The Valve and Steam Platform Discussion Thread

[tuluse]

It's certainly a legitimate question, not in the sense whether it is technologically possible, but how likely it is that a large fraction of games will be ported to Linux as long as Windows remains the platform of choice for gamers.
Even assuming HL3 on Linux, complete with Steambuntu, or Valve Linux, or whatever, it's still not likely that many older games will be ported.

Old games should work fine in Wine. It's only DX9 games and up that really have problems.

 

[Gord]

Old games should work fine in Wine. It's only DX9 games and up that really have problems.

Wine is great, but so far it is not yet at a point that could be considered a complete replacement for the average user.
Although projects like "Play on Linux" help.

 

[Morgoth]

Not just one, but three announcements scheduled for next week.

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/09/20/valves-have-three-announcements-next-week/

Three.

 

[tuluse]

Old games should work fine in Wine. It's only DX9 games and up that really have problems.

Wine is great, but so far it is not yet at a point that could be considered a complete replacement for the average user.
Although projects like "Play on Linux" help.

The idea is that steam would be a wrapper, using wine to run unported games with high compatibility and enabling any winehacks that need to be.

 

[Metro]

But Valve will not pay for Linux ports. I can imagine more new releases being released on Windows and Steam, esp. if Steam for Linux gains more momentum, but as long as Windows stays the main gaming OS, many publishers will probably avoid it to reduce costs.

They don't have to directly pay for it. All they have to do is coerce/offer incentives to publishers to do so.

 

[tuluse]

My friend sent me this from 4chan

 

[Metro]

At this point I would be so underwhelmed by a HL3 announcement it doesn't matter. Nine years since HL2, six years since HL2 Ep2. Bleh. And this would just be an announcement. So figure another two-three years of development.

 

[tuluse]

It could be a fake/troll, too.

I still want to see how the Portal and Half-Life stories converge.

 

[Metro]

Even Gabe has to realize he has to pee or get off the pot with HL3. Would people care... five years from now? Ten? I am sort of interested in the story but don't have much hope for the games themselves. Portal 2 was just a glorified expansion to the first. Both of the series play more like theme park rides through in-game engine rendered cutscenes.

 

[Dexter]

Also, what is this weird shit? http://store.steampowered.com/app/247120/

Paging Dexter

It's a 20 testchamber campaign / free DLC that you can get if you bought a Razer Hydra (I e-mailed them and they gave me a code), Sixense developed it back in the day soon after Portal 2 came out: http://sixense.com/portal2inmotion

 

[DalekFlay]

It's certainly a legitimate question, not in the sense whether it is technologically possible, but how likely it is that a large fraction of games will be ported to Linux as long as Windows remains the platform of choice for gamers.
Even assuming HL3 on Linux, complete with Steambuntu, or Valve Linux, or whatever, it's still not likely that many older games will be ported.

Old games should work fine in Wine. It's only DX9 games and up that really have problems.

And you think the majority of Steam users would be fine with tossing aside DX9 and up games?

 

[Baron]

I, for one, would be thrilled. I had been running Linux on my old machines but decided to switch completely (was time to upgrade, and well, damned if I am going to have Win 8 served up to me without throwing it back into the waiter's face). I installed linux Steam on my main system and saw only Wizardry 6 & 7 appealed. Would be good to play HL3... even though HL2 was an attractive shooter, with good atmosphere, a few physics puzzles and zero story. Never did play the episodes. I don't think many others would swap to Linux for it.

If Gabe wanted people to switch en masse then he needs to secretly work on having half the Steam collection being able to be available and installed (hassle free) with great fanfare for Linux gamers AND undercut the price of Win games.

Or dump Linux, embrace the decline, and partner with Apple. MS dropped the ball with phones and tablets. Release HL3 but replace Gordon Freeman with an Angry Bird. You have to be ruthless in succeed in business at that level.

 

[Ninjerk]

Or dump Linux, embrace the decline, and partner with Apple. MS dropped the ball with phones and tablets. Release HL3 but replace Gordon Freeman with an Angry Bird. You have to be ruthless in succeed in business at that level.

I hope this happens. Half Life is the next franchise due for raping.

 

[Bruticis]

Also, what is this weird shit? http://store.steampowered.com/app/247120/

Paging Dexter

It's a 20 testchamber campaign / free DLC that you can get if you bought a Razer Hydra (I e-mailed them and they gave me a code), Sixense developed it back in the day soon after Portal 2 came out: http://sixense.com/portal2inmotion

Nope, this is brand new and only works with some shitty new $200 3d camera.

 

[Dexter]

Also, what is this weird shit? http://store.steampowered.com/app/247120/

Paging Dexter

It's a 20 testchamber campaign / free DLC that you can get if you bought a Razer Hydra (I e-mailed them and they gave me a code), Sixense developed it back in the day soon after Portal 2 came out: http://sixense.com/portal2inmotion

Nope, this is brand new and only works with some shitty new $200 3d camera.

Huh, weird never heard of it.
I know that they are running a KickStarter for their new kind of Motion Controllers though: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/89577853/stem-system-the-best-way-to-interact-with-virtual

 

[Metro]

/Dexter runs off to buy said camera.

 

[Bruticis]

Pre-order now! http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Recognition-Personal-Computers-73VF078000001/dp/B00EVWX7CG

 

[tuluse]

And you think the majority of Steam users would be fine with tossing aside DX9 and up games?

not likely that many older games

Emphasis mine.

 

[DalekFlay]

And you think the majority of Steam users would be fine with tossing aside DX9 and up games?

not likely that many older games

Emphasis mine.

I meant games from pre-Linux revolution.

This shit isn't hard to comprehend. People have Steam libraries with hundreds of games on them, plus discs and GOG and whatever the fuck else. No one is going to be enthused about tossing half that shit out to switch to Linux permanently, even if Gaben uses his divine wisdom to triple Linux game libraries overnight. Thus you would have to dual-boot, which is a) a pain in the ass, and b) going to turn people off.

 

[Don Peste]

Maybe if Infinitron begs for it we will have Half-Life 3???

 

[Dexter]

So two minutes till we get to see the GabeBox: http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/

SteamOs: http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/SteamOS/

 

[Black]

The hell?
Ah well, Multi-headed Cow will probably enjoy it.

 

[Infinitron]

Gaze into the eyes of the future!

So basically they're going to make their own heavily modified Linux distro, like Android.

 

[Dexter]

Second announcement is obviously GabeBox if the first symbol is GabeOS and the second symbol shows it inside a box, but what the fuck is the third supposed to mean?
Maybe some Android/Mobile shit or something?

 

[Destroid]

Great news for everyone who games on linux.