Help spread the word about CrossOver for Linux and Mac

The folks over at CodeWeavers are having a get the word out campaign. If your a proud customer of theirs and would like to help them spread the word about the great products that they have, this would be a good time to do it. Ive personally used their products ever since CrossOver Plugin 1.0 first shipped and have always been satisfied with the product and support that I've received over the many years.

Spreading the word about CrossOver

Friends of CodeWeavers, unite! First of all, thank you very much for your support. We greatly appreciate everyone who has purchased a copy of CrossOver, or has worked hard as an Advocate to ensure that CrossOver continues to improve and run the apps that you need. Beyond that, though, we also really value those of you who help spread the word about CrossOver. Your favorable comments, both in person and on the Web, are absolutely some of the most powerful things you can do for us.

Link to CodeWeavers From Your Page

If you have a web page, blog, MySpace page, Facebook page, or whatever, we'd love to have a link from you. Here's are some graphics for your Mac or Linux PC that can show that you're a CodeWeavers customer. Simply copy the image and link to your site. You can link from the image hosted here or right click and save the image to your PC then upload it to your site and use the link provided here.

Also, please add a link to this page from your blog, facebook page, twitter, buzz account etc. etc... and help spread the word about spreading the word. :)

Thanks for your support!

Transgaming Cider Game users can now save 35% off CodeWeavers CrossOver Games for Mac

About Transgaming Cider

"TransGaming's Cider Portability Engine is a proprietary technology that allows PC games to be enabled on Apple's Intel Macs without the traditionally expensive and arduous need to redevelop a game from the ground-up. Cider acts as a "wrapper" around the PC game dynamically translating PC API calls to the Mac OS X operating system. As such, games can be enabled with Cider in a matter of days to weeks as opposed to the typical man years that traditional development takes.

Cider is an extremely powerful technology that allows games to be released day and date with their PC counter-parts giving publishers significant upside revenue potential and leveraging marketing and branding initiatives. Cider also allows publishers to release either dedicated Mac versions of their games or PC/Mac hybrid versions (i.e. both versions of the game in a single box)."

In reality how well do games really run with Transgaming's Cider on Mac? Well with the the help of my friend Google I did some searches for Cider Games and this is what I found. Below is a quote and link to the original article.

GTA2 [Intel][Cider] (Mac Games) :
"Notes: The resolution can't be changed in game - you will have to leave it at the preset value.
Known Issues: If you click on Options in the main menu the game will crash, so don't do it. Controls and other settings have already been configured for you." Full Link

'Cider' could see PC/Linux/Mac game releases :
"Cool, but also a bit frightening, many publishers will rush games and release fairly buggy products as is, I can only imagine the horror unleashed adding all that" Full Link

Sins of a Solar Empire :
"Personally, I would really really hope that if a port ever happened (which it doesn't seem like Stardock has ever had any inclination to do for any of its games - which is a shame) it wouldn't use Cider as Cider games are often very buggy due to not being Mac native. Hell, EVE Online uses Cider and there are still dialogs to pic a DirectX version in the options..." Full Link

Dark messiah with Cider and font issue :
"the fact that the cutscene videos won't show up and had to be deactivated because they use a DirectX 90c shader which Cider can't handle I can hear the sound but the screen is just black with a white quare - too bad since the videos contain major story elements..."

"I am currently fiddling with Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines, but the game is extremely buggy and crashes every time I try to load a new game." Full Link

COD5 Cider Port Released :
"I hate cider. Everything about it is just annoying. I would rather have it then no port, but really, for big game companies? Its slow, buggy, and resource intensive. The valve apps that are programmed in OpenGL should run much better." Full Link

Settlers Community Technical Support :
"Cider C Runtime Error Runtime Error!!!!! Program: C:\The Settlers 7\Data\Base\_Dbg\Bin\Release\Settlers7R.exe abnormal program termination" Full Link

And this is just a small sample of the search results regarding Transgaming Cider ported games for the Mac. All I can say is, Wow... it sure seems that Cider is a extremely buggy piece of technology at this time, and therefore you can most likely expect crashes and errors with a Cider ported game on your Mac.

Most people choose a Mac because it is a quality premium product with a elegant OS to go on that hardware. So the last thing your going to want is a buggy Cider based game on your Mac right? Keep in mind extremely buggy software like this also taxes your CPU and GPU and can cause premature hardware failures do to overheating and constant 100% system loads. Not to mention system lock ups and system crashes. I personally would not put my Mac through this torture, because their are alternatives at this time to Ciderized Games.

What are the alternatives to Cider ported games?

At this time there are more and more native Mac ported games coming on the market all the time. With the recent market share increases the Mac has seen more and more game developers are porting to the Mac.

You could also duel boot using bootcamp, but your going to have to pay for the Microsoft Windows licence. And you cant run any of your Mac software while your booted into Windows. You will also loose a large chunk of hard drive space for that Windows install.

You can install vanilla Wine from WineHQ on your Mac and play games, this is a good option for technical minded people. And for people who have hours to spend tweaking Wine and the Game for the best playing experience. But if your not familiar with compiling software and then further configuring Wine once you have Wine installed this option might not be for you.

And then their is CodeWeavers CrossOver Games for Mac. CrossOver Games can run hundreds of Windows Applications and Games on Intel based Mac PCs.

About CodeWeavers CrossOver Games for Mac :

"Now gamers can play the games they want, on whatever platform they want! With CrossOver Games, you can run many popular Windows games on your Intel OS X Mac or Linux PC. Whatever your tastes first-person shooters, fantasy, strategy, MMORPGs CrossOver Games lets you run many popular game titles. CrossOver comes with an easy to use, single click interface, which makes installing your games simple and fast. Once installed, your game integrates seamlessly with your Desktop. Just click and run! It's like running Windows on your Mac or Linux machine, but without Windows. No rebooting, no switching to a virtual machine, and no Windows Operating System license required!."

To see if your favorite game currently runs on CrossOver Games just visit CodeWeavers CrossOver Compatibility Center (C4) and browse through the over 8,000 applications and games in the C4 database.

About CodeWeavers CrossOver Compatibility Center (C4) :

"CodeWeavers goal is to make Linux and Mac OS X fully Windows-compatible operating systems. All Windows applications should be able to be run: cleanly, harmoniously, within the native environment, and without using an emulator. To that end, we maintain this Compatibility Center."

If your favorite games currently runs via CrossOVer Games Mac you can join the C4 forums and share your experience with other CrossOver Gamers. You can also become a advocate for your favorite games and vote on your games support level, give feedback, and much more. If by chance your game doesn't currently run with CrossOver Games you can vote for your game and let the people at CodeWeavers know the game is important to you and you would like to see it supported in a future CrossOVer Games release. Their is also a tips and tricks section in the C4 forums where you can use or add to known tips for getting a unsupported game up and running.

If by some chance your game isn't currently listed in the database you can still install the game as a unsupported application and see for yourself if it runs. And then submit the game for inclusion in the database and once its accepted submit your ranking. You will also want to keep in mind that just because a game isn't officially supported by CodeWeavers doesn't mean it isn't playable. As of today their is currently well over 1,000 Gold ranked applications and games in the C4 database.

So how do you save 20% off CrossOver Games for Mac? Just use "ComeToTheLight" in the CodeWeavers store at checkout time as your coupon / dealcode and you will get a instant 25% discount off the full retail selling price. Anyone who has ever had any problems running a Cider based Game can use this dealcode and give CrossOver Games a try. You can also share the "ComeToTheLight" dealcode with friends and family so they can join in the fun and start playing many of today's most popular games on their Mac computers with you.

Update 01/27/2023 : The ComeToTheLight dealcode has expired, you can now use "TOM23" as your dealcode and save 20% off CrossOver for Mac and Linux.

CodeWeavers Releases CrossOver Games 9.2.1

CODEWEAVERS SUPPORTS WORLD OF WARCRAFT CATACLYSM:
CodeWeavers Releases CrossOver Games 9.2.1; Vows Extensive Personal Testing for Quality Assurance Purposes

 
SAINT PAUL, Minn. (December 7, 2010) Twelve million addicts, err, players cant be wrong. Theres no doubting the draw of World of Warcraft. And today, as Blizzard rolls out its third, much-anticipated expansion to the game Cataclysm, CodeWeavers ensures that Linux gamers can play right along with their PC and Mac brethren. CodeWeavers Linux customers will be able to run Cataclysm as if they were running on Windows with today’s immediate shipment of CrossOver Games 9.2.1.

CodeWeavers Chief Operating Officer Jon Parshall vowed that testing of the new CrossOver build would be ongoing. All day at his office. All night at his home. Probably until I hit level 85, Parshall stated. Well, to be honest, probably for a while past that. I actually have six level 80s to get to 85, and Im thinking about leveling up a worgen, too, he continued, referring to the new Alliance race of fearsome werewolves. That’s gonna take quite a while, but its all in the name quality assurance.
With the release of Cataclysm, the dreaded dragon Deathwing has returned to Azeroth, ripping asunder and utterly transforming the game world that players have lived in for the past six years, and leaving chaos and destruction in his infernal wake.

Im thinking chaos and destruction is what my wife may visit on me as well for sequestering myself in my mancave for hours at a time, but that’s a price I’m going to have to pay, Parshall added as he grabbed three cans of Red Bull and a bag of All Nighter Cheeseburger Doritos® before disappearing into his basement. For footage of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm running under Linux
 

CrossOver Games 9.2 replaces all previous versions of CrossOver. The software is immediately available at www.CodeWeavers.com.

About CodeWeavers
Founded in 1996 as a general software consultancy, CodeWeavers focuses on the development of Wine the core technology found in all of its CrossOver products. The companys goal is to bring expanded market opportunities for Windows software developers by making it easier, faster and more painless to port Windows software to Linux. CodeWeavers is recognized as a leader in open-source Windows porting technology, and maintains development offices in Minnesota, the United Kingdom and elsewhere around the world. The company is privately held. For more information about CodeWeavers, log on to www.CodeWeavers.com.

CrossOver Linux Review

by Mike Mansell

For about four months now, I have been using the Ubuntu Linux operating system full-time on both my desktop and notebook computer. A few weeks into this experience, I wrote an article sharing some of my findings about the Windows to Linux migration process. One of the main concepts that I addressed in this article was the concept of finding Linux-based alternatives to one’s current Windows software. However, I also covered the fact that there are some software applications that simply do not have worthy alternatives, and for this reason suggested that Linux newcomers look into the WINE package to run Windows software on Linux. However, there is no denying that WINE is “at best a bit sketchy” (as said by a commentator).

When I first started using Linux, I had heard about the CodeWeavers CrossOver software package that worked to run Windows applications in a Linux environment. However, I could not justify purchasing it (retail pricing starting at $40) because in my eyes, it did not offer any value. After all, it was based on the WINE project, and I saw it pointless to purchase something that was simply a re-branded version of something that was freely available. More recently, though, a few people have been telling me about the wonders of CrossOver and how it was so much more than the branded WINE package that I thought it was. For this reason, I decided to take the plunge and purchase CrossOver Linux Standard in order to run a few Windows applications in Linux.

Upon installing the pre-compiled package, I was intrigued by the “bottle” concept that was employed in CrossOver. You see, in order to maximize comparability and isolate instabilities, CrossOver allows you to create separate ”bottles” that have individualized WINE settings. For example, I currently have a “bottle” that contains the mIRC IRC client. When I install additional software packages down the road, I will install them in separate bottles. Then, if any Windows-based software opts to go haywire down the road, any errors or damage will be isolated to that bottle and will not effect other software. Simply put, this leads to optimum stability. Additionally, by allowing individual applications to reside within their own bottles, CrossOver allows for the best possible comparability by eliminating any software conflicts and allowing for optimal operating system environments to be used.

More importantly, however, is the level of control that the end-user has over the bottles. I say this because the bottle manager allows for bottles to be forced to shut-down in the event of error, and allows for applications and runtime to be installed and uninstalled. Moreover, the implementation of a task manager extends the end-users level of control.

 

In retrospect to installing software in WINE, installing Windows-based applications in CrossOver is amazingly simple. The easy-to-use installation wizard allows you to create a new bottle with the recommended settings for your applications and to go about the installation process. These pre-configured settings for supported (and non-officially community-supported) software reduces the need for “trial and error” when installing software.

 

One of the best things about CrossOver is the fact that it instantaneously updates the “Applications” menu under Gnome, giving the end-user easy access to their applications. While this seems somewhat basic of a feature, it is definitely something that I have yet to see implemented in WINE.

Full Article

CodeWeavers Releases CrossOver and CrossOver Games 9.2

CodeWeavers Releases CrossOver 9.2
to Support Civilization 5 on Linux and Mac
SAINT PAUL, Minn. (October 19, 2010) Less than a month after Firaxis released its highly anticipated and acclaimed Civilization 5, CodeWeavers, Inc. today announced the release of CrossOver Games 9.2, enabling gamers to play the game on Linux and Mac operating systems.
Based in Saint Paul, Minn., CodeWeavers is a leading developer of software products that turn Mac OS X and Linux into Windows-compatible operating systems. Its CrossOver software allows Windows software to be used on Mac and Linux PCs without the need for a Windows operating system license.
“Civilization 5 is pure turn-based pleasure, and I personally couldnt wait for it to arrive,” said Jon Parshall, chief operating officer at CodeWeavers. “As soon as we opened it up, we unleashed our programming ninjas to upgrade CrossOver so Linux loyalists and Mac lovers can join in on the good times.
“Current CrossOver subscribers can hit our site for a free 9.2 upgrade. New customers? Welcome aboard!” Parshall added. “Now, if youll excuse me, King Bernie Smedley is busily leading the virtuous Smedleyites to a glorious victory over the hated Carthaginians. Its all part of our ongoing commitment to testing and quality assurance…
CrossOver Games 9.2 replaces all previous versions of CrossOver. The software is immediately available at www.CodeWeavers.com.
About CodeWeavers
Founded in 1996 as a general software consultancy, CodeWeavers focuses on the development of Wine – the core technology found in all of its CrossOver products. The company's goal is to bring expanded market opportunities for Windows software developers by making it easier, faster and more painless to port Windows software to Linux. CodeWeavers is recognized as a leader in open-source Windows porting technology, and maintains development offices in Minnesota, the United Kingdom and elsewhere around the world. The company is privately held. For more information about CodeWeavers, log on to www.CodeWeavers.com.

Change Log For CrossOver Games

9.2.0 CrossOver Games - October 19, 2010

• Merged with Wine release 1.2.1. This includes bug fixes for several unsupported games, as well as fixing a crash in the launcher for Street Fighter IV and a lag in Team Fortress 2.
• Fixed a bug that causes DRM problems on Ubuntu 10.10.
• Fixed patching of StarCraft II (via an updated Gecko engine).
• Fixed a problem that prevented StarCraft II from launching properly during the first run.
• Fixed the sending of text in Worms Armageddon WormNET.
• Improved behavior with built-in msvcr71. Should simplify the installation of several unsupported games, including Lord of the Rings Online.
• Fixed a double mouse-pointer bug that appeared in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II on some Linux distributions.
• Improved font rendering for Trainz 2004 and others.
• Got Tomb Raider: Chronicles working again.
• Fixed a serious rendering problem for Civilization V.

Change Log For CrossOver Linux

9.2.0 CrossOver Linux - October 19, 2010

• Merged with Wine release 1.2.1 which includes bug fixes for many applications. It also includes adjustments to cope with a change of security policy on Ubuntu 10.10.

Change Log For CrossOver Mac

9.2.0 CrossOver Mac - October 19, 2010

• Merged with Wine release 1.2.1 which includes bug fixes for many applications.