The argument against Mac games development, at least from a publishing standpoint, seems to be that it isn't cost-effective to commit time and resources to a platform that holds such a small percentage of market share, as the Mac does. That argument doesn't quite hold up when examined in the light of two very important factors: Blizzard Entertainment, arguably the most successful single games development house in history, and the vibrant and growing indie games movement.

When considering the juggernaut that is Blizzard Entertainment, it's easy to make the conclusion that because of the profits generated by their massive sales on the PC platform, the studio can well afford to put resources into Mac development -- even if Mac sales aren't up to snuff, the studio can simply absorb the loss. But that argument denies two factors. First, Blizzard is a business, not a charity, and if games didn't sell well on the Mac, it wouldn't keep making them. Second, the other easily-overlooked fact is that Blizzard started out as a small company just like any other, and even in the early days supported the Mac. Blizzard has been developing games simultaneously for both Mac and PC since 1994's Warcraft: Orcs and Humans, and never looked back. Clearly, the company regards the Mac as worthy of its time, and proven it to be a successful enough to continue Mac support to this day. For a more in-depth look at why, it's important to consider the previously mentioned factor.

The indie games movement has been picking up steam slowly over the years, and is healthier than ever these days. It may be true that the initial motivation for making a game is for the love of the pastime, but sales are what keep development going. A successful independent game maker can't afford to neglect any avenue of potential revenue, and this means developing for more markets than just the PC; Mac and Linux releases are common for smaller dev houses. However, before money comes marketing, one of the most important steps in the sales pipeline. Advertising is a serious consideration for any developer, both well-established or just starting out. When you're a small team, however, your budget primarily goes to actual development. A large-scale campaign with print and TV ads is typically out of the question, and sometimes even the smaller effort of putting up banner ads all over the Internet is not an option, so other means must be explored.

It's been said that word of mouth is the most successful form of advertising. Indeed, many people ignore advertising completely and wait to hear the report from trusted sources before purchasing a game. This is why games journalism sites are so influential, and why game publishers court their writers. So how does an indie house get their name in the press, considering all the other big name players out there crowding up the space? It helps to go for the smaller markets.