Activision Is Blocking A Game Coming Over To Linux UPDATED

Quoting: Quote from Hamish

Quoting: Quote from adolsonI'm not sure what you're referring to. Are you saying that the <2% of Linux gamers on Steam, for example, are accounting for 10+% of the revenue for a bunch of games? So, say, random game, Monaco. 10% of Monaco sales are from the <2% of Linux users?

Yes, it is very probable that 2% percent of Steam's user base can account for over 10% of purchases on certain games. If that does not make sense to you, I suggest you brush up on your statistics. Linux users are prejudiced to buying Linux supporting games more than users of other platforms, obviously.

Quoting: Quote from adolsonAnd I bet most of the Linux users who know who he is and wanted his game had already bought it. What he learned from that, is what Activision already knows. If his games are good, I'd be willing to buy them. Maybe I already own them/it and I don't even know.

Your entire suggestion here is that most Linux users buy non-native games. Which may very well be true, but you have done very little to back up that assertion, other than mentioning Humble promotions where most of the people involved were probably trying to make a statement to the developers or to the Humble Bundle people more than anything else, through misguided means or not.

I for one do not do this, or buy non-native software in general, so if you are basing your opinions on just a few anecdotes from people you know my actions still have equal weight compared to theirs. Unless you have a broader field of evidence to show.

Tripwire the makers of Killing Floor have said that 10% of their sales after posting to Mac AND Linux were to those platforms. That's combined Mac and Linux versions not just Linux.

http://www.gamingonlinux.com/articles/red-orchestra-2-and-tripwires-future-titles-to-come-to-linux.2501 

Quoting: Quote from XpanderOT:About Garry

thats how he is. But Actually he's pretty dedicated about the linux port. at least with its new baby (Rust). whenever someone reports a bug on their forums about linux he's answering pretty fast and pulling the logs and pushing to other devs.

That's great to hear.

Also, apologies for getting the thread off topic :D

Quoting: Quote from Cheeseness

Quoting: Quote from XpanderOT:About Garry

thats how he is. But Actually he's pretty dedicated about the linux port. at least with its new baby (Rust). whenever someone reports a bug on their forums about linux he's answering pretty fast and pulling the logs and pushing to other devs.

That's great to hear.

Also, apologies for getting the thread off topic :D

That would be my fault. :P

I've heard of Garry's Mod, but I don't own it. The name of the game alone put me off - who's Garry? And why do I want a Mod he made? Maybe if he wants my money, he should call it something else, like... Crazytown. Or Rust - that one is on my wishlist at the moment. I'll have a look at Garry's Mod and probably end up adding one to the Linux sales at some point.

On topic though, if everyone who actually wants to play this game would, instead of simply complaining about it, actually put some effort in to let Activision know they're making a mistake, maybe they'll listen. They're not going to do anything if they don't see a demand, that's for sure. With such a small market, though... I suspect it may be futile after all. But at least I've tried.

@ATVIAssist on Twitter, if anyone cares to chime in.

Stuff like this should lead to a huge shitstorm.

So, it turns out somebody posted prematurely and that this isn't *quite* as negative as it sounds. Apparently Linux was never promised to begin with and it sounds like it wasn't specifically being pursued, and the initial concerns were raised by somebody who had assumed that the title in question would be supporting all platforms that the primary focus of the Kickstarter campaign would be targeting (from what I understand, pledge rewards offered copies of additional future titles).

Jane's clarification does insinuate that they have a very defined set of platforms that they're "granted permission" to release on, so it sounds like if Linux support were pursued by the developers at this point in time, then it would be blocked in the way that the initial forum post that sparked this claimed.

Quoting: Jane Jensen   Guys, I've just become aware of this thread. I just want to clarify.

   1. First, we never said MGX would be released on Linux only that Moebius would be. If you look down at the bottom of the kickstarter page it just says MGX is new and still TBD. So there were no promises broken or blocked by either Pinkerton Road or Activision. Keep in mind that from the start we realized that MGX was a game we were working with a publisher on, and we would have less control over. I don't see that as a bad thing. It's FANTASTIC that we are doing the GK1 remake. And that means working with the GK license holder. Also, to reiterate, MGX/GK1 is *not* being funded by kickstarter. That money all went into Moebius (and then some).

   2. Secondly, we are thrilled to have gotten the license to release GK1 on PC, Mac, Apple mobile and Android. There is no anti-Linux conspiracy. We are also not releasing on console either, for example. It was simply a matter of "these platforms make the most sense in the market right now, let's release there and see how it goes". We may be granted permission to do more platforms later, but that depends on how well the game turns out and how it sells.

   I know those of you who are passionate about Linux are disappointed, but there is nothing to be upset at Activision about (or, I hope, me!).

   Jane

Source

I wouldn't be surprised if this is actually MS behind the scenes pressuring game publishers to stay away from Linux. Same as they have been doing with hardware sellers for many years.

QuoteIt's also worth adding a quick note here in case people don't see my clarification later in the thread - Linux was never a platform we were developing for and I simply assumed that it was. Shoot the messenger if you need to, this was entirely a bad assumption on my part.

pls can you add source? Thx

Quoting: Quote from owen123QuoteIt's also worth adding a quick note here in case people don't see my clarification later in the thread - Linux was never a platform we were developing for and I simply assumed that it was. Shoot the messenger if you need to, this was entirely a bad assumption on my part.

pls can you add source? Thx

The source is linked.

Quoting: Quote from Cheeseness

Quoting: Jane Jensen   Guys, I've just become aware of this thread. I just want to clarify.

   1. First, we never said MGX would be released on Linux

So the Technical Director doesn't know the actual technical direction of the game?

Quoting: Quote from adolson

Quoting: Quote from Cheeseness

Quoting: Jane Jensen   Guys, I've just become aware of this thread. I just want to clarify.

   1. First, we never said MGX would be released on Linux

So the Technical Director doesn't know the actual technical direction of the game?

The person who created the thread is Technical Director for a different studio (Phoenix Online). They collaborated with Pinkterton Road Studios on Moebius, but I have no idea if they've been collaborating on the GK title.