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How to get the Linux version of my games?

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  • #11
    Originally posted by RealNC View Post
    The policy of some publishers doesn't make much sense to me. If I want the Linux version, OK, I should pay for the development costs for it.
    In the cases where you're having to buy the Linux version, you ARE paying for the development costs for it.

    Are they higher then the cost for the Windows binaries? I doubt it.
    Heh... Yes, they actually are, in a per-unit purchased manner. This is because the deck's stacked against you and I on that score right at the moment.

    So who cares what it is what I pay for? Money is money, no matter what it's intended for. If I give you 10$ for foo, and then take back those 10$ in order to give you 10$ for bar, you're left with 10$ anyway. :P
    No... You're trying to make things fungible- and not all things in this space are that. You can't do a one-for-one there.

    It costs X dollars to make a Windows version. It typically costs 10-15% more to make the thing properly cross platform- and if the studio doesn't design it the right way (which is disturbingly often...) it can cost much more than that. Depending on how clean the version is, a porting interest can expend 5-10K in labor, possibly more (more like probably so...), just to migrate the codebase. If it was written with a bit of portability in mind, it's only the 10% that the porting studio has to incur. That's if they're lucky. If not, it can cost as much as 50% of the development cost making the title happen.

    This doesn't even get into the part where the studio/publisher doing the porting work has to pay royalties up-front to even have the privilege of porting the thing in the first place. There's another $10-250k right there. And that doesn't get into the cut of the proceeds that's due up-front before you get 'em to make a production run for the title.

    Your $10, multiplied by 2000 units (which is what most runs for Linux currently comprise...more would be insane...) would amount to $20k which comprises the typical porting royalty for a good title and doesn't cover the per-unit royalty.

    It's not fungible. It's not the studio doing the porting work (You'll note that the binaries you were able to get were all done by the studio that made those games. They expended the 10% or so extra themselves because the effort paid for itself in more robust code.) then someone will have to buy the rights to do the work and that cost has to come from somewhere (which is why you have to re-purchase the Linux versions...).

    Many publishing interests don't see support and lost good will costs as being something they need to offset and don't care about the portability- it's extra money and extra delay costing them time to market to them. And, unless you're talking 20k units (something the Linux community has YET to have for sales on ANY game to date- mainly because of the attitudes you espouse, unfortunately) these studios won't even think of you being "more money"- seriously so.

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    • #12
      Hey, they don't want to spend more money than necessary, that's understandable. But so do I

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      • #13
        Originally posted by RealNC View Post
        Hey, they don't want to spend more money than necessary, that's understandable. But so do I
        It remains to be seen whether what you deem to be that and what actually is coincide. But, it's your choice. Won't really twist your arm, but point out issues with the position. It's understandable- but it's not terribly productive.

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        • #14
          Well, I try to hold off on buying a game if I know a linux port is in the works, e.g. Sacred Gold. or X3.
          How often I have walked past Sacred in bargain bins... So tempting to just buy it there... but I'm still waiting.

          Also since the only way for me to get hold of any linux-only games, is to buy it online, over post. I can wait the ~3 weeks it takes to get here, but the issue is, I get nailed solidly by the import duties... Sigh, the virtues of living in Africa :P

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          • #15
            @Svartalf

            If that would be only 20k$, then where is a GTA port? I guess the money to do so would be no problem als there is already a PS3 one

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            • #16
              Originally posted by Kano View Post
              @Svartalf

              If that would be only 20k$, then where is a GTA port? I guess the money to do so would be no problem als there is already a PS3 one
              Are you kidding? GTAIV would be one of those $250k beasts.

              As for your answer, that's mine for right now on that one.

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              • #17
                Originally posted by grigi View Post
                Well, I try to hold off on buying a game if I know a linux port is in the works, e.g. Sacred Gold. or X3.
                How often I have walked past Sacred in bargain bins... So tempting to just buy it there... but I'm still waiting.
                Two words there... Thank. You.

                Seriously, folks. I can't state it often enough. I don't know what X3 holds in for our future, but Sacred doing at least decent holds a very good chance of having the sequel getting done for the Linux community. If it doesn't do well, there will be no sequel likely to be happening- ever.

                There's a reason I keep pointing out to people that buying the Windows stuff or demanding a "free" version when it does get done for Linux is so counterproductive.

                Also since the only way for me to get hold of any linux-only games, is to buy it online, over post. I can wait the ~3 weeks it takes to get here, but the issue is, I get nailed solidly by the import duties... Sigh, the virtues of living in Africa :P
                That's got to stink.

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                • #18
                  Could be me but I think this is a dead end. You need more buyers to raise the number of sold Linux units... but on the other hand you need publishers to toss out a Linux binary otherwise there is nothing to buy from. It's a devil circle and in all honesty I do not belief that "this" is going to be a solution. Especially I do not think that the users are the one which can change it. They are not numerable enough. The change has to come from the companies and if they don't change the userbase stands no chance to ever change this. You can call this a pessimistic view... I call it just a "realistic" view.

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                  • #19
                    Originally posted by xav1r View Post
                    Usually the linux binary making takes a lot of resources and time, for the same game, and most devs dont want to spend more resources and time on the same game. Usually the first developed games are so dependant on windows technologies like directx, d3d, etc, it would take a lot of effort to make it working on linux, so they dont bother.
                    Which is why Microsoft doesn't like cross platform game engines(Still think its them stopping the UT3 client)


                    Originally posted by Svartalf
                    It costs X dollars to make a Windows version. It typically costs 10-15% more to make the thing properly cross platform- and if the studio doesn't design it the right way (which is disturbingly often...) it can cost much more than that. Depending on how clean the version is, a porting interest can expend 5-10K in labor, possibly more (more like probably so...), just to migrate the codebase. If it was written with a bit of portability in mind, it's only the 10% that the porting studio has to incur. That's if they're lucky. If not, it can cost as much as 50% of the development cost making the title happen.

                    I am fully behind what Svartalf is saying, I would rather pay royalties to use Linux and increase the chance of others been ported than windoze.


                    Pete

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                    • #20
                      @Svartalf

                      Is it really so hard to convert a PS3 version to Linux? I thought they need to use OpenGL there too?

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