I think what ssokolow is getting at is with Windows and Mac, everything is relatively consistent. Something compatible with 32 bit Vista basic will likely be compatible with every other version of Windows after that. Something compatible with OSX 10.5 will likely work on OSX 10.10. There's only one set of official drivers, there's only one user-interface, the source is locked down, and applications tend to come with everything they need (such as C++ redistributable packs and other libraries). Very often the things that break functionality the most in Windows are outdated drivers and over-protective firewalls.
In linux it isn't that simple. Sometimes the only thing that makes one linux setup similar to another is the version of the kernel you're using, which isn't saying much. This is why companies that create closed-source software tend to say "we only support ubuntu. go ahead and use it on something else but if it breaks don't come crying to us".
When the video drivers catch up I have a feeling gaming on linux will be much more appealing to other developers. The various desktop environments sure aren't helping much but they don't stand entirely in the way of getting AAA titles.
In linux it isn't that simple. Sometimes the only thing that makes one linux setup similar to another is the version of the kernel you're using, which isn't saying much. This is why companies that create closed-source software tend to say "we only support ubuntu. go ahead and use it on something else but if it breaks don't come crying to us".
When the video drivers catch up I have a feeling gaming on linux will be much more appealing to other developers. The various desktop environments sure aren't helping much but they don't stand entirely in the way of getting AAA titles.
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