Gaming and Recognition

Heya, ok I hope I used the word recognition correctly. What I mean is gaining popularity or just being known.

I'm unaware if this idea exists already, please let me know.

Basically we have many gamers stranded between windows and Ubuntu(Linux) because so little of the large amount of games can be played on Ubuntu but all of them can be played on windows.

This also puts people back from using Ubuntu (besides other things, I'm strictly referring to gamers).

Now I know it takes up money and a large revolution to get games to just even provide a Linux version of itself (mind you I said 'games', plural).

Thats why ubuntu should approach *the* most popular game to come or is and see whether they can achieve an agreement to getting a version for ubuntu. Start with just one.

With that said, roughly this would be how it's done:

1. Get a popular game, prepare it to run on Ubuntu without the use of other software i.e. Cedega, Wine or PlayOnLinux.

Target places worldwide where the game has a good base of players for that game _and_ Ubuntu is at least known amongst some.

1. When shipping the game, ship 2-3 (or the most affordable but not non-existent) copies of the game side-by-side with the windows copies.

3.Ship Ubuntu (LTS, being the latest most bug-free) with those game copies for Ubuntu (in one package). Provide easy installation guides for both the Ubuntu OS and the installation of the game in Ubuntu (I'm talking truly as _simple/understandable_ as can be).

*Additionally in the package could come a list of pros of the OS viewable for the consumer.

Necessities:

1. A list of Ubuntu gamers, maybe an actual fact of the percentage of gamers on Ubuntu to present to the game makers to prove a market actually exists.

1. Assistance of Ubuntu developers for the game makers, allowing the game makers not to get too frustrated with never having made anything for Ubuntu.

Reasons for a popular game instead of a upcoming or average game:

1. The developers are already doing good, they aren't likely to suffer mass loss.

1. The idea of a new market that could add to their success for future titles of theirs could be extremely intriguing or maybe like-able.

1. With consumers seeing an Ubuntu version of the game with the OS packaged with it for slightly more (or maybe the same price if canonical is willing to support the OS's distribution.) than the Windows version, will either get them buying it or at least spread the word that something called Ubuntu exists and it has that new awesome game working on it.

1. To allow this method to grow appropriately. If we try and branch out to all popular games or worst yet all *known* games, we are most likely to fail. Starting out with just one, being very popular, and having them accept us is likely to get us known better in the world of gamers today, thus creating a pathway to future games.

Having said all this, without funds it will not be easy and without the community's support it will definitely not succeed.

So if this idea is to be performed its best to allow contributions (money-wise, development abilities, all that the community is willing) to take place so a proper website where people can gain access on how to contribute would be needed.

Yes I know Launchpad and Sourceforge exist but this is a special task, one that needs to be able to be focused on from the others.

It is also best if the gamers in the community can help vote for the best game or the game that everyone wants to be able to play on Ubuntu. That plus market watching for the most popular game will be best when the picking actually takes place.

!!!! Definitely since this is relating to games, ATI and NVIDIA drivers must work almost flawlessly for the chosen game otherwise its doomed to fail from the start.

~~This idea is not just applicable to games but can be used also for popular programs (for those who argue that gamers are practically not the reason why Ubuntu is behind Windows AND Apple in the market).

Once this idea takes off and *if* it is a success then we move on to another game, boasting success with the other game to the new game's game makers, to bring to Ubuntu. WARNING : One step at a time, one game at a time. Don't go beyond ourselves.

:!: I know there are other OS's under Linux but so far it seems as though Ubuntu is leading thus will pioneer this strategy. With its success, surely the other OS's under Linux will get their spot on stage.

~~~! With this idea, Ubuntu will gain recognition and gaming capabilities as long as it is done smartly!~~~~

IMPORTANT: We cannot wait for game makers to come to us, we must go to them.

Now, for the most important part of this idea, what do YOU think?

It won't happen until manufacturers start making games for Linux, and that won't happen until it becomes profitable to do that (which won't be for a while, since Windows is the de facto standard for gaming). Right now, the only manufacturer doing it is ID Software, and the rest basically laugh.

Check out the homebrew games at getdeb.net for one. Some of them are amazing, and I think there is a Linux version of America's Army.

So basically the percentage of Linux users(gamers) is too small to be something. I see. Ok thanks guys

Maybe sometime in the future then. :)

A lot of people won't switch because they play games on Windows A lot of developers won't develop for Linux because there isn't enough of an audience.

Awesome catch22 isn't it?

I don't really consider your first point a reason, because Ubuntu is free so if the games worked on it and with little difference to getting it to work like in Windows, I don't think gamers would care. Especially since Ubuntu isn't a resource hog, thats a major plus. Most gamers play their games on Windows because windows is the only machine that has support. The basic of the idea was to get that support, even if only a little at first, over to Ubuntu.

Either way, a market, even if small, must be there. I'm guessing that when you guys say there's no market then the percentage of gamers in Ubuntu must almost be non-existent (or maybe is...).

A worrisome thing I've noticed is that the possibility of porting games to Linux may probably get harder or even disappear over time, due to the fact that there are now games that implement windows live to function, there's no stopping Microsoft from making other things that Ubuntu doesn't have and making games use them.

It's sad to think that the idea above can't be used for other programs as well, because everyone's saying there isn't a market meaning Ubuntu users rarely exist amongst the masses.

I'm also questioning, what would Ubuntu do if it did have the fame Microsoft has? I mean its all open source and mostly free, meaning there's no profit for developers of Ubuntu, how would it cope with a mass input of users?

More people, more wants and needs. Free, less people to cater to those wants and needs.

Starting to see that there won't be a future. Everything starts from nothing, otherwise there wouldn't be an open source infrastructure like there is today. Maybe if there was someone with great marketing abilities we would probably see otherwise with games. After all the game makers are only humans, they can be overcome.

History lesson. There was a company porting games to Linux called Loki. They went broke, not because the Linux market was too small but rather someone stuffed up their financials (No it wasn't Microsoft it was an internal issue). So if Loki thought there was money to be made from Linux games back then, why should the case be less today? In fact if I had the money I would be doing it. I just have 50mil or so to throw at it.

The answer lies not in the number of Linux users but rather the stubborness of the PC game publishers (not developers). They like their easy market and are not likely to change their ways unless something unfortunate takes it away from them. Like a global financial crisis or a fancy new console.

Also Microsoft was smart in the beginning with DirectX they managed to convert almost all the DOS gamers into Windows Gamers. Mind you it took them many years to establish that market but now look at the rewards it reaps them. Apple too saw that there was money to be made in gameing but they stuffed up their start by not catering to the game developers well enough. Now look at their reward.

Also consider this, when Loki decided to port games to Linux there was no infrastructure in place to do so. There was only 2 ways to draw graphics, through X and through svgalib. Now Linux has this great Library called SDL that developers can use. Where did SDL come from?

No I haven't written that RPG yet.

No I haven't written that RPG yet.

Lol. I didn't expect an ending like that.

Indeed I'm only consulting here because I hope to make colleagues in the near future and establish a proper Linux system in my country, so I want to know about the market.

We have a load of illegal Windows here and the govt wants it to stop but the Internet is an easy tool for this sort of job so its never truly going to end, especially not at the prices Microsoft imposes for originals in my country. Its almost a thousand in our currency. Unless a new solution (being Linux) is available. We have no govt specialists in this field at the moment, so Windows is the default.

Plus game developers in my country are only just beginning out, so I hope to get Linux in place of many home's Windows and be able to invite those developers to Linux game making.

Indeed Loki is a sad story but its the past. I'm asking now because technology changes rapidly and I'd like to see what the active part takers in Ubuntu think. So far, Richard James13, you are the only one who believes in the Linux market like Loki did. Thats just what I have seen so far. I want to be like you and Loki.

Plus there is a global financial problem now, and Windows also managed to bring a bad impression on Vista's beginning so DirectX 10 isn't in full use at the moment, am I wrong here? Can't this be counted as an opportunity?

I'd love to help the world get into Linux but I'm going to start with where I live.

When I talk about not seeing a future, I'm referring to where popular game developers are situated right now, things can change. Just not all at once.

myromance123 said: I don't really consider your first point a reason, because Ubuntu is free so if the games worked on it and with little difference to getting it to work like in Windows, I don't think gamers would care.

But my point was that right now the games don't work in Ubuntu so the gamers do care. I've heard from many people that PC gaming is the only reason they still use Windows.

How about we start by getting more games onto Mac, and THEN move onto Linux. Since Macs would be more appealing business-wise (larger market share), it would be more likely that games would be ported.

Hmm why Mac?

.... I don't believe Mac's are that identical to Linux, so how does it connect? Anyhow please go in detail, I want to understand.

Hey Merk42, sorry if I misunderstood you. Thanks for your replies.

myromance123 said: Hmm why Mac?

.... I don't believe Mac's are that identical to Linux, so how does it connect? Anyhow please go in detail, I want to understand.

Hey Merk42, sorry if I misunderstood you. Thanks for your replies.

Because Macs have a similar issue, because they are partly compatible (both Mac and Linux to an extent use the Unix standard for compiling), and because Macs have a larger market share. If one can get it running on a Mac, as long as it doesn't use any of Mac's built in APIs, it could be ported to Linux with minimal effort.