Wishlist for Porting Projects (Pt. 2)

[Svartalf]

The Linux clients for UT were all paid for by Epic. Orignal UT client came out quite a while after the game. Clients for 2003/2004 were on the same disk as the Windows client.

In reality, Loki ended up with the support contract for Linux on UT99 at one point. (I could be wrong, but that might have been the start of Epic's relationship with Ryan on Ureal Tech engine porting... )

[rah_]

That will only work if you have accurate stats that show they're leaving 25% or more of the potential market lying on the floor.

You don't think that day will come?

By the way, we DID have a AAA title that was effectively simultaneously released. It was delayed for Linux a couple of weeks

This is contradictory. Either the Linux version was delayed or released simultaneously. In this instance, it was delayed. By qualifying "simultaneously" with the word "effectively", what you're actually saying is "it wasn't released simultaneously." Which is correct; it was delayed :-)

The issue isn't which day the publisher sends boxes out to retailers. The issue is which day gamers are able to buy them.

What you say isn't going to happen the way you think it will.

In what way do you think it will happen?

And WINE stats won't budge things any more than the figures we bandy about (which are on the low side in my opinion, but...).

I think WINE stats would influence things.

[Snickersnack]

By the way, does anyone have any ideas on recovering data from unreadable CDs. My original Descent/Descent2 CDs no longer mount...

Sorry, I don't know much about CD data recovery.

However, Good Old Games does offer a Descent 1 &2 direct download for $5.99.

http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/descent_1_descent_2

[Svartalf]

You don't think that day will come?

Not in a manner you're alluding to. If it were, it would have happened already. I've been working at trying to make it happen for the last decade now.

This is contradictory. Either the Linux version was delayed or released simultaneously. In this instance, it was delayed. By qualifying "simultaneously" with the word "effectively", what you're actually saying is "it wasn't released simultaneously." Which is correct; it was delayed :-)

Consider this. The code was ready at the same time. More to the point, you've HAD this same situation with more than just Quake3:Arena. You had it with UT2k3/UT2k4. We didn't have the nirvana of Linux gaming happen then either. More to the point, they've snubbed us on the latest in the series as best as we can tell.

It's going to take a much larger apparent userbase to generate the circumstance you talk to. 2-4 years off yet to come.

The issue isn't which day the publisher sends boxes out to retailers. The issue is which day gamers are able to buy them.

Then explain UT2k3 or UT2k4... The market then was as hungry for Linux titles. No magic then. Oh, but we have more gamers now than then, eh? The honest truth of the matter is that most gamers are still buying Windows titles, whether they're using Windows or not.

In what way do you think it will happen?

If it happens as you describe, it'll be a couple more years yet to come. I think it will really happen from a different direction than you're thinking. There's this little groundswell in the mobile device market. Linux is shaping up to be the preferred platform. Games on mobile phones, etc. It's from there that the whole thing will really start.

I think WINE stats would influence things.

If that were the case, they would have already done so.

[rah_]

It's going to take a much larger apparent userbase to generate the circumstance you talk to. 2-4 years off yet to come.

I said in my post, "a point in the future ". 2-4 years off is in the future.

If that were the case, they would have already done so.

How do you know WINE stats haven't already done so?

[Tares]

I've just read few posts back and when you all arqued about games from former loki studio, I thought you were talking about Loki the game (http://www.loki-game.com/en/). It took me a while that, loki!=loki so maybe loki (the game) would be possible to port ?
It's a D2 clone with quite nice graphics. I think h'n's/rpg is what linux gamers lack ;-)

[AdrenalineJunky]

I said in my post, "a point in the future ". 2-4 years off is in the future.




How do you know WINE stats haven't already done so?

considering the fact that i've seen a couple different game developers respond to the question of supporting linux with "well i've heard it works ok on wine"

i don't think wine is going to be a big barganing chip.

a person using wine is still a person play thier game - thats in thier sold column already, just like it would be for linux native games. only with wine they don't have to do any work for it.

[Remco]

If that were the case, they would have already done so.

I don't think so. Wine still doesn't Just Work (tm). Until that happens, it won't be a viable replacement for Windows. But according to a blog post by one of the developers, it may at one time become very good very fast.

And Wine is needed, even with native ports. A big set of games will not get ported until there is a healthy market for Linux gaming. A slightly smaller set will not even get ported then, because there is no code available, or they are enemies (Microsoft). For both reasons, Wine is a step you can't skip for the acceptance of the platform.

[rah_]

considering the fact that i've seen a couple different game developers respond to the question of supporting linux with "well i've heard it works ok on wine"

i don't think wine is going to be a big barganing chip.

There's some confusion here. I'm not saying awareness of WINE usage will encourage porting of an existing game. I'm saying it will encourage porting, or rather multi-platform development of a future game.

[Dragonlord]

considering the fact that i've seen a couple different game developers respond to the question of supporting linux with "well i've heard it works ok on wine"

i don't think wine is going to be a big barganing chip.

a person using wine is still a person play thier game - thats in thier sold column already, just like it would be for linux native games. only with wine they don't have to do any work for it.

This problem will never stop ( there I disagree with Svartalf for once: I don't think this is going to work that way ) if developers have to port games to make them happen on another platform. As long as this is the case there will always be people who don't know well the other platform or do not want to be bothered spending time ( and money ) on a porting effort.