Parallels and Computer Games?

Hi, I'm a mac-convert and recently got a Macbook Pro and am loving using the Mac OS. However, I have a couple of specialist software programmes and a PC comptuer game I'd really love to use, so I've installed parallels and Windows XP which seem to be working fine. However, now that I've installed the computer game (Lucinda Green's Equestrian Challenge) it doesn't work when I try and run it. It starts to load it and then comes up with an error (typical PC!) and I'm guessing it's something to do with the graphics card. Not knowing very much about Mac's/Parallels/Computers I'm a bit stuck!

On the back of the game's cd case it says that the game doesn't always work on laptops as "integrated/onboard graphics chipsets and laptops are not supported" but it use to run fine (albeit slowly) on my old PC laptop. It also reads:

"Game must be installed with full administration rights regarding Windows XP"

Not entirely sure what it means by this, but as I'm only running a virtual Windows OS is that the problem? Do computer games not run very well on window's parallel?

Thanks

Parallels does a pretty bad job of supporting Direct3D, so any game which is DirectX 8 or higher based will probably not work.

This is despite SWSoft literally lying to all their customers when Parallels version 3 came out. I got an email saying there was now FULL DirectX8 compatibility with version 3, so for $50 I could upgrade from version 2.x and get this functionality. Guess what? DX8 is just as elusive as it ever was.

This is one of the most downright disgraceful lies I have ever known from a software company. I used to recommend Parallels to virtually every switcher hear, but will never do so again.

/rant

Thanks Zooloo - that sounds like it's the problem then as I require DirectX9 or higher to play the game. When I installed the game it said it installed DirectX9 but obviously parallels doesn't support it.

Is the only solution to use bootcamp?

EDIT: I've been reading the pdf file that came with Parallels and it says I can "enable DirectX" under the video tab of the configuration editor and it shows a screen shot of where I should "tick". However, I can't find where to enable it anywhere!!! Ideas?

Hoofbeat said:

EDIT: I've been reading the pdf file that came with Parallels and it says I can "enable DirectX" under the video tab of the configuration editor and it shows a screen shot of where I should "tick". However, I can't find where to enable it anywhere!!! Ideas?

Click to expand...

I'm going to look for that. I didn't find anything when I sniffed around the configurations, and I did look pretty extensively.

did you guys ever find a solution to this?

I keep seeing messages that say Parallels won't run games, Parallels won't use direct x 9. NOT TRUE! Perhaps your particular system won't because you do not have a good enough graphics card or enough horse power to do so.

Granted the early versions of Parallels did not run most games, especially the higher end 3D games, Version 3.0, however, does run some of the better games if you have the proper hardware. I am running a Mac Pro with 4 gigs of ram and a Nvidia Geforce 7300 gt 256 ram graphics card. I also am using direct x 9.c and XP service pack 2. Here is a listing of games that DO work under Parallels V.3.0.

Call of Duty United Offensive
Call Of Duty Original
Doom 3
Medal Of Honor Allied Assault
Medal Of Honor Breakthrough
Medal Of Honor Spearhead

These are games i have installed and they do work. In fact they actually run better on my Mac than on my pc as my pc only has 1 gig of ram.

If a person is a die hard gamer, their best shot at pc games on a Mac is Bootcamp as Parallels will probably never be a pc gamer system to the extent that Bootcamp is, but to say it won't run games at all is not true.

I think the issue is that Parallels weren't too specific about hardware requirements - they neglected to say that you needed a decent graphics card/chip, and that MacBooks wouldn't cut it. The majority of users - such as the OP of this thread - are not going to know the difference between integrated graphics and a graphics card, or which one their machine sports. It borders on misleading customers, IMO.

Hoofbeat, there's another program called Crossover made by Codeweacers, www.codeweacers.com, that will run programs and games on your Mac without Windows at all. I've heard mixed reviews about how it handles games, but thought I'd mention it so you can check it out.

Personally, I'd just use Bootcamp. When I want to play a game, I just reboot. I mean, it only takes all of 2 minutes to reboot. If I'm playing some game, I'm really not doing anything else, so not being in OS X is not that big of a deal.