Aspyr to Bring Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 to the Mac

Aspyr Media on Friday revealed its next release: Roller Coaster Tycoon 3, which was the answer to the "Guess Aspyris Next Game" contest hosted by Inside Mac Games on Thursday. The first in the Roller Coaster Tycoon series to come to the Mac, the third iteration brings 3D graphics to the world of amusement park creation and management, enabling player to ride the roller coasters and other amusements from the point-of-view of their patrons.

Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 features over 170 rides, including several new types of roller coasters, day and night cycles complete with realistic lighting effects and Fireworks MixMaster, which enables players to create fireworks displays for their theme parks and synchronize them to music. In addition, players can capture still images and digital video of their parks in action, much like they can in Aspyris The Sims 2.

Other features in the game include five types of theme parks -- generic, spooky, western, adventure and sci-fi -- as well as animated individual child, teen and adult park attendees who register their likes and dislikes. Players can even create visitors based on family members and friends and add them to the crowds. Sandbox mode gives players unlimited funds to build the theme park of their dreams while Career mode challenges them to achieve the title of Tycoon.

Aspyr expects to ship Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 in November. It will be available soon for pre-order at a US$49.99 price. The company will release system requirements four to six weeks before the game ships, in accordance with its recently revised policy to hold off on announcing specs until a title is close to release. Aspyr had problems with some online retailers not revising the preliminary system requirements, which can change before a gameis release.


Visitors crowd a western-themed park in Roller Coaster Tycoon 3