(Review) - What would it take to get more Linux users playing video games? A better selection of native games for the Linux platform? It has been tried over and again with very limited results. But perhaps it's worth trying again, this time with real, obtainable tools and help? Enter Garage Games.
Real Games: A Real Profitable Platform. Understanding these games remain few in number, the results are the same - they are cross platform and include Linux users. No using silly emulators, these indie developers have made sure that Linux users are included in the gaming fun. Now, the really important question - why hasn't anyone heard of any of this? Largely due to the fact that these games are considered "independent," the exposure these studios have received is otherwise limited.
And perhaps the one thing that is on all of your minds is how come all of these games are closed source? Simple, while they include Linux as a supported OS, it's not their primary focus. Therefore, don't expect these developers to giveaway something that likely took them years to make. There are some fantastic open source games, but unlike software, video games don't make great open source business models as a rule.
A Peek Into Tomorrow's Linux
Holding Onto Ideals Or Bringing Gaming Into a Cross-Platform Realm? As far as I'm concerned, it all comes down to a choice. Expect the gaming industry to follow the Linux doctrine or instead, build up a viable, cross platform gaming market that includes us, the Linux users. It ought to be set up as follows - if you don't like the idea, don't participate. But try not to put down the idea.
If we can get more companies like Garage Games on board with the idea of making games available to everyone, we could begin to see a slow influx of new and exciting games developed with the Torque gaming engine.
Build Your Own. Another approach altogether is to simply build your own games - within Linux, for Linux. What's so cool about many of the development tools is that most of them allow for full, and if need be, simple development in Linux.
With the right amount of time invested, the ability to choose whether or not to give away the games or sell them, you could become part of the solution for getting Linux gaming into a stronger position.
Back to Windows-Only Gaming. What about Cedega , you say? It's an admirable effort and does work well enough for World of Warcraft , along with other games. But forget about having anything short of a hair pulling experience with anything from EA. The Battlefield series speaks for itself in the forums. It's less than the game itself and more of the informal use of Punk Buster, also referred to "Skunk Butter" throughout certain gaming circles, mainly because it's such a hassle for Linux users. So yes, what TransGaming attempts with Cedega is neat, but it's largely a 50/50 proposition.
Regardless, while it may not be fully open source , it's a cross platform solution at least.
