Mac client?

[Pseudopsia]

Mac runs off a custom Linux kernel that is closed off (you have to buy the dev kits from Apple and buy the yearly dev support). You also have to port the code over from Windows to Mac (no easy task by any means) on top of "low" interest Mac users have for using their machines for gaming.

Mach kernel actually.

[Bossycow]

Analysis

Very good description on some of the challenges of porting it over to Mac. I'm hoping that they understand that there IS value to having that support, and that the market is one worth investing in. At least that's the approach many other big titles have taken, which is why they have overcame these challenges. You could be right that the company simply doesn't have the resources to expand support for mac users, nor see the business benefits of it, which would be too bad.

I am curious to research the percentage of mac users for some of those games (WoW, Borderlands 2, BioShock...). At least then I'd have a more realistic idea of how big the market is.

[sruon]

Mac runs off a custom Linux kernel that is closed off

It's based off FreeBSD not Linux (for the record PS3 and PS4 OS are also based off FreeBSD)

Realistically its down to how well they've realized their graphical engine abstraction, which considering the game runs on multiple OS has been done to some extent. I'd wager porting to OpenGL should be doable for them. Valve has proven lately that gaming on OpenGL on Unix systems can be more optimized than their DX/Windows counterparts.

[NyneAlexander]

just a quick point about bootcamp: windows runs HOT on macs. If you don't have a great cooling system, be very careful with how you game on bootcamped macs, particularly the laptops. I burnt through 2 logic boards bootcamping SWTOR and FFXIV 1.0.

[necrosis]

just a quick point about bootcamp: windows runs HOT on macs. If you don't have a great cooling system, be very careful with how you game on bootcamped macs, particularly the laptops. I burnt through 2 logic boards bootcamping SWTOR and FFXIV 1.0.

It runs hot because the windows drivers for the hardware don't suck.

There wew reviews done when steam for Mac came out comparing the same games in windows and in osx on the exact same hardware. Windows version had osx beat by rather large margins.

[Reinheart]

In JP gaming site interview, YoshiP talks about how he wants to get XIV on the mac. But it's just what he wants and it's still not a confirmed project for them yet, it'll be cool to see it done though

[Shioban]

From a technical standpoint this would require the client to be recoded into the Coca API along with transposing the entire client from DirectX > OpenGL.
It's quite a large task to do something like this, certainly not something you'd get done over a month or two, this would have to be worth the investment in time to produce.

I don't see them doing it unless there's a particularly large demand, however, as with anything if there's a large enough demand they'll consider it.

Very good description on some of the challenges of porting it over to Mac. I'm hoping that they understand that there IS value to having that support, and that the market is one worth investing in. At least that's the approach many other big titles have taken, which is why they have overcame these challenges. You could be right that the company simply doesn't have the resources to expand support for mac users, nor see the business benefits of it, which would be too bad.

I am curious to research the percentage of mac users for some of those games (WoW, Borderlands 2, BioShock...). At least then I'd have a more realistic idea of how big the market is.

http://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/

3.47% of the Steam Userbase uses OSX, however this isn't completely accurate as it doesn't account the number of people running wine for OSX, so the number would be every so slightly higher than this.
Ontop of the fact that not everyone does the hardware survey.

But it's good as a rough guide.

[Ruenis]

What's the difference between PC and Mac ? I thought they're the same, using keyboard and small screen to play anyways...

[Gramul]

What's the difference between PC and Mac ? I thought they're the same, using keyboard and small screen to play anyways...

Operating systems mostly. Screen size can be any that you're willing to pay for.

[cotti]

Mac runs off a custom Linux kernel

BWAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Oh my, this is pure gold. Best thing on the forums since the individual that said that for a program to have a Linux version, all source code had to be given too.