# Steam coming to the Mac
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-coming-to-the-mac/531808
**Category:** The Game Room
**Created:** [March 9, 2010, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-coming-to-the-mac/531808 "2010-03-09T03:48:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2010, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-coming-to-the-mac/531808/41 "2010-05-13T04:54:29Z")
Today is the launch day for the mac steam client. Looks like they have 64 mac-compatable games in the steam store, which is more than I was expecting.
If anyone figures out a way to turn off the mac/pc compatability icons next to the game names please tell me since I find it mildly annoying.
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### Author:  [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2010, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-coming-to-the-mac/531808/42 "2010-05-13T05:16:16Z")
Looking over the actual list of those games, it’s mostly casual games without too much good stuff. But maybe having the steam platform on mac will make more developers interested in codevelopment.
Valve made portal free for everyone (including mac users) for a few weeks, so definitely go about installing that. Torchlight for $10 and that Indie Pack with world of goo and osmos and 3 others for $20 seem like a good place to start.
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### Author:  [@Nicolas\_Bourbaki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nicolas_Bourbaki)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2010, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-coming-to-the-mac/531808/43 "2010-05-13T06:29:06Z")
To reiterate, PORTAL IS **FREE** UNTIL MAY 24 FREE FOR THE PC FREE FOR THE MAC
[DOWNLOAD IT NOW](http://store.steampowered.com/freeportal/)
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2010, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-coming-to-the-mac/531808/44 "2010-05-13T16:20:34Z")
To be clear on the “free portal” thing, does that mean “Download it before May 24 and you can keep it forever”, or does it mean “download it now and you can keep on playing it until May 24”?
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### Author:  [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-coming-to-the-mac/531808/45 "2010-05-13T16:22:02Z")
Looks like it’s temporary.
> [@](#):
>
> You’d think that, especially since it actually won over 70 Game of the Year Awards. But, like we keep saying, Portal is free. Free on the Mac. Free on the PC. But only until May 24th. So you only have a few days to decide if your free copy of Portal is worth the price we’re currently charging - which is you ever-so-slightly moving your index finger just barely enough to click the big red “download” button right there to the left.
But it doesn’t take that long to finish, so you can complete it in that time span.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2010, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-coming-to-the-mac/531808/46 "2010-05-13T19:13:33Z")
In my case, the catch is that I don’t yet have the computer to play it on. So it’s not just a matter of “click the button and play”; I have to wait until I decide on a computer and possibly get it delivered. Plus, of course, I like being able to pick up a game years later and re-play it. Then again, though, the regular price is only, what, $10 or so?
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### Author:  [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-coming-to-the-mac/531808/47 "2010-05-13T21:46:36Z")
I assume Portal is free to keep forever, as long as you download it before the deadline.
Otherwise they would call it a “free trial.” Saying it is free means you get the same thing you would get if you payed for it: the ability to keep it forever.
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### Author:  [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-coming-to-the-mac/531808/48 "2010-05-13T21:59:22Z")
Yeah, I think you’re right. I misinterpreted the page the first time. It’s somewhat vague though.
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### Author:  [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-coming-to-the-mac/531808/49 "2010-05-13T22:59:52Z")
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> In my case, the catch is that I don’t yet have the computer to play it on. So it’s not just a matter of “click the button and play”; I have to wait until I decide on a computer and possibly get it delivered. Plus, of course, I like being able to pick up a game years later and re-play it. Then again, though, the regular price is only, what, $10 or so?
Log onto Steam on a friend’s computer and hit the button there. Or change your password temporarily, PM a SDMB friend you trust, they can log on and hit the button for you. Then you can change the password again.
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### Author:  [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-coming-to-the-mac/531808/50 "2010-05-13T22:59:52Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#):
>
> Lol, I was talking about the windows registry, not Steam. 😉 I love steam. It’s the best thing to happen to PC gaming in recent history. I’ve even re-purchased games on steam so I wouldn’t have to keep the discs around anymore. I’m done with discs.
If your hard drive dies and you have titles downloaded from Steam, there’s a record of your purchases and you can re-download them again for free…right?
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### Author:  [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-coming-to-the-mac/531808/51 "2010-05-13T23:01:09Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#):
>
> If your hard drive dies and you have titles downloaded from Steam, there’s a record of your purchases and you can re-download them again for free…right?
Sure can! You can also back them up to an external drive or DVDs, so you can reload them quicker than downloading.
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### Author:  [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2010, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-coming-to-the-mac/531808/52 "2010-05-13T23:22:01Z")
Yeah, it’s tied to your account.
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### Author:  [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2010, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-coming-to-the-mac/531808/53 "2010-05-13T23:30:53Z")
Awesome.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2010, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-coming-to-the-mac/531808/54 "2010-05-15T05:02:29Z")
Turns out that the bookstore had the model of computer I decided on in stock, so I was able to just go over and pick it up today. I’m currently (slowly) downloading Portal, but might have to wait til tomorrow to play.
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### Author:  [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2010, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-coming-to-the-mac/531808/55 "2010-05-19T22:58:39Z")
I guess some devs are working quickly to port their games to Mac.
> [@](#):
>
> Cross-Platform Multiplayer Titles Available Now
>
> May 19, 2010 - The second round of Steam for the Mac launch titles are available now. This week’s collection features a dozen games headlined by the first cross-platform multiplayer games offered via Steam.
>
> This first set of titles that allow for PC vs. Mac cross-platform gaming include the co-op zombie hit Killing Floor, Altitude, and Madballs in Babo: Invasion.
>
> “We were thrilled when we learned that Steam was coming to the Mac platform and started working on a native Mac version of Killing Floor immediately,” said John Gibson, President of Tripwire Interactive, creators of Killing Floor. “Steam’s advanced multiplayer support on both the PC and Mac has enabled us to bring Killing Floor to a whole new audience on the Mac and introduce them to the existing PC player community.”
>
> To celebrate the launch of these titles, Killing Floor will be offered at 33% off its regular price (for a limited time). An Altitude Free Weekend promotion is available now on Steam, and those who wish to purchase the game and play beyond the weekend may pick it up at 50% off its regular price. And Madballs in Babo: Invasion is also available at 50% off its regular price.
>
> More single player games are also available today including Sam and Max: The Devils Playhouse Episode 2, Hearts of Iron 3, and more. Click here to see all Mac titles new to Steam.
>
> An additional collection of Mac titles will launch next week via Steam.
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### Author:  [@A\_Spoonful\_of\_Awesome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Spoonful_of_Awesome)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2010, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-coming-to-the-mac/531808/56 "2010-05-20T02:02:18Z")
Finally made the leap. Downloaded Portal (only 30 mins!). I just started it, but so far it has blown my already high expectations out of the water. I love the little machine gun guys!
“I forgive you.” 🙂
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### Author:  [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2010, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-coming-to-the-mac/531808/57 "2010-05-26T23:04:51Z")
I won’t bump the thread to announce every time a new Mac game comes out, but they released the Half Life 2 series today and for 30% off. If you’ve never played any of the games, you can get [The Orange Box](http://store.steampowered.com/sub/469/) which has HL2, episode 1 and 2, Portal and Team Fortress 2 for $21. It’d be hard to find a gaming value like that anywhere ever.
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### Author:  [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-coming-to-the-mac/531808/58 "2010-06-24T21:59:23Z")
Thought I might bump this thread to tell everyone that [Counter strike: source](http://store.steampowered.com/app/240/) is now mac compatable and on sale for $6.80 for at least another day. It’s a pretty big deal because CSS is still insanely popular often with 70,000+ people on at one time playing (and another 70-80k for the original cs). If you’re interested in online shooters at all you should grab it.
Steam is also having a [huge summer sale](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=568413) which is a good time for you to pick up games you might’ve been interested in, like the Valve complete pack (edit: I guess not that much of the valve complete pack is mac compatable, so nm) Anything that says “steamplay” works for mac too. [Here’s a list](Here’s a list). Today only there’s [killing floor](http://store.steampowered.com/app/1250/) for $5 that’s steamplay compatable. There will be new daily sales each day, in addition to the general sales that last through July 4.
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