When you want to do some computer gaming, you go to a PC. At least, that’s how it’s always been in the past, although that may be changing now. Computer gaming is often considered fundamentally different than console gaming (using a system such as a Nintendo or Sony product), which it certainly is in terms of interface and online infrastructure. But it’s not as different as it might seem in terms of exclusivity. The Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 each have some games that are unique to that platform and some that are shared across multiple platforms. Just so, the PC and Macintosh computers each have their own games unique to them, as well as some that are shared.
However, typically the quantity of games exclusive to the PC has always dwarfed that available to Macs, so if you wanted to play most games, you had to use a PC. The reason for this wasn’t political but rather practical, which is market distribution and penetration. The PC and the Mac are different enough structurally that it takes effort to produce the same game for both systems, and then any copies you make for the one can’t be used on the other and so on, so the publishers of computer games had to make a choice. The smart one was always to publish for PC, because that’s the kind of computer most people use. Very frustrating for those who appreciated the Macintosh experience but wanted to play the hot new game releases.
These days, with much greater use of Mac computers and the stunning popularity of the iPhone and iPad (which have games available), Apple is seeing much more publishing attention. Additionally, the ease of digital distribution means that it’s a lot less challenging to offer product to both computer camps. As such, more and more people can enjoy the games they want to play, regardless of the computer they use.