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Mike Wilson on Apple and Games
11:58 AM | Michael Eilers | Comment on this story
Since E3 this past Spring we have reported many times that Gathering of Developers, a major PC publisher owned by Take Two Interactive, has made a serious commitment to the Mac platform, with four titles to be released in 2000 and one in 2001. However their momentum might be temporarily (or permanently) stalled, as recent comments by CEO Mike Wilson reveal.
Blue's News first pointed us towards a short Q&A with Wilson posted at GameWeek.com in which he was highly critical of Apple's attitude towards gaming and threatened an abandonment of the platform. Here is an excerpt:
[We’re] not very happy at all. Apple has basically abandoned gaming as a priority, and therefore most game publishers are abandoning it. This will likely be the last Macworld that you see Gathering product at, if things don’t change drastically. We have been very vocal about our support of Apple and the Mac up to now, but I have to say that there has been no reciprocity whatsoever. [It’s] very disappointing and sad for the Mac users. Once this comment hit Blue's News, it seems someone at Apple took immediate notice, as Wilson quickly mailed a clarification to his earlier comments (which were recorded before the actual Macworld Expo New York.) In this clarification he explains that he was discussing the publishing end of the situation and Apple's lack of assistance with publishing and marketing -- a fairly common complaint from both Mac and PC developers:I'd like to clarify something... Apple was upset with these comments due to the fact that their developer relations people have been doing a good job w/our Mac-friendly developers. My comments about lack of support were solely geared toward publisher/marketing related support. I'm mostly disappointed that their marketing direction has nothing to do with gaming. As evidenced by Job's keynote spending about 5 minutes on 'gaming' (just saying that Microsoft's games were coming to the Mac) and spending about 45 minutes explaining how they believe the future is everyone editing their own movies. This has always been one of the more puzzling aspects of Apple's behavior; Steve Jobs loves to say that "Apple loves games!" during keynotes, but doesn't advertise the Mac as a gaming machine or publicize the large number of entertainment titles available for our platform. While it is arguable that Apple is not in the business of promoting *any* third-party software, Microsoft has shown considerable interest in promoting gaming on their OS, even publishing some of the best-known PC titles; this may be the source of Wilson's disappointed expectations. In any case we have high hopes for GoD's amazing Fall lineup for the Mac OS, which includes 4x4 Evolution, Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K. 2 and Oni - we think these will sell well with or without Apple's assistance.
 Gathering of Developers
Blue's News
Mike Wilson Q&A at GameWeek
Recent Mac Games News Wednesday, July 26, 2000
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