Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Mac users are still waiting for their version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Electronic Arts delays OS X games

MacWorld promise goes unfulfilled

Written by Shaun Nichols in California

Mac users are still waiting two months after game maker Electronic Arts promised to increase its development efforts for the Mac OS X platform.

Executives from the world's largest games developer promised simultaneous launches on Windows and OS X platforms at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference last June.

They specifically mentioned the launch of Madden NFL 08, but no OS X version was available when the game went on sale on 14 August.

The launch included versions for Sony's PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable, Microsoft's Xbox, Xbox 360 and Windows, and Nintendo's Wii and GameCube.

EA's website and Apple's online store, however, made no mention of an OS X version.

The games company did not return numerous phone calls seeking clarification. Apple directed all inquiries to EA.

Madden NFL 08 is among the top gaming franchises of all time. Last year's release was the top selling game of 2006 at more than 2.3 million copies, according to analyst firm NPD Group.

The limited supply of games for the Mac is one of the platform's traditional weaknesses because it forces gaming enthusiasts to use Windows machines.

The EA endorsement, as well as by games developer ID Soft, at this year's Worldwide Developer Conference was seen as a big step towards increasing the software's appeal with mainstream consumers.

Mac users, meanwhile, are venting their frustration online. At gaming site Inside Mac Games, gamers fumed about delays with other EA titles including Battlefield 2142 and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which had been slated for July.

"Although I am sure that the delays in shipping EA's new Mac titles are due to development issues, the lack of communication from EA is frustrating," wrote Inside Mac Games blogger Tuncer Deniz.

"The Mac, especially to EA's internal departments, I'm sure is regarded as more of a nuisance than anything else."

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