Linux Game Publishing Still Silent On New Titles

[gbudny]

As Michael touched on, the problem with LGP is they compete with the Windows product, and always lose out on price and time.

Seriuosly? I think Michael forgot about other platforms?
Where is Bandits: Phoenix Rising and Disciples II: Dark Prophecy for Mac OS X, Xbox etc.

Creatures: Internet Edition - 2001 (LGP), 2001 (Windows), 2009 (Mac)
MindRover: The Europa Project - 2002 (LGP), 2001 (Linux - Loki), 2000 (Windows), 2003 (Mac)
Candy Cruncher - 2003 (LGP - x86, PowerPC, Sparc), 2002 (Linux x86), 2001 (Windows), 2002 (Mac), 2002 (PalmOS), 2002 (Zaurus)
Majesty: Gold Edition - 2003 (LGP - x86, PowerPC), 2002 (Windows), Only standard edition - 2000 (Mac) Android (2011) iOS (2011) Windows Phone 7 (2012)
NingPo MahJong - 2004 (LGP - x86, PowerPC), 2003 (Linux x86), 2002 (Windows), 2003 (Mac)
Hyperspace Delivery Boy! - 2004 (LGP), 2001 (Windows), not available (Mac), 2001 (Windows Mobile)
Software Tycoon - 2005 (LGP), 2001 (Windows), 2002 (Mac), 2002 (MorphOS)
Postal?: Share The Pain - 2005 (LGP), 2003 (Windows), 2004 (Mac)
Soul Ride - 2005 (LGP - x86, PowerPC, Sparc, Alpha), 2000 (Windows), not available (Mac)
X?: The Threat - 2006 (LGP), 2003 (Windows), 2004 (Mac)
Gorky 17 - 2006 (LGP - x86, PowerPC ), 1999 (Windows), 2002 (Mac)
Cold War - 2006 (LGP), 2005 (Windows), 2006 (Mac), 2005 (Xbox)
Knights and Merchants - 2007 (LGP), 1998 (Windows), 2001 (Mac), 2003 (MorphOS)
Ballistics - 2007 (LGP), 2001 (Windows), not available (Mac)
X?: Reunion - 2008 (LGP), 2005 (Windows), 2007 (Mac - Cider), 2010 (Mac - native)
Jets'n'Guns - 2009 (LGP), 2004 (Windows), 2006 (Mac)
Sacred Gold - 2009 (LGP), 2005 (Windows), not available (Mac)
Shadowgrounds - 2009 (LGP), 2005 (Windows), 2011 (Mac)
Shadowgrounds - 2009 (LGP), 2007 (Windows), 2011 (Mac)

If they worked with the original publisher to supply and maintain a Linux port and share it with the Windows product (like what iD did with most of their Quake-based games, Q3 was a classic exception), it'd be win-win for everybody.

Do you think about Linux installers for windows games?

I think id software isn't good example:

"- it exists because "Linux gives [David Taylor] a woody" and is not officially supported by id. Linux DOOM does not support all MS-DOS doom features (notably music and modem or IPX network play) and probably never will."

http://www.gamers.org/dhs/helpdocs/Linux-DOOM-FAQ.html

"I did this 'cause Linux gives me a woody. It doesn't generate revenue. Please don't call or write us with bug reports. They cost us money, and I get sorta ragged on for wasting my time on UNIX ports anyway.
Dave D. Taylor, "Linux Doom README file" id So"

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Linux_gaming

Q3 wasn't a classic exception:

""Quake" and "Quake II" for Linux, from id Software, are being sold separately and bundled with their official mission packs. "Quake: The Offering(TM)" contains "Scourge of Armagon" and "Dissolution of Eternity," while "Quake II: Colossus(TM)" contains "The Reckoning" and "Ground Zero."

"Linux fans have been faithful supporters of id Software for a number of years," said Todd Hollenshead, CEO of id Software. "The retail appearance of Quake and Quake II for Linux brings to them the most exciting games on the planet."

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1999_June_17/ai_54913355/

[gbudny]

Oh, you are right. So, the "Wolfire Games" will be answer for this.

Humble indie Bundle isn't a company and Wolfire Games published 3 games for Linux:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfire_Games

[RussianNeuroMancer]

Humble indie Bundle isn't a company

What is Humble Bundle Inc. then?

[gbudny]

What is Humble Bundle Inc. then?

Hmm. You are right, but I think this is not exactly succes a single company:

"The first bundle was organized and managed by Wolfire Games. Beginning with the second bundle a separate company spun-off, Humble Bundle, Inc., with the sole purpose of making bundles. "

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humble_Indie_Bundle

[grantek]

Seriuosly? I think Michael forgot about other platforms?
Where is Bandits: Phoenix Rising and Disciples II: Dark Prophecy for Mac OS X, Xbox etc.

I don't get what you're saying, my point was that selling the Windows and Linux versions separately is a bad idea. There's an easy way to run many Windows games on Linux and x86 UNIX including Mac OSX, so it doesn't really matter when ports for the other markets appeared in relation to each other if all of those other markets have already jumped on the Windows version.

Q3 wasn't a classic exception:

Thanks, I didn't know Q1 and Q2 were sold separately, but I still think it's a bad idea. Quake 3 is famous for having something like 300 boxed copies for Linux sold, and thousands of Windows versions run with the freely available closed Linux binary before the source was released. From the DOOM FAQ you linked to it looks like DOOM was never sold separately for Linux, it was a freely available addition to the MS-DOS version. That's what I'm saying adds value for the customers, and that's what I'm saying LGP should do.

[gbudny]

I don't get what you're saying, my point was that selling the Windows and Linux versions separately is a bad idea.

Why?

There's an easy way to run many Windows games on Linux and x86 UNIX including Mac OSX, so it doesn't really matter when ports for the other markets appeared in relation to each other if all of those other markets have already jumped on the Windows version.

This isn't exactly true.
This isn't simple thing, because some companies often don't want paid persons or companies which ported games to Linux.

"When LGP ports a game, it takes time and money. We only get revenue back from people buying the Linux version. This means that if we were to say ’sure’ to that question, we would then suddenly get no revenue, as buying the windows version will earn us nothing."

We license games from companies who make the Windows version, and we do not get paid for making the games, and so selling them is the only revenue we receive. If, for example, you bought a game for Windows, you wouldn’t expect to be able to get a free copy of the same game for the Playstation. This is pretty standard for any industry. If you go pay to see a film at the cinema, you wouldn’t expect to get free pay-per-view access of the film on TV later on just because you paid money to the cinema."

"Some Linux games, for example Quake 4, you get a downloadable installer because the same people who made the Windows version made the Linux version. They went to the expense and they recoup the money by selling the Windows boxed version. Other times, such as Unreal Tournament, where Loki released a downloadable installer for the Windows boxed version, the company who made the Linux version were paid to do so, and so the revenue is generated in that way. This is not the case with LGP games, and is unlikely to become so."

http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2009/08/09/why-you-wont-get-a-linu-installer-for-the-windows-version/

Quake 3 is famous for having something like 300 boxed copies for Linux sold, and thousands of Windows versions run with the freely available closed Linux binary before the source was released. From the DOOM FAQ you linked to it looks like DOOM was never sold separately for Linux, it was a freely available addition to the MS-DOS version. That's what I'm saying adds value for the customers, and that's what I'm saying LGP should do.

This isn't true:

"LXF: What do you think Loki did wrong?
MS: Loki overestimated the market. It would spend a lot licensing a triple-A title and not generate enough sales, but carry on doing that again and again. A classic example was its Quake 3 special edition where it made 50,000 tin boxes and only sold a few thousand."

http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/bringing-windows-games-to-linux-622659

Do you really want more unofficial games for Linux without technical support?

"The Linux version of Quake 4 is NOT supported by Activision Customer Support"

http://zerowing.idsoftware.com/linux/quake4/Quake4FrontPage/

[Ancurio]

Welcome, my friends, to phoronix, where no news...

are news!

[RussianNeuroMancer]

Hmm. You are right, but I think this is not exactly succes a single company

Ok, you may count since HB Inc. creation.