Valve's L4D2 Is Faster On Linux Than Windows

[Hamish Wilson]

I guess you missed my point, which is:
Valve's efforts don't show parity with cutting-edge Windows games. The Source engine is based on 10+-year old technology (which is why they are getting 300+ fps in the first place, it does not really stress a modern system).

Okay, from a technical perspective, I agree with you on that - Source is not a very modern engine.

It is just that the argument I was referring to has come up altogether too much whenever someone tries to do something for Linux gaming - but it is not game X, or it is not a racing game but just another shooter, or it is a racing game but not the racing game I want, etc... and therefore Linux can never become a good gaming platform.

[Scali]

Okay, from a technical perspective, I agree with you on that - Source is not a very modern engine.

It is just that the argument I was referring to has come up altogether too much whenever someone tries to do something for Linux gaming - but it is not game X, or it is not a racing game but just another shooter, or it is a racing game but not the racing game I want, etc... and therefore Linux can never become a good gaming platform.

Well, I was merely trying to answer the hypothesis that was brought up, about Valve changing the gaming world.
I don't see that happening.

Having said that, I think:
1) It's nice to see a large developer standing up for alternative platforms
2) It's nice to see that their port is actually going to perform well, and have the same visuals as the Windows version, rather than some watered down Wine-wrapped attempt.
3) It's nice that linux and OS X are getting a larger selection of games to choose from, even if it is only a handful of games from the Valve portfolio at this point.
4) It's a shame that FreeBSD is still completely ignored.
5) It's a shame that Gabe Newell had to do all that unfounded mudslinging towards Windows 8. Why not focus on the strengths of linux/OpenGL instead?

[AJSB]

The issue here is not only if Valve is one big publisher or not (sure, is not as big as EA or ACTIVISION but they are getting bigger) or if it has AAA games (they have and working in more AAA titles), the issue is that they have a service with witch they have a LOT of partners (including ACTIVISION)...if they convince a good enough percentage of those partners to make AAA games ports to Linux, that will have a very important impact....i dare say a decisive impact.

Hell, if Valve port DOTA2, CSGO, TF2, P2, HL3 and L4D2 to Linux that alone will have a HUGE impact and all them are in their respective categories AAA games.

[Scali]

Hell, if Valve port DOTA2, CSGO, TF2, P2, HL3 and L4D2 to Linux that alone will have a HUGE impact and all them are in their respective categories AAA games.

New games like HL2EP3 or such may have somewhat of an impact... but porting games like L4D2, P2, TF2, which have been on the market for years already, I don't think so. People who want to play those games already own then. In fact, I would say that most people who bought them no longer play these games. Only a die-hard group of fans still plays these old titles, while most gamers got bored with them and moved on to newer titles.

Aside from the problem that people already own these games, is the problem that people already own a copy of Windows. Why would they move to linux if they could just play the new titles on Windows as well?
So no, I don't really see the huge impact. The existing linux market is less than 5% of all computers, and not every single one of them them would be interested in gaming on linux, I suppose. So that's not where any kind of significant impact is coming from. That would have to come from the ~90% of Windows users who need to be convinced to trade in Windows for linux.

[RussianNeuroMancer]

Do you understand Portuguese language ?!?

Unfortunately, no

315 * 100 / 303 = 103.96%
So if we take Windows OGL as the base (100%), then Linux OGL performance is 103.96%. That's 3.96% higher.
With a 60FPS base, a 3.96% difference translates to:
60 * 0.0396 = 2.37FPS
You get 2.3-2.4 more FPS on Linux. It's elementary school math ^_^

Yes, yes, but why you didn't count Direct3D vs. OpenGL result? There is 15% difference (for example ~50 vs. ~60 FPS).

[blackout23]

I'd even go that far to claim that Valve is one of the very few big companies that also deliver AAA content besides AAA technology and an AAA budget.

They should release Half-Life 3 and make it Linux only. Let's see how that shifts things.

[johnc]

They should release Half-Life 3 and make it Linux only. Let's see how that shifts things.

Could you imagine the sheetstorm that would ensue?

The MS fanboys would be in raving hysterics.

[entropy]

They should release Half-Life 3 and make it Linux only. Let's see how that shifts things.

There will be lots of noise, there will be hate (all the usual stuff) and then THEY.JUST.CANNOT.RESIST.

[AJSB]

New games like HL2EP3 or such may have somewhat of an impact... but porting games like L4D2, P2, TF2, which have been on the market for years already, I don't think so. People who want to play those games already own then. In fact, I would say that most people who bought them no longer play these games. Only a die-hard group of fans still plays these old titles, while most gamers got bored with them and moved on to newer titles.

Aside from the problem that people already own these games, is the problem that people already own a copy of Windows. Why would they move to linux if they could just play the new titles on Windows as well?
So no, I don't really see the huge impact. The existing linux market is less than 5% of all computers, and not every single one of them them would be interested in gaming on linux, I suppose. So that's not where any kind of significant impact is coming from. That would have to come from the ~90% of Windows users who need to be convinced to trade in Windows for linux.

Actually from those your refer i don't have L4D2 or P2...only TF2....funny thing is that i was to buy L4D2 for Windows the begin of this year but something was holding me to do it....and then the bomb was dropped about a Linux client

I have P1 but never didn't get P2 but intended to do so....

I buy a lot of games not when they are launched but latter when price goes down


But yeah, i put those in the list more because they are AAA games....what im saying is that those games are AAA and still very solid and there are lot's of people not having them...as for the 5% market share , i'm not sure if that number is that correct...is based on what ? PC sells ? how about who buys a PC with Windows and them remove it and install Linux ? I bet that it was counted as a Windows PC....and who like me done a DIY PC with parts bought here and there , how that counts ?...but even so, still,. 5% of worldwide total of PC is a lot of dozens of millions of PCs...a very nice potential market.


As for new games , CS:GO, DOTA2 , HL3 and even an HL2EP3 ( i have all HL2 , BTW) are for sure AAA games and brand new, that is the real spearhead of Valve in the Linux field.

Hell i will buy almost all of those titles

[AJSB]

Could you imagine the sheetstorm that would ensue?

The MS fanboys would be in raving hysterics.

I can just imagine their total shock if i spam one of their sites here with a copy and past of the news about it