Steam Linux Usage Increases Slightly, Still Below 1%

[suberimakuri]

Hmm, same here, first survey.
Also same as icewater, just got back into some PC gaming this year due to Linux steam support. Been like 10 years.

Also I have 3 computers/os (1xdual boot) with same steam account. Only one survey.

[GreatEmerald]

I agree, but it still doesn't change the fact that people are still going to choose to be paranoid. These hardware surveys, to my knowledge, only occur when you're logged into the steam client and does not apply when you're signed in from a web page. Most of the hardware detection is fully automated, so it is a little more "intrusive" than what web browsers will tell you.

That sounds weird to me, because if you care about your privacy, you will not use Steam to begin with. It phones home every time you try to do much of anything. And privacy statements are just words (no to mention that making it a survey does not inherently change the privacy policy).

[M@yeulC]

Had my first survey in tens of months today
Thanks to the commenter who mentioned that, this reminded me to fire up steam again.

It feels strange to have it now just before SM launch, while I haven't got it on linux, only on windows when I occasionally fire it up in a VM or with wine.

[HenryM]

I wonder if linux users are being kept quiet until after steam OS in fully released. just imagine. "Linux is the fastest-growing gaming platform! user base jumped 2000% this month!"

Half joking.

[schmidtbag]

For gathering information about a user's hardware, cpu and gpu models, etc, I agree with your assertions.

But that doesn't really make sense for simply discerning Windows vs. Linux vs. OSX. Again, every webmaster on earth gets that data from the browser string. Michael here on Phoronix can tell us exactly how many people visit his web site from Windows vs. Linux vs. OSX vs. whatever, and nobody is crying tinfoil hat, it's an accepted practice. Plus the fact that Steam has an in-built web browser, for browsing the Steam store, so it should have this capability inherently, without some manual "survey".

I agree, but it still doesn't change the fact that people are still going to choose to be paranoid. These hardware surveys, to my knowledge, only occur when you're logged into the steam client and does not apply when you're signed in from a web page. Most of the hardware detection is fully automated, so it is a little more "intrusive" than what web browsers will tell you.
Personally, I'd like it if Steam just collected information about everyone and just tell all the paranoid people to deal with it. This survey information is very useful.

[torsionbar28]

There's some information they aren't able to collect, such as network speed or whether you use a microphone. I think they could just read the data from each client login but then there's going to be those whiny tinfoil hatters who claim their privacy is being invaded. So, it's easier to just take a random sample of people who log in and just ask them if they want to be surveyed.

For gathering information about a user's hardware, cpu and gpu models, etc, I agree with your assertions.

But that doesn't really make sense for simply discerning Windows vs. Linux vs. OSX. Again, every webmaster on earth gets that data from the browser string. Michael here on Phoronix can tell us exactly how many people visit his web site from Windows vs. Linux vs. OSX vs. whatever, and nobody is crying tinfoil hat, it's an accepted practice. Plus the fact that Steam has an in-built web browser, for browsing the Steam store, so it should have this capability inherently, without some manual "survey".

[schmidtbag]

I never understood the function of the Steam Survey for evaluating OS distribution. Can't they read the OS on each client login, and use that for their statistics? Why the elaborate hardware survey, just to capture client OS name? Heck, a simple web browser string gives a webmaster data on all his visitors OS, you'd think a custom client like Steam would be reporting this info automatically.

There's some information they aren't able to collect, such as network speed or whether you use a microphone. I think they could just read the data from each client login but then there's going to be those whiny tinfoil hatters who claim their privacy is being invaded. So, it's easier to just take a random sample of people who log in and just ask them if they want to be surveyed.

[torsionbar28]

I never understood the function of the Steam Survey for evaluating OS distribution. Can't they read the OS on each client login, and use that for their statistics? Why the elaborate hardware survey, just to capture client OS name? Heck, a simple web browser string gives a webmaster data on all his visitors OS, you'd think a custom client like Steam would be reporting this info automatically.

[Hedaja]

I had my first Steam survey on Linux yesterday!

But it seems weird though... I spent 5 hours on Windows (at work) with Steam and had already 2 surveys, and I spent around 150 hours on Linux with Steam and just had my first survey.

I don't know, maybe I'm very unlucky...

I have seen the same behavior on my machine too. In windows I get survey almost every time i log into steam (not that often anymore) and under Linux I think I have never seen one.
If Steam is really basing their numbers on these surveys than the Linux numbers should be quite a bit higher. Maybe it's some kind of marketing trick (sending out very few surveys to Linux users and than after the release of the steam machines doing an equal amount for Windows and Linux so that the Linux number jumps up). Okay I think I'm getting too much into conspiracy theories. But it would still be interesting how Steam calculates these numbers

[icewater]

Just an interpretive perspective here on the "slight increase" in Linux usage, and what it actually means to market share, using myself as the example.

I will not use Windows, and since higher-tier gaming has always lagged behind (sometimes way behind) on Linux, I basically gave up gaming when I went to Linux exclusively.

However, now that Valve has made a commitment of sorts to champion the cause, I'm back in. Since I'm essentially new to gaming, my tiny numerical contribution to the "slight increase" number actually represents a significant outlay of cash into the market. I bought a Linux gaming computer (Steam Machine), and I'm building up an entire library of newly-purchased games.

On a somewhat related note, I would not have bought a UHD TV if I hadn't gotten into gaming again.

Just saying that an economic analysis of the impact of viable Linux gaming should include some weighting of the numbers financially.