Following the announcement that Apple will be switching to Intel in 2006, IMG contacted several Mac game developers to get their initial thoughts. As you might expect, the reaction has been one of shock and fear. What seems to be worrying Mac game developers the most is the possibility that Windows games will run at close to "full speed" on an Intel-based Mac.
After the keynote, Apple"s Phil Schiller stated that there are no plans to sell or support Windows on an Intel-based Mac. "That doesn"t preclude someone from running it on a Mac. They probably will," he said. "We won"t do anything to preclude that."
The implications of that statement are troubling. If Windows apps can run on Intel-based Macs, at full frame rates, with all the features turned on, the effect on Mac gaming could be devastating. Other sources I"ve talked to say that Mac ports will still be necessary. Only time will tell.