Maze Wars, demonstrating the Mac’s potential for social gaming experiences. This paved the way for the emergence of network gaming parties and the development of more sophisticated multiplayer titles.
Key concept: Just hours after Apple first showed AppleTalk to the public, a large group of attendees headed to Chinatown and took over the back half of a pizza parlour. They set up two networks – one for each game – with around twenty Macs, played for several hours, then left the store as they’d found it.
10. Game World, Party On!
The democratization of game development tools like World Builder empowered a new generation of creators, allowing anyone to design and share their own games. This fostered a strong sense of community and creativity within the Mac gaming ecosystem.
Key concept: The Mac was the ‘computer for the rest of us’, and to play a World Builder-authored game was to know that it was built from a tool that followed the same philosophy.
11. Peninsula Gameworks
The early 1990s saw the emergence of pioneering 3D online multiplayer games like Spectre, showcasing the Mac’s potential for cutting-edge gaming experiences. This period also marked the beginning of a shift towards consumer-focused game development at Apple, driven by the efforts of dedicated evangelists like Craig Fryar.
Key concept: It was that visceral, yet relational, dynamic that clued me in that this could be a very big deal. ‘So what’s next and how can I help?’ I tried to remain calm, but inside my mind was already in 5th gear, hoping they would ask me to help them finish the game and get it to market.
12. Mysterious Worlds
Mac gaming was characterized by a willingness to embrace unconventional ideas and explore the potential of interactive storytelling. Developers like Rand and Robyn Miller at Cyan Worlds created immersive and imaginative worlds that captivated players with their mystery and beauty.
Key concept: He loved to run elaborate scavenger hunt parties. He got the idea from the 1973 film The Last of Sheila, which had itself taken inspiration from a series of scavenger hunts and murder mystery parties that the film’s writers, Anthony Perkins and Stephen Sondheim, had arranged in the years prior.
13. Interactive Movies
The advent of interactive movies, pioneered by developers like Mike Saenz and Joe Sparks with Spaceship Warlock, pushed the boundaries of storytelling and cinematic experiences in games, showcasing the Mac’s capabilities for creating immersive and engaging narratives.
Key concept: ‘The Mac was an entirely new way of thinking. A new paradigm.
14. Three Dimensions
The pursuit of realism and innovation in Mac gaming led to breakthroughs in 3D graphics and game engine technology, with titles like The Colony demonstrating the platform’s potential for creating immersive and visually impressive experiences.
Key concept: ‘I got away with a huge amount by simply depending on a human’s ability to see what they wanted to see,’ Smith explains. He likens it to watching a movie in the cinema.
15. Quintessentially Mac
Mac gaming consistently challenged conventions and expectations, with developers like John Calhoun creating unique and memorable experiences like Glider that blended puzzle-solving with a whimsical and quirky aesthetic.
Key concept: ‘The game’s puzzles made Johnson famous.
16. Taking Flight
The Mac’s technical capabilities made it a suitable platform for flight simulators, with titles like Harrier Strike Mission and Falcon: The F-16 Simulator showcasing the platform’s potential for realistic and engaging flight experiences.
Key concept: ‘It was simple, but the graphics were clean and the game was fun, and it served as a great proof of concept.’
17. The Mac Game Console
Apple’s foray into the console market with the Pippin, a Mac-based gaming and multimedia device, ended in commercial failure due to a lack of focus, poor marketing, and a confusing identity. The Pippin’s demise highlighted the challenges of competing in a crowded market and the importance of a clear vision and a strong ecosystem.
Key concept: ‘It was schizophrenic. It was not sure what it was going to be.
18. Shareware Heroes
The Mac gaming community thrived on shareware, with independent developers creating innovative and often quirky titles that pushed the boundaries of what could be achieved with limited resources. This vibrant ecosystem fostered a strong sense of community and collaboration between developers and players.
Key concept: ‘This was the first golden age of Mac shareware – a time when Solarian was joined by the likes of Glider and StuntCopter and dozens of World Builder and HyperCard games.
19. Delta Tao
Delta Tao Software, founded by Joe Williams and Robert Shoemaker, embodied the spirit of Mac gaming by prioritizing fun, originality, and elegant design. Their games, from the colorful Spaceward Ho! to the minimalist Eric’s Ultimate Solitaire, captivated players with their unique charm and enduring appeal.
Key concept: ‘My philosophy is that great games are based on delicious decisions,’ he explains.
20. Freeverse
Freeverse Software, led by brothers Ian and Colin Lynch Smith, embraced a playful and irreverent approach to game development, creating quirky and memorable titles like Burning Monkey Solitaire and SimStapler. Their success highlighted the Mac’s appeal to a diverse audience and the platform’s potential for unconventional gaming experiences.
Key concept: ‘It was hell for Gareth and Carlos to pack these vases to ship out to people when we were used to shipping discs,’ Tze recalls.
21. Pangea
The Mac’s success in attracting and retaining talented developers like Brian Greenstone and Dave Triplett at Pangea Software led to a string of innovative and commercially successful titles, including Xenocide, Nanosaur, Bugdom, and Cro-Mag Rally. These games showcased the Mac’s capabilities for both action and adventure.
Key concept: ‘More like, “hey, any ideas for what we should put in the refrigerator?” “What about a chilli pepper inside a tent that talks to you?”
22. Porting Houses
The rise of ‘porting houses’ like MacPlay, Logicware, and Westlake Interactive played a crucial role in bringing popular PC games to the Mac, ensuring that Mac gamers had access to a wider range of titles. However, the challenges of adapting games to the Mac’s unique interface guidelines and the platform’s relatively small market share often resulted in compromises and delays.
Key concept: ‘The customer wants to feel like this experience was crafted for the platform they’ve chosen to own,’ he says.
23. Inside Mac Games
The growth of online communities and dedicated websites like Inside Mac Games, Mac Gamer’s Ledge, and MacSPORT provided a vital platform for Mac gamers to connect with each other, discover new games, and learn about the latest happenings in the Mac gaming world.
Key concept: ‘It then occurred to me that there actually were more games out there for the Mac than I was aware of; games that weren’t sold at stores like CompUSA.’
24. Sports Shy
Mac gaming often showcased a spirit of ingenuity and creativity, with developers like Karl Becker finding ways to create compelling sports games despite the platform’s limitations and the genre’s lack of commercial appeal. These games often prioritized fun and accessibility over realism and complexity.
Key concept: ‘Like, what can you MacGyver together with a paper clip and a stick of gum and some string?’
25. Durandal
Bungie Software, the creators of the groundbreaking Marathon series, eventually transitioned from being a Mac-only developer to becoming a multiplatform powerhouse with the release of Halo for the Xbox. This move, while initially met with resistance from some Mac gamers, ultimately solidified Bungie’s status as a major player in the games industry.
Key concept: ‘I was amazed at the degree of entitlement and hostility,’ Soell recalls, ‘and at that point I was just gung-ho for … Bungie becoming a platform-agnostic company.’
26. Ambrosia
Ambrosia Software, founded by Andrew Welch, embraced a unique business model that prioritized online distribution and developer-friendly policies. Their breakout hit, Escape Velocity, showcased the power of a plug-in architecture that allowed players to create and share their own content, fostering a vibrant and passionate community around the game.
Key concept: It was a phenomenon because its freedom went so far that fans could change it.
27. The Fall and Rise of Mac Gaming
The transition to Intel processors in 2005 marked a turning point for Mac gaming, with the platform gaining access to a wider range of games and a larger potential market. However, the ease of creating low-quality ports via Cider and the challenges of matching the performance of PC games with limited graphics card driver support led to a mixed bag of results.
Key concept: ‘The Intel transition would change everything and usher in a new era in both Apple and the Mac’s history.
Essential Questions
1. How did Mac gaming evolve from its humble beginnings to its eventual decline, and what were the key factors that shaped its trajectory?
Despite early challenges and Apple’s initial lack of support, Mac gaming emerged as a vibrant and innovative scene in the late 1980s and 1990s. The Mac’s user-friendly interface, powerful processor, and dedicated community of developers and players fostered the creation of unique and memorable games. Titles like Dark Castle, The Fool’s Errand, and Marathon showcased the platform’s capabilities for action, adventure, and innovation. However, Apple’s internal struggles, strategic missteps, and the rise of Windows PCs as the dominant gaming platform contributed to Mac gaming’s decline in the mid-2000s. Despite this decline, the legacy of Mac gaming continues to inspire developers and players, demonstrating the enduring appeal of creativity, originality, and a passionate community.
2. What were the defining characteristics of the Mac gaming community, and what were the challenges and opportunities they faced?
The Mac gaming community was characterized by a strong sense of community and collaboration, with developers and players often working closely together to create and refine games. Shareware distribution, online forums, and user groups fostered a sense of shared ownership and passion for the platform. Many developers, driven by a desire to create the games they themselves wanted to play, prioritized fun, originality, and elegant design over commercial success. However, this tight-knit community also faced challenges, including the prevalence of piracy, the limitations of the Mac’s market share, and the difficulty of securing funding and support for ambitious projects.
3. How did the Mac’s technical capabilities shape the development of games on the platform, and what were some of the most notable innovations that emerged from the Mac gaming scene?
The Mac’s graphical user interface, mouse input, and powerful processor enabled the development of innovative and influential game genres, including point-and-click adventures, 3D action games, and simulations. Developers like Craig Erickson, Bill Appleton, and Rand and Robyn Miller pushed the boundaries of what was possible on the platform, creating immersive and imaginative worlds that captivated players worldwide. These innovations often reflected the Mac’s design philosophy of simplicity, elegance, and user-friendliness, contributing to the platform’s unique gaming identity.
4. How did Apple’s corporate culture and strategic decisions influence the development and trajectory of Mac gaming?
Apple’s corporate culture and strategic decisions had a significant impact on the Mac gaming ecosystem. The company’s initial focus on the business market and its reluctance to embrace the gaming community led to missed opportunities and a perception that the Mac was not a serious gaming platform. However, the efforts of dedicated evangelists like Craig Fryar and Eric Klein, along with the success of key titles like Marathon and Myth, helped to shift Apple’s perspective and generate more support for game developers. Ultimately, Apple’s decision to transition to Intel processors in 2005, while beneficial in the long term, also contributed to a decline in Mac-specific game development as the platform became more closely aligned with Windows PCs.
5. What were the key factors that led to the decline of Mac gaming in the mid-2000s, and what were the implications of this decline for the future of gaming on the platform?
Despite its many innovations and the passion of its community, Mac gaming ultimately declined in the mid-2000s due to a confluence of factors, including the rise of Windows PCs as the dominant gaming platform, the increasing cost of game development, and Apple’s shift in focus to consumer electronics like the iPod and iPhone. The ease of creating low-quality ports via Cider and the challenges of matching the performance of PC games with limited graphics card driver support further discouraged developers from investing in Mac-specific games. This decline, while unfortunate, also paved the way for new opportunities, including the rise of indie gaming and the emergence of digital distribution platforms like Steam.
Key Takeaways
1. Understanding your target audience is crucial for creating successful products.
The Mac’s success in attracting a dedicated and passionate following can be attributed, in part, to its focus on creating a unique and user-friendly experience that catered to the specific needs and desires of its target audience. Mac developers often prioritized elegance, simplicity, and originality over raw processing power or graphical fidelity. They understood that Mac users valued a certain aesthetic and a sense of community, and they created games that reflected those values.
Practical Application:
In product design, understanding the unique needs and desires of a target audience is crucial for creating successful products. When designing an AI product for a specific user group, it’s essential to consider their technical proficiency, their expectations for user experience, and the specific problems they need to solve. This involves conducting user research, gathering feedback, and iterating on the design based on user input.
2. A strong sense of community can drive innovation and creativity.
The Mac gaming community thrived on shareware, a distribution model that encouraged sharing, collaboration, and direct communication between developers and players. This fostered a strong sense of community and a willingness to experiment with new ideas, contributing to the platform’s reputation for innovation and creativity.
Practical Application:
In AI development, fostering a strong sense of community can be achieved by creating online forums, hosting hackathons, and providing resources and support to developers. This can lead to increased innovation, collaboration, and a more robust ecosystem around your AI product.
3. Flexibility and adaptability are essential for success in a rapidly evolving industry.
The history of Mac gaming is filled with examples of developers pivoting, adapting, and iterating on their ideas based on user feedback and changing market conditions. The success of games like Escape Velocity, with its plug-in architecture that allowed for user-created content, and the evolution of the Marathon series, from its humble beginnings to its multiplatform success, demonstrate the importance of flexibility and adaptability in a rapidly evolving industry.
Practical Application:
When developing new features or products, it’s essential to allow for flexibility and iteration based on user feedback and changing market conditions. Don’t be afraid to pivot or abandon projects that aren’t working, and be open to exploring new opportunities as they emerge.
Suggested Deep Dive
Chapter: Durandal (Chapter 25)
This chapter details Bungie’s journey, a company that epitomizes the highs and lows of Mac gaming. It covers the rise of the Marathon series, the challenges of navigating Apple’s corporate culture, and the eventual decision to go multiplatform with Halo. This story offers valuable insights into the changing landscape of the games industry and the complex relationship between platform holder, developer, and player.
Memorable Quotes
Introduction. 13
When the rest of the personal computing world had low-resolution, blocky graphics with just a handful of garish colours and a bewildering keyboard-driven text-based interface – which required a considerable cognitive load just to learn to a point of basic functional understanding – Macintosh took its own path.
A Serious Machine. 27
It only took a day or two to write initially. After I had it going, [Apple Mac team colleague] Bud Tribble suggested that I spice it up by having the bricks fall when they were hit by the ball instead of disappearing, and you’d have to dodge them as they fell since you’d lose your ball if they hit your paddle. I also made a nice explosion when a falling brick hit the paddle. It was fun to play but was written in a low-level, stand-alone fashion and not maintained as the system software evolved.
Game Development for the Rest of Us. 59
Its big claim to fame was neither of these, though. The Macintosh was the ‘computer for the rest of us’, and to play a World Builder-authored game was to know that it was built from a tool that followed the same philosophy.
Simulated. 94
‘A true simulation is boring as crap, just like all the rest of the things in the world, ‘ says Walton. ‘If you simulate combat, 99 per cent of it is sitting around being bored crapless and then there’s 1 per cent of it that you’re in total terror for your life.’
Delta Tao. 341
‘I figured the customers who were running on those ancient Macs had been paying us ten bucks a month for several years,’ he said at the time, ‘and it would be only fair for us to give a little back.’ Their karma was probably due to come back around, anyway.
Comparative Analysis
This book stands out for its deep dive into a specific niche within gaming history: the world of Macintosh gaming. While books like “Masters of Doom” by David Kushner tell the broader story of the rise of the PC games industry, and “Replay: The History of Video Games” by Tristan Donovan covers a broader sweep of video game history, “The Secret History of Mac Gaming” focuses on a platform often overlooked in these larger narratives. It agrees with these other books on the importance of individual visionaries and a thriving independent development scene in shaping the industry, but it also highlights the unique challenges and opportunities faced by developers working on a platform with a smaller market share and a more demanding audience. It stands as a testament to the creativity and resilience of the Mac gaming community, showcasing the often-overlooked gems that emerged from this vibrant ecosystem.
Reflection
Looking back, it’s fascinating to see how Mac gaming reflected the broader trends in the games industry while also carving out its own unique identity. The Mac’s early limitations in graphics and processing power forced developers to be creative and resourceful, often prioritizing elegance, simplicity, and originality over brute force. This led to the creation of many memorable and influential games that still hold up today. However, the Mac’s relatively small market share and Apple’s often-ambivalent attitude towards gaming ultimately limited its potential. The rise of Windows PCs as the dominant gaming platform, coupled with the increasing cost of game development, made it increasingly difficult for Mac-specific games to compete. While the Mac gaming scene of today is a pale shadow of its former self, the legacy of classic Mac games continues to inspire developers and players, reminding us of the enduring appeal of creativity, originality, and a passionate community.
Flashcards
What was the MacVenture engine?
A game engine developed by ICOM Simulations that enabled the creation of sophisticated point-and-click adventure games.
What is HyperTalk?
A programming language developed by Bill Atkinson for HyperCard that used a syntax similar to English, making it easy for non-programmers to create interactive applications.
What is Spectre?
A groundbreaking 3D online multiplayer game developed by Peninsula Gameworks and published by Velocity.
What is The Fool’s Errand?
A seminal puzzle game developed by Cliff Johnson that blended storytelling with challenging puzzles.
What is AppleTalk?
Apple’s built-in networking protocol that facilitated the development of early multiplayer games.
What is World Builder?
A multimedia authoring tool that allowed anyone to create their own black-and-white adventure games.
What is Silicon Beach Software?
The company behind the iconic Mac games Dark Castle and Beyond Dark Castle.
What is the Pippin?
A popular Mac-based gaming and multimedia device that failed commercially due to a lack of focus and a confusing identity.
What is Spaceward Ho!?
A popular space exploration and conquest game developed by Delta Tao Software.
What is Bungie Software?
The company behind the groundbreaking Marathon series, which eventually transitioned to become a multiplatform powerhouse with the release of Halo for the Xbox.