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PopCap Games Releases Open Source Framework
2d is the new 3d writes "PopCap Games has Open Sourced the framework used to make their hit downloadable web games. From the press release: 'The PopCap Games Framework provides developers a quick and easy way to get their projects off the ground, allowing more time to be spent on game design instead of compatibility bugs and multimedia programming issues. For the first time, casual game developers will have access to a refined, reliable framework that has been tested in dozens of games played by millions of customers. ...The PopCap Games Framework is available now at developer.popcap.com. It currently supports Windows 98, ME, 2000, and XP operating systems."
The cynic in me wants to find "the catch", so I looked up the license agreement and its the shortest, easiest to read most legitimate license agreement I've seen for something like this.
Basically you can do whatever you want with their toolset and even charge money for the games you make, as long as you say it was made with their toolset. They're up front in saying that while they would encourage you to publish your game through them, it isn't necesary.
Hopefully we'll see some good independant games come from this.
Yeah, there is an excuse.
Downloadable games are a business. There is no market for game on linux, or even the mac right now (this may change)
So if you are running a business, and need to make money to keep said business alive, there is no reason to develop on anything else but Windows, and waste money on linux or mac.
Sorry, the world would be better with more platforms, but in the PC game world, only one exists right now, the one the vast majority uses.
*There is no market for game on linux, or even the mac right now (this may change)*
I dont know about that, there is definitely a market for Linux games. Cedega survives through a subscription model ($5/mnth) selling a compatibility layer that enables some Windows games to run on Linux. It's a niche product, but there are obviously people who want to play games on linux, and are even willing to fight through all sorts of technical issues to do it.
The question isnt whether the market is there, but whether it's big enough to sustain a business. Could you develop a AAA title and survive only on Linux sales? No, not likely. Could you develop a cross-platform version (ie use OpenGL instead of DX) and have the Linux sales cover the porting costs and even turn a small profit? Quite possibly...
Linux and Mac have something Windows doesnt; a captive audience. When you release a Windows game, you are competing with hundreds of releases a year. With the dearth of high quality commercial linux and mac games, you arent fighting for the attention of your market. If you release a high quality game (like NWN, for example), then anyone using that platform who is interested in that type of game is much more likely to buy it.
The docs specify that it's a C++ framework targeting VC++6 and VC++.NET. DirectX 6 is used for graphics, and the BASS library is used for music and sound.
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