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The best way to get games to run on Ubuntu is to either buy a TV card and plug a console into it, lower your expectations a bit, or do a bit of digging.

You're probably going to hear a lot of people wax on about Cedega here, but I'm not one of them. I've tried Cedega several times (and transgaming still spams me with their "news" every so often) but every time I have it's been money down the drain. The games I'd want to play are either so old or sold so few copies that it is impossible for them to ever garner enough votes to get any critical bugs fixed, and even if there aren't critical bugs, the annoyances are generally legion.

The best solution I've found to gaming is to just use my consoles for 90% of it. I admit, I'm a bit of a gamer, so I have all the current gen consoles, a Dreamcast, and an assorted pile of other stuff including a SNES with no power adapter (if someone has one they're willing to get rid of let me know!) There's a lot more quality just letting the computer alone and turning to the conveniently placed TV. One of these days I'll invest in a decent TV card and just move the whole operation to the computer and clean up a bit, but for right now, I don't need Windows, or Ubuntu, or MacOS for 90% of the gaming I do.

Other than that, if you go looking, there are a fair number of ports for Windows games done by the developers (or people working closely with the developers). Neverwinter Nights is the most popular one, I would imagine, followed by id Software's entire game library (as long as you have the resource files from the original discs). I believe Quake 4 has had its Linux version released by now. icculus.org is a source for some other ports, and also a way to explore a bit more in that area. Also Tux Games is a good place to find games packaged for Linux. I've never bought there, so I don't know if you get a normal installer or a seperate disc with the binaries, etc, but there are some interesting old games in there now that I'm actually interested in getting again. You're going to pay more, but it all goes to support more games being released for Linux.

Lowering your gaming expectations can also be helpful too. I've gotten an awful lot out of Angband, NetHack, etc, over the years, and all those run quite well under Ubuntu, as well as just about anything other OS with a display.

Other people want the reliability and the dependability that comes from a commercial software model.'
Translation: You people aren't keeping our revenue stream up.

Whatever. I just spent another $120US over at Tux Games. http://www.tuxgames.com/
When will Microsoft treat me like a customer instead of a thief?

Enjoy,

Have you considered making Linux ports? If it is a true Mac OSX port and Windows port, the effort of adding in Linux should not be that great.

I would recommend checking out LinuxGames, Linux Game Tome, and TuxGames.

If you do write a Linux game, I recommend packaging it in the Loki Install Wizard.

http://www.tuxgames.com/details.cgi?gameref=124&nc =1140704155

Please buy this game and bring Linux to the masses

http://www.tuxgames.com/details.cgi?gameref=124&nc =1140703881

Please buy it and support them !

Costs $15, but well worth it. Also, there are more native Linux games than you might think. Check out http://www.icculus.org/ , http://www.linuxgames.com/ http://www.happypenguin.org/ , http://www.linuxgamepublishing.com/ , http://www.tuxgames.com/ , http://games.linux.sk/ , http://games.linux.sk/ , http://www.linux-games.com/ , http://www.linux-gamers.net/ ... Of course for me gaming is just gravy, Linux is my ideal OS for actually getting work done. But I find that games run much more consistently in Linux than in Windows, which makes my gaming flings that much more enjoyable when I do have time for the occasional LAN.

There are much more games for Windows, so if gaming is your number one reason for owning a PC Linux will probably dissapoint you. If you're like me and gaming is secondary, I think you'll get along just fine. ;-)

-AT

So this is a pic of a NEW linux game? Exactly how many of them are there?

Well, a fair number. If you mean closed source, commercial-style games, about this many (slow because LGP is getting hammered -- that was pretty stupid, putting both machines on the same line, so that you can't sell anything while people are hammering the server).

Go ahead and run Ethereal if you're paranoid... you'll see that the only network activity performed by my app is the downloading of this jpeg.

It isn't.

http://i.tuxgames.com/lgpcomp/

while true do wget http://i.tuxgames.com/lgpcomp/comp.jpg sleep 1 done They did say that they would update it *every* *second*. Slashdot users: start your terminals!

Uh, no.

The real image is 1280x960 pixels, which is about 2 weeks' worth of waiting to see the whole thing...

The image "http://i.tuxgames.com/lgpcomp/comp.jpg" cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.

I'm guessing this means the game is going to be a mmorpg, possibly a linux port of WoW.

Blizzard would like to thank you for your patience, but you can not play the game you pay a monthly fee for at this time, due to our servers being unable to cope with current load. Please try making another charactor on a different server and wasting even more time playing WoW. Thank you, your custom is important to us.

Why don't you, and this guy start talking about when the Linux userbase will be large enough for games to be directly ported.

It's not "pie-in-the-sky dreaming", and no it's not a gamer's paradise either, but for now, I have more games for native Linux than I have time to play, and more are being ported all the time.

http://www.tuxgames.com/details.cgi?gameref=130

Please buy it and you will enjoy it !

Or even better, buy the games.

For ages they never had a title ported to Linux.

When Vivendi bought Sierra they dictated Tribes 2 should be stopped being produced for Linux.
check out Tribes 2 "sold out" ref: Loki Games

The code is there - the binaries are there - the cost is zero -
they allowed Windows users to download a free Tribes 2 .. but won't allow even Linux users purchase one any more.

I say .. fucking die the lot of them.

I accept economical ones but those were not. .. These people deserve having their scrotum ripped off - and their bleeding balls up be forced up their nostrils.

MS-fearing Mega-corps will do anything to stop gaming coming to Linux and Mac.
Because when that happens - the Desktop war is over.

People have tried petitioning since the days you were wearing nappies.

Now don't tell me you are still suffering from incontinence.

(for those who didn't get it, yes I am making fun of all the people who asked "where's the mac version?" in response to the announcement of Doom 3 for Linux. And, yes, I already know there's a Linux version)

Corrected link.

What you will get is the Windows retail CD plus a Linux installer CD and the count goes toward Linux gaming.

The same is true for Unreal Tournament 2004 (and 2003?). Quit neat having it shared on my NFS server and sharing it (loads decently on my 10MBit connections) can anybody say instant Lan party?

Can't wait to recieve it in the mail (preordered from Tux Games)

Get it here

Get it here

1. I (and probably others) will be lurking here to answer any questions you guys have, I hope that no one is offended by that.

I'm not...though I'm sure someone will think of a reason to be offended! :/

Here are two questions;

1. Is there a demo?
2. Is this similar to Heavy Gear II?

I check www.doom3linux.com on a daily basis. They are sure to know as soon as it is released.

The iD page doesn't seem to get updated very frequently, as evidenced by the fact that the first place to see the Demo is not iD's page. I suspect the first place to see Linux binaries will not be the iD page.

TuxGames seems to think that it will be out October 1, as that is when they start selling it.

TuxGames is preselling a Doom3 DVD with Linux binaries, quoted to be coming out October 1st. So Linux server should be out, and client soon after once Dustin is finished.

It's in progress... patience...

1. Fuck Valve (or any no-Linux client but Linux server whores - boycott)

2. Crossweavers will go to Heaven, Cedega Purgatory, Valve bums to Hell

3. Buy a Linux Game (My UT should arrive today)

4. Checkout and download this most brilliant FREE GAME! (can't believe servers are empty such a brill game)

Give me DoomIII on Linux and I might switch now.

(ps, I don't know if Doom III is out for Windows yet as I don't pay attention to Windows gaming. I'm a Linux gamer ;)

Strange why am I the only one who doesn't like Half-Life?
Again taste is a personal thing.
I guess the reason I don't like the game it's because the atmosphere rings so very true, I get too scared ... scary-cat me :)

But nice to know we have visits from Valve here like "Gabe" and on this opportunity -
not really wishing for myself but for others please attend to your fans!.

This product is due to be released on December 14, 2004.We are giving you the opportunity to be the first to purchase it. Please bear in mind this is a predicted release date. It is based purely on estimates made by Tux Games. This date is not supplied to us by the product developer. This is NOT a confirmed release date!

Tux Games will order the product on the day it becomes available, and will ship it immediately to you. Delivery time will be as listed below from the day we receive our stock.

Minimum Requirements
Currently Unspecified

It will also be released for Linux and MacOS X as well.

Apparently Tuxgames is sold out of the letfover Linux versions from Loki's firesale, and there's nothing on ebay. Looks like T2 won't work in WineX as well.

Sometimes you just don't get a break being a Linux gamer. Maybe if every third Linux gamer hadn't pirated the Linux version in the first place (since everything in Linux has to be "free", right?) things would be different. But there's so much legal detritus floating around, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting to see a free Linux version.

-B

01.30.02
We'd like to update our customers on a few items as we prepare to close down.

• ...
• Many of you have asked about support and maintenance for Loki products. We have taken the following steps:
• ...
• all source code has been returned to the respective licensors. Although we cannot guarantee that each licensor will continue to support the Linux versions of their titles, we have made certain that they have all the necessary tools to do so. Don't be shy about letting them know your thoughts on the matter.

...

It is fantastic. I beta tested the patch and I was BLOWN AWAY by the number of improvements. I wish that this had been the game that they originally released. The initial release got good reviews, but this almost seems like an entirely different game in itself. It's just better balanced, and the new units make things more interesting. Rendering improvements have been done to speed up certain video chipsets. It flies on my Radeon 9500 PRO, on Linux, with the details maxed.

Please support S2Games. They are totally dedicated to their product, and seem to be dedicated to Linux as well. I can't give enough praise to these guys. It's amazing that a team of such few members was able to create such an amazing and fun game. If we want to see efforts like this, it's VERY IMPORTANT that we share a few bucks with these guys to make sure that there is a future for titles like this.

I played the demo version and was hooked. I got my keycode for a mere $29, online, and was playing within 30 minutes...
http://orders.igames.com/savage/

Or, order a boxed version from Tuxgames....
http://www.tuxgames.com/details.cgi?id=663106&nc=1 074690859&gameref=114

Bu trust me... The demo version doesn't do the full version justice. The fixes, enhancements, maps, and extra units make it very worthwhile.

Carmack is a strong advocate of OSS and Linux and as such, Doom 3 will also be shipping with a linux binary. You can preorder the Linux the linux Binary Here

A Linux version will be available as well.

More aggressively with game developers. I mean its sort of sad that even though there are a handful of active commercial (and non-commercial albeit high quality as in my sig) game developers who are supporting Linux there is still the perception that Linux doesn't have games.

Gentoo seems to get it, but I'd expect to see a more aggressive commercial distribution seriously pimping this and I believe in we really need some good exposure like this.

If you plan to play on Linux, make sure you either send in your registration card with windows scribbled out and Linux handwritten in, or buy from http://www.tuxgames.com/details.cgi?gameref=115 where we will report each sale as a Linux sale.

What about Linux?

While I _did_ have a :) at the end of my original comment. If you do have some real interest, look at a couple of the Linux gaming sites...

The Linux Game Tome

Linuxgames

...and a place to buy them.

What needs to be worked on, like I said before, is making a market for Linux by establishing a desktop presence and get some key companies supporting Linux. Until then, the handful of Linux gamers will have to settle with what little they have while the rest of the world has some fun.

Erm, I'm having plenty of fun here, and I honestly have no problem spending my limit on Linux games. Go read. Go play. See what's actually out there.

Tux Games and Linux Game Publishing are using Linux servers

SCO can bite me as they arent getting a penny from us. I'll spend every penny my companies have to defend our rights under the GPL and run my company into the ground doing it, before I let them have a penny of it.

I call on other Linux companies to make their claim to Linux. Tell SCO that you wont be bullied!

Transgaming have said they will not actively promote compatability with games that have native ports, but this is a lie, their comments made on the Majesty section of their website make it quite plain they consider they are superior to native and they intend to beat native out of the market.

They are determined to ensure that Linux has second rate products and are a slave to Windows for our products and our api.

At Tux Games, we are more determined to ensure Linux has quality products than making a quick buck. We have turned down the opportunity to stock winex compatable games on our store, and we have invested heavily in producing native ports of games through our LGP branch. Native is the only future trhat leaves Linux viable and self-sufficient.

Transgaming have already shown that they dont really care about the Linux market, having ported a game from mac to windows without even bothering to make a Linux version.

For anyone who wants to make sure your MOH game gets registered as a Linxu sale, instead of a Windows sale, order from Tux Games, and as always we ensure that the rights owners know that your sale was for Linux.

Order it from Tux Games to ensure your purchase is registered as a Linux sale, and help the Linux gaming industry grow!

Yes you can order it from elsewhere, it may even be a little cheaper from some places, but your sale will get chalked up as a Windows sale, the more known Linux sales there are, the more this will help efforts to get future games ported to Linux.

It already runs under Linux. The beta testing is happening now. If you pre-order the game you automatically get to be a beta tester.

If you do pre-order, make sure to order from TuxGames so the sale counts as a linux sale.

Not all Nottingham companies are evil!
{:-)

All LGP titles may be purchased from Tux Games.

And, to be fair, one should note that Hyperion's port of SIN, and Loki's ports of Civilization: Call to Power, Myth 2, Railroad Tycoon 2, Eric's Ultimate Solitaire, Heroes of Might and Magic 3, and Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri all also have Linux/PPC support.

We should at the very least sign the petition on Tuxgames.

Spread the word!

For anyone wanting to install easilly, when the final version is released, Tux Games will be selling a fully functional Linux version that includes the boxed product plus an installer CD that does all the work for you.
Here is the product details link.

There already is a Linux Port you can buy it here

Michael, I can't be the first to notice that tuxgames' logo is a bit.. well, x-rated.
this one
A masturbating penguin is not a good thing for representing your company.

-metric