If games are compatible with Steam Cloud ( Portal and Team Fortress 2 are), your settings will synchronize between the Mac and Windows versions. This is a useful service of the Steam APIs that allows developers to synchronize your game settings between each of the computers on which you install your games. As a long-time Windows gamer via Boot Camp, there was no learning curve I instantly started adjusting options for microphone input and downloading my library. If you’ve used Steam before, however, you’ll feel right at home. The navigation toolbar, for example, contains large text links for things like the Steam Store and your Library, instead of colorful, intuitive icons like Apple and third-party Mac developers favor (this navigation design actually feels heavily inspired by Microsoft’s Zune). Steam for Mac is very much a doppelgänger of the Windows version, so some elements certainly don’t feel very Mac-like. A Steam buddy list lets you see which of your friends are online, what games they’re playing, as well as invite friends into your game or quickly join them on a campaign already in progress-all with a click or two. Over the years, Steam has become the go-to place for Windows gamers to shop for and try out everything from blockbuster releases to indie hits, find new friends to frag with, and stay up to date with the latest patches. It’s the creation of game developer Valve, the company behind games like Team Fortress, Left for Dead, and one of gaming’s most beloved and legendary series: Half Life. Steam, for the uninitiated, is essentially an iTunes Store for games, except with more socializing and actual demos of many games ( *ahem*, Apple). But before I start waxing too ecstatic, let’s take a first look at the private beta of the service and see what Steam has to offer. The arrival of Steam, the popular online gaming service and store, on the Mac platform may very well be a watershed moment for Mac gaming that’s discussed for years to come.
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