2000 was a standout year for Macintosh games, and one of the best regarded by critics and fans alike was Aspyr Media’s Deus Ex. Originally developed by Warren Spector and his team at Ion Storm, Deus Ex drew players into a dark cyberpunk vision of the future, mixing compelling 3D graphics and innovative gameplay with an in-depth role playing storyline.
Up until now, though, Mac users have been working at a deficit. In the months following the PC version’s release, Ion Storm put forth a patch that enables Deus Ex — normally a single-person game, despite its Unreal engine underpinnings — to work as a multiplayer game over networks or the Internet.
The Macintosh conversion was developed by Westlake Interactive — no surprise, since the company works extensively with Aspyr, and had also ported games based on the same engine technology as was used in Deus Ex. Since the PC multiplayer patch has been available, Westlake has said that they would take a look at what’s required to get the patch working with the Mac version. If it was feasible, Westlake said, they would consider making a Mac multiplayer patch for Deus Ex as well.
Westlake and Aspyr have now confirmed the multiplayer patch for the Mac version of Deus Ex is in development.
“… we are pleased to have found the changes not as substantial as expected, allowing us to provide the Mac patch at no additional cost,” said Westlake president Mark Adams. “Westlake is excited to be able to provide this service for the good of the Mac gaming community.”
The patch is expected to be available in the next two or three weeks, and will be available as a free download for owners of the full game. And if you’re concerned about finding enough online players to compete against, worry not — Adams says that Mac Deus Ex players will be able to challenge their PC-using friends, as well.