Game company giving away BioShock to Mac, PC users

While not the first time on the Macintosh platform, the classic video game Dragon's Lair was launched today in the Mac App Store for modern-day Macs, the first release aimed directly for the Mac since 2002 and available nearly 30 years after its original release. In related gaming news, game distributor GameFly have released a desktop client for both Mac and Windows machines and are celebrating with a giveaway of the 2007 classic BioShock.

Dragon's Lair, which used high-definition animation created on film and distributed on Laserdisc by former Disney animator Don Bluth in 1983, was a sensation on its original release, and the quality of both the graphics and the gameplay have kept the game viable and popular over the years. First ported to the Macintosh Plus on floppy disc in 1990, the game came to the iPhone in 2009 (not currently compatible with iOS 6 yet) and the iPad a year later.

In it, players assume the role of Dirk the Daring, a mostly-mute but well-rounded character who must save Princess Daphne (rather scantily-clad and dimwitted by today's standards) from the dragon Singe. Gameplay is largely reflex-driven, with modern adaptations avoiding the brief blackouts caused by Laserdisc branching and "seeks" in the arcade version, which was also prone to mechanical issues.

The game is well-remembered in part for its humor and storyline, and talk of a long-awaited movie based on the game and its sequel has resurfaced due to popular interest. The Mac version of the game sells for $10, with the iPad version selling for $5.

Game disc rental and digital distributor GameFly have launched a free program for both Mac and Windows that offers both gaming news and promotion and sales of the latest games. It also incorporates the company's currently Windows-only Unlimited PC Play, which allows existing GameFly subscribers to download and play a variety of older and casual game titles at no additional charge.

Users who download and install the GameFly client app will receive the original BioShock game for free as part of a promotion for the latest sequel, BioShock: Infinite which is arriving early next year but available for pre-order for Windows now.

by MacNN Staff