Linux Wasn't Too Popular At GDC 2014

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Linux Wasn't Too Popular At GDC 2014

While there were several Linux gaming announcements this week -- including CRYENGINE on Linux and Unreal Engine 4 on Linux -- Linux was rarely seen at GDC 2014 aside from Android gaming devices...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=MTYzOTM

[NothingMuchHereToSay]

Well yeah, the fact is that Linux is still very small, but it's still bothersome.

[Apopas]

Linux is a forbidden word and will ever be.

[bridgman]

The fact that Linux is even being *mentioned* at GDC seems like a serious improvement over previous years. I don't remember any mention of Linux at the GDCs I attended, other than using Linux systems for offline rendering.

The most concentrated showing of non-Linux Android at GDC 2014 were the Steam Boxes running the Debian-based SteamOS.

Guessing you meant non-Android Linux ?

"A comparison between Madonna and me is a comparison between a strapless evening gown and a gownless evening strap." (Kim Campbell, Canadian Prime Minister)

[rikkinho]

maybe not

Linux is a forbidden word and will ever be.

maybe not forever, in europe people are opening their minds for linux, at least the young, the big problem right now is more political than other. with my clients i have success to push linux distros (almost all ubuntu ofc) for their pc?s.

[johnc]

I think Valve has more pull with the indie guys than the AAA studios. Then again the AAA studios seem to be more interested in the console stuff than anything else.

[vortex]

The problem is, there is no compelling reason to support linux at this stage.
The drivers are worse than on windows, especially with new devices, and there is still way too much arguing & infighting between distros going on as well.

If Valve can offer a *easy* way to port over their games, *and* offer end-user tech support for the linux crowd, they will do that, however, to be realistic, this isn't going to happen anytime soon for lots of the AAA titles.

[DanLamb]

Linux is a forbidden word and will ever be.

Most people pick their OS for work/school first, and game on that.

If people prefer Word, Excel, point-and-click everything, and Visual Studio, Linux is terrible. LibreOffice is a crappy version of MS Office. All the GTK Gnome GUI stuff is crap next to a Windows or Apple GUI. That crowd wouldn't and shouldn't use Linux.

It's when you realize the power of the shell, that Linux becomes a completely better choice in every way. If tech savvy people can get over a small learning curve they understand how much better Markdown is over Word, R is over Excel for data crunching and plots, and LaTeX for more serious docs, and see how much better zsh or even bash is over Windows shells, and the elegance of the Linux package repo system. Then, Linux is a dramatically more powerful environment, and people will switch to that, and figure out how to game on it.

Finally, I expect, and even hope that Windows gaming will fade away and be replaced by Android/iOS gaming. I also hope that we see more PC like Android devices with netbook form factors.

[FourDMusic]

Linux is a forbidden word and will ever be.

I disagree. I have been able to get many of my non-technical friends to switch to Linux or at least dual boot with <Linux> as their primary distro. This include my sister, who has a Psychology degree and teaches english to non-english speaks; I have a friend who advises local governments on environmental issues. They use Arch and Kubuntu, respectively. I want to emphasize that they are completely comfortable with using Linux.

Linux USED to be a word which caused people to think of an operating system that you had to build from the ground up and the interface was just a command line </hyperbole>.

I think the point that needs to be made is that there is a lot of ignorant people on what Linux is today and what it can do for non-technical people. What software is available for content creation, etc. This requires the community to inform others and get the truth out.

[emblemparade]

I think it's incorrect to use the term "pure" Linux to refer to non-Android. Android is as "purely" Linux as Ubuntu or DD-WRT. I think many of us are used to calling free operating systems "Linux," and while the kernel is important, there's so much else in the software stack that's critical for the operating system's identity.

If you're interested solely in promoting Linux, then you should be happy that Android is everywhere. If Phoronix really is a Linux blog then there should be no disappointment in GDC 2014.

But I know many of us are actually hoping for much more than that: we want open, free platforms to replace the locked-in, proprietary platforms made by Apple, Microsoft, Sony and Google. The Linux project represents just one part of the story.