Feral Is Bringing Rise of the Tomb Raider To Linux

[mike44]

Only typical Linux users care about such. They usually also don't buy anything...why don't you simply walk away?

[dragon321]

Shared codebase isn't necessarily the same as identical driver. They may have taken out optimizations they want too keep from the competition before open sourcing and things doesn't work identical on Windows and Linux just because both use the "same" driver.

Driver isn't identical, this is obvious (because Windows and Linux GPU drivers are different), but if Vulkan codebase is shared then it's working identical on both systems. If there is any differences they depends on operating system driver structure. We don't know that AMD taken out optimizations before opening their driver. But this can be easily checked by comparing open source and proprietary driver with benchmark.

[kpedersen]

I can't imagine Valve shutting the service down completely without giving users the ability to play what they've bought

This is a really interesting scenario for me. It will happen but some day in the perhaps distance future. Basically if Valve goes under, they simply wont be able to employ anyone to go through and patch out the DRM from all their games. Or pay money to rent the servers so that gamers can fetch their files.
I think this will create new laws on DRM. I can only speculate that they will release a Steam server DRM emulator that will just say "Yep, you own that" to every request. Who knows. It will be interesting though.

Personally, chances are if you use Netflix, you've already made an exception on DRM

Whilst I used to be an avid renter of films from blockbusters where you can only keep the DVD for a few nights (I guess this is similar to physical DRM), I still refuse to use services like netflix. It could be due to them dicking me about in the past requiring Windows, flash, browser plugins or some other bullsh*t. I don't think it is an anti-DRM thing, I just kinda groan when I think of the idea of streaming. Torrents are vastly superior in this respect.

[cybertraveler]

Basically if Valve goes under, they simply wont be able to employ anyone to go through and patch out the DRM from all their games. Or pay money to rent the servers so that gamers can fetch their files.

Yep. This is what normally happens with companies that go under or cease production of DRM encumbered software/music/media/services. It's not at all suprising to me that this happens. I actually worked for a company where they shut down a division of the company which sold DRM encumbered software. They didn't release a non-DRM version of their software event though I volunteered to help them do this on my own time, for free.

I'm pretty sure that third party groups will write generic Steam DRM replacement software if Steam went under. There would be a huge market for it.

[audir8]

I would be surprised if Valve didn't have a technical solution for letting people play games without logging into Steam. It wouldn't be that hard to give users a key/account or key/game that works on backups. They've already abstracted the DRM away from the game. It might* depend on the game publisher, and I'm sure they would be ecstatic for you to create an account with Origin, Battle.net, or Bethesda. Gaming definitely looks worse without Steam, than with it.

[pal666]

Well then, publish it on GOG.com and I'll buy it for sure (without discount). Same with Tomb Raider 2013.

gog has connect feature to put your steam titles to your gog library. just check gog.com/connect from time to time(list of supported games changes)

[pal666]

The other issue is the AMD Vulkan drivers under Linux only run at something like %70 of the windows vulkan driver perf. I think NVIDIA is pretty close to 1:1 however (I have a 1080ti so YAY)

how do you know speed of amd vilkan drivers then?

[pal666]

I just wish I could have sent a few $$ to Feral.

you can buy another copy from their shop

[pal666]

I still want DRM-free software and to be able to store it on my own rust, just so that I know for sure that I will be able to use it years from now.

that is not very smart. old stored software does not work on modern systems and current stored software will not work on future systems. smart people buy software which sees updates. like steam. and which is stored on someone else's rust for most of its life, so you don't have to waste space
btw, you just have no slight idea of what drm is. tomb rider is perfectly playable without running steam and network access. it uses steam as distribution platform because why should everyone invent their own shit?

[pal666]

Not quite, but you can tell if something is DRM free by doing the isolation test.

1) Backup everything you need onto a portable hard drive
2) Unplug the internet cable
3) Re-format and re-install a fresh copy of Linux
4) Install the software (steam + game) from portable hard drive
5) Run it and observe results

What you will find is that Steam will ask you for login details, then say it cannot connect and you won't be able to progress with running the software. Steam and it's games have *failed* the test.

that is your fantasy. in reality steam will not ask you anything because you will not run steam, you will run game without steam