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It’s a rare moment these days when I get to talk to about Mac games. As major Mac game publishers continue to fade into the ether or shift their focus to the iPhone, Mac gaming has found itself in a rut nearly as deep the one from which we barely escaped in the late 90s. But a few companies have recently thrown us a rope in the form of new product releases or major announcements. Do the names Warhammer, Sid Meier, and Star Wars mean anything to you?

On July 30th, Mythic Entertainment (an Electronic Arts Inc. studio) announced they’re bringing the critically acclaimed MMORPG, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning to the Mac. The game is currently being offered in beta, and the final Mac version of WAR is scheduled for official release in the fall of 2009, when players on both Mac and PC will be able to battle and quest together on the same servers.

The beta of the Mac version of Warhammer Online will allow current players to download a client to their Mac computers and play with their live game accounts. Players who do not have an existing live account, but are interested in playing WAR on the Mac, will be able to participate in the beta version of WAR on Mac by downloading a 10-day beta trial account.  As part of the WAR Mac beta event, players who participate will receive an exclusive title and trophy reward for their characters within the game.

The beta version of WAR for Mac and a 10-day beta trial is available now.

Not available now in final or beta form is LucasArts’ Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, coming to PC and Mac gamers this fall from Aspyr. Proving yet again why it’s sometimes good to get games late, Star Wars The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition combines the original Star Wars The Force Unleashed videogame with three new levels set in iconic Star Wars locales, along with a host of new costumes and character models. This special edition of the game will show players the deepest, darkest side of the Force in a story that puts them on a collision course with Luke Skywalker himself. Oooh. I’m soooooo scared.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed completely re-imagines the scope and scale of the Force and casts players as Darth Vader’s “Secret Apprentice,” unveiling new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy seen through the eyes of this mysterious new character, who is armed with unprecedented powers. Originally released on multiple platforms in September 2008, the game quickly became the fastest-selling Star Wars game ever, and has since sold six million units worldwide.

The three additional single player missions are set in a jedi temple on Coruscant, on Tatooine (including Jabba the Hutt’s palace), and on Hoth. New character models include Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, C-3PO, and some people I’ve never heard of from the new movies.

Want your Mac gaming now, not in the fall? Aspyr also announced that Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword for has shipped to North American retail outlets. Beyond the Sword is the second expansion pack for the enormously popular Sid Meier’s Civilization IV franchise, focusing on the late-game time periods and delivering 12 challenging and decidedly different scenarios. It also includes a variety of new units that will offer even more ways for players to expand their civilization’s power as they strive for world domination.

With a massive increase of ten civilizations, 64 buildings, 16 leaders, five wonders, six technologies, corporations, brand new espionage system and expanded trade routes, Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword is a must-have expansion pack to the greatest strategy franchise of all time.

New features also include advanced starts, unstoppable corporations, and zombies. Yes, zombies. Don’t believe me, Check it out.

You also need to check this out: Alien Shooter 2. Remember how floored you were when you first saw all those bugs attacking that Tarzan guy in Starship Troopers? Prepare to be floored again. Alien Shooter 2 (Alien Shooter - Vengeance) is a large-scale sequel to the first part of Alien Shooter (which never made it to the Mac, I don’t believe). Imagine the intensity and action of Robotron or Smash TV combined with the look and RPG elements of Fallout 2, and you’ve got Alien Shooter 2. The game features more than 50 types of weapons, 20 types of useful gadgets (from flashlights to battle drones), and 3 game modes. Most importantly, it has an unbelievable number of aliens to waste; Up to 10,000 per level, with up to 100 on screen at a time. You have to see it to believe it.

And finally, are you still playing The Sims? Neither am I. But if you know anyone who is, Electronic Arts has announced that The Sims 3 World Adventures, the first expansion pack to The Sims 3, is in development and will ship to retailers worldwide the week of November 16, 2009.

Players can take their Sims on new journeys to famous real-world inspired destinations around the globe for the first time ever and seek out new adventures. While exploring the landmarks of an exotic city, there is no telling what the Sims will find. From mastering martial arts in Shang Simla, China, discovering rich culture and famous landmarks on a romantic getaway to Champs Les Sims, France or exploring the depths of ancient tombs in Al Simhara, Egypt, players can take their Sims on a journey that will change their Sims’ lives. Players can accept challenges to search for secret treasures, learn new skills and chase down new personal opportunities, meet new Sims with unique personalities, share their culture and bring them home, discover new styles on their travels, and share everything they encounter on their adventures with the world through personal photographs, movies, and stories. Additionally, players will receive 1,000 SimPoints to be used online in The Sims 3 Store for the PC/MAC versions of the game. Exclusive online content, available only for the expansion pack at launch, will be revealed soon.

Creepy animations of people clapping can be found at www.thesims3.com.

So, does all of this signal a renaissance in Mac gaming? If so, it won’t be the first, and won’t be the last. Consoles and portable gaming devices continue to eat away at both Mac and PC game sales, and that won’t end any time soon. But Mac gamers can take heart in that it looks as if 2009 will end much better than it started, and hopefully some good sales here will lead to more big announcements.

Who knows…maybe then, Rome: Total War will finally be released.