Game publisher The 3DO Company today announced plans to publish the Mac version of the Heroes of Might & Magic IV, a fantasy-based strategy game. In fact, the company behind the Mac version’s conversion, Contraband Entertainment, has made no secret of its efforts to do so since this past July, but this is the first official word from 3DO itself.
| <?php virtual(“/includes/gamesboxad.inc”); ?> |
Heroes of Might & Magic IV is the latest iteration of a long-running strategy game series set in a mythical fantasy world populated by magical beings, brave heroes and nightmarish creatures. Players use heroes to lead armies into battle over land and sea, acquiring resources, powering up hero abilities and skills, engaging in quests and more.
In this installment, Emilia Nighthaven battles the evil King Gavin Magnus and his horde of Dragon Golems across six campaigns as they vie for control of the land of Axeoth. Players will encounter more than 60 new creatures, five schools of magic, six town types and more than 180 artifacts along the way.
Improvements over previous installments include new graphics and an all-new magical skill system, as well as support for Mac OS X. The game sports multiple screen resolution support (up to 1200 x 1080, according to 3DO) and a new interface. Players can specialize their characters as play progresses using a skill system.
Along with the six campaigns, dozens of stand-alone scenarios are included, and the game also sports a campaign editor that players can use to make their own maps, complete with terrain deformation. Multiplayer gaming is also supported for up to six different players over the Internet.
This is not the franchise’s first appearance on the Mac. 3DO previously published Heroes of Might & Magic III and Heroes of Might & Magic III Complete for the Macintosh as well. Developed by New World Computing, the Heroes of Might & Magic strategy games are an outgrowth of the popular Might & Magic role playing game series, a franchise whose roots date back almost two decades to the venerable Apple II.
Rated “E” for Everyone by the ESRB, Heroes of Might & Magic IV will require a PowerPC G3/350MHz or faster processor; Mac OS 9.1 or later (or Mac OS X 10.1 or later); 750MB hard disk space; 192MB RAM; 4x CD-ROM, 800×600 (minimum) video display; and optional Internet connection via 28.8 Kbps or faster modem for online play.
3DO said that the game would be released “this fall.” The company is now accepting pre-orders for the game, and the online store shows that it is expected to ship in late November. The first 250 Mac gamers who pre-order will get a free t-shirt as well. Details can be found on the 3DO Web site.