I have been having this problem with parallels since I got it started. I may have found an answer to why, but I want to know if there is anything that I could do myself. I install a game called, "The Sims" into windows, but during play something happens that forces me to quit Parallels. Is there a way that I can play this game for an unlimited amounts of time? First of all, I tried bootcamp, before I got parallels to work, but I could not complete the setup assistant, because of an error on my Mac. I have read that Parallels emulates an 8 MB video card, but I am do not think that is the trouble. Also, if this game needed the same 3D support that its sequel needs, then why was I able to play this game in Parallels? How can I play this game without Bootcamp (which I heard will not work after a certain amount of time, because its final release will not come until Mac OS 10.5 is released)? Is it possible to make this game run better, if I give windows more RAM or will I still experience the same problem? My windows OS currently gets 604 MB of RAM.
Undoubtedly the game will not work correctly in Parallels. There is no direct access to the video card necessary for 3D graphic processing that The Sims requires. Bootcamp is a fine solution for this game, as it provides direct access to the video subsystem via Windows. Don't worry much about 10.5 full support for Bootcamp. It works fine now (from first hand experience). On a related note, I've never found The Sims to be anything but buggy, regardless of the system I've run it on.
In general, Parallels is a very poor fit for games. However, there are native versions of quite a few games available for the Mac: check aspyr.com for Mac-native Sims versions. The Sims is, in my experience, one of the buggiest games ever released. My daughter loves the games, but her loyalty to the title is met with random crashes, system lockups, BSODs, etc. Maxis should be ashamed.
Well then, I better wait for that 3D support update to be released (hopefully before the end of september because I only get a year of free updates for Parallels), which I read about from articles found through Yahoo! and Google. I have found a Mac version of the game, but I do not want to get it because it is cheaper for me to play the PC version that I already own and bootcamp is only a trial program (which is the main reason that I do not want to try it again), until Mac OS 10.5 gets released. I may consider getting the complete collection from Apple in the future, because they are selling it and Macplay does not have that same package. Note: I found the article, while trying to find a freeware or shareware(with no day or file limitations) to play my PC games on my Mac, since I could not play the original Sims for very long and the expansion pack, as well as its sequel (The Sims 2) require 3D support
