Game publisher Blizzard Entertainment has updated two frequently asked questions (FAQ) lists associated with World of Warcraft with information about Apple’s recent release of Boot Camp, software that lets Intel-based Macs run Mac OS X and Windows XP.
With the advent of Boot Camp, some Mac gamers think the end is nigh for Mac gaming — they predict a wholesale departure from the platform of game developers who will just find it easier to support Windows instead — indeed, Macs running Windows XP can play games as well as equivalent PCs.
Various game publishers polled by Macworld recently chimed in with their thoughts on Boot Camp. While there are some reservations about the software, most reactions range from cautious optimism to ebullient support for the move — they feel that it will draw more users to the Mac platform, which may ultimately make more gamers opt for Mac hardware.
Blizzard is one of the few game developers to publish a Mac and Windows version of their game, simultaneously and in the same box. Blizzard has done so with their last several game releases, and maintains both Mac and Windows versions of its popular massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) World of Warcraft in lockstep with each other.
Blizzard says in its General FAQ and its Technology FAQ specifically for World of Warcraft that an Intel Mac equipped with Boot Camp and Windows XP is indeed capable of working with World of Warcraft’s Windows version, but cautions that Boot Camp is beta software, and said that it won’t offer technical support for the software.
As to Blizzard’s future on the Mac platform, the company added, “We have a recognized track record of native Mac OS support, and we have no plans to break with that tradition. We understand that our Mac player base prefers native software whenever possible, and our cross-platform development practice addresses that.”