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Transgaming to Support Half Life 2 Under Linux

Posted by Zonk on from the we-don't-go-to-ravenholme,-tux dept.

rpdillon writes "According to Half-Life Fallout, Transgaming Technologies has announced that they will be releasing version 4.2 of Cedega, their Wine based software allowing some DirectX games to be played under Linux. The new version will be released Dec 7th with official support included for Valve Software's Half-Life 2 and Steam, Valve's online software store and distribution system, and a required component of Half-Life 2."

5 of 477 comments (clear)

  1. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  2. Re:Or better yet... by Swamii · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Because Linux users comprise less than 2% of the overall desktop market. Don't get religious about it; it's simply the fact that most of the time, it's not financially worth the development effort to port a game, especially a DirectX-based game, over to Linux.

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  3. Bi-directional support by phorm · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The speed at which Wine is supporting new games seems to indicate a certain amount of support from the game manufacturers. At the very least they're probably getting their hands on pre-releases in order to prepare for compatibility once the true game comes out.

    This isn't as good as having an actual native port for Linux, but at least it indicates that there is an awareness that Linux and cross-compatability are a consideration.

    1. Re:Bi-directional support by dave420 · · Score: 4, Insightful
      I don't mean to sound rude, but that's not what's going on. WINE is getting better. Games companies aren't going to bend over backwards to help linux, if their games are in DX. It's just not going to happen. Linux has a tiny share of the market, approx. 2%. A games manufacturer can improve sales of their game by 2% just by improving marketing or with various other non-expensive-labour-intensive activities. Using your core assets to port a game over for a MAXIMUM 2% of the market (if every single linux user bought a copy of it) isn't very cost-effective.

      Linux's market share will have to be muuuch larger before games manufacturers base too many decisions on it.

      I didn't meant to sound like a dick, but lots of people seem to forget the sheer economics of this.

  4. Re:Or just badger Valve by BAILOPAN · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How do you refuse to support a company whose product you can't use, anyway? Not buy their product more vigorously?

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