Steam's Linux Efforts Were Influential To Microsoft, Other Companies

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Steam's Linux Efforts Were Influential To Microsoft, Other Companies

Just days after writing about how Valve's Steam Linux project was the hardest one veteran game developer had ever worked on, Rich Geldreich has begun blogging some more of the back-stories to the Linux project at Valve...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Steam-Linux-Zombies-Back-Story

[cj.wijtmans]

Ah so they went to the dark side after all.

invest more into vendor lock-in

[anarki2]

Too bad they NEVER compare image quality in these comparisons, only FPS. There were many AMD vs NV comparisons back in the day where NV was always faster BUT it rendered in worse quality. So these statements aren't saying much.

[bug77]

Too bad they NEVER compare image quality in these comparisons, only FPS. There were many AMD vs NV comparisons back in the day where NV was always faster BUT it rendered in worse quality. So these statements aren't saying much.

That was like ten years ago. AF stopped being a contentious issue for quite a while. HardOCP's testing still looks at IQ and hasn't spotted anything significant in ages.

[Passso]

That was like ten years ago. AF stopped being a contentious issue for quite a while. HardOCP's testing still looks at IQ and hasn't spotted anything significant in ages.

And now you, bug77, are on the bad side of the Conspiracy.

[cj.wijtmans]

Too bad they NEVER compare image quality in these comparisons, only FPS. There were many AMD vs NV comparisons back in the day where NV was always faster BUT it rendered in worse quality. So these statements aren't saying much.

How do you determine image quality and d oyou have a source?

[johnc]

Valve being deeply involved with Linux also gives the company a "worse case scenario" hedge vs. Microsoft.

Yeah. They really weren't into it. It was just a show to keep Microsoft in check. Unfortunately it'll all be perceived as a failure of Linux gaming, rather than Valve's failure.

[L_A_G]

Yeah. They really weren't into it. It was just a show to keep Microsoft in check. Unfortunately it'll all be perceived as a failure of Linux gaming, rather than Valve's failure.

Seeing how Microsoft has continued trying to push their own app store platform, which Gabe Newell personally believes is an attempt at trying to gain complete control of the platform and push services like Steam off the platform, in Windows 10 with no real sign of relenting I doubt Valve is going to give up their Linux efforts any time soon. It's some time since the last big announcement they've made, but they definitely are working on things like Linux support for the Vive and general Linux driver support/suitability for VR.

Gaming on Linux has taken some major strides forward and by the looks of things is just going to continue doing just that. It's not quite the explosion that some people were expecting, but with dissatisfaction with Windows 10 building up among professional circles, which are probably the most influential circles around, Linux is going start gaining some decent foothold in the not too distant future.

[johnc]

Seeing how Microsoft has continued trying to push their own app store platform, which Gabe Newell personally believes is an attempt at trying to gain complete control of the platform and push services like Steam off the platform, in Windows 10 with no real sign of relenting I doubt Valve is going to give up their Linux efforts any time soon.

What Valve was able to show is that PC gamers won't move to Linux. I don't think Microsoft would do anything crazy on Windows, but if they did, and somehow Valve's Steam monopoly was threatened on that platform, PC gamers won't just get up and go to Linux. They would drop Steam like a bad habit and buy their games from whatever MS was offering.

Steam is just a digital store. People don't really care that much about it. It doesn't offer anything more than an easy way to buy games. It's a glorified Google Play.

Gaming on Linux has taken some major strides forward and by the looks of things is just going to continue doing just that. It's not quite the explosion that some people were expecting, but with dissatisfaction with Windows 10 building up among professional circles, which are probably the most influential circles around, Linux is going start gaining some decent foothold in the not too distant future.

That's not going to happen. There is no momentum behind Linux gaming. The idea that people are going to make the switch "any day now" is just a fantasy.

Valve has no club over MS's head. Not anymore at least. Their experiment only proved that MS is in the driver's seat for PC gaming, and Valve is strapped into the child safety seat in the back of the car.

[timofonic]

Ah so they went to the dark side after all.
dist

Valve is itself a result of vendor lock-in and monopoly, just in the PC gaming distribution sector

I always seen Valve's Linux efforts just a way to put pressure into Microsoft rather than a real effort. I see there's *TOO MUCH* on-purporse fails for a big but efficient corporation like Valve is supposed to be (is it?).

Gabe Newell did quit from Microsoft probably to build his own empire, instead following his masters. And he did it better than Microsoft. Despite of the sub-optimal result for Linux, this benefits everyone because power gets more distributed.