Linspire To Run Windows Games

Ken writes "Aviran's Place reports that Linspire and TransGaming released Cedega for the Linspire desktop Linux operating system, allowing Linspire users to play hundreds of popular Windows-format games right out of the box."

Comments

Portability

[SadPenguin]

Not a linspire fan, but i think its about time someone's thinking this way. Portability is key for widespread acceptance, and I like cedega, because in my experience, it works.

Re:Portability

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd rather see games run natively under Linux. Cedega is a discouragement.

Re:Portability

[menkhaura]

Roger that. If there is no need to write native games for Linux, then why bother? The performance penalty will be high, Linux gaming will be slow and painful, and people will say: "Look at that Linux thingie, it's slow, it's incompatable [sic], it's hard to use...". Should more software houses follow iD Software's example, using open standards (OpenGL anyone?), portability would be dead easy, code would be better written, Linux gamers would have more options, and these soft houses would have faithful customers (I wouldn't have bought Doom 3 if it didn't run on Linux, and it runs smooth; now I know that iD respects its Linux customers, and I buy anything Linux they make)

Re:Portability

[Khuffie]

If people at least try it, they might see that it's a pretty decent OS.

Linux has one major hurdle to overcome. It's not the interface, as Gnome/KDE are pretty user friendly, but this: installing programs. I'm a pretty savvy computer user (for windows/ os x), but I've never had any luck running Linux. Using the default set of programs that come with your distribution is fine, but when trying to get anything else installed is a nightmare. Most programs require using the terminal, apt-get or, dare I say it, compile from sources. Until Linux has the ability to just download a file, double click it and install (for all distros, not just one), it'll still be out of reach for regular users. Just my 2 cents.

ongoing cost

[Laz7]

at 45USD a year, I think I will pass on that ...

Wow, I wonder why nobody thought of that

[jbellis]

Maybe it's because having to save all your work, rebooting, rebooting again when your game is done, and restoring all your applications to the right state is a HUGE WASTE OF TIME.

Right now, for instance, I have 12 applications open, only a few of which have entirely satisfactory auto-restore-after-shutdown functionality.

Re:Wow, I wonder why nobody thought of that

[99BottlesOfBeerInMyF]

seriously though, i doubt you run your games with all those files/applications going on at the same time sapping your ram and cpu speed...

Spoken like a Windows user. My web browser, mail application, messaging client, calendar, terminals, text editor, image viewer, layout application, and a dozen more have been running non-stop for the last several weeks. Why would I shut them down to run a game? Any system with decent multitasking and prioritization will not use any real CPU cycles or hog the rRAM on applications just sitting open while I'm playing a game.

Note, this is on a couple year old laptop running OS X. The games I usually play are some older ones, like UT2003, Warcraft 3, Neverwinter nights, and a handful of less cpu/gpu intensive but fun games.

Maybe you should use a good OS for a month and see what it is you're missing. I'm very unlikely to ever reboot to play a game, nor am I ever going to quit all my running applications.

Re:Windows just isn't that expensive

[qewl]

http://www.tomshardware.com/howto/20020531/windows _gaming-06.html

Yes, actually it is about half the speed on Linux. But I still think it will become faster. I also think Wine/CVS may catch up to WineX/Cedega in a year or so. After all, the real goal is to not have to leave Linux for atnything.

Hundreds eh?...

[Timbo]

What they say: "allowing Linspire users to play hundreds of popular Windows-format games right out of the box."

What they mean: "about 90 or so games run after spending hours changing config files and trying different version of cedega. 90 is nearly 100 right?"

Re:Linux Games

[dreamchaser]

I'm surprised you were modded as insightful. The point was that they were including software support to run games via Cedega (Wine). If you bought an ATI card then given their track record with Linux drivers you get what you deserve. ATI's Linus drivers are known to suck. If you want to run Linux and play games, Nvidia is still the best for that purpose.

This thread is about added software support in a Linux distribution, not about various hardware/driver issues on Linux.

Wrong solution

[suitepotato]

Pure and simple if the Linux community is going to squak about Windows, bash Microsoft, and copy everything they do, then they might as well quit now. Innovation and providing the end users with what they want is where it is at. Microsoft does it, Linux doesn't. Simple.

TuxRacer proves that decent graphics and speed are possible natively on Linux. Linux based game design and publishing is needed, not using Windows games on Linux. As Linux is proven to be capable of running games of its own just fine, more publishers will port their games natively to Linux. Trying to co-opt Windows apps onto Linux is kludgy and ultimately screams "we're unoriginal me-too hacks". The Linux world needs to innovate, carve its own path, and create not copy. Until then, it isn't going to be getting where we want it to go, which is to be loved for being what it is and not used simply because we are angry with Microsoft.

Re:Wrong solution

[deaddrunk]

Which is indeed the case until you remember that one OS has a stranglehold on the market. Look at the alternatives to MS Office. What's the first thing they need to offer to stand a chance? Compatibility with the beast.

Microsoft did this themselves with their ability to read and write Lotus and guides to using Word if you're used to Wordperfect.

If there were 10 equal games in town instead of one Linux would already be shining; as it is it has to be compatible with the platform that the overwhelming majority of software only runs on.

Win is a dead end for games

[WillAffleckUW]

Most gamers have moved on to platforms like PS2, and are drooling while they see the specs on the PS3 (or whatever they were calling it last week) and the GameFrog (or whatever the Nintendo thing is).

Seriously, I can't remember the last time I bought a Windows game. Maybe a few years ago? So long as I can get Fable (ya ya, so it's xBox, but it's not even that great) and Lego Star Wars and Sims: The Urbz and suchlike, why would I want to buy a Win game?