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Desura Game Distribution Service Releases On Linux

Posted by Soulskill on from the gaming-in-a-tux dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Desura is a digital distribution platform for video games, focusing on releases from indie developers and mods rather than AAA titles. After a two-month beta period, Desura has launched a Linux client, which supports the installation and patching of games on any Linux distribution. With this release, Desura is the first client to work on both Windows and Linux systems, enabling games to be installed with a click. They're currently in discussions to release the code under the GPL."

5 of 77 comments (clear)

  1. Meh.... by sl4shd0rk · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Looks like all the game titles are Humble Bundle games. Don't get me wrong, I love the HB games and I think it's great that Linux is getting some gaming love but when I can just download, tar xvfz && ./runme , I don't see the point of this. Are other titles available? Does this mean EA is going to start doing Linux ports through this?

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    1. Re:Meh.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The idea is create something like steam. You can download the game from the developer's website, but having a single interface where you can download, buy, apply mods, manage friends, etc is the point of this. I don't really like the idea of this since it places too much power in a single company (see steam), but there is a demand for it and desura seems a good software that has love for linux. It is already rather big and it looks like it can drive some major games to linux with some more time, so I support them even thought I don't like the idea of this kind of software and the software if not free (yet, I hope).

    2. Re:Meh.... by HarrySquatter · · Score: 4, Insightful

      and it looks like it can drive some major games to linux with some more time

      Hahaha what? Desura will have almost no impact of bringing major games. If there was a market for that Stream for Linux would have already berm released rather than Michael of Phoronix perpetually claiming it's just around the current.

    3. Re:Meh.... by bonch · · Score: 0, Insightful

      when I can just download, tar xvfz && ./runme , I don't see the point of this.

      You'd really rather "tar xvfz && ./runme" instead of installing in a GUI?

      Does this mean EA is going to start doing Linux ports through this?

      If that was true, I'm sure we'd have heard about it. Besides, in the unlikely event that Linux desktop gaming actually picked up any momentum, Valve would just release their Linux port of Steam.

  2. PROTIP: Package management systems! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Oh boy... the Windows-think people are at it again.
    Next thing we know, they'll "invent" the concept of "everything is a file".
    Or brag about their awesome new Linux versions of AutoIt and WinBatch called "ash" and "wbash".

    They just invented NIH all over again... :P