Why A Popular Open-Source Game Isn't On Steam

[verde]

Phoronix: Why A Popular Open-Source Game Isn't On Steam

Because Open-Source games S U C K ! ! 1 1 1 !

Open-source is a good thing as long as you don't become obsessed with it! (can you hear me community?)

[Kushan]

Bit of a leading headline, isn't it? Why isn't an Open-Source game on steam? Because the developers haven't put it on steam yet. That's really it. There's no single other barrier of consequence to being on steam that the article mentions.

[johnc]

Bit of a leading headline, isn't it? Why isn't an Open-Source game on steam? Because the developers haven't put it on steam yet. That's really it. There's no single other barrier of consequence to being on steam that the article mentions.

Yeah I was kinda waiting for the article to answer the question, but it never really did.

[mmstick]

"- It's a myth that Steam doesn't support GPL-licensed games....."

"- It costs $100 USD to push a game onto Steam Greenlight....

"- One of the larger problems is that there's currently no free/open-source library for supporting the SteamWorks API...."

It's a myth, there is nothing stopping opensource projects except $100 USD.

That's the answer .

He explained xonotics position, (which is what the 'Popular Open-Source Game' is reffering to) and he basically pointed out that any of the opensource games can get onto greenlight. Now if the game stops on greenlight there's other issues to discuss. But as also pointed out, there is already opensource stuff on steam.

I think, Michael is trying to explain to the community at large, that they can get all their opensource stuff on steam greenlight. Also, afaik, ifirc, gplv2 stuff you can also charge for and just link to the source. Dunno how the original authors of an opensource program would feel if someone else compiled and sold a version on steam. :P but afaik it's legal........sorta thing apple would do, followed by microsoft hurr. I smell a patent coming for "compiling some elses' code and selling it" oh wait they already do that. hahh.

@Verde
As for opensource stuff games sucking, hmmm, all of idtech is crap? really? minecraft?. http://worldofgnome.org/best-open-source-games/
I mean i can find loads more for various audiences, not just your idea of a good game, which probably doesn't amount to much more than point click, grenade. There are lots of awful multimillion games out there.

idtech is crap today. idtech was only good back in the 90s when games weren't that great. Minecraft isn't open source, and all of the open source games listed there actually do suck.

[johnc]

Technically id games aren't open source, just the engines.

[XorEaxEax]

Technically id games aren't open source, just the engines.

The _code_ is open, which is what we talk about when we say 'open source', the 'source' part of 'open source' is 'source code'. So yes 'technically' they are indeed 'open source'.

[johnc]

The _code_ is open, which is what we talk about when we say 'open source', the 'source' part of 'open source' is 'source code'. So yes 'technically' they are indeed 'open source'.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding here but isn't there much more "source code" to a game than just the engine? Because if, e.g., Rage is "open source" then I would love to get to work on porting it to Linux.

[XorEaxEax]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding here but isn't there much more "source code" to a game than just the engine? Because if, e.g., Rage is "open source" then I would love to get to work on porting it to Linux.

Yes you are misunderstanding, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Source_code

Graphics, Audio and other data like level-layouts and such are not source code (atleast unless it's implemented directly in the source code, which would be very seldom), I suppose 'game assets or game data' would be a decent description.

So the source code is indeed open, the game data assets aren't, now either you can replace those assets with your own or you can copy the assets from the original game, or you can use the engine to create a new game.

Not that this is true for Rage currently as it runs on ID tech 5 which hasn't been open sourced yet (but since Id has open sourced all previous engines they most likely will open source this one aswell).

[johnc]

Yes you are misunderstanding, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Source_code

Graphics, Audio and other data like level-layouts and such are not source code (atleast unless it's implemented directly in the source code, which would be very seldom), I suppose 'game assets or game data' would be a decent description.

So the source code is indeed open, the game data assets aren't, now either you can replace those assets with your own or you can copy the assets from the original game, or you can use the engine to create a new game.

Not that this is true for Rage currently as it runs on ID tech 5 which hasn't been open sourced yet (but since Id has open sourced all previous engines they most likely will open source this one aswell).

Ahh, I stand corrected then. I thought they only opened the generic engine code. Since somebody ported Doom 3 to Android I guess that isn't the case.

[madjr]

Because Open-Source games S U C K ! ! 1 1 1 !

Open-source is a good thing as long as you don't become obsessed with it! (can you hear me community?)

Let me correct that for you:

Games without adequate "FUNDING" and lack of man power S U C K ! ! 1 1 1 !

It doesn't matter if a game is closed or open source, as long as it gets enough people working on it.

Open source games have the same type of developer: Indies.

So if indies don't get funded via Kickstarter, preorders, etc , their games would get canceled or not even get half the features they were suppose to get.

many Open source games have done A LOT already with the limited man power they got.

But if you can get them funds via KS or indiegogo, then you will see much better projects.

well, here are a few linux friendly KSs:

http://www.gamingonlinux.com/articles/the-funding-crowd-21-oct-4th13th.2570