IndieCity game client is launching soon

Maybe, hopefully, we'll see some of the games that have Linux ports which, despite their Windows versions being present, are conspicuously absent from Steam/Desura.

I've seen Gameolith negotiate exclusive deals for distributing the Linux version of a game, in which case another cross-platform distributor doesn't help, but that probably doesn't cover all the cases. Do you have any specific games in mind?

I am going to just list the games I actually bought, not all the games that are in this case:
- Wizorb
- Botanicula
- Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars
- Machinarium
- Dustforce
- Eufloria
- Dear Esther
- Offspring Fling!
- Samorost 2
- Snapshot
- Vessel
- Windosill
- The Binding of Isaac
- Torchlight
- Crayon Physics Deluxe
- Lone Survivor
- McPixel
- NightSky
- ...

It's from memory, so I might have a few errors in there, but if I do, it means I've forgotten others.
Basically half the games I have bought on Steam that are supposed to have a linux port don't.

On Desura, it happens less, but then again, half the games plain don't run. It all balances out.

Also, some of these have had a linux version for a year or more.
Some of them - not giving names - plain don't answer at all when asked by numerous people when the promised Linux version (that we paid for, remember) is coming.

And on an unrelated note, the quote feature of this blog destroyed my previous post, I had to re-write it. It ate everything after the quote.

So have any of the devs admitted why they didn't submit an already-existing linux port yet? I see Amanita has not been answering about Machinarium/Botanicula, for instance. It could be they have qualms about trying to support large numbers of Linux users due to the issues of Adobe Air being abandoned on Linux after they did the port, but at least they could say so.

And on an unrelated note, the quote feature of this blog destroyed my previous post, I had to re-write it. It ate everything after the quote.

You need to do a hard-refresh to make sure you have the latest js files to fix that bug, you probably have old files.

Also I know you said the list was just off of top of head, but I'd like to point out that old Broken Swords were not available natively for Linux (though Scummvm can be used to play 1&2 which is as good as native) so Revolution Software is not holding out on us. I expect the new Broken Sword to get listed with all its platforms -- one of the core devs is even a Linux guy (Joost Peters http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/165500047/broken-sword-the-serpents-curse-adventure/posts/307066 )

I'll be surprised if IndieCity does anywhere nearly as well as Steam/Desura - I just don't see them catching up.

Maybe broken sword isn't listed on their site as having a linux port, but the port is available to download on my humble bundle page.
As for your other question, I don't want to name (although I've never released anything, I've been trying to get a game out for years, and I have an idea of the pressure that indie dev entails), but without pointing fingers at anyone in particular, let's just say the answers varied from "you should really talk with X" (X then tells you you should talk with Y, and so on, until you've gone full circle) up to absolute, impolite, and utter silence.
Again, it's not the end of the world, as I can get the games through direct downloads, and accessing them through steam is a convenience, though a convenience that matters a bit to the anal retentive me.
A word to say "sorry" would be nice, but meh, I guess not everyone thinks of the damage bad customer relationship can do.

I'll be surprised if IndieCity does anywhere nearly as well as Steam/Desura - I just don't see them catching up.

They target a niche market. They are not exactly competing with steam/desura. I, for one, would be an avid customer, provided they have a sizeable library of Linux games.

I'll be surprised if IndieCity does anywhere nearly as well as Steam/Desura - I just don't see them catching up.

They target a niche market. They are not exactly competing with steam/desura. I, for one, would be an avid customer, provided they have a sizeable library of Linux games.

What niche are they targeting that is different from Desura?

I'll be surprised if IndieCity does anywhere nearly as well as Steam/Desura - I just don't see them catching up.

They target a niche market. They are not exactly competing with steam/desura. I, for one, would be an avid customer, provided they have a sizeable library of Linux games.

What niche are they targeting that is different from Desura?

Yeah, you are correct, not different from Desura. I guess in my view Desura is more like an "everything goes" bag, not dedicated to Indie, but after reading their about page, they were created by the same guys who run indieDB and modDB ; my impression is thus wrong.
In that case, they *do* target the same nich market, and I have to agree with you.

Although I think it's too bad. The more competition the better.
If their offering/brand identity is different, they could still catch up. See for example how apps like whatsapp, that don't propose something really different, swept the market. All they did is reorganize things and present chat under another angle. Small changes...
I realize whatsapp is a different story altogether, since chatting is what the product is, whereas a platform for downloading games is another beast, but small changes can change a lot.
The final thing that weighted in my decision to use mainly Steam or Desura was that Steam allowed creating desktop shortcuts easily whereas Desura didn't. A stupid thing, but fast forward a few months, and I spent a few hundreds dollars more on Steam than on Desura.
I think the presentation of games on both Desura and Steam horribly sucks. I want a nice interface to browse my games, and none of the two apps proposes something even close. If IndieCity for example would give me automated downloads of fanarts, description, tags, difficulty ratings, etc...Stuff that would make my library actually look like a library, then I'd switch in a snap.
Not saying the IndieCity client will work (I mainly agree with you), I'm just saying, everyone always has a chance to make it big, even against established players.