Late last weekrumors began to surface that Steam, Valve’s popular digital distribution service for PC’s, might be making it’s way to the Mac. And while we won’t no for certain until Valve’s CEO Gabe Newell speaks at GDC next Thursday, the company has leaked some tongue-in-cheek teaser imagesthat all but confirm the impending announcement. So with Steam almost certainly on the way, one can’t help but wonder — is it really a good fit for the Mac?
Late last week rumors began to surface that Steam, Valve’s popular digital distribution service for PC’s, might be making it’s way to the Mac. And while we won’t no for certain until Valve’s CEO Gabe Newell speaks at GDC next Thursday, the company has leaked some tongue-in-cheek teaser images that all but confirm the impending announcement. So with Steam almost certainly on the way, one can’t help but wonder — is it really a good fit for the Mac?
CrunchGear writer Devin Coldewey was wondering the same thing. Citing a less than Mac-friendly cosmetic appearance, a lack of worthwhile Mac games, and Apple’s shift towards the portable market, his conclusions were less than optimistic. But maybe he has a point. Most major releases that come to the Mac do so more than a year after their Windows launch date. Looking at a current list of Steam games that already have a Mac version, there’s really not a recent release in the bunch. We’re delighted to see well-reviewed casual experiences like Plants vs. Zombies and Osmos on there, but where are the recent casual releases that Steam is carrying?
Still, there’s nothing to say Valve doesn’t have a few tricks up their sleeve. If popular Valve titles like Portal or Half Life 2 get the Mac treatment, it’s bound to speak volumes for their investment in the Mac as a viable gaming platform. We’ll just have to wait until next week’s GDC address to find out.
