aspyr posts

Aspyr launches GameAgent online store

by Mat Lu (RSS feed) on Sep 25th, 2008

Mac games publisher Aspyr has thrown the switch on their online game store GameAgent. Somewhat similar to Valve's Steam, GameAgent allows buying and downloading games for your Mac. They seem to be starting slow with only Call of Duty 4 ($54.99) and a trivia / SAT prep game called futureU ($39.99) available at this time. But other classic Mac games like Stubbs the Zombie appear to be coming soon at $19.99.

GameAgent also offers an Extended Download Service for an additional fee of $4.99. Basically, what this does is give you the right to re-download the game anytime within two years. So, if you have a hard drive crash and no back-up, you can download again.

One downside is that the game is locked to your computer, so you can only play them on the machine they were downloaded on. If you want to re-download the games on a new computer, you must purchase the EDS service when you buy the game. Even then, a given serial number can only be activated three times.

[via Macworld]

Tags: aspyr, gameagent, games

Filed under: Gaming, Retail

Rock out at the Apple Store with Guitar Hero III

by Mat Lu (RSS feed) on Mar 2nd, 2008

Macworld is reporting that Aspyr is planning to hold Guitar Hero III tournaments at various Apple retail stores around the country. It looks like they'll be awarding iTunes gift cards to the winners, but surely that pales in comparison to the chance to become not just a Guitar Hero, but a Mac Guitar Hero in front of throngs of cheering Apple Store patrons!

Some of the stores participating "include locations in Bloomington, Minn., San Francisco, Stockton, Pasadena and Santa Monica, Calif., Tampa, Fla., Albany, NY, Peabody, Mass., Houston, Texas, Chicago, Ill., and New York, NY." If you want to know if your local store is on the list you should check its specific website at Apple Retail. Perhaps if Mike S. ever gets over his feud with Aspyr, you can challenge our resident Mac game master at the Chicago store.

Tags: Aspyr, Guitar Hero III, Guitar-Hero, GuitarHeroIii

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Multimedia, Retail, Odds and ends

Will Wright: Mac users will love Spore

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Feb 15th, 2008

Well, who won't, right? If you haven't read a single gaming blog this week (you serious worker bee, you), then you may not have heard the big news: Will Wright's rumored-to-be-a-masterpiece Spore has gotten a release date. It's hitting stores (for both PC and Mac simultaneously-- now that's what I like to hear) on September 7, 2008. Which means that later this year, PC and Mac users alike will be playing God, and creating creatures that virtually evolve from amoeba form all the way up to space travel.

Mac|Life got a chance to sit down with Will Wright himself, and not only did he reveal some fun news about the game, but he thinks it will especially appeal to Mac users-- they expect the creative creature creator to do great things with Mac minds. Unfortunately, the game is a Cider port, and ~~it's being released by Aspyr (that's right, I'm breaking my informal press boycott on them to talk about Spore-- don't disappoint me, Aspyr~~ *see update below) but Wright sounds like he's expecting quality from this release, so I guess we should, too.

And just like all the other great developers out there, he's very interested to see what happens with the iPhone SDK -- Wright is apparently an iPhone owner, and would love to get Spore on there. Believe me, Will -- I'd love to play it.

[Via IMG]

*Update: Aspyr has contacted us to say that they are not publishing the game. And at first I was confused, because Lucy Bradshaw specifically mentions Aspyr in the interview. However, after reading it a few times, it seems that Bradshaw is actually giving reasons for why they decided not to go with Aspyr-- their native ports come out too late, and EA wanted to release Spore simultaneously on all platforms.

Aspyr also notes to us that they only do native ports, not Cider ports. So I guess my informal boycott against Aspyr is still on, but we're still not guaranteed to get a good game out of this: Madden '08 was created using Transgaming's Cider, and that didn't turn out so well. Wait and see.

Tags: aspyr, cider, creature-creator, gaming, iphone, joystiq, mac-life, maxis, spore, transgaming, will-wright

Filed under: Gaming, Software

Call of Duty 4 Mac-bound in May

by Mat Lu (RSS feed) on Jan 16th, 2008

Macworld is reporting that Aspyr is bringing the addictive Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare to the Mac (apparently Aspyr is unfazed by Mike S's ardent condemnations). Having played the game extensively on the Xbox 360 I can say with confidence that fans of first person shooters on the Mac are in for a treat. Unlike the previous games in the series it has a contemporary setting in Russia and the Middle East for the intense single-player campaign, as well as some of the best online multiplayer available.

Details are limited but Call of Duty 4 is expected in May (only six months after its console and PC release!)

Tags: Aspyr, Call of Duty 4, Call-of-Duty-4, CallOfDuty4

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Software, Odds and ends, Apple

Aspyr delays Guitar Hero III, they are now dead to me

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Nov 15th, 2007

Man, remember how excited we were that Guitar Hero III was coming to the Mac at a reasonable time? Yeah, well, guess what. Aspyr has no love for Mac owners. Our friends at Joystiq say that while the PC version is sitting happily on shelves, we're still waiting on the Mac version. "Later this year," Aspyr says. I'll believe it when I see it.

I don't want to get off on a rant here, but who the hell put Aspyr in charge of Mac gaming anyway? Their incompetence has reared its ugly head time and time again. They deliver late, buggy ports all the time, and yet game companies still seem to flock to them for development and publishing jobs.

There is something rotten in the state of Mac gaming, and it is Aspyr Media. Have they ever kept a promise for release? Have they ever delivered a worthy, on-time port? Or have they continually and constantly profited off of placing junk on Apple Store shelves, forever confining Macs to the bottom of the list for gaming platforms? I won't tell you what to buy, but I'm done seeing Aspyr's name on Mac games. Until they show that they actually have the capacity to release a game that even slightly compares to the PC release version (or even shows up on time -- I'd settle for punctuality at this point), the Aspyr name is a complete dealbreaker for me in terms of both interest and purchases. As far as I'm concerned, they're out.

Tags: apple, apple-store, aspyr, development, gaming, mac-gaming, platform, ports, tweet-this

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Software

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is fighting through enemy territory to get to the Mac

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Nov 8th, 2007

Apple Insider has some shiny new Enemy Territory: Quake Wars screens for your drooling pleasure. I have to say-- the last few Quake games (and I'll include Doom III in that list) haven't really floated my boat much. As good as the graphics look, that old id charm just doesn't seem the same with games like Portal and Halo around. But Enemy Territory was definitely a winner (I played it on my Powerbook quite a bit), and so ET:QW is sure to be some good times.

Unfortunately, Aspyr is porting the game, and their id ports in the past haven't exactly been up to snuff. Plus, apparently they've been hampered by updates to the already-released Windows version, so the Mac version is still only in alpha, while the other versions are out in the wild, already letting folks shoot at each other. And worst of all, AI says there is no online in the alpha version (!). Call us foolish, but we'll at least hold out hope until we see the actual release-- maybe with id making a conscious effort towards Mac gaming, Aspyr will get this one right.

Tags: aspyr, doomiii, enemy-territory:quake-wars, gaming, halo, mac, portal, porting, quake-4, windows

Filed under: Gaming, Hardware, Retail, Software

Guitar Hero III previewed, will release Oct. 28

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Oct 4th, 2007

Gametap's got a quick look at the new Guitar Hero sequel, coming out for the Mac later this year, and the biggest news is that they've got a date: the PC and Mac versions are shipping simultaneously with the consoles on October 28. Rock on! Apparently you'll also be able to use the mouse and keyboard to play (although, come on, Guitar Hero is all about that guitar controller that ships with the game), and this part is pretty slick, too: PC and Mac users will be able to play against (or with) each other online. Very, very nice.

No system requirements yet, but I'm guessing that, like Tiger Woods and Madden, this is going to be for the non-integrated video cards only. Still, if you've got the kit to run it, it'll definitely be a good time. Our sister games blog Joystiq has rounded up the entire setlist for the game, with YouTube links to every song in it. In fact, if you've already got Frets on Fire working, you can start practicing now -- you'll need it if you want to shred against me.

Tags: and, aspyr, games, guitar-hero-iii, joystiq, preview, rock, roll, setlist

Filed under: Gaming, Freeware

Determine your gaming specs with Aspyr Game Agent

by Dave Caolo (RSS feed) on Sep 25th, 2007

Here's a cool freeware utility for Mac gamers (who love Aspyr especially). When you launch The Aspyr Game Agent (TAGA), it compares your machine's specs to the system requirements of their titles, and displays good matches. If you search for a game that won't run well on your machine (according to the system requirements, at least), TAGA suggests appropriate system upgrades.

It's convenient and fun, though limited to a single manufacturer's catalog. It's also free (and Universal). If you're a hard core Aspyr fan, check this one out.

[Via Twitter]

Tags: aspyr, freeware, gaming

Filed under: Gaming, Hardware, Multimedia, Holidays

Guitar Hero III coming to the Mac this year

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Sep 11th, 2007

If you've never played Guitar Hero, you've been missing out. It's quite an experience - you play with a special guitar controller, and as notes fly towards you on the screen, you hit both fret buttons and a strum bar in time to real life rock music. I'm a huge fan of the series, having played the original on PS2, and Guitar Hero II on my Xbox 360. Now, Mac owners will can to take the stage: Aspyr Media has announced that they're bringing the series' third iteration to the Mac.

Guitar Hero III is scheduled to be released in October on the consoles and PC. Aspyr will release a hybrid Windows/Mac box, complete with USB guitar. System requirements haven't been released yet, but I'd expect any PC version to have everything the console versions do. The complete setlist contains pretty much any kind of rock you're interested in, from Rage to Bloc Party to Kiss, and even the D and gamer favorite DragonForce.

Sounds awesome. Considering the guitar is just a USB device, how cool would it be to integrate it with Garageband? Here's hoping Aspyr stays on beat, and makes the PC/Mac version available shortly after the console release. Until then, you may always rock it out with Frets on Fire. Throw the horns!

Tags: aspyr, gaming, guitarhero, guitarheroiii, mac, music, release, rock

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Software, Odds and ends

Aspyr (not EA) releases Sims Pet Stories for Mac

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Sep 10th, 2007

Good news for you Sims completists out there (or anyone with a daughter on a MacBook): Aspyr Media has released Sims Pet Stories, the standalone Sims Pets game that lets you train, play with, and care for cats and dogs destined for the Pet Show. The reviews aren't exactly shining, but according to the user ratings at the bottom of the page, anyone who wants a cute and funny game that runs on a Mac should like it.

Of course, the more cynical side of me notes that this is yet another Electronic Arts game being ported by Aspyr instead of being released directly by EA. What did they promise us at WWDC again?

[via MacWorld]

Tags: aspyr, game, gaming, pets, sims, stories

Filed under: Gaming, Multimedia, Software

Aspyr porting Neverwinter Nights 2

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Aug 23rd, 2007

Aspyr, maker of many Mac game ports, has confirmed they're working on a port of Neverwinter Nights 2 for the Mac. The game features straight-up D&D action in the Forgotten Realms setting, and while not quite as critically acclaimed as Neverwinter Nights (that one was made by Bioware, after all), it did grab a pretty respectable rating of 82 over on Metacritic.

There is one problem-- the toolset that players can use to create their own content which came with the PC version won't actually be ported to Mac (more evidence that we're getting leftovers). Those of us who buy NWN2 on the Mac will still be able to play that created content, and join up to all the persistent world servers players have put together (and some of that stuff is pretty cool). No release date yet, but we'll keep you posted.

[via MacBytes]

Tags: aspyr, bioware, games, gameworld, neverwinternight2, ports, toolset

Filed under: Gaming, Software, Universal Binary

LEGO Star Wars goes Universal

by David Chartier (RSS feed) on Apr 24th, 2007

A long time ago, in a squarish galaxy far, far away... Aspyr media, in an effort to save Mac users of the planet Earth from certain doom and boredom, released a Universal patch for LEGO Star Wars.

That's right: it's been a while since we've had to write about an app (finally) going Universal (Adobe CS3 notwithstanding), and even longer since I've had the opportunity to make a Star Wars pun, so there it is. All joking aside though, Aspyr apparently released this patch earlier in the month, but I just caught it in today's newsletter. You can snag the 4.71MB update from Macgamefiles.com.

Tags: aspyr, games, gaming, lego, star wars, StarWars

Filed under: Gaming, Software

Aspyr finally gets a clue, releases Quake 4 demo

by David Chartier (RSS feed) on Aug 5th, 2006

Forgive the bitter headline, but I'm sick of Mac game companies releasing games, especially ones as massive and significant as Quake 4, without a demo. This gripe is further compounded by the fact that the current state of Mac gaming is so demanding of hardware; yes, it's certainly improving, but many of these games require a PowerMac G5 or, now with the Intel switch, at least an iMac or a MacBook Pro to run them with any decent amount of detail and frame rate. Releasing $50 games without the ability for users to test them first is shooting oneself in the foot, and apparently, companies like Aspyr seem to have no shortage of feet.

With that small bit of editorial out of the way: Aspyr has (finally) released a demo of Quake 4! Hooray! Both a torrent and a direct download link of the 536MB Universal Binary demo are available from MacGameFiles. Enjoy.

[via MacMinute]

Tags: aspyr, bittorrent, demo, download, game, quake, quake 4, Quake4, torrent

Filed under: Gaming, Software, Internet Tools

Aspyr announces upcoming Gamerhood application

by David Chartier (RSS feed) on Jul 31st, 2006

Aspyr has announced a new application in the works for Mac gamers that will allow them to purchase and download games directly to their Mac over the internet. A wide range of games will apparently be available, from casual titles to the AAA big-hitters. Other features of this new application and system include:

Play games without physical CD/DVD media
Check user compatibility by comparing machine's hardware against a game's minimum system requirements before purchase
Alert users to current Aspyr projects and new games
Allow users to register games online
Alert users to game updates and provide installs for updates
Provide a user-friendly interface and convenient way to organize personal gaming catalog
Allow parents to restrict game play and online game store material based on ESRB ratings
Provide users opportunity to take advantage of special offers

The Gamerhood app itself will be free but only available to North American customers at launch (ETA pending).

Tags: app, application, aspyr, gamer, gamerhood, games, gaming, store

Filed under: Gaming, Software, Universal Binary

Call of Duty 2 demo released

by Dan Lurie (RSS feed) on Jul 1st, 2006

At long last, Aspyr has released a demo of the hugely popular sequel to Call of Duty, the aptly named Call of Duty 2. No matter how badly I wanted to run to the Apple store and pick up the retail version, I knew I would feel horribly foolish if I got the game home only to find that it wouldn't run on my PowerBook. I knew I had to wait for the demo. MacGameFiles has the 665MB file as either a direct download, or a deliciously communal bittorrent file (doesn't the sharing just make you want to hug someone!?). If you've been waiting to try the game before you buy it, there is no better time than the present to kick some virtual Axis butt.

[Via The MacObserver]

Tags: aspyr, call, demo, duty, mac, of, two, war, world, ww2

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