A Year Later, Linux Game Publishing Is Still Irrelevant

[ElderSnake]

Very few devs publish games on Linux because there's so few users.

There's few users gaming on Linux because there's so few games.

Steam is the best possible vehicle to breaking this vicious circle, especially given it is head-and-shoulders above the other digital distribution platforms.

The chicken and the egg scenario as they say.

Thankfully Valve isn't your typical company that simply looks at the profit margins and stats served to them by their secretaries, but actually has some vision and will take some risks (and being a private company helps).

[salsadoom]

I'm always shocked at how many Linux people are so rabidly against anything closed source. I think there are lines that may or may not be crossed. For example, I want a completely free operating system. Important things relating to my work I generally insist on an open source solution -- unless one absolutely does not exist or isn't at all workable. I can't live with having my important work data (or a customers) locked into a proprietary solution if a OSS solution exists. Thats a real time bomb to me. The operating systems and the services I run on them are important and thus I want open source.

But games, no. Games are just entertainment. I don't view them as different than say, watching a movie. I watch the movie, I can't change it. I can't edit the script or choice of actors before or after I watch it. You pay the money to watch it as it is, and if you don't like it well, its not like you can't watch something else later or suddenly your lifes work is destroyed. Same with a game. You buy the game, play it. If you had fun with it then it has completed its only purpose. If I hate the game nothing further bad happens. On this note too, my roommate and I often make short movies. The presence of hollywood movies hasn't prevented us from doing that either.

Installing steam and buying a few games doesn't make the rest of my operating system, or my servers, or anything else suddenly less free. They are just as free as they were before. All steam does is allow users who want to be entertained by games in linux do exactly that. It doesn't hurt those who aren't interested -- oh, and I hear about how it kills interest in Open Source games but lets just stop bullshitting, those rarely go anywhere. There are some great open source games and they'll continue to be around too for the same reasons they are around now. The presence of closed source games on windows hasn't effected them and it won't on linux. Whether you like the "Triple A" titles or not isn't relevant to anyone but you.

If you want to play closed source commercial games in Linux now you finally have some options too. If you don't, then please just shut up for christ sakes and let those of us who do enjoy ourselves. If there is some HUGE WORLD ENDING CATACLYSM because of it then we'll be the only ones hurt by it and you can totally feel free to show up then with your "OMG! I told you so!!!" speech. But we all know that isn't going to happen. Life and Linux will continue on like it always has, only some of us get a few more entertainment options.

Some people just need to calm down and let people do what they want.

[cliff]

So what happens to my LGP DRM games?

I purchased Sacred Gold and X3 from them years ago. Loved playing them but I suppose I won't be able to play them any more. I noticed Linux Game Tome "http://www.happypenguin.org/" is tits up again. I suppose their server broke and the back up failed and coffee spilled on the hard drive again. Sun spots and Chemical degradation ruined the universe again!!
I have been enjoying this site lately. In order to get my Linux gaming news.

http://www.gamingonlinux.com/index.php

[ElderSnake]

I'm always shocked at how many Linux people are so rabidly against anything closed source. I think there are lines that may or may not be crossed. For example, I want a completely free operating system. Important things relating to my work I generally insist on an open source solution -- unless one absolutely does not exist or isn't at all workable. I can't live with having my important work data (or a customers) locked into a proprietary solution if a OSS solution exists. Thats a real time bomb to me. The operating systems and the services I run on them are important and thus I want open source.

But games, no. Games are just entertainment. I don't view them as different than say, watching a movie. I watch the movie, I can't change it. I can't edit the script or choice of actors before or after I watch it. You pay the money to watch it as it is, and if you don't like it well, its not like you can't watch something else later or suddenly your lifes work is destroyed. Same with a game. You buy the game, play it. If you had fun with it then it has completed its only purpose. If I hate the game nothing further bad happens. On this note too, my roommate and I often make short movies. The presence of hollywood movies hasn't prevented us from doing that either.

Installing steam and buying a few games doesn't make the rest of my operating system, or my servers, or anything else suddenly less free. They are just as free as they were before. All steam does is allow users who want to be entertained by games in linux do exactly that. It doesn't hurt those who aren't interested -- oh, and I hear about how it kills interest in Open Source games but lets just stop bullshitting, those rarely go anywhere. There are some great open source games and they'll continue to be around too for the same reasons they are around now. The presence of closed source games on windows hasn't effected them and it won't on linux. Whether you like the "Triple A" titles or not isn't relevant to anyone but you.

If you want to play closed source commercial games in Linux now you finally have some options too. If you don't, then please just shut up for christ sakes and let those of us who do enjoy ourselves. If there is some HUGE WORLD ENDING CATACLYSM because of it then we'll be the only ones hurt by it and you can totally feel free to show up then with your "OMG! I told you so!!!" speech. But we all know that isn't going to happen. Life and Linux will continue on like it always has, only some of us get a few more entertainment options.

Some people just need to calm down and let people do what they want.

Well said, I think that is basically my stance at the end of the day. I'm pretty rabid about my OS and productivity tools being FOSS if possible... gaming/entertainment I'm pretty lenient, so long as no lines are crossed (like SecuROM).

[e8hffff]

Regarding Steam, I think you can run it in OFFLINE mode and still play the games, so you may not be that limited if you go camping or have no internet.

The great thing about Steam is you can instant patch when they become available, also get community mods for your game. There is news associated to each game and forums.

If you're a developer then Steam is a great platform to market your product on. I also recommend selling on Ubuntu's Software Centre, or other distribution methods.

[e8hffff]

One of the big let down is all these companies bringing games to Linux are merely resurrecting old titles and converting them over. Usually this happens when they are spurred on by doing an Apple version using OpenGL.

If you want a vibrant market you need to embellish it. It's like selling old fruit vs new. People want fresh new fruit, it's as simple as that.

[necro-lover]

How exactly is steam stealing your freedom? You buy a game and you play it. Nothing stolen here. Stop with the "proprietary is evil" bullshit. Did RMS brainwash you? Making linux dependent on commercial interests? Linux is already 80% of the kernel developed by corporations that only work for profit. Most of linux is actually dependent on commercial interests. Making money isn't evil. Get over it! What is your problem? That you don't get the source code? It's the one who writes the code that decides if they make it open or not. It's their freedom to choose. Not yours. Also, no one is forcing you to buy their products.

"Did RMS brainwash you?" LOL you are really stupid and this is again a statement of fact because RMS already pointed out that Valve/steam is good for Linux and opensource.

Just educate yourself or die stupid: "Richard M Stallman: Steam Is Good For GNU/Linux" http://www.muktware.com/4042/richard...-good-gnulinux

[GreatEmerald]

I'm always shocked at how many Linux people are so rabidly against anything closed source. I think there are lines that may or may not be crossed. For example, I want a completely free operating system. Important things relating to my work I generally insist on an open source solution -- unless one absolutely does not exist or isn't at all workable. I can't live with having my important work data (or a customers) locked into a proprietary solution if a OSS solution exists. Thats a real time bomb to me. The operating systems and the services I run on them are important and thus I want open source.

But games, no. Games are just entertainment. I don't view them as different than say, watching a movie. I watch the movie, I can't change it. I can't edit the script or choice of actors before or after I watch it. You pay the money to watch it as it is, and if you don't like it well, its not like you can't watch something else later or suddenly your lifes work is destroyed. Same with a game. You buy the game, play it. If you had fun with it then it has completed its only purpose. If I hate the game nothing further bad happens. On this note too, my roommate and I often make short movies. The presence of hollywood movies hasn't prevented us from doing that either.

Installing steam and buying a few games doesn't make the rest of my operating system, or my servers, or anything else suddenly less free. They are just as free as they were before. All steam does is allow users who want to be entertained by games in linux do exactly that. It doesn't hurt those who aren't interested -- oh, and I hear about how it kills interest in Open Source games but lets just stop bullshitting, those rarely go anywhere. There are some great open source games and they'll continue to be around too for the same reasons they are around now. The presence of closed source games on windows hasn't effected them and it won't on linux. Whether you like the "Triple A" titles or not isn't relevant to anyone but you.

If you want to play closed source commercial games in Linux now you finally have some options too. If you don't, then please just shut up for christ sakes and let those of us who do enjoy ourselves. If there is some HUGE WORLD ENDING CATACLYSM because of it then we'll be the only ones hurt by it and you can totally feel free to show up then with your "OMG! I told you so!!!" speech. But we all know that isn't going to happen. Life and Linux will continue on like it always has, only some of us get a few more entertainment options.

Some people just need to calm down and let people do what they want.

Oh? I am yet to see anyone here saying that games must all be open-source. Nobody is contesting what you're saying here. It's just that not everyone can live with all the restrictions of Steam. When you watch a standard movie, you are not forced to run an unrelated program. And when you are done watching it, you are sure to be able to watch it again in the future. And if someone, especially by accident, deems you a cheater or so, you don't immediately lose access to every movie in your video library. And if the servers of the movie distributor are down, you don't get locked out of your video library, too. You typically also don't agree that you need to install software that may or may not contain spyware into your PC when watching a movie. There are exceptions, of course, as these days even movies are getting more and more restrictive, but I wouldn't watch those, either.

But again, I don't see people who can live with these restrictions as somehow bad. If you can, good for you, and it's your loss if something bad happens.

[Mike Frett]

More is better

I am a Linux Gamer. With that out of the way, I have found absolutely Zero problems replacing my Windows games with Linux alternatives. If you use Xubuntu, Ubuntu, Lubuntu or Kubuntu and have access to the Software Center; you can see several new games being added each week. There is no shortage and there are a plenty of games to play. As far as LGP, all I ever saw was Old and Obscure games I didn't really like anyway.

With Steam and the Software Center, It really wouldn't bother me if it faded away to be honest. Also, every time there is a Thread like this, people come in here and talk about how Proprietary Apps and Games don't belong. Look, Linux can't rise up to anything if these old hats keep sticking to the "If it ain't free I don't want it!" model. Your 'RMS' Titanic will fall to the bottom of the Ocean if you don't start opening your mind to other options.

As far as Freedom, you can choose to use Paid software or not, but don't push it on other people who are open to new possibilities. And Linux not having many users? Yeah if you listen to the Microsoft camp that they have 98% of the market and the old myth that Linux has only 1%; It's nonsense, Linux has at least 10-15% now. And Windows is a Western phenomenon as many people in other parts of the Earth are using things other than Windows. If you have a truly open mind, you can see Microsoft isn't really looking all that great as a company anymore; yes they make Billions but for the last two years and for the next few, It's looking quite bleak for them.

If there ever was a time for someone with money to start an advertising campaign which includes options to Buy Linux computers, Support and Application development; It's now. The truth is, most users still have no idea what Linux is and are still being forced to buy computers with Windows. Education is the Key here and I have been doing my part with good results, locally. I don't know what else to say except, Linux isn't the nightmare to use as it was in the 90's, It's ready for prime time. But you can't throw something like Trisquel or Arch at new people that expect good hardware support and a place where they can easily buy apps and games and install them simply. And you can't tell them to open their terminal and type so and so; we need more focus here on WHO we are talking to.

It's not all good though, there are still stability issues involving misbehaving apps that lock up the system. Developers need to put a little more focus into providing Linux a way sandbox a crash so it doesn't affect the entire system. Better Hardware support and more Applications with an easy-to-use Graphical Interface would be nice also; the recent release of Robotux was a great start to finally move away from the clunky Xnee, as an example.

[curaga]

But games, no. Games are just entertainment. I don't view them as different than say, watching a movie. I watch the movie, I can't change it. I can't edit the script or choice of actors before or after I watch it. You pay the money to watch it as it is, and if you don't like it well, its not like you can't watch something else later or suddenly your lifes work is destroyed. Same with a game. You buy the game, play it. If you had fun with it then it has completed its only purpose. If I hate the game nothing further bad happens. On this note too, my roommate and I often make short movies. The presence of hollywood movies hasn't prevented us from doing that either.

Like GreatEmerald said, the comparison of a game to a movie is not entirely apt.

Your game binary may call home. It may install a rootkit. It may have other malware embedded, often called DRM. Even if it claims to be DRM-free it may have less desirable code in it.

Your movie is just data - you can do what you will with it, including playing it with an open source player.