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Something that didn't go unnoticed was that Valve has removed the SteamPlay logo from Steam store pages.
This is interesting, as it was a partial source of confusion amongst SteamOS/Linux gamers. Plenty of us know how to easily identify games that have Linux support, but there was plenty who didn't. People were genuinely getting confused about it all and I don't blame them.
What the "SteamPlay" text meant was essentially: you buy that game once, and get it on any operating system that particular game supports on Steam. It did not mean Linux/SteamOS support, as that was identified originally by the Tux icon and now the SteamOS icon. People were so confused I was asked to write about it before.
It's still confusing though, since the SteamOS icon is just the Steam logo. It's a step in the right direction of course, as now people can't think SteamPlay suddenly means SteamOS, but it's still pretty ambiguous considering it really is just the Steam logo.
What is also interesting is the fact that this could open up more games requiring a purchase across multiple platforms (it has happened before: see CoD Mac edition). Valve haven't announced anything on it, so we don't know what their intentions are.
The more likely conclusion (and what I hope), is that Steam won't allow developers and publishers to separate game purchases by platform.
They haven't even updated their official SteamPlay page back from when they used the Linux "Tux" logo.
This situation is clear as mud. I still think the Tux icon needs to make a return, even if it's in addition to the SteamOS logo. The SteamOS logo would then have a real purpose, to showcase games that are properly tested for SteamOS. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
This is interesting, as it was a partial source of confusion amongst SteamOS/Linux gamers. Plenty of us know how to easily identify games that have Linux support, but there was plenty who didn't. People were genuinely getting confused about it all and I don't blame them.
What the "SteamPlay" text meant was essentially: you buy that game once, and get it on any operating system that particular game supports on Steam. It did not mean Linux/SteamOS support, as that was identified originally by the Tux icon and now the SteamOS icon. People were so confused I was asked to write about it before.
It's still confusing though, since the SteamOS icon is just the Steam logo. It's a step in the right direction of course, as now people can't think SteamPlay suddenly means SteamOS, but it's still pretty ambiguous considering it really is just the Steam logo.
What is also interesting is the fact that this could open up more games requiring a purchase across multiple platforms (it has happened before: see CoD Mac edition). Valve haven't announced anything on it, so we don't know what their intentions are.
The more likely conclusion (and what I hope), is that Steam won't allow developers and publishers to separate game purchases by platform.
They haven't even updated their official SteamPlay page back from when they used the Linux "Tux" logo.
This situation is clear as mud. I still think the Tux icon needs to make a return, even if it's in addition to the SteamOS logo. The SteamOS logo would then have a real purpose, to showcase games that are properly tested for SteamOS. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Cheeseness Nov 28, 2016
bitten apple is symbol of Alen Turing. Which was suicide with poisoned apple. And also he is master brain of computer tech and a mathematical genius.
It's a nice story, but appears to be a bit of an urban legend. From a 2009 interview with the logo's original designer:
Turing the famous supposed father of computer science who committed suicide in the early 50's was british and was accused of being homosexual, which he was. He was facing a jail sentence so he committed suicide to avoid all that. So, I heard one of the legends being that the colored logo was an homage to him. People think I did the colored stripes because of the gay flag. And, that was something really thought for a long time. The other really cool part was that apparently he killed himself with a cyanide laced apple. And, then I found out Alan Turing's favorite childhood story was Snow White where she falls asleep forever afrer eating a poisoned apple to be woken up by the handsome prince. Anyway, when I explain the real reason why I did the bite it's kind of a let down. But I'll tell you. I designed it with a bite for scale, so people get that it was an apple not a cherry. Also it was kind of iconic about taking a bite out of an apple. Something that everyone can experience. It goes across cultures. If anybody ever had an apple he has probably bitten into it and that's what you get. It was after I designed it that my creative director told me: "Well you know, there is a computer term called byte". And I was like: "You're kidding!" So, it was like perfect, but it was coincidental that it was also a computer term. At the time I had to be told everything about basic computer terms.
Last edited by Cheeseness on 28 November 2016 at 7:45 am UTC
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cRaZy-bisCuiT Nov 28, 2016
bitten apple is symbol of Alen Turing. Which was suicide with poisoned apple. And also he is master brain of computer tech and a mathematical genius.As well as John von Neumann, Konrad Zuse and many more. (;
I'd stick to the tux. Might be a bit childish on the one hand, but games are originally meant for kids. So what's the point?! On the other hand it's nice to keep a few things that are not to serious and polished up from your childhood.
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Steam must allow developers to separate platform purchases, like you buy the game full price for one platform (any one), and then you buy a low price DLC to get binaries for another platform. Why ? We all have many old games bought for windows that were lately ported to linux, and we got those ports for free, developers will not get some reward for that, porting can be a painful work. Separating platform revenues will help developers to be conforted to make ports.
I can't express my feeling towards this without getting banned from the internet. If anyone has to buy again games to play them on linux he will just not do it and that would completely destroy linux as a gaming platform. Now I can tell my friend at least to try linux. This would not be possible if linux games are tied to another platform.
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I like Tux head as a linux logo. What is wrong with that? It is still in use on steamdb, see https://steamdb.info/app/474750/
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there was one game that was supporting mac but without steamplay. I wonder what happened to that one. if everything that supports many platform, does support "steamplay" now, Then steamplay has no purpose and it was well removed.
Last edited by lucinos on 28 November 2016 at 11:20 am UTC
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#bringbackthetux
seriously that steamOS logo is still confusing lots of people.
bring the tux back, everybody knows its a Linux icon, even kind a newbie user who has just used computers for gaming.
I wouldn't be so categorical, the vast majority of people still do not know what Linux is. Tux is known among Linux users and some computer enthusiasts, but it is striking to see how many people do not know what Tux represents.
When I was at university (which was last year, so not a long time ago), I had a communication class where our teacher had chosen to compare OS market shares, and we were only 2 out of 34 to understand what this little penguin was about. Someone finally asked what it was, and the answer made me laugh and mad at the same time.
Our teacher basically said: "Oh this? This is Linux, some obscure system made for geeks back in the 90's that never took off and never will as it is stuck in its era. It still uses terminal prompts as of today, you know, those green text commands on a black screen... No wonder no one uses it!"
Sorry about the novel, but I had to share that.
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I wouldn't be so categorical, the vast majority of people still do not know what Linux is. Tux is known among Linux users and some computer enthusiasts, but it is striking to see how many people do not know what Tux represents.
When I was at university (which was last year, so not a long time ago), I had a communication class where our teacher had chosen to compare OS market shares, and we were only 2 out of 34 to understand what this little penguin was about. Someone finally asked what it was, and the answer made me laugh and mad at the same time.
Our teacher basically said: "Oh this? This is Linux, some obscure system made for geeks back in the 90's that never took off and never will as it is stuck in its era. It still uses terminal prompts as of today, you know, those green text commands on a black screen... No wonder no one uses it!"
Sorry about the novel, but I had to share that.
The people i have talked about here usually know the tux icon. Even if they never used it.
people have been in the internet and tux icon has been there for long long time to represent linux.
Ofc there are people who don't know what it means. but SteamOS logo is the same log as Steam logo.
this confuses the shit out of many people still. They have Category Linux+SteamOS why not have both icons then on store also if they really want their Steam icon there. or Change the SteamOS icon to something else so people can make a difference between steam and steam OS logo
edit: not to mention many games have system requirements Ubuntu 12.04 or 14.04 without SteamOS support, but the store still shows that logo. And some games requirements show as Any modern distro. so Tux logo would be logical there.
Last edited by Xpander on 28 November 2016 at 4:00 pm UTC
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Just saw this fine tux image on betanews (via slashdot, I didn't know the site before -- just crediting):
Microsoft artists have talent, I have to admit it :)
Or was the logo taken from elsewhere?
Microsoft artists have talent, I have to admit it :)
Or was the logo taken from elsewhere?
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If anyone has to buy again games to play them on linux he will just not do it and that would completely destroy linux as a gaming platform. Now I can tell my friend at least to try linux. This would not be possible if linux games are tied to another platform.
I never told about buying the full game again, I told about selling binaries as a "low price DLC". But I agree with you second point.
Last edited by sigz on 28 November 2016 at 4:27 pm UTC
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It's a cool design and all, but sitting on that sharp wedge can not be comfortable. Seriously, seeing this logo at larger sizes always makes me clench involuntarily. Why do you make me worry about Tux's butt?
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The Tux icon is fucking hideous though, and scales down like a lump of cow shit does to a rabbit dropping.
I have to admit the logo doesn't scale well. It also looks a bit childish, but what else can we use, a stallman avatar ?
A silhouette of an actual penguin, perhaps?
It's recognisable without a mistake, that's what matters, certainly not looks. And if Valve really wants to, they can style it to whatever extent, as long as it remains a cartoonish penguin that makes it clear it's Linux.
Tux as a logotype is wrong from a marketing standpoint but for an entirely other reason. It has a face. Windows has a cross-frame window, Apple has a bitten apple, Linux... has a face with googly eyes. It's way too complicated, not symbolic enough, reminds too strongly of the actual penguin stealing focus from what it is supposed to represent - it's a mascot, not a logotype.
So is being a face in specific considered wrong for logos, or is it the level of complexity implied more generally? If it's being a face in specific, why? If it's the level of complexity, that might be somewhat mitigated by the fact that human brains are wired to recognize faces better than, like, anything else. Babies can grok faces before they learn to interpret anything else, sight-wise; there is serious brain hard-wiring for dealing with faces. One would think tapping into that primal stuff would be a good thing.
Secondarily, one doesn't find things out if one isn't willing to ask (and googling gave one possible answer but not an authoritative one, and one that didn't seem to quite work with your statement)--what's a logotype?
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oldrocker99 Nov 28, 2016
I use Tux 
(the most recognizable drawing, with a joystick added (GIMP, of course)) for my avatar. I think it's obvious to anyone who looks at the three logos that the penguin <3 represents Linux.
Last edited by oldrocker99 on 28 November 2016 at 7:04 pm UTC
(the most recognizable drawing, with a joystick added (GIMP, of course)) for my avatar. I think it's obvious to anyone who looks at the three logos that the penguin <3 represents Linux.Last edited by oldrocker99 on 28 November 2016 at 7:04 pm UTC
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slaapliedje Nov 29, 2016
For the love of the universe and all that is nature STOP with the goddamn "stylized" logos. This flat design is terrible! The icons on the stock Atari ST were terrible in 1985, and they are better than this new "stylized" crap.
Now, with that said...
I guess I do something really simple when choosing the games I buy. I pull up a list, and let my mouse hover over the image... and it'll show little icons of what system is supported. I never even knew what the SteamPlay thing was for, thought it had something to do with streaming support, but I always looked for the Tux, then the SteamOS icon.
Granted the real difference between Steam's icon and SteamOS is one is circular and one is square.
Also, Apple was a cooler company when their logo had color.
Now, with that said...
I guess I do something really simple when choosing the games I buy. I pull up a list, and let my mouse hover over the image... and it'll show little icons of what system is supported. I never even knew what the SteamPlay thing was for, thought it had something to do with streaming support, but I always looked for the Tux, then the SteamOS icon.
Granted the real difference between Steam's icon and SteamOS is one is circular and one is square.
Also, Apple was a cooler company when their logo had color.
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slaapliedje Nov 29, 2016
I use Tux
YES! More of the Tux with Joystick please!
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Cheeseness Nov 29, 2016
Granted the real difference between Steam's icon and SteamOS is one is circular and one is square.Not anymore. The square logo is not present in the Valve's current branding guidelines, and has been retired in favour of the circular logo, which is now used for the entire Steam brand (with variants such as the Steam Machines and Steam VR logos differentiated by the addition of text).
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For the love of the universe and all that is nature STOP with the goddamn "stylized" logos. This flat design is terrible! The icons on the stock Atari ST were terrible in 1985, and they are better than this new "stylized" crap.An effective logo for a brand is always relatively simple, and should work and be recognizable without color and in different sizes. Icons have similar requirements, but not every icon needs to work as a logo. Personally I prefer simple, symbolic icons in my system tray, simply because they're tiny and need to be easy to parse, but those 96px game launchers on my gaming desktop can be as colourful and detailed as they like.
In the end all art is subject to individual taste. It's hard to please everyone. Ask any artist.
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slaapliedje Nov 30, 2016
For the love of the universe and all that is nature STOP with the goddamn "stylized" logos. This flat design is terrible! The icons on the stock Atari ST were terrible in 1985, and they are better than this new "stylized" crap.
Ok, so 'stylized' means virtually nothing in terms of graphic art.
I will agree with the small scale simple icons in the system tray and color complex icons elsewhere, but the move toward black and white flat icons that looked fine on a VCR does not work on an operating system. Windows 10 is an inconsistent mess with depending on how you open the control panel, you may end up with the old color icons or with the crappy simple ones.
I tend to think the simple less than 4 color logo being better for marketing / recognizability was dreamed up in some lazy art/marketing class somewhere. Anyone on the planet would recognize the Android icon now, and it isn't a simple 'flat' image. Granted most would still recognize Commodore and Atari logos of they saw them, and they are simple. Even more simple are ones like IBM and SEGA
http://webneel.com/colorful-logo-design-inspiration
Some examples, wven saw a face in there. Ha, the 'Social Life' one looks eerily similar to Ubuntu's.
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As long as the logo is distinctive enough for people to understand that it's Linux then I don't care what the logo is. The Steam OS icon is just confusing, and misleading.
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