Linux will not become a gaming platform, it already is one

Network World ^ | 30 July 2014 | Bryan Lunduke

[ShadowAce]

[GeronL]

All it needs are .... GAMES

[molson209]

PlayOnLinux

[GeronL]

By that measure – and that is the only measure I can think of that makes any sense – Linux qualifies as a successful (even, great) gaming platform

huh? So the Dreamcast was a spectacular success?

This guy has a screw or two loose but he is not wrong about most of this.

[ShadowAce]

Steam has a native Linux client.

[Dr. Sivana]

The measure of a great gaming platform is if people want to use it to play games on... rather than another platform. At least on occasion.

And that is why the Bally Astrocade and GCE Vectrex sold so much better than the Atari 2600 and the Mattel Intellivision.

[Utilizer]

I dunno. While Wine in linux has progressed to the point where I can use some legacy 'doze programs in it, anything made to run on win 2k or above simply refuses to run, no matter what level of compatibility I set it to. I still have yet to find a way to get the old Wing Commander, Privateer, Descent, and Mechwarrior games to run.

Haven't tried Quake or Duke Nukem yet -and I really don't know if I still have that old copy of Nude Tomb Raider saved somewhere...

[ShadowAce]

I run Civ 4 under WINE, and Civ 5 natively, using Steam.

[Domandred]

Linux is a platform that you can play games on. It will never be a “gaming platform” where you put together a Linux system primarily to play games.

[Utilizer]

Hmmm. I see a couple of issues with that. One, why would I pay to download a game I already have to play it on Steam, and Two, Steam appears to have some issues with ntfs-3g and wine.

Thanks for the suggestion, though.

[ShadowAce]

Steam is native on Linux—it doesn’t use wine.

[Utilizer]

Yes, I am still studying it...

Perhaps I can try adding a FAT32 partition using partimage or gnuparted and try again later on to see if I can get more apps running or even some games.

Something to tinker with later on, I suppose.

On a side topic, you have a moment to advise on an unrelated topic? I can FReepamail you if you wish.

[wally_bert]

There was an old freeware game called Cyberdogs or close. It was a maze with characters you could arm all kinds of ways. Fun game, ran off a floppy.

[Utilizer]

The first version of Privateer came on floppies. Still love it and wish I could play it.

Almost impossible to find analog joysticks that still plug into the old 15-pin D-sub ports though, so it's a challenge.

[zeugma]

Haven't tried Quake

There is a native client for Linux. I used to play that a lot back in the day.

[LambSlave]

The day Fallout 4 is released exclusively on Linux, I’ll believe it... :-)

[martin_fierro]

GOOD TIMES. GOOD TIMES.

< |:)~

[PittsburghAfterDark]

I don’t dispute final numbers but when people always say the SNES beat the Genesis it took them 2 years after Sega stopped making games for it to do so.

Sega was beyond stupid and incompetent making the 16 to 32 bit generational jump. They had the Genesis, Sega CD, Game Gear, 32x, Pico, Nomad and Saturn going at the same time.

Sonic Team stopped making 16 bit games while Nintendo kept focusing on the SNES gems like Yoshii’s Island and Donkey Kong Country (Yes, I know.... Rare.) so for 2 holiday seasons while Sega wanted 16 bit dead and to focus on Saturn (Which always sucked.) Nintendo finally took the lead on generational sales.

Year in and year out it was neck and neck while Sega was actively pumping out 16 bit titles. It took them quitting 18-24 months early on the generation for Nintendo to finally claim victory.

[edh]

“GCE Vectrex” ... a masterpiece.

I have every game for this thing except Polar Rescue and one of the light pen games (well, I have those on a flash cart ... but that doesn’t count).

I have the 3D goggles and all 3 games for that with the color wheels (had to trade some vector arcade stuff I had for those) :-).

I frigging love that system :-). I was young when it came out ... my dad grabbed one + a bulk of the games I have when they were being cleared out for next to nothing around 1985 or so.

There have been a lot of great homebrew releases over the past 15+ years too.