Mac, meet Steam (Maybe)

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

I’ve always considered myself a somewhat respectable gamer. I’ve played all the classics, gotten all the latest hardware, and spent hours upon hours harnessing my limited skills in any number of online shooters/ sports games. My one crucial flaw in the eyes of my friends and fellow gamers alike? I’ve always stayed true to the console route, never made the jump to PC. Now, in the golden age of gaming, I have apparently made a grisly mistake. About seven years ago, I made the switch from PC to Mac. The news, when told to my fellow gamers, was swiftly followed by snarky whispers of “This guy…” But alas, I stuck to my guns. Just sticks and stones, as they say.

Don’t get me wrong, I considered making the jump to PC many times, particularly for previous PC exclusives along the likes of Half-Life and Crysis, but once I was Mac, there was no turning back. I held out hope that one day all those games I missed out on would make the jump to consoles, and they did/will (Half-Life 2/ Crysis 2).

Now, on the heels of an announced update, Kotaku is reporting a rumor that Valve’s digital distribution software, Steam, may be coming to Mac. While the evidence given for such a rumor feels a little shady, any whisper of the possibility to turn my beloved Mac into a gaming machine is enough to get my juices flowing. I realize that just because Steam may support Mac in the future it does not mean that many titles will make the jump as well, but I think it will intrigue the minds of developers and game studios in the future, particularly with Mac’s considerable growth in the last 2-3 years. I’m salivating over the hypothetical possibilities.

So what do you think about the idea of Steam making a possible jump to Mac? And please, don’t blast me for my Mac-ness, I’ve spent years building up a wall to deflect insults, but it’s still fragile.