The Skullgirls developers have finally written up an official blog post on the status of the Linux port.
A couple of notes from it:
QuoteSome have misinterpreted our inclusion of a free download of the Linux port for campaign backers at the $30 tier and above upon its completion as a promise that we, Lab Zero, would handle its development. However, it was included as a backer reward only – one that we hope we’ll still be able to deliver with the help and support of volunteers willing to work on it.
The above misconception regarding the Linux port has also led some people to believe that we are soliciting volunteers to do work on a port that we promised we would do ourselves, which is also untrue. We strongly believe in due pay for work done, and wish we could pay someone appropriate wages to port the game to Linux, but we simply don’t have the budget for that.
I take issue with things like this as if you're going to include something as a backer reward on your official crowdfunding page then that does suggest you are helping to fund the port.
Putting it on your official page with no intention of officially doing it seems more than a bit backwards.
Not only that, but their official tweet sounded pretty official:
#Skullgirls is coming to #Linux! Support us and get a download code and more characters! http://t.co/642MqVir91
Skullgirls (@Skullgirls) March 15, 2013
That tweet certainly seems like it's drawing in Linux users to help fund it no?
QuoteWhy is the Linux port a volunteer effort? Didn't you make over $800,000 in your crowdfunding campaign?
The Linux port started as a volunteer effort because someone approached us volunteering to do the port. The extra money raised beyond our initial $150,000 goal went to more content for the game and not to ports. That means none of the extra money raised went to the PC port either.
If you think that’s enough money to develop all of the extra content we promised, and produce all of the rewards for campaign backers, and still fund a proper port paying proper programmer salaries, then we don’t know what to tell you.
I still think that they had more than enough money to fund the port properly, but this is how it's going down now. Considering before the crowdfunding campaign began the game was already available for sale, and the campaign was only for DLC with massive over-funding I still struggle to see why they couldn't afford a Linux port. Do voice-overs and character models really take that much money to create?
This is coming from someone with no experience on the developer/business side of things, but still they didn't communicate it very well until now, and that was mainly the problem.
EDIT: They have noted in our comments that the extra funding went right back into their stretch-goals for more content.
It took ~18 months for them to come out with this. Why is it so hard for even indie developers to be open and honest with customers who help fund them? I just don't understand it at all, and we on Linux seem to be on the receiving end of this rather a lot. 7 Days To Die anyone?
It's another reason why I tell people not to buy a game until a developer confirms a Linux version exists, and why I don't personally fund anything using crowdfunding any more.
My pessimism aside: In the end I just hope the volunteers can come together and bring a Linux version out, as the game does look fantastic. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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hmm.. so with your whole couple of posts TiZ (registered 8 hrs ago) it's obvious you have shown up just for this thread.. who do you work for? or just a fangirl?
"Just a fangirl" -> an awesome Linux-using gamer like the rest of us, who gets excited at the thought of certain amazing games coming to Linux
Fixed that for you.
(Welcome TiZ, hope you stick around long enough to find out most threads around here are quite positive)
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hmm.. so with your whole couple of posts TiZ (registered 8 hrs ago) it's obvious you have shown up just for this thread.. who do you work for?
TiZ does not work for Lab Zero, and has been involved in the conversation in multiple threads on Reddit well before this article was posted.
"Throw us money, we'll try to find someone else to do the job for free."
When we started our crowdfunding campaign, we originally did not include any mention of a Linux port, and it was not part of our plan to even include one until a volunteer approached us first and offered to do it. We excitedly said "Sure! That's awesome! Let's give it to all of our backers for free!" and added it to the campaign part way through.
We DID NOT simply go "Let's find some poor soul to do this for free so we can reap the benefits muaahahahahaha!" and add it to the campaign.
We AGREE that it was our mistake to add it to the campaign when it was only a volunteer effort, AND we acknowledge that we weren't clear enough during the campaign or afterward that it was a volunteer effort, AND acknowledge that it's our responsibility to deliver on the campaign rewards we listed, but that doesn't make more money materialize out of nowhere. The money raised has been budgeted to very specific purposes, which we indicate clearly on the campaign page. Diverting that money to something else now is dishonest, and unnecessarily shafts the people who donated for more content.
I recognize the irony in that, considering that many feel we were dishonest about our inclusion of the Linux version in the campaign. But there's nothing we can really do to convince those who refuse to believe us when we say we made a mistake, and who are convinced that we were consciously being dishonest about the Linux port.
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This is surprisingly negative post. I'm disappointed. I expected more neutrality, but oh well.
The port is still being worked on, one way or another. Also no deadline was announced. I don't really get why many of you put it like it is never going to be ported.
The main problem here is obviously lack of transparency, which is being admitted and hopefully fixed.
I'm pretty amazed at how good people are at counting someone else's money. With no evidence people just assume these things and go bashing that specific someone else. Not mature. Not cool.
This.
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"Throw us money, we'll try to find someone else to do the job for free."When we started our crowdfunding campaign, we originally did not include any mention of a Linux port, and it was not part of our plan to even include one until a volunteer approached us first and offered to do it. We excitedly said "Sure! That's awesome! Let's give it to all of our backers for free!" and added it to the campaign part way through.
We DID NOT simply go "Let's find some poor soul to do this for free so we can reap the benefits muaahahahahaha!" and add it to the campaign.
We AGREE that it was our mistake to add it to the campaign when it was only a volunteer effort, AND we acknowledge that we weren't clear enough during the campaign or afterward that it was a volunteer effort, AND acknowledge that it's our responsibility to deliver on the campaign rewards we listed, but that doesn't make more money materialize out of nowhere. The money raised has been budgeted to very specific purposes, which we indicate clearly on the campaign page. Diverting that money to something else now is dishonest, and unnecessarily shafts the people who donated for more content.
I recognize the irony in that, considering that many feel we were dishonest about our inclusion of the Linux version in the campaign. But there's nothing we can really do to convince those who refuse to believe us when we say we made a mistake, and who are convinced that we were consciously being dishonest about the Linux port.
So what are You going to do now? What kind of action are You going to take?
Because You have painted Yourself into a corner and I'm not sure if You have any sane options right now.
Are You going to wait for volunteers to fix Your problem, do nothing or something else?
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For what it's worth as a linux-user that's been a part of the SG competitive community since SDE, L0 is only the most honest and straightforward group of people ever.
If any of you want to look outside the vacuum of "you said linux, when's linux, you lied about linux" and familiarize yourself with all of the problems SG's run into with console updates, legal issues with publishers, etc., you'll recognize it's a group of people that are starving and missing sleep for the sake of fulfilling every promise they've made and more to the point, they've never been anything except honest and forthcoming with their plans.
The game itself is still actively being worked on; there's still 3 DLC characters on the way and everything that goes with that. Give it time before you start jumping to conclusion's about a developer's resource management.
If any of you want to look outside the vacuum of "you said linux, when's linux, you lied about linux" and familiarize yourself with all of the problems SG's run into with console updates, legal issues with publishers, etc., you'll recognize it's a group of people that are starving and missing sleep for the sake of fulfilling every promise they've made and more to the point, they've never been anything except honest and forthcoming with their plans.
The game itself is still actively being worked on; there's still 3 DLC characters on the way and everything that goes with that. Give it time before you start jumping to conclusion's about a developer's resource management.
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Linux was NOT listed in the stretch goals.
Hmmm sorry I misunderstood something... from what I read I thought it was the case (I'm not a crowdfunder myself). If that's the case, then the need for more clarity should be top priority, as not everyone understood it this way.
And also the backlash is indeed a factor we should watch carefully, but sometimes it has been really justified. The most important thing is to thank those who corrected things afterwards, and I think most developers cleaned things a great deal.
I don't think the Linux gaming community is worse than other gaming communities, if you released something like the very first Linux versions of the Witcher 2 or Among the Sleep to a Windows audience, you would see a much bigger backlash. Hell, I spent an hour getting the keyboard working in the Witcher 2, only to notice it was unplayable. Imagine millions of Windows player experiencing this.
I know we are still emerging as a gaming platform but can the devs expect us to be less than plain consumers who just want to play what they paid for? But I digress...
P.S. : In the end the Witcher 2 is running great and I'll never thank the devs enough.
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So what are You going to do now? What kind of action are You going to take?
Because You have painted Yourself into a corner and I'm not sure if You have any sane options right now.
Are You going to wait for volunteers to fix Your problem, do nothing or something else?
Well, he essentially documented what they think and/or realize (edit) was wrong and what they're trying to do either on this very thread, on the official Skullheart Forums (ohai iz here) or on Steam (starting here. And yes, they're having a small army of volunteers trying to step up (myself included)
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EDIT2* I want to clarify that I didn't mean anything bad by the use of the term "fangirl".. I should have chosen my wording differently. And yes, we are normally a quite positive and enthusiastic bunch. Some of us just get a bit "mouthy" when it seems the linux crowd is getting the run around. This is the last thing I will say on this topic I just hope that the devs (and the volunteer ones) get it figured out for the sake of those who want to play it and not rely on windows. Oh and see my first EDIT!
Yup, the good outweighs the bad around here, and you can even witness the amazing occurrence of people actually changing their minds after being presented with enough evidence! GOL rocks :D
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