Michael Simms of LGP and TuxGames

jvmatthe writes "The scene for native Linux games has been sleeping for months now, given the demise of Loki. Now LinuxGames has posted a very interesting interview with Michael Simms, who leads both TuxGames and Linux Game Publishing (LGP), which details his views on where Linux gaming has been, where it stands now (including comments on WineX), and where it may be going in the short and long term."

Comments

Interesting that he still needs to say this:

[SweenyTod]

Secondly, I would like to say to those that feel that sending flames to the publishers and developers of games will help to get us a port, it wont! Stop doing it, it just harms the reputation of Linux users. If you want to help, buy the games that are out there, show the companies that DO make Linux games that it is worth it, which will make sure that the next game they make is ALSO available for Linux. If you MUST contact the companies that do not make Linux ports, please do so professionally. Send a polite email asking them to port the game, let them know that LGP will port it for them if they have not got the skills to do it. Let them know that you would pay good money for it if it is available for your platform. But do it POLITELY AND RATIONALLY. And only do it once. Continued bombardment of a polite email is as bad as a flame. Remember when you contact a company, you are presenting them with the face of Linux gaming, so show them our best face.

We as a community of users are still not being good advocates. It's more than advocacy - it's basic manners and the ability to communicate.

If you flame or abuse somebody, you give them the excuse they might be looking for to ignore you.

what linux gaming needs...

[xirtam_work]

is a killer app, a game which isn't available on another platform, which takes advantage of the special properties which open source and linux operating systems can offer... like really long uptimes... like keeping the game on in the background all the time in a minimal mode, so that it acts likes a server using p2p for playing (like doom3) when you're not playing it.

a massively multiplayer elite-a-like? a massively mutliplayer first person perspective action/RPG based in a bladerunner type city?

expandable using user programable add-on modules?

Oh, and release it under a license which doesn't allow for ports to non open-source operating systems :-)

Re:Corporate suicide.

[yatest5]

"Oh, and release it under a license which doesn't allow for ports to non open-source operating systems :-)

1. Write brilliant game.
2. Exclude vast majority of potential buyers.
3. Profit!!

Re:There is no Linux games "market".

[13Echo]

That is not "insightful". It is totally false. Many Linux users *pay* for their distributions. Many *pay* for commercial software.

GPL advocates aren't any different than Windows users, when it comes to playing games. Most of them are willing to pay for commercial software, as long as it is of high quality. As a matter of fact, I'm willing to bet that there is a whole lot more illegitimate gaming on the Windows side. I've known LOTS of Windows users that refuse to pay for any of their software.

For the record, I've paid for the following on my Linux box in the last few months:

Slackware 8.1
Lycoris
Mandrake
Return to Castle Wolfenstein
Q3A
OpenSound.com sound drivers
Two Opera licenses

And I'm getting ready to buy a bunch of games from Tux Games. Neverwinter Nights is on my list. Perhaps if there was more software available, then Linux users would be buying more. The point is that there isn't as much right now, and most of what is available is GPL. We use, and advocate good GPL software because often, it is better than the commericial alternatives. But right now, the commercial games still have it. There aren't many GPL games that can match the amount of money and manpower that go into these big, commercial projects. Good, advanced GPL games are showing up, but not at the rate of commercial games.

Did it ever occur to you that some people love GNU/Linux, not because it is free, but because it is the best, most powerful x86 alternative to Windows? Maybe that doesn't make sense to you. How much have you paid for software lately?

There will be a market for Linux games. It just needs to be given a chance. Hardware drivers are very stable in Linux, and things like SDL make it really easy to write cross platform games. Linux's OpenGL implementation also seems faster than on Windows. It is growing as an OS, and getting more users. You don't really think that they all want to miss out on these games, do you?

Gaming on an essentially business platform?

[fruey]

Serious gamers are always going to be looking for a platform that can satisfy their needs. Consoles work as 99% of the people who buy them want pure gaming satisfaction. Thus, hardcore gamers are generally console owners. PCs can add to the gaming experience in the multiplayer over network gaming, but consoles are catching up with ethernet, wireless and modem options. Given that a PS2, XBox or Gamecube doesn't cost as much as a decent enough specced PC to play games, then the market is clearly in that court. The richer end of the market probably prefers top spec PCs, and they will probably run Windows.

Most Linux users are there for stability, because they believe in it, etc. Thus the Linux gaming market will be mainly for people who are not hardcore gamers - just programmers, geeks, etc who are looking for the occasional game. I find it hard to believe the market will really rumble, since on the same hardware most people can install and run Windows games on their M$ OS of choice. There are exceptions of course, but I'd put my money on them being few and far between.

However, as implied in the interview, the key is predicting the future. Getting in on the ground, becoming a respected name in Linux gaming, could be a good strategy ready for one of several possible events:

• Linux getting market share in the PC market and becoming a viable gaming platform in its own right (it sure isn't now, and I'm not talking about being able to develop games on the platform, but being able to sell large quantities of them)
• Consoles having Linux embedded in them (cue the PS2 Linux kit... that's an interesting move which seems to want to attract developers to the console via a Linux interface, and see if they come up with interesting stuff, since they can work on other machines too and get stuff going)
• Mac OSX games, easier to port to Linux (perhaps not... machine code optimisations won't run on Intel clones... but OpenGL and installers etc may be re-usable to an extent)

I think the second point is most likely what Linux gaming could be all about. The console market is shifting towards a more "Home Entertainment System" with DVD and networking. Add a hard drive, get TiVO-esque services, run Linux for an OS and push Intel/Microsoft aside with a decent, lower cost alternative to the PC. Plenty people I know have VCRs, DVDs, HiFi etc without ever thinking they'll need a PC, but might like a games console that does all the above. The lines between devices are blurring more and more, and Linux could be the heart of some of the newer generation devices.