Is LGP Going The Way Of Loki Software?

[Svartalf]

And what things are needed from the players? You sort of danced around the issue, but it sure sounds like we were all supposed to break our piggy banks and buy multiple copies of games we didn't necessarily want in order to get the publishers' attention with inflated sales numbers. Did you have something else in mind?

Well, I "sidestepped" the issue in question because I've ranted on and on about THAT as well and didn't want to be sounding like a broken record.

There's tons of titles out there. If they're not to your liking, you don't have to buy, no. If they are, trying to make comparisons of the Bargain Bin pricing on the WINDOWS version of the game, since it's NOT the same title as far as the money, marketing, and sales people are concerned, isn't going to help either. It is to THAT that I speak of.

You want AAA titles? You need to buy what you would've bought under any circumstances and for your preferred platform- even if you think you can get better deals by buying the Windows version and playing it under WINE. When you do that, you're voting with your money to make more Windows titles. They honestly don't give a damn if you're running under Linux and playing it under WINE- they see Windows SKUs selling, so they make MORE of that and none of what you'd like to have.

If there's nothing you want to play, then you're not one of the people I'm referring to there. Seriously.

[TwistedLincoln]

Most LGP games are DRM-free, it amounts to about 15 games. By your standards, you must have bought all of them (maybe twice) thus supporting DRM-free native Linux games.

Here's the list unless I'm mistaken (I might have forgotten a few):
Ballistics
Cold War
Gorky 17
Knights and Merchants
Mindrover Downloadable Update
Creatures Internet Edition
Hyperspace Delivery Boy
Majesty Gold
NingPo MahJong
Candy Cruncher
Mindrover
Postal 2: Share the Pain
Software Tycoon
Soul Ride
X2: The Threat

Of course, it's possible you're just full of air, and never supported them when it counted. If people had spent time doing what you pretend you'd do, LGP wouldn't ever have had to consider DRM.

But you can still go and by them if you intend to keep a bit of dignity. Twice since you boast to pay double. That way, next time you trash what good work people have done (all those DRM-free games LGP published) you won't sound like a tool.

I haven't bought anything from LGP, becasue I was previously under the impression that all of their titles used DRM. To verify that I wasn't just making an assumption, I just revisited their website -- no where that I could find provided any info as to what titles used DRM and what ones do not. Since their site doesn't hide the fact that they use DRM (which, I admit is an honest thing to do that not all companies do), it is reasonable for the average person to assume that all their games use DRM. Hense my conclusion.

And to clairify my statement, I'd pay double for software that I really want to get a Linux version. When I buy something that I don't really want that much just to support the developer, I usually only buy one copy, because I won't be actually using it.

That said, if I can get confirmation from LGP as to which titles do not use any kind of DRM, I will certainly buy some of their titles, if only to support the idea of non DRM ridden games on Linux.

To that end, I'll edit my previous statement to suggest that everyone boycott whatever games LGP sells that use DRM, rather than the company itself. Though that would be much more practical to do if we had official documentation about which games use DRM and which do not.

You want AAA titles? You need to buy what you would've bought under any circumstances and for your preferred platform- even if you think you can get better deals by buying the Windows version and playing it under WINE.

I am in complete agreement with you there. It is completely stupid to buy a title that is available as a native Linux title as a Windows version just to run it in Wine. The only time I've ever bought any Windows games were when no Linux version existed. And I don't even do that anymore, now that most Windows games use DRM.

[Svartalf]

That said, if I can get confirmation from LGP as to which titles do not use any kind of DRM, I will certainly buy some of their titles, if only to support the idea of non DRM ridden games on Linux.

Well, there WAS a reason I asked what I asked earlier, while "wearing my official LGP hat".

I know for a fact that Ballistics doesn't. I'm the developer with the most hours invested into that title- and it's one of the ones that sold only 200-400 copies with the about 20:1 known piracy to purchase ratio.

I'm fairly sure you got the whole list of the stuff that doesn't have DRM. I think only Shadowgrounds:Survivor might have it in there and definitely sure Sacred has DRM as it was developed as much in compliance with Ascaron's desires for the title as the other stated reasons.

[mirv]

Well I for one fully intend to be buying a few games...after moving, sorting out a kitchen, and then wandering down to the bank for a pre-paid credit card.
Sadly a kitchen has priority over computer games right now.

[TwistedLincoln]

I know for a fact that Ballistics doesn't. I'm the developer with the most hours invested into that title- and it's one of the ones that sold only 200-400 copies with the about 20:1 known piracy to purchase ratio.

I'm fairly sure you got the whole list of the stuff that doesn't have DRM. I think only Shadowgrounds:Survivor might have it in there and definitely sure Sacred has DRM as it was developed as much in compliance with Ascaron's desires for the title as the other stated reasons.

Looks like a good place start. I signed up for an account on the website -- is there a way to pay in US dollars, or with Paypal? I'm not 100%, but I think my credit card charges me extra for transactions in foreign currencies. Not a huge deal, but I'd like to avoid extra charges if possible.

[LinuxID10T]

Well, I "sidestepped" the issue in question because I've ranted on and on about THAT as well and didn't want to be sounding like a broken record.

There's tons of titles out there. If they're not to your liking, you don't have to buy, no. If they are, trying to make comparisons of the Bargain Bin pricing on the WINDOWS version of the game, since it's NOT the same title as far as the money, marketing, and sales people are concerned, isn't going to help either. It is to THAT that I speak of.

You want AAA titles? You need to buy what you would've bought under any circumstances and for your preferred platform- even if you think you can get better deals by buying the Windows version and playing it under WINE. When you do that, you're voting with your money to make more Windows titles. They honestly don't give a damn if you're running under Linux and playing it under WINE- they see Windows SKUs selling, so they make MORE of that and none of what you'd like to have.

If there's nothing you want to play, then you're not one of the people I'm referring to there. Seriously.

No we are voting with our money for better games, not Windows.

[bridgman]

The problem is that the ballot only has "Linux" and "Windows" to choose from - there's no box for "better games".

I agree there should be, but it's not clear what you would need to buy in order to send the message you want and not have it misinterpreted as a vote for something else.

[LinuxID10T]

The problem is that the ballot only has "Linux" and "Windows" to choose from - there's no box for "better games".

I agree there should be, but it's not clear what you would need to buy in order to send the message you want and not have it misinterpreted as a vote for something else.

There are lots of great games for Linux and for Windows, I just wish that I could get a real AAA title on Linux. Last time I bought a AAA title for Linux was X-Plane, and before that Quake 4. I wish I could see a bit more effort to have in house Linux ports like these games do. Call of Duty: Black Ops for Linux would be my dream, or maybe Crysis 2 for Linux. Essentially, I would like to vote for good Linux games.

[Svartalf]

No we are voting with our money for better games, not Windows.

Depends on what you're buying or not buying. The moment you buy a Windows title, that's what you're doing- anything else is lying to yourself and others. Now, if you're just not buying, well...that's your own lookout, but counts more for not voting at all. You don't show up on radar on that note.

[Svartalf]

There are lots of great games for Linux and for Windows, I just wish that I could get a real AAA title on Linux. Last time I bought a AAA title for Linux was X-Plane, and before that Quake 4. I wish I could see a bit more effort to have in house Linux ports like these games do. Call of Duty: Black Ops for Linux would be my dream, or maybe Crysis 2 for Linux. Essentially, I would like to vote for good Linux games.

I think you'd get all of us to concur with you on that score.

Unfortunately, it's EXCESSIVELY difficult to get what you're looking for without going up the food-chain on stuff first. MacOS people had to do that and fortunately for them, there wasn't WINE or dual booting things for them- so they bought what was there for their chosen OS. If Valve does what Phoronix keeps claiming in rumor to be doing, things will change slightly- but only if they move Source to Linux as well as Steam and make their titles available. Otherwise, you've got less than one would think because there's still no AAA titles, per se, that meet your criteria at that point.