Here's a very interesting development for the world of the open source Godot Engine, as a new company named W4 Games has been formed to push it further than ever before. Founded by Godot Engine veterans Juan Linietsky, Rémi Verschelde and Fabio Alessandrelli, and veteran entrepreneur Nicola Farronato the idea is to provide commercial assistance to developers of all sorts using Godot Engine.
One of the goals (there will be a number) is to help developers access console markets, which has been a problem for Godot Engine since it's fully open source and can't just include everything needed to publish on consoles as they've historically been restrictive with things like their SDK. So one goal of W4 Games is to help there, as their FAQ mentions:
W4 was created to satisfy commercial needs of the corporate game industry that are currently unaddressed, by providing products and services to companies that need them in order to move to Godot from other technologies. This includes services offering such as enterprise support plans and the possibility to access markets that were previously unreached by Godot, such as console platforms. Stay tuned for more details!
That's just one small part of it though, as their announcement explains:
W4 Games was formed to strengthen the Godot ecosystem by providing both enterprise and independent developers with a complementary suite of commercial products and services to successfully develop and publish video games to all existing platforms in the market. Further announcements about these products and services will be made over the coming weeks and months as they become available.
For anyone suddenly worried — Godot Engine remains community built, owned and run and will continue to be. This is just a few of their team hoping to keep pushing open source to the masses of developers out there.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Wait what? Who exactly are we talking about? The video game industry that is just about beginning to lose the tiniest bit control of their grip on the technology because of independent studios and engines like Godot, neither of which ever lost control over their technology because they develop it?
actually, the game industry migrated from self owned/developed solutions to thirdy party engines, most of then proprietary, so having an strong open source option os regain control, and that is what this move is about, making godot stronger.
if godot die, then we lose all the control it gave us.
sure, some one can fork it or another oss take the lead, but we have no guarantee it will be as good as godot is.
if you arguee that godot can be replaced then there is no need to worry about godot future.
godot is not isolated in the market, its fighting for atention of developers against gigants like epic/unreal and unity/unity, both of wich have truckloads of money and most important than their systems: an gigant ecosystem, people making plugins for unity (comparing their asset store to godot's is like comparing windows ecosystem to linux from a few years ago), unreal has tons of built in features and own most of the biggest/best asset stores for developers (sketchfab, megascans etc).
that said, a big chunck of the gaming market is, consoles, godot need to enter this market in order to survive in both short/long term, but more importantly, an game engine is nothing without its developers, those need to thrive, and consoles are important to make their business profitable.
i dont think godot is backstabing us, quite the opposite, i think they will have some proprietary "export templates" that they cant make public avaliable due to cluasles like NDA, but thats gonna be it, they will help with porting, help "creating export templates", but the major features will still be avaliable for all platforms, except for cases like, if nintendo make another inovation such as "motion controls", this feature will not be avaliable in the main godot version because it simply wont make sense in other platforms, and the only one it is, has the NDA issue.
they already don't need this company's help.indies need to publish in as many platforms as they can to survive, but one thing i will agree is: they arent the only option to publish on consoles, we already had 3 options before, im not sure if they entering the market is a good thing (we got one more entrie point in the console market, giving us 4 options instead of 3) or a bad thing (those 3 who supported godot before might strugle to compete)
another thing to consider is that the main developers of godot will share "their time" at best, or completely move to the new company at worse, but i think if they are doing that now, they already have someone else to replace then.
hell, juan isnt the best programmer in the world, he know that, no one expected him to be, if he found someone more competent to replace him and decided to do that, more power to him.
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Also, it's a dumb dinosaur approach on the part of incumbent consoles to still keep SDKs closed in this century.
except that it worked for then, so its unlikely they will change their strategy, not until some open platform like steam deck kick their asses, but i dont think this will happen anytime soon, no matter how good steamdeck already is, the sales of traditional consoles arnet giving any signal of slowing down as result of steam deck existing anytime soon, unless that change, they wont.
not to mention, consoles are DRM box , the entire box, i think many of their partners would like those systems to stay closed...
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TheRiddick Aug 11, 2022
So this will be Godot but closed source for proprietary needs?
And yes SDK's shouldn't be closed at all. There are open-source licenses to protect such things from competitors stealing code.
And if everyone is open-source SDK it actually makes stealing each others code harder because well, you can see when its done rather then waiting for a whistle blower to sound the alarms from the inside...
Last edited by TheRiddick on 11 August 2022 at 5:13 am UTC
And yes SDK's shouldn't be closed at all. There are open-source licenses to protect such things from competitors stealing code.
And if everyone is open-source SDK it actually makes stealing each others code harder because well, you can see when its done rather then waiting for a whistle blower to sound the alarms from the inside...
Last edited by TheRiddick on 11 August 2022 at 5:13 am UTC
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except that it worked for then, so its unlikely they will change their strategy, not until some open platform like steam deck kick their asses, but i dont think this will happen anytime soon
Well, I don't see why it can't happen. What are the numbers for the Switch for example?
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111 Million units 8 days ago, growing every day. I know a family with 7 units, it's crazy.except that it worked for then, so its unlikely they will change their strategy, not until some open platform like steam deck kick their asses, but i dont think this will happen anytime soon
Well, I don't see why it can't happen. What are the numbers for the Switch for example?
Last edited by const on 11 August 2022 at 12:32 pm UTC
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111 Million units 8 days ago, growing every day. I know a family with 7 units, it's crazy.except that it worked for then, so its unlikely they will change their strategy, not until some open platform like steam deck kick their asses, but i dont think this will happen anytime soon
Well, I don't see why it can't happen. What are the numbers for the Switch for example?
Damn, WTF.
Last edited by Cyril on 11 August 2022 at 2:47 pm UTC
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except that it worked for then, so its unlikely they will change their strategy, not until some open platform like steam deck kick their asses, but i dont think this will happen anytime soon
Well, I don't see why it can't happen. What are the numbers for the Switch for example?
111 milions units, but the major issue is: no signal of slowing down, despite steam deck being announced/launched.
either people dont know what the device is capable of, or dont care, or simply valve isnt marketing it enough, in case its a bad sign.
you can take a look at the sales history here:
https://www.vgchartz.com/tools/hw_date.php
compare to the performance of other platforms, especially old ones, take a look at how fast the sales decrease when they are about to die, and look at the switch...
if steam deck cant force nintendo to relase an switch2 then what will?
and even if nintendo cant sell switchs anymore due to the deck, with such an large install base they will sell games for a while, and they will sell a lot when they launch switch 2, especially if if have backward compatibility.
not to mention nintendo is able to convince people to purchase again the same game on "virtual console" each generation, sigh, even if that is an advantage for the deck, developers might not see as an advantage if that means less sales for then, so they will keep suporting nintendo/playstation/xbox
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MisterPaytwick Aug 11, 2022
On the whole other "will they provide back" thing, while I'm very much annoyed by the same points Valck noted (ie being an Irish company), I would believe in both reduz and Akien. I don't know the two others, but I've been following Godot since it's first open-source release, and I'm not convinced playing that kind of long game, considering the work put into the whole thing, is healthy to just find a way to not contribute back what they can do with W4 Games.
Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
I don't know about that.
Let's be clear, Nintendo has a strong grip on the market, combine it with their way of advertising. They are targeting wide and have a portfolio to back up they do a good job at giving good games fit to every kind of demographics they go after.
I wouldn't hold my breath at steam wrestling a large share early on. On the other hand, while I'm very interested by Steam Deck, I think it falls in that weird spot between the Switch and something like the PlayStation, without giving that same plug and play vibe or something.
Thanks for the link tho, I'll try to consult it every now and then.
Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
111 milions units, but the major issue is: no signal of slowing down, despite steam deck being announced/launched.
either people dont know what the device is capable of, or dont care, or simply valve isnt marketing it enough, in case its a bad sign.
I don't know about that.
Let's be clear, Nintendo has a strong grip on the market, combine it with their way of advertising. They are targeting wide and have a portfolio to back up they do a good job at giving good games fit to every kind of demographics they go after.
I wouldn't hold my breath at steam wrestling a large share early on. On the other hand, while I'm very interested by Steam Deck, I think it falls in that weird spot between the Switch and something like the PlayStation, without giving that same plug and play vibe or something.
Thanks for the link tho, I'll try to consult it every now and then.
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Thanks for the link tho, I'll try to consult it every now and then.its not an perfect source, they dont have good data about digital sales for example, but i dont know any other/better source.
as for nintendo power, well we saw during n64, gamecube and WiiU era that exclusives arent enough to sell consoles, i mean, sure they sold a lot despite not having support from third parties, but those platforms also showed that they are also dependent on thirdy parties, unlike some people like to claim.
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except that it worked for then, so its unlikely they will change their strategy, not until some open platform like steam deck kick their asses, but i dont think this will happen anytime soon
Well, I don't see why it can't happen. What are the numbers for the Switch for example?
111 milions units, but the major issue is: no signal of slowing down, despite steam deck being announced/launched.
either people dont know what the device is capable of, or dont care, or simply valve isnt marketing it enough, in case its a bad sign.
you can take a look at the sales history here:
https://www.vgchartz.com/tools/hw_date.php
compare to the performance of other platforms, especially old ones, take a look at how fast the sales decrease when they are about to die, and look at the switch...
if steam deck cant force nintendo to relase an switch2 then what will?
and even if nintendo cant sell switchs anymore due to the deck, with such an large install base they will sell games for a while, and they will sell a lot when they launch switch 2, especially if if have backward compatibility.
not to mention nintendo is able to convince people to purchase again the same game on "virtual console" each generation, sigh, even if that is an advantage for the deck, developers might not see as an advantage if that means less sales for then, so they will keep suporting nintendo/playstation/xbox
If a Switch2 had backwards compatibility, that would already be a big win for consumers. I doubt it.
I love my Deck to pieces, but there are quite a lot of reasons it can't really hurt the Switch.
1. Obviously availability just isn't there. How many Steam Decks are out there? Nintendo probably sells these numbers in weeks.
2. The Deck is a device for adult(ish) gamers for now and Switch is a family device. I bet >80% of the weekly Switch sales are birthday/christmas gifts to children, then maybe 10% for parents whose adult children hope they'll exercise with some sport game and then some replacements for old units. The whole childrens birthday/childrens christmas market is totally out of the decks reach and frankly, Valve doesn't seem to care about that market at all.
Try to find family friendly, steam deck validated games on Steam. They are there, they are getting more and more, but damn, they are hard to find. I have the impression the Deck opened up that niche on Steam, so developers targeting Steam will more often consider making family friendly games and developers making family friendly games for Switch will consider a PC port, yet that might just be a a shim...
The whole exercise market is also out of the Decks reach, though that might change with Deckard. I actually think Valve should take that market very very seriously, as that might be the row where they could beat out the consoles the easiest with openness and their specific hardware experience.
I really hope Valve will up their game. Increase availability and start doing something to make Steam as a platform more family friendly, but frankly, there are other tasks to be tackled before that. And also, we don't need the Deck to gain any kind of dominancy. If SteamOS based devices sell 5 Million units (like 5% of Switch), we as Linux gamers would already be in a position we couldn't even imagine a few years back.
Last edited by const on 12 August 2022 at 9:04 am UTC
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If a Switch2 had backwards compatibility, that would already be a big win for consumers. I doubt it.
I love my Deck to pieces, but there are quite a lot of reasons it can't really hurt the Switch.
1. Obviously availability just isn't there. How many Steam Decks are out there? Nintendo probably sells these numbers in weeks.
2. The Deck is a device for adult(ish) gamers for now and Switch is a family device. I bet >80% of the weekly Switch sales are birthday/christmas gifts to children, then maybe 10% for parents whose adult children hope they'll exercise with some sport game and then some replacements for old units. The whole childrens birthday/childrens christmas market is totally out of the decks reach and frankly, Valve doesn't seem to care about that market at all.
I have the impression the Deck opened up that niche on Steam, so developers targeting Steam will more often consider making family friendly games and developers making family friendly games for Switch will consider a PC port, yet that might just be a a shim...
....but frankly, there are other tasks to be tackled before that. And also, we don't need the Deck to gain any kind of dominancy. If SteamOS based devices sell 5 Million units (like 5% of Switch), we as Linux gamers would already be in a position we couldn't even imagine a few years back.
i couldnt disagree more.
0)switch 2 will have backward comp for sure.
0.5)deck can hurt switch for sure, nintendo isnt so strong when do have proper competition, if it was an completely different market then playstation/xbox sales wouldnt affect nintendo success during n64, gamecube and wiiU era.
1)avaliability is the only part i agree, but unless you plan to buy both devices, i think many consumers might wait insted of purchase something else when they have an clear preference for something that is yet to launch.
2)i agree that deck isnt good for children, its too big and heavy for then, but i disagree that switch only appeal to "family games", they even acept nsfw games, i dont think they can reach 111 milions of units focusing only on kids, sure their exclusives are family friendly, but as i stated before, exclusives arent enough to explain that many sales.
and finally i disagree we dont need deck to sell a lot, sure we wouldnt have the same problem to play as we had before, all games on steam and many from other stores will work on linux so there isnt a big reason to care what the rest of the world is using.
yet, without marketshare i dont see the other anti cheat solutions working on linux anytime soon, valve worked togheter with 2 companies then what about the rest?
not to mention other sofwares like substance painter etc, other niches that might not support linux.
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If a Switch2 had backwards compatibility, that would already be a big win for consumers. I doubt it.
I love my Deck to pieces, but there are quite a lot of reasons it can't really hurt the Switch.
1. Obviously availability just isn't there. How many Steam Decks are out there? Nintendo probably sells these numbers in weeks.
2. The Deck is a device for adult(ish) gamers for now and Switch is a family device. I bet >80% of the weekly Switch sales are birthday/christmas gifts to children, then maybe 10% for parents whose adult children hope they'll exercise with some sport game and then some replacements for old units. The whole childrens birthday/childrens christmas market is totally out of the decks reach and frankly, Valve doesn't seem to care about that market at all.
I have the impression the Deck opened up that niche on Steam, so developers targeting Steam will more often consider making family friendly games and developers making family friendly games for Switch will consider a PC port, yet that might just be a a shim...
....but frankly, there are other tasks to be tackled before that. And also, we don't need the Deck to gain any kind of dominancy. If SteamOS based devices sell 5 Million units (like 5% of Switch), we as Linux gamers would already be in a position we couldn't even imagine a few years back.
i couldnt disagree more.
0)switch 2 will have backward comp for sure.
0.5)deck can hurt switch for sure, nintendo isnt so strong when do have proper competition, if it was an completely different market then playstation/xbox sales wouldnt affect nintendo success during n64, gamecube and wiiU era.
1)avaliability is the only part i agree, but unless you plan to buy both devices, i think many consumers might wait insted of purchase something else when they have an clear preference for something that is yet to launch.
2)i agree that deck isnt good for children, its too big and heavy for then, but i disagree that switch only appeal to "family games", they even acept nsfw games, i dont think they can reach 111 milions of units focusing only on kids, sure their exclusives are family friendly, but as i stated before, exclusives arent enough to explain that many sales.
and finally i disagree we dont need deck to sell a lot, sure we wouldnt have the same problem to play as we had before, all games on steam and many from other stores will work on linux so there isnt a big reason to care what the rest of the world is using.
yet, without marketshare i dont see the other anti cheat solutions working on linux anytime soon, valve worked togheter with 2 companies then what about the rest?
not to mention other sofwares like substance painter etc, other niches that might not support linux.
I'm open for a bet on 0. From how Nintendo behaved in the recent past and still does, I don't see why you'd think that.
0.5)Switch has always had good competition, unless you think it's the handheld format that sold it. Nintendo always had handhelds and they were always very successful with it.
1) For someone who knows they want a deck, sure. I'm one of those people, but I don't want a switch and if I wanted one, I'd bought it years ago.
2) I never said Switch was only for kids. It's proven to be kid friendly is what I said. There are alsa a lot of 3rd party developers producing kid friendly games that are mostly targeting the Switch as they did before with 3DS etc. And do you seriously belief there are still 300k people a week realizing they want a switch now after not owning one yet? Not saying parents don't want to game a little when they give it to their children. "Family device" is a good excuse. You don't get that excuse when buying a Deck, yet.
And finally 5Million units are 5Million units. Linux usershare would have overtaken MacOS which is a serious dooropener. And the effects of what deck does will reach over to more people exploring Linux, other handheld manufacturers taking notice, people realizing they can use SteamOS on a couch PC and other things that give momentum and momentum is what really counts. If Deck sells more then 5 Million units I wouldn't be bothered, though :)
Last edited by const on 12 August 2022 at 10:11 pm UTC
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