Why Aren't More Linux Users Gamers?

tops writes "MadPenguin.org wonders why more Linux users aren't gamers and attempts to answer that question. The article suggests, 'As far as I'm concerned, it all comes down to a choice. Expect the gaming industry to follow the Linux doctrine or instead, build up a viable, cross platform gaming market that includes us, the Linux users.' The article urges publishers to consider Linux users as a viable market, and requests that game developers target Linux as a platform during the pre-production phase." What do you think are the most important obstacles barring the big game publishers from reaching out to the Linux market more than they already do?

Comments

Linux users are spoiled

[Soleen]

IMHO this is just because average Linux user is spoiled.
Linux user does not want to BUY software, when in everyday life he or she just uses package manager for searching needed tools.
Linux user tries to avoid closed source software, becuase it does not run well on his costum built kernel compiled and optimized specifically for his mojo.
Windows and Mac users are not that spoiled, they get used to the fact that most of the software you need to buy or crack, that you need to look for it in different places and not just by using yum/apt-get/pacman etc.

Here are the reasons

[bogaboga]

1: Linux sucks! From the UI to development tools...and do not forget the "archaic" configuration tools.

2: Hundreds of distros? Give me a break.

3: The name Linux is confising to newbies. They download a Linux distro that actually sucks at every metric and try it out. They then realize that they cannot do most of what we using other OSes can do. They blame Linux in general.

Re:No free acclerated drivers yet but don't give u

[Oldstench]

...but it still takes effort, almost as much as it does to keep up a Windows box. I'm sorry, but give me a break. What effort is required to keep up a Windows XP box for gaming? I swear, sometimes you guys just crack me the fuck up. I must be the one exception to the accepted rule of Windows users. I have never had a virus, never had a bot installed, only ever had one serious driver issue and that was because I was using a really off-market audio card for multi-channel audio recording in Win98, and never had a BSOD that wasn't my fault by doing something incredibly stupid in some code.

At some point you need to realize that FUD is slung from both camps, except the OSS community simply seems to be far more vitriolic.

I love the idea of Linux and FOSS, but I doubt I will ever fully embrace the culture due to the users that I have come into contact with, both here and at various user groups I have attended.

Mod me down - whatever.