Linux the gaming platform!

[viking60]

October is the Month where Linux will turn into a gaming platform. Not many are willing to admit it, but the games have played a major role in the choiche of OS. The steam games will be ready for Linux and rumour has it that the games do play better than with DirectX. Microsofts atempt to control the gaming industry has backfired as it did with the movie industry. They are not to keen about leaving the control to Microsoft. So Steam games are coming to Linux and that makes MS nervous, so they are launching the Xbox version of Hello4 these days, probably hoping to create enough noize to make the big news of Linux as a gaming platform go away.

Yes the games are commercial and some Linux people have taken the opportunity to express their views on freedom etc.. At the same time they welcome Steam games on the Linux platform.
Pretty much stupid!
Linux as a platform for everything will secure the future of FOSS, because It will consolidate Linux as a versatile system that can pretty much do everyting better than that other OS.
How can it be wrong to increase the flexibility?
Paying for your favorite game is OK and making it a good business for the brave business leaders that have decided to use Linux, highly motivated and provocated by Microsoft, is more than OK.
Google has shown that Linux can be big business, let us make sure that Steam can say the same.

I bet that Linux will get a LOT of new users because of it. Getting used to Windows 8 is harder than getting used to Linux so it is all a matter of welcoming the hordes of new users, and help them out with answering questions, that we have answered a million times before, with a smile on our faces.

I alway say this: There are no stupid questions And I hereby give all a cart blanch to kick me in the but every time I forget...

They will probably all be asking about Ubuntu (Yes I know..and don't go there )

[rolf]

I don't have much interest in games, although I enjoy looking at some of the graphics, like in UNIGINE™ engine for doing a graphics card benchmark.

GF's nephew, 13 y.o., and his stepbrother, 3 y.o., seem to have the typical youngster's interest in game play, so I will follow this and let them try it out, maybe sign up for the private beta preview.

[dubigrasu]

Well, is better than I thought.
I have Steam (Linux version) installed and I can tell you that it looks and behaves the same with its Windows counterpart although is only a beta version. I used Steam keys previously bought with Humble Bundle and installed some games which are running just fine.
If they are gonna do this all the way they will break one of the last remaining barriers so to speak.

There are some other similar platforms like Steam ( Desura for example, a really good one) but Steam is really BIG.
Blockbuster games provided by Steam will definitely bring more users to Linux.

I only hope that Linux will remain Linux and it will not generally follow Ubuntu in their approach/philosophy whatever you wanna call it in search for new users.
I initially tested Steam on a fresh Ubuntu install and I was really disappointed.
Do not know about previous versions, but his new one 12.10 is even more dumbed down and restrictive than a Mac could be.
You cannot do this, you cannot do that and you are pretty much forced to accept what they think is the best for you. Is the total opposite of that freedom of choice that Linux gives you.

OTOH, Ubuntu is a kind of bridge between two worlds and if some other major player will follow Steam and develop for Ubuntu (I am thinking mostly Adobe with their graphic suites) hardcore Linux distros will also benefit from this.

Anyway, Steam for Linux is something I did not thought it could be possible just few years ago.

[viking60]

Good to hear that it is working really well from our Gaming-berserk!
And I do agree 100% on that Ubuntu comment. I still think it should be possible to lose that horrible Unity though. And then Ubuntu is pretty much Linux again....

Code: Select all

sudo aptitude gnome

+

Code: Select all

sudo aptitude remove unity