There's been a lot of chatter in the Linux gaming community recently, centred around Paradox Interactive and future Linux support. It's not all doom and gloom.
Starting off in a post on our forum, which linked to a chat with Shams Jorjani, the Chief Business Development Officer at Paradox Interactive, where Jorjani stated:
As I've said before - Linux sales have decreased annually the past 5 years. Both in relative and absolute numbers. It makes [zero] business sense to support it unfortunately. :(
That didn't make things sound good, which Jorjani followed up with:
We appreciate your support. For what it's worth we always examine rhe possibility and make a call. Hope you decide to return one day.
Now a post has popped up on the Paradox forum with a bunch of users throwing their support behind Paradox, which is always nice to see! Jorjani also replied here, with a little more detail to make things as clear as possible. Here's what they said:
Just wanted to pop in and say that I/we hear you, really appreciate the passion and that you make your voice heard in such a constructive way.
We evaluate Linux on a case by case basis and try to squeeze it in as often as we can. Some devs have experience with Linux and it becomes easier/cheaper to include. For others it's like when Han Solo handles Luke's lightsaber - there's a lot of "ah...uh"-ing and becomes a huge distraction and expensive.
So no promises either way - we'll do our best.
It's good to know that Paradox aren't outright dropping Linux support, it sounds like the same situation as any publisher/developer. Ports to any platform, are done when they think it's worth it and when the developer is ready and willing to do it.
In the case of studios under Paradox Interactive: Paradox Development Studios (Stellaris, Crusader Kings and so on), their strategy games already have Linux support in the game engine, for Haemimont Games with Surviving Mars they already had a bunch of Linux experience with Victor Vran on Linux, the same with Harebrained Schemes and BATTLETECH since they also worked on various Shadowrun titles that have Linux support.
How can you help with this? Continue buying Paradox games of course. A ton of their games are on sale currently on Steam and GOG, might be a really good time to pick some up or some missing DLC.
Personally, you can pry Stellaris, Battletech and Surviving Mars from my cold dead hands. All three are excellent Linux games that I go back to very regularly.
Hat tip to SadL.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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..great..Steve Ballmer flashbacks just before going to bed..need to cuddle a penguin to feel safe now.. :P
That should be your daily routine anyway!
3 Likes, Who?
As I've said before - Linux sales have decreased annually the past 5 years. Both in relative and absolute numbers. It makes [zero] business sense to support it unfortunately. :(
I love Linux, and I totally want gaming on that platform to succeed.
But we're losing momentum.
And it doesn't feel right currently.
More like our beloved platform is vegetating without making the next step.
There were high hopes for Linux gaming to take off when Valve entered the game.
And they're still doing a lot without question.
But it doesn't seem to change a lot when it comes to the share.
I think we start losing the battle.
Publishers like Paradox hint this.
They're a fantastic company and they invested a lot initially into Linux because they probably believed in the platform but now it sounds more like fan service than the thing you should do if you want your product to succeed.
If we cannot make the next step to let's say 3-5 % share at least, Linux support will go south
But we're not moving. And what really matters to companies is the fractional share not total number of players.
From an economic perspective absolute numbers within competing categories are of much lower relevance.
Yeah, I hate that situation too.
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It's obvious that their relative Linux sales decreased since they also started to sell in China. But absolute as well? This is not a good sign.
Although, truth be said, I'm among these ones (I didn't like the recent Pdx releases, both gameplay and quality and I also abandoned Stellaris after they changed it in 2.0, so I only keep buying DLCs for their older titles) I see on their forums and reddit that it's plenty of people who have 0 issues with that and they can't all be based on windows.
Are there other indications out there that shows that linux sales are slowing down?
Although, truth be said, I'm among these ones (I didn't like the recent Pdx releases, both gameplay and quality and I also abandoned Stellaris after they changed it in 2.0, so I only keep buying DLCs for their older titles) I see on their forums and reddit that it's plenty of people who have 0 issues with that and they can't all be based on windows.
Are there other indications out there that shows that linux sales are slowing down?
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There was a time (a few years ago :-) when I was buying ALL games being released on Linux. Now I kinda suspect this isn't the case anymore ;-)
Am I the only one who was already quite happy with the state of Linux gaming at the time of the first HiB ? Spent so much time on World of Goo, Aquaria, Amnesia, Jamestown etc. :-)
I'm with you.
Remember that time.
It was new and kinda unexpected.
Plus, lots of games were ported by Ryan, i.e. they were very well supported.
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I do the same. I have > 700 games and it becomes expensive. But I still buy the good rated ones, and the ones from Feral/Aspyr/VP and Paradox.
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There was a time (a few years ago :-) when I was buying ALL games being released on Linux. Now I kinda suspect this isn't the case anymore ;-)I was the same, every new game I picked it up as long as it wasn't basically bargain bin trash. That didn't last long once Steam came to Linux though.
Am I the only one who was already quite happy with the state of Linux gaming at the time of the first HiB ? Spent so much time on World of Goo, Aquaria, Amnesia, Jamestown etc. :-)
I still to this day remain very happy with Linux gaming, with over 1.6K games in my Steam library. Plenty of games I return to constantly like Rocket League, now with Underlords too (thanks again Valve), Dying Light and so many more.
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That's always a good question, maybe most of their customers actually do love censorship, dumbed down game designs and political ideas shoved down their throat against their will.
What do I know, right?
Maybe they don't even have the impression of something "shoved down their throat". Maybe they feel game developers have a right of free speech, too.
BTW, if Battletech is among the games that you... dislike - it has been very successful, it seems.
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Who do you think you're fooling tho? about 90% of games with 'linux support' are just dropped on linux and get no post-launch support. Support does not have to mean active support, just that the game runs on the OS.
If 90% of the Linux games do not run on your system, the problem is on your side.
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slaapliedje Jul 1, 2019
There is definitely a lot of that, and a lot of 'hey we'll release a Linux version' kickstarters that then fail to do so.Not true, the biggest cost seem to be in resolving players issues with the game in their support channels and maintaining the code, since they need to hire people for that and it is not so easy and cheap to have linux personnel for that. Add to that that usually linux players are very loud customers, even if usually more cooperative; remember The Witcher 2?Both in relative and absolute numbers. It makes [zero] business sense to support it unfortunately. :(
Lol, they're saying this as if it costs them something, if they're using a third party game engine all they have to do is pick one that supports linux, rest is more or less as easy as pressing a button. If they're making their own game engines they just have to support linux first, after which making a windows compatible version is a breeze (and as a bonus, a mac version would also be a breeze, especially if your engine uses the vulkan/moltenvk combination)
Who do you think you're fooling tho? about 90% of games with 'linux support' are just dropped on linux and get no post-launch support. Support does not have to mean active support, just that the game runs on the OS.
With how we're treated by some devs, it wouldn't surprise me if we've lost a lot of users based on that.
Also the shenanigans of Ubuntu trying to drop support for 32bit compatibility doesn't help. How many Ubuntu users are just going to go back to Windows rather than distro hop?
3 Likes, Who?
Excapt that Imperator had technical issues that prevented many people from playing (I think that's the source of all the hate).No, the source of the hate is that they released an empty shell to be filled with DLC later on. They could have waited a year more with the release. I really think, and hope, that their DLC policy is getting to them. People really begin to notice.
Imperator is like a EUIV/CK2 hybrid, but with nowhere near the content of either of them (with all their DLCs). So it will be compared to both games, and not win that comparison in any scenario.
You don't get a 35% (or whatever it is now) rating for being a good game. It doesn't just have "flaws". As I said, part of it is due to the EUIV/CK2 comparisons, part of it due to general fatigue with DLC milking policy, but even if you take that out, what you have is a deeply incomplete game.
Stellaris, too, was really messed up on release, but at least it was its very own thing, not comparable to other Paradox games.
I'm not telling you not to like the game. I sure like a few objectively trashy games, but I do acknowledge their quality and know that most won't like them.
Last edited by TheSHEEEP on 1 July 2019 at 9:31 am UTC
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Also the shenanigans of Ubuntu trying to drop support for 32bit compatibility doesn't help. How many Ubuntu users are just going to go back to Windows rather than distro hop?
Imho: no one. Though I agree that this was handled poorly and it became bad PR that might confuse and keep away non techie people that were undecided if leaving windows or not.
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heidi.wenger Jul 1, 2019
political agendas that go counter to most of their customers' wishesMost of their customers or the loudest of their customers?
Also, you really can't enjoy a game/story unless it perfectly conforms to your narrow world-view? That's a bit sad.
According to what the poster can be judged as having a "narrow world-view"? C'mon.
4 Likes, Who?
If someone gets offended by game design, they're not likely to be the most open-minded person around. Anyway, he didn't seem to mind my turn of phrase. He probably doesn't need you to mind for him.political agendas that go counter to most of their customers' wishesMost of their customers or the loudest of their customers?
Also, you really can't enjoy a game/story unless it perfectly conforms to your narrow world-view? That's a bit sad.
According to what the poster can be judged as having a "narrow world-view"? C'mon.
3 Likes, Who?
I never said that, I just said they don't get continued/active support.
Soory, missunderstanding on my side.
This sums up what I'm talking about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=BnEhruDrBfA (skip to 3:04 if you're impatient)
Stopped listening after "motherfucker", so after about three seconds.
Last edited by Eike on 1 July 2019 at 1:45 pm UTC
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The pond is growing bigger and the small fries are starting to feel some competition for their food.
If HBS releases another Shadowrun I'm gonna insta-buy, though.
If HBS releases another Shadowrun I'm gonna insta-buy, though.
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officernice Jul 1, 2019
I do buy their games, but their DLC prices for games such as Hearts of Iron have always been abhorrent. I only get them with a big cut.
I'm really hoping Romero's mafia game makes its way to Linux... :(
I'm really hoping Romero's mafia game makes its way to Linux... :(
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slaapliedje Jul 1, 2019
Ha, that video was entertaining.I never said that, I just said they don't get continued/active support.
Soory, missunderstanding on my side.
This sums up what I'm talking about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=BnEhruDrBfA (skip to 3:04 if you're impatient)
Stopped listening after "motherfucker", so after about three seconds.
I'll sum it up for you. Paradox buys White Wolf, VtM gets updated because there was a neo-nazi group in it, and instead now it has a Islamic gay Gangrel guy nicknamed the 'Bear Gangrel'. Oh, and he is a vampire that cares about minorities within the vampire community.
Considering there is the whole underlying 'racial' issue between the different clans in the Vampire game, that seems kind of pointless and over the top. The game is already dealing with issues of race/clan.
So with Paradox publishing the game there is the fear of such nonsensical characters being put into this for the sole purpose of making a small minority of people who want to be represented in video games to be happy, rather than catering to the actual giant fans of the game.
NOTE: that is pretty much what he says, and I do kind of agree with it. The White Wolf games are the World of Darkness, they're supposed to be somewhat bleak, and you basically have to fight to keep your humanity or the Beast takes over. That's been the whole thing of it. It's not like allowing you to play a non-binary gender in Battletech, at least not yet. We'll see.
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Most of their customers or the loudest of their customers?Funny, I've noticed people who say they have no problem with a product's "agenda" say it because it conforms to their worldview, and usually the second they see a game, movie etc. that doesn't, they are the loudest "unsatisfied customers" although I doubt they even purchased the product.
Also, you really can't enjoy a game/story unless it perfectly conforms to your narrow world-view? That's a bit sad.
Last edited by BOYSSSSS on 1 July 2019 at 4:14 pm UTC
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Lolwut. Paradox publishes mostly strategy games (Stellaris, Heart of Irons, Crusader Kings, Europa Universalis, Steel Division, Warlock 2, Age of Wonders III, Cities in Motion, Sword of the Stars, Sengoku, etc.), with RPGs in second place. And the Shadowrun series is comprised of RPGs, not strategy games. Aren't you switching genres in what you said? As in, how's it possible that you have all of the ones that came for Linux and don't play strategy games for the most part (considering you play your games, of course)?Shadowrun is mostly strategy IMHO. Yes, it comes from a Pen & Paper RPG I even used to play, but the computer games are rather strategy-heavy.
All else, see for yourself:
https://steamcommunity.com/id/seegras1/
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