Slashdot Mirror
Linux Sin Demo
Jacek Fedorynski writes: "A playable demo of Sin, the first person shooter originally by Ritual, has been released by Hyperion Entertainment. It weighs about 40 MB." It looks good. I haven't gotten the mouse working yet, but I've only been futzing with it for a few minutes, so it's probably just me.
For linux to be accepted by the main stream it needs a load of good games. But not only that, these games need to work first time. Put in the CD, click, click and wait for the pretty installer (see Red Alert 2).
Once thats finished click, click, load up the game. People dont want to have to change their config files to get the mouse to work! If a slashdot editor cant get a game working within a few minutes, how long will it take joe luser?
Dont get me wrong, I love linux, I have a couple of loki games, and play tuxracer every day. I havent been to windows for weeks, and that was so I could watch some asfs.
On the bright side:
The point a year ago, or even a few months ago, is the general public wont use linux until games are ported, and they wont be ported until people use linux.
Now it's:
People wont use linux until there are good games that are easily set up.
Unfortunatly there still isnt much gping on in many publishers eyes. A few days ago I got this from Hasbro, with regard to Civ 3.
Development of this product has not yet began. The developers are at this
time only finalising concepts and design functions. There are no plans for
any Linux versions and no current plans to allow outside companies to
publish Linux editions of any of our catalogue titles - sorry.
Which is sad.
Also, I noticed that CTP2 was nearly out now. I havent heard a work about it from loki, even though they ported CTP.
Its a sad fact tha game on linux, although very fast now with xfree 4, arent ported on time and arent set up as easily as their windows counterparts. The only exception is Quake 3. (I havent managed to set up UT yet). Apart from them, gaming is a loss on linux. For now.
I haven't gotten the mouse working yet, but I've only been futzing with it for a few minutes, so it's probably just me.
Serioulsly, who among us wants to spend the time downloading a 40 meg game, then have to "futz around with it" for it to work? I don't think I would ever bother, let alone average Joe windows user. Until Linux developers realise that most PC users don't get as much joy out of messing with ther PC's as they do, Linux will remain as a non-majority OS.
If you developed a piece of software for windows, and after installation, the mouse didn't work, most people wouldnt try to "futz around with it", theyd take it back to the store and say its broken. Which is totally correct, because it IS broken. If a piece of software doesn't work perfectly right after instalation, its not finished.
The Open Source community really has to work harder at hammering down "final" versions of products and making sure that developer releases are really developer releases. Allowed to download and use, but clearly marked as for testing only, not general use.
---There is no spoon....---
SIN Screenshot