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.
orochi_kyo Jul 1, 2019
Quoting: subBut we're losing momentum.
And it doesn't feel right currently.
A thing most Linux users are ignoring mostly on purpose, but Linux is not going nowhere, until the casual user may use a Linux distro as they do use Windows, with details like right-clicking on an executable file and creating a desktop shortcut or right clicking your desktop and accessing your monitor settings or formatting a Usb drive from the file browser, everything with a single click.
I love my low resource consumption Linux distro but oh, can I recommend it to my family, friends or fellow PC gamers? sadly not. Things that are quite easy to do on Windows, well takes two-three times more time to do on most distros. Not even mention that Snap and Flatpack stores arent by default installed on some distros because the personal preference of the developers. These kind of stores makes life easier with single click installs but it seems Linux developers hates single click things...
Quoting: orochi_kyoWell there's your problem, innit? Use a non-low-resource-consumption Linux distro if you want ease of use. Lots of people are into XFCE and such, but they're more bare-bones and that's how it is.Quoting: subBut we're losing momentum.
And it doesn't feel right currently.
A thing most Linux users are ignoring mostly on purpose, but Linux is not going nowhere, until the casual user may use a Linux distro as they do use Windows, with details like right-clicking on an executable file and creating a desktop shortcut or right clicking your desktop and accessing your monitor settings or formatting a Usb drive from the file browser, everything with a single click.
I love my low resource consumption Linux distro but
It has never occurred to me to go find an executable file if I want a desktop shortcut--I right-click the menu entry or drag it from the menu entry to (the desktop, my toolbar). But yeah, I suppose that would be a good feature. And I do kind of like the idea of USB formatting from the file browser.
For the rest, I work on Windows at work and Linux at home, and I don't notice much difference. There's plenty of stuff on Windows I need to hunt through menus for. The biggest difference I notice is that on a Linux using Mate, if I plug in a USB (which I generally do because I want to use it for something) it automatically brings up a file manager window with the contents of the USB and puts an icon for the USB on my desktop, so I can do something with it immediately. On Windows, nothing much happens except usually it gives me a message falsely claiming there's something wrong with my USB and I should let Windows "fix" it; experience tells me that if I fail to ignore this message, if I let Windows try to fix my USB, it will get screwed up. So then to actually do anything with the USB I plugged in I end up clicking on some random folder to bring up a file manager window so I can scroll down among the many drives and things we have at work until I find the USB and click on it. This happens a lot more often than formatting a USB or changing my screen settings. Overall, ease-of-use-wise, I'll take Mint over Windows . . . and that's despite the fact that at work, all the management of the OS is being done by our mostly competent Systems people (so I can ignore update issues and such), whereas on Linux I'm doing it, and I am in no way a mostly competent Systems person.
Last edited by Purple Library Guy on 1 July 2019 at 8:35 pm UTC
Quoting: 14Paradox is one of my top developers and publishers. Most of what they've put out that I had interest in worked natively on Linux, including Shadowrun: Dragonfall, which is a very memorable RPG for me. I would be more sad losing Paradox than most other developers or publishers.
Yup. But today they've grown into a big publisher and they are publicly traded company. We all know what this means in the medium-long term. One should be emotionally prepared. :(
Quoting: GuestThat was 3:03. I said 3:04.
Too sorry. :D
Quoting: GuestI'm sorry you can't follow instructions, more sorry that you can't handle profanity, the internet must be particularly hard on you.
I'm fine, thanks.
Every good argument is a good argument without profanity as well.
People who think they neeed profanity are losing me early on.
From long time experience (online and offline) I can say their "arguments" aren't worth my time usually.
So I'm handling profanity by not listening further most of the time.
Last edited by Eike on 2 July 2019 at 9:25 am UTC
Chronarius Jul 2, 2019
Quoting: orochi_kyoA thing most Linux users are ignoring mostly on purpose, but Linux is not going nowhere, until the casual user may use a Linux distro as they do use Windows, with details like right-clicking on an executable file and creating a desktop shortcut or right clicking your desktop and accessing your monitor settings or formatting a Usb drive from the file browser, everything with a single click.
Pardon me, what? That is definitly a problem at your end. As all of this works fine here. Exactly the same way as on Windows. Hell, you can even use the Shift/Ctrl-Keys for that, and lots of other Windows Desktop Crap!
Quoting: orochi_kyoI love my low resource consumption Linux distro but oh, can I recommend it to my family, friends or fellow PC gamers? sadly not.
Well, then maybe you should give them a proper distro, e.g. Peppermint, (X/K)ubuntu, Manjaro, Mint, and not your "low resource" one :D
Quoting: orochi_kyoThings that are quite easy to do on Windows, well takes two-three times more time to do on most distros.
How long are you using Linux? I think you don't know it very well. My experience is just the other way around. I need a lot more time for "things" on Windows then on Linux, esp. with Windows 10!!!
Quoting: orochi_kyoNot even mention that Snap and Flatpack stores arent by default installed on some distros because the personal preference of the developers. These kind of stores makes life easier with single click installs but it seems Linux developers hates single click things...
Maybe use another desktop? :P
BTW: Stop using Linux like Windows! Learn the Linux Way and be amazed!
Chronarius Jul 2, 2019
Quoting: subBut we're losing momentum.
And it doesn't feel right currently.
The biggest problem is that you still don't get Linux Computers in the stores. They are just not there, and an "avarage joe" has no reasons to reinstall it's PC which comes preinstalled with Windows!
Quoting: subIf 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.
Depending on statistics Linux has now a marketshare of 2-5% on the desktop.
According to Steams Hardware survey we have almost 2% in western countries, and less then 1% worldwide thanks to expanding into China!
Which brings me to another problem which still exists: How do they determine for which platform the sold game counts? THIS is still a problem on Steam, and Valve hasn't done much to solve the issue! It is still way to complicated! Even if I jump through all the loops which they have put in place. I still can not be sure that it counts for Linux. On other stores I don't want to even think about it! In general they count for Windows.
Quoting: ChronariusWhich brings me to another problem which still exists: How do they determine for which platform the sold game counts? THIS is still a problem on Steam, and Valve hasn't done much to solve the issue! It is still way to complicated! Even if I jump through all the loops which they have put in place. I still can not be sure that it counts for Linux. On other stores I don't want to even think about it! In general they count for Windows.
I don't think this is a huge problem.
If you buy it from you Linux PC, all is fine.
If you buy it from anywhere else (mobile, work place Windows PC, whatever), and actually plan to play it, you'll start it on your Linux PC and are still fine automatically.
Ok, I guess a problem would be buying batches of games in sales and starting them way later.
I have several Paradox games on Steam (also I bought just right now Surviving Mars) and not one is listed on my Paradox account (or available in the launcher).
Quoting: dubigrasuJust somewhat on topic: What is the purpose of linking your Steam account to the Paradox account?
I have several Paradox games on Steam (also I bought just right now Surviving Mars) and not one is listed on my Paradox account (or available in the launcher).
Them gathering info on you. You gain the medals and some avatars depending on what you bought when posting on their forums.
... and I guess you have access to their launcher if want to try it. Before they announce that they ditched Steam and make it mandatory (because we all know this day will come).
Patreon
PayPal
See more from me