RocketWerkz, the studio founded by Dean "Rocket" Hall (DayZ) will seriously consider a Linux version of their detailed space station construction and management game Stationeers [Official Site] if it gets more sales.
Speaking in the Steam forum, the developer noted this:
[…] The game has sold roughly 50k copies. Certainly at 100k copies, I would think serious consideration would be given to a Linux and Mac client build.
They said plenty more, but that's the really interesting bit. So we have quite a while to go, but the curious thing is how far they've thought this through. We often see developers say they're considering a Linux version of their game, but hardly any actually put any numbers to it, so I thought this was quite interesting.
While it may or may not help right now, you can let them know of your interest for a Linux version in this linked topic.
For a look at the game, here's a trailer:
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As someone who adores everything sci-fi and building games like this, I really hope they manage a Linux version in future. Will be keeping an eye on this one for sure.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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The comments on this article are closed.
Odd that Windows sales drives multiplatform support. I guess they see a big support/port burden or cost in the work, which doesn't sound like they had any inkling of multiplatform until recently. That kind of doesn't bode well!
Still, I'd love to play this, so I wish them well. They launched on Steam 6 months ago, so maybe there will be news this time next year. If their game is still relevant after so long (and as a sandbox game, that's quite likely), I'll buy it, definitely.
Still, I'd love to play this, so I wish them well. They launched on Steam 6 months ago, so maybe there will be news this time next year. If their game is still relevant after so long (and as a sandbox game, that's quite likely), I'll buy it, definitely.
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I think it is so odd that a port is dependent on the sales on another platform. I see this often so I guess there is a reason for this, but how come?
I mean, I would have thought it was the opposite: If my sales of a release flopped, I would be desperate to port it to other platforms/markets to at least squeeze SOME more money out of it, while if it became a hit I'd be having my hands full handling the support and planning expansions on that one platform.
Isn't that more logical?
I mean, I would have thought it was the opposite: If my sales of a release flopped, I would be desperate to port it to other platforms/markets to at least squeeze SOME more money out of it, while if it became a hit I'd be having my hands full handling the support and planning expansions on that one platform.
Isn't that more logical?
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Quoting: BeamboomI think it is so odd that a port is dependent on the sales on another platform. I see this often so I guess there is a reason for this, but how come?
Maybe they're calculating with percentages. If there's 100.000 Windows buyers, you can expect 1000-2000 Linux customers, which would make it worthwhile.
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This looks very promising. I hope it comes to Linux. I have to be honest and say that this game made me think of Astroneer every second, which has already been confirmed for Linux in Q2, 2018. I'm also looking forward to that one.
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I've seen the game streamed a couple of times. It had some interesting mechanics, but at the time was still a little bland in the long run.
That'd be my idea. It certainly makes more sense than asking people for interest in the Steam discussions.
Quoting: EikeQuoting: BeamboomI think it is so odd that a port is dependent on the sales on another platform. I see this often so I guess there is a reason for this, but how come?
Maybe they're calculating with percentages. If there's 100.000 Windows buyers, you can expect 1000-2000 Linux customers, which would make it worthwhile.
That'd be my idea. It certainly makes more sense than asking people for interest in the Steam discussions.
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Quoting: BeamboomI think it is so odd that a port is dependent on the sales on another platform. I see this often so I guess there is a reason for this, but how come?In addition to what Eike already pointed out, I think a lot of companies prefer to cut their losses and try something new when a product isn't making enough profit, rather than drain their resources further trying to salvage it. Since there is a cost to porting and they can't just "turn it on" to squeeze more money out of it, it wouldn't make sense to incur more cost than what they expect to make in return (statistically if nothing else); i.e. they might make more sales but actually lose money getting those sales. If they're running out of cash and have employees to pay, they'll wager on something completely new rather than a losing horse.
I mean, I would have thought it was the opposite: If my sales of a release flopped, I would be desperate to port it to other platforms/markets to at least squeeze SOME more money out of it, while if it became a hit I'd be having my hands full handling the support and planning expansions on that one platform.
Isn't that more logical?
I think your perspective makes more sense at the opposite end of the development process: if you're going to make a game, you might as well build it with cross-compatibility in mind from the start to have a bigger audience for only a little more effort (compared to finding out post-release how many of your components have to be replaced completely, redoing a lot of the dev work and ending up with multiple versions to maintain and support).
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Quoting: 14This looks very promising. I hope it comes to Linux. I have to be honest and say that this game made me think of Astroneer every second, which has already been confirmed for Linux in Q2, 2018. I'm also looking forward to that one.
Bear in mind that they've pushed the release date into Q3, clarifying that work would begin in Q2 2018, which caused some confusion.
Source: https://trello.com/c/DOz2CZOF
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Micromegas Jun 27, 2018
The devs said in the thread linked above on January 4:
I thought about wishlisting the game after watching it on Twitch but nowadays I prefer to only wishlist games if they are available on Linux or if there are any hints the devs might release a Linux version. Otherwise my wishlist (with already over 200 entries again) would not be very helpful for me as a tool to remember myself about games I might want to buy.
QuoteThe current sales are ~16000 copies. There are over 50k wishlists. Less than 100 of the wishlists are for OSX/Linux (although that stat isnt perfect).
I thought about wishlisting the game after watching it on Twitch but nowadays I prefer to only wishlist games if they are available on Linux or if there are any hints the devs might release a Linux version. Otherwise my wishlist (with already over 200 entries again) would not be very helpful for me as a tool to remember myself about games I might want to buy.
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Quoting: MicromegasI thought about wishlisting the game after watching it on Twitch but nowadays I prefer to only wishlist games if they are available on Linux or if there are any hints the devs might release a Linux version. Otherwise my wishlist (with already over 200 entries again) would not be very helpful for me as a tool to remember myself about games I might want to buy.
If you choose what to buy from wish list, you can filter by OS nowadays. Downside is the mails about sales for Windows only games. (But I think you can disable these mails.)
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Quoting: EikeMaybe they're calculating with percentages. If there's 100.000 Windows buyers, you can expect 1000-2000 Linux customers, which would make it worthwhile.
That's probably their logic, yeah. And well... It's a rational estimate. I still feel the model is a bit flawed though, especially if we take competition into the equation. Some games might be more unique on our platform, they don't have the same competitors.
Like for example, at this point I think I'd pay for just about ANY open world 1st or 3rd person perspective RPG. It had to be a travesty for me not to fork out the cash for it. Had I been a Windows gamer I'd not touch anything with a metascore of less than a 80.
Quoting: SalvatosI think your perspective makes more sense at the opposite end of the development process: if you're going to make a game, you might as well build it with cross-compatibility in mind from the start to have a bigger audience for only a little more effort (compared to finding out post-release how many of your components have to be replaced completely, redoing a lot of the dev work and ending up with multiple versions to maintain and support).
But aren't all these games built on multiplat engines to begin with? I am of the impression that almost always if we talk about a potential port, it's built on Unity or Unreal. So I'm thinking it can't be that much work to port it anyway.
If they need to heavily rewrite their own inhouse engine to make it work, that's an entirely different ballpark of course. But do that even happen, ever?
Last edited by Beamboom on 28 June 2018 at 8:17 am UTC
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