Feral Interactive one of our new favourite porting houses has asked the big question. Why do we game on Linux?
Linux gamers! Tell us: why do you game on Linux? Please spread this question hither and thither. @GameLinux @ROOTGAMERcom @gamingonlinux
— Feral Interactive (@feralgames) September 3, 2014
Feel free to twitter them, or comment here if you answer isn't a short one. I am sure they are watching.
My reasons
It's an interesting question and one that has been asked a lot by many interesting gamers across the years to the Linux community.
For me it's not about why I game on Linux, but more about why I use Linux which directly translates into gaming on it.
I love customization and having the choice to do lots or do nothing. For me it's not always about source code access (I feel that is important though!), but more about being free to do what I want with it, and never having to pay for system upgrades. I spend enough money on games and hardware without wanting to fork out x amount for the latest operating system.
With Linux I have OpenGL and can get updates for it whenever my chosen graphics vendor pushes out a driver for it, but on Windows at times you have needed to upgrade your entire operating system to get it.
On Linux if I don't like how the entire desktop works I can install another one with a few quick commands, or finding the main package in some package manager. That's an important one to note: I dislike Gnome Shell and Unity a lot, so I use Cinnamon and it works perfectly for my needs. I tried Windows 8 and the new UI was utterly a pain to work with or to find anything on (I gave it a real good go too), and I was stuck with it until I installed Linux on my laptop.
On Linux I have choices, and lots of them. I can tinker with almost anything, and if a game doesn't work you can do simple things to find out why. Running a game in the terminal for example will generally be pretty clear on what you are missing and fix it myself, and I can't say the same for broken games on Windows.
I also find Linux to perform far better at most general day to day tasks, and I come from a Windows 95/98/2000/xp/7 and recently a little of 8 background (yes I've used nearly all Windows operating systems, and a lot to).
There's also the community aspect. The amount of times of looked to find out how to do something, and someone helpful already has the answer and shared it with everyone. Linux users can be very, very helpful.
Right now Linux has also helped me fall in love with games I would never had tried if I was on Windows.
That is all off the top of my head, but that's my honest answer to it.
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I dont have a twitter account, and 140 words would not be sufficient to reply properly.
Why do I game in linux?
Strange, and offensive question is this.
The simplest reply I can imagine is: "why should not I, play on linux?"
And that would be enough reply.
But the question itself, makes me wonder, why some company wants to know this.
Why should one have to apport reasons, to play a game in a given platform.
To try to discover the intentions behind the question, I have made an exercise of imagination, and have figured the question in two possible scenarios. In two possible worlds, where that question would have meaning to exist. After all, if we ignore the context of the world we live in, the question would be unnecessary.
Lets assume first, that we are living in a world, where we can choose to use the operating system we want.
In this wordl, everyone should be free to choose his operating system, and the entire world's game catalog, would be available to every OS.
So here, if one chooses a Linux operating system, he will play his games in linux. This question is so plain, that's just something obvious. I mean, I use linux, and others might use some different OS. In this world, that question would have one real meanning, wich is: why do you like linux at all, over different os.... But you havent asked that. You have asked a different thing, so lets move to another context.
Lets assume now, that we live in a different world, where we must not have the right to choose. We must have the illusion we can, but cannot, in the very last, because one of the available Operating Systems, has monopolized the game market so badly, that it is the only one most people use, and that has all the gaming catalog exclusively.
In this world, that question has much more purpose of existance, but the real question you are making instead is:
WHY THE F*** ARE YOU MOVING AWAY FROM THE DOMINANT OPERATING SYSTEM, everyone's been using for so long, and have changed to linux?
Well, then, only for your market study, the best short answer I can give you is this:
I have been using a different OS before, because I have been forced to, but at the moment I can choose a different one, cos my prefered games/apps are finally compatible, I will, because I HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH MONOPOLYS
I have liked this question a lot. Because this is an indicator. An indicator that, with more of 400 linux games on steam and counting, the TIME has finally come.
Finally. One monopoly is about to fall.
Written this from my only windows windows machine, I have to use to learn UE4, until the editor can be used in linux.
Why do I game in linux?
Strange, and offensive question is this.
The simplest reply I can imagine is: "why should not I, play on linux?"
And that would be enough reply.
But the question itself, makes me wonder, why some company wants to know this.
Why should one have to apport reasons, to play a game in a given platform.
To try to discover the intentions behind the question, I have made an exercise of imagination, and have figured the question in two possible scenarios. In two possible worlds, where that question would have meaning to exist. After all, if we ignore the context of the world we live in, the question would be unnecessary.
Lets assume first, that we are living in a world, where we can choose to use the operating system we want.
In this wordl, everyone should be free to choose his operating system, and the entire world's game catalog, would be available to every OS.
So here, if one chooses a Linux operating system, he will play his games in linux. This question is so plain, that's just something obvious. I mean, I use linux, and others might use some different OS. In this world, that question would have one real meanning, wich is: why do you like linux at all, over different os.... But you havent asked that. You have asked a different thing, so lets move to another context.
Lets assume now, that we live in a different world, where we must not have the right to choose. We must have the illusion we can, but cannot, in the very last, because one of the available Operating Systems, has monopolized the game market so badly, that it is the only one most people use, and that has all the gaming catalog exclusively.
In this world, that question has much more purpose of existance, but the real question you are making instead is:
WHY THE F*** ARE YOU MOVING AWAY FROM THE DOMINANT OPERATING SYSTEM, everyone's been using for so long, and have changed to linux?
Well, then, only for your market study, the best short answer I can give you is this:
I have been using a different OS before, because I have been forced to, but at the moment I can choose a different one, cos my prefered games/apps are finally compatible, I will, because I HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH MONOPOLYS
I have liked this question a lot. Because this is an indicator. An indicator that, with more of 400 linux games on steam and counting, the TIME has finally come.
Finally. One monopoly is about to fall.
Written this from my only windows windows machine, I have to use to learn UE4, until the editor can be used in linux.
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I'm positive all of my reasons have been posted by page 4.. but ill contribute anyways.
1.) I use linux for everything else.
2.) I use linux for everything else.
3.) see reasons 1 & 2
4.) windows has severly gone down hill in the last decade-ish. It's bloated and resource heavy when doing nothing but being there.. which actually translates to worse performance for gaming when compared to linux. Wolfenstein: The New Order runs better at higher settings in WINE than it does on it's native platform for me. Crazy I know...
5.) this one kinda coincides with #4, customization! windows is bloated because it tries to be "one size fits all". With linux I can make it as streamlined and small as I want, for instance my laptop which eats about >400mb of ram sitting idle in XFCE. Or it can be as a multi purpse work horse with multiple WM's and DE's with specific uses. For me that is XFCE, tweaked out to create my beautiful desktop. Then I have a very basic openbox setup JUST for gaming.
6.) Being able to shutdown everything except TTY1 and start games in their own X server, thus giving them the whole machines resources.
Show me a windows desktop this awesome looking that isn't using a ton of bloated 3rd party "customization" apps that only half work and are NOT free and break with windows updates all the time...
[
1.) I use linux for everything else.
2.) I use linux for everything else.
3.) see reasons 1 & 2
4.) windows has severly gone down hill in the last decade-ish. It's bloated and resource heavy when doing nothing but being there.. which actually translates to worse performance for gaming when compared to linux. Wolfenstein: The New Order runs better at higher settings in WINE than it does on it's native platform for me. Crazy I know...
5.) this one kinda coincides with #4, customization! windows is bloated because it tries to be "one size fits all". With linux I can make it as streamlined and small as I want, for instance my laptop which eats about >400mb of ram sitting idle in XFCE. Or it can be as a multi purpse work horse with multiple WM's and DE's with specific uses. For me that is XFCE, tweaked out to create my beautiful desktop. Then I have a very basic openbox setup JUST for gaming.
6.) Being able to shutdown everything except TTY1 and start games in their own X server, thus giving them the whole machines resources.
Show me a windows desktop this awesome looking that isn't using a ton of bloated 3rd party "customization" apps that only half work and are NOT free and break with windows updates all the time...
[
4 Likes, Who?
I game on Linux because I use Linux. I use Linux because
1. faster and smoother
2. lots of choice in programs and DE
3. open source
4. less to worry about security since blanket viruses/worms/malware don't target Linux
5. after 4 years it still runs at the same speed without having to reinstall the os (unlike windows)
6. console in widows is horrible and can't even come close to bash in number of functions
7. it takes a week to recover from a hard drive failure to make windows usable, in Linux I have a text file of all the commands to install or compile all the programs I use and it takes a less than an hour to get my desktop back to the way I want it
n-1. Linux sounds cooler than Windows
n. (absolutely the last reason) it's free
1. faster and smoother
2. lots of choice in programs and DE
3. open source
4. less to worry about security since blanket viruses/worms/malware don't target Linux
5. after 4 years it still runs at the same speed without having to reinstall the os (unlike windows)
6. console in widows is horrible and can't even come close to bash in number of functions
7. it takes a week to recover from a hard drive failure to make windows usable, in Linux I have a text file of all the commands to install or compile all the programs I use and it takes a less than an hour to get my desktop back to the way I want it
n-1. Linux sounds cooler than Windows
n. (absolutely the last reason) it's free
1 Likes, Who?
Because i don't want to buy a entire OS (Windows) just to play games.
Everything else was well explained by everyone who replied here.
BTW, thanks for XCOM:EU/EW! Awesome game. =)
Everything else was well explained by everyone who replied here.
BTW, thanks for XCOM:EU/EW! Awesome game. =)
1 Likes, Who?
Why I GAME on Linux:
Software Considerations
I haven't used windows in 16 years. I'm a Linux user.
I use KDE for work even though it's bloaty, the benefits brought on by all that bloat are flexibility, options, features, and many things I can use to craft my desktop to make me productive.
I use GNOME for non-techy users, so people whom I support (e.g. my family) can use Linux without too many sharp edges and dark alleys.
I log out of whatever, and switch my desktop to LXDE to game.
LXDE is by far the best ratio of low-use-of-resources to desktop-features/functions.
LXDE is not a compositing window manager, so my GL resources are free for gaming.
LXDE is perfect, as such, for gaming.
Hardware Considerations
For the money I would have to sink into Apple hardware I can build a MUCH beefier gaming rig for Linux.
The money I save not purchasing Windows for my beefy gaming rig goes RIGHT into the next level up of CPU or Video card or PSU or something that'd I'd otherwise have to sacrifice to software licensing.
Conclusion
I'm gaming under Linux because I am a gamer, and I am a Linux user. It's not worth it to dual-boot, it's too much money to get on the OS purchasing treadmill..
A computer operating system as a product is a ridiculous idea, since it limits both the gamer and the developer.
Linux isn't any weirder than whatever the Nintendo Wii runs, or whatever Sony Playstations run, so why wouldn't developers choose Linux? After all, the Wii's and Playstations and OSX's and Windowses of the world will all change at the whim of their parent companies, depriving gamers and developers of long term viabilities. Linux will not unforseeingly pull the rugs out from under our collective feets, and as such presents a much more logical platform for game development and enjoyment.
Inevitable Ideological Conclusion
Everyone who embraces Linux embraces it because they can be a part of it, and not because they are a part of some Hook-Line-&-Sinker marketing advertizing product campaign of great capitalism. If you like Linux or you choose Linux, its because you can, not because it was sold to you. Nobody can out-maneuver Linux, or out-market Linux because it's never for sale, there are no commercials for it. If you don't like Linux, that's OK too. Linux doesn't care, Linux doesn't have a customer service department ready to take your complaints into consideration.
Linux is only ever what energy you put into it. Fortunately, the return on that investment is stability, flexibility, transparency, security, increasing ubiquity, supportability, control, longevity, and now MOAR GAMES! :D
Software Considerations
I haven't used windows in 16 years. I'm a Linux user.
I use KDE for work even though it's bloaty, the benefits brought on by all that bloat are flexibility, options, features, and many things I can use to craft my desktop to make me productive.
I use GNOME for non-techy users, so people whom I support (e.g. my family) can use Linux without too many sharp edges and dark alleys.
I log out of whatever, and switch my desktop to LXDE to game.
LXDE is by far the best ratio of low-use-of-resources to desktop-features/functions.
LXDE is not a compositing window manager, so my GL resources are free for gaming.
LXDE is perfect, as such, for gaming.
Hardware Considerations
For the money I would have to sink into Apple hardware I can build a MUCH beefier gaming rig for Linux.
The money I save not purchasing Windows for my beefy gaming rig goes RIGHT into the next level up of CPU or Video card or PSU or something that'd I'd otherwise have to sacrifice to software licensing.
Conclusion
I'm gaming under Linux because I am a gamer, and I am a Linux user. It's not worth it to dual-boot, it's too much money to get on the OS purchasing treadmill..
A computer operating system as a product is a ridiculous idea, since it limits both the gamer and the developer.
Linux isn't any weirder than whatever the Nintendo Wii runs, or whatever Sony Playstations run, so why wouldn't developers choose Linux? After all, the Wii's and Playstations and OSX's and Windowses of the world will all change at the whim of their parent companies, depriving gamers and developers of long term viabilities. Linux will not unforseeingly pull the rugs out from under our collective feets, and as such presents a much more logical platform for game development and enjoyment.
Inevitable Ideological Conclusion
Everyone who embraces Linux embraces it because they can be a part of it, and not because they are a part of some Hook-Line-&-Sinker marketing advertizing product campaign of great capitalism. If you like Linux or you choose Linux, its because you can, not because it was sold to you. Nobody can out-maneuver Linux, or out-market Linux because it's never for sale, there are no commercials for it. If you don't like Linux, that's OK too. Linux doesn't care, Linux doesn't have a customer service department ready to take your complaints into consideration.
Linux is only ever what energy you put into it. Fortunately, the return on that investment is stability, flexibility, transparency, security, increasing ubiquity, supportability, control, longevity, and now MOAR GAMES! :D
6 Likes, Who?
Plintslîcho Sep 3, 2014
I game on Linux because it's my operating system of choice. Don't have a Twitter account.
1 Likes, Who?
For me:
1) It's free and Open
2) The community. You help ppl, ppl help you and knowledge is created (feels awesome)
3) Linux centralized updates. In Windows every single program has it's own updater. Very very inefficient.
4) File System. I simply hate how things are dealt in Windows. "Something is not working? Well backup, format and reinstall". As for the file systems itselves, in windows the system will get slower over time no matter what. I've never had a Windwos system which endured more than 2 years without formatting.
5) Virus / Malwares / etc. 95% developed for Windows. Enough said. No antivirus needed more resources.
6) I'm in charge in my Linux System. Everything I use is there cause I wanted it to be. The funny part is that I know ppl just don't care about it, but once you taste Linux freedom you won't be able to go back to the cage never again.
7) The all dev's may think a close/proprietary is okay until somebody comes and say "hey, for now if you wanna distribute your software in my store you have to gimme 30% of your income. DEAL WITH IT"
8) As Liam brightly said with Linux and OpenGL we have our hardware features release with the system updates. There's no "DirectX 11 only on Windows 8" bull$%!. You bought your damn hardware who the hell is Microsoft to lock your hardware capacity?
Actually I think this is the big reason Valve 'switched' to Linux. As some of their presentation on the subject said the Chinese marked is HUGE and research says that 80% (don't remember the exct number) of the chinese ppl still use Windows XP EVEN WITH LATEST HARDWARE.
In other words there is a huge amount of ppl in China that is hardware locked by Microsoft. That could give Valve a edge in that market.
9) If Microsoft keeps failing I don't have to give a damn. Seriously using Microsoft only tools can be very handy in terms of performance and compatibility, ok. But if that boat sinks bro... You're screwed. Such thing will NEVER happen when you develop in open platforms.
1) It's free and Open
2) The community. You help ppl, ppl help you and knowledge is created (feels awesome)
3) Linux centralized updates. In Windows every single program has it's own updater. Very very inefficient.
4) File System. I simply hate how things are dealt in Windows. "Something is not working? Well backup, format and reinstall". As for the file systems itselves, in windows the system will get slower over time no matter what. I've never had a Windwos system which endured more than 2 years without formatting.
5) Virus / Malwares / etc. 95% developed for Windows. Enough said. No antivirus needed more resources.
6) I'm in charge in my Linux System. Everything I use is there cause I wanted it to be. The funny part is that I know ppl just don't care about it, but once you taste Linux freedom you won't be able to go back to the cage never again.
7) The all dev's may think a close/proprietary is okay until somebody comes and say "hey, for now if you wanna distribute your software in my store you have to gimme 30% of your income. DEAL WITH IT"
8) As Liam brightly said with Linux and OpenGL we have our hardware features release with the system updates. There's no "DirectX 11 only on Windows 8" bull$%!. You bought your damn hardware who the hell is Microsoft to lock your hardware capacity?
Actually I think this is the big reason Valve 'switched' to Linux. As some of their presentation on the subject said the Chinese marked is HUGE and research says that 80% (don't remember the exct number) of the chinese ppl still use Windows XP EVEN WITH LATEST HARDWARE.
In other words there is a huge amount of ppl in China that is hardware locked by Microsoft. That could give Valve a edge in that market.
9) If Microsoft keeps failing I don't have to give a damn. Seriously using Microsoft only tools can be very handy in terms of performance and compatibility, ok. But if that boat sinks bro... You're screwed. Such thing will NEVER happen when you develop in open platforms.
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Because I wouldn't install M$hitOS for any reason, not even if they pay me.
1 Likes, Who?
1) I want to game on the OS I like most
2) Community
3) Open standards/software
4) Penguins are my friend
2) Community
3) Open standards/software
4) Penguins are my friend
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i have been using linux for an odd 12 years now i think
1- I do everything else on linux
2- why should i not game on linux
3- I don't hate windows, but its just not my cup of tea (vendor lock in etc)
4- I'm never going back to windows, cuz see point 5
5- I fell in love with fedora and gnome3, its just awesome
6- Cuz awesome ppl as yourself started catering to me and my community and that makes me feel like I'm part of something special
7- cuz XCOM EU/EW runs better on my fedora box then it ever has on my windows 7 box (so the latter will have to go)
(no twitter account)
ps: the open source idea is the only way that leads to a society that goes forward and solves a problem once, instead of alot of company's solving it over and over each fighting over who has the best method to do so.Mr Thorval and mr Stallman are visionary's, not commercial geniuses. a world can never have enough visionary's that pave the way
1- I do everything else on linux
2- why should i not game on linux
3- I don't hate windows, but its just not my cup of tea (vendor lock in etc)
4- I'm never going back to windows, cuz see point 5
5- I fell in love with fedora and gnome3, its just awesome
6- Cuz awesome ppl as yourself started catering to me and my community and that makes me feel like I'm part of something special
7- cuz XCOM EU/EW runs better on my fedora box then it ever has on my windows 7 box (so the latter will have to go)
(no twitter account)
ps: the open source idea is the only way that leads to a society that goes forward and solves a problem once, instead of alot of company's solving it over and over each fighting over who has the best method to do so.Mr Thorval and mr Stallman are visionary's, not commercial geniuses. a world can never have enough visionary's that pave the way
1 Likes, Who?
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