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Steams March user survey is out, Linux goes down!

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This Month
Ubuntu 12.10 64 bit 0.47% +0.04%
Ubuntu 12.04.2 LTS 64 bit 0.28% +0.28%
Ubuntu 12.10 0.19% 0.00%
Ubuntu 12.04.2 LTS 0.16% +0.16%
Linux Mint 14 Nadia 64 bit 0.13% +0.13%
Linux 64 bit 0.11% +0.11%
Linux Mint 14 Nadia 0.04% +0.04%
"Arch Linux" 64 bit 0.04% +0.04%
Ubuntu Raring Ringtail (development branch) 64 bit 0.04% +0.04%
Linux Mint 13 Maya 64 bit 0.03% +0.03%
"Fedora release 18 (Spherical Cow)" 64 bit 0.03% +0.03%
Debian GNU/Linux 7.0 (wheezy) 64 bit 0.02% +0.02%
"openSUSE 12.2 (x86_64)" 64 bit 0.02% +0.02%
"openSUSE 12.3 (x86_64)" 64 bit 0.02% +0.02%
Ubuntu 12.04.1 LTS 64 bit 0.01% -0.32%
Linux 0.01% +0.01%
"Gentoo Base System release 2.1" 64 bit 0.01% +0.01%
Ubuntu 12.04.1 LTS 0.01% -0.16%
Debian GNU/Linux 7.0 (wheezy) 0.01% +0.01%
Linux Mint 13 Maya 0.01% +0.01%
Ubuntu Raring Ringtail (development branch) 0.01% +0.01%
elementary OS Luna 64 bit 0.01% +0.01%
"Manjaro Linux" 64 bit 0.01% +0.01%
"Fedora release 17 (Beefy Miracle)" 64 bit 0.01% +0.01%
"Gentoo Base System release 2.2" 64 bit 0.01% +0.01%
Total: 1.69%

Last Month
Ubuntu 12.10 64 bit 0.71% +0.28%
Ubuntu 12.10 0.38% +0.19%
Ubuntu 12.04.2 LTS 64 bit 0.31% +0.31%
Ubuntu 12.04.2 LTS 0.20% +0.20%
Linux Mint 14 Nadia 64 bit 0.17% +0.17%
Linux 64 bit 0.14% +0.14%
Ubuntu 12.04.1 LTS 64 bit 0.11% -0.22%
Total: 2.02%

January Stats
Ubuntu 12.04.1 LTS 64 bit 0.33% +0.07%
Ubuntu 12.10 0.19% +0.07%
Ubuntu 12.04.1 LTS 0.17% +0.04%
Ubuntu 12.10 64 bit 0.43% +0.14%
Total: 1.12%

So 1.69% when we compare it to last months figures at 2.02%, it's a little disappointing but I'm sure we will rise back up by the end of the year when we see some of the bigger titles hitting, DOTA2 for example being the most popular game on Steam isn't even on Linux yet.

Update: Ignore the below, it seems the up/down % is this month vs January.

Personally I think the survey itself needs to be a bit better explained by Valve on how they do it, look at these stats for example:

This Month: Linux Mint 14 Nadia 64 bit 0.13% +0.13%
Last Month: Linux Mint 14 Nadia 64 bit 0.17% +0.17%

How can this month be lower yet be +0.13%, the survey this month just isn't right or last month wasn't right or both.

Another


This Month: Ubuntu 12.10 64 bit 0.47% +0.04%
Last Month: Ubuntu 12.10 64 bit 0.71% +0.28%

Again how can this month have a +0.04% increase yet again actually be lower.

It just strikes me as odd to have an increase, yet be lower. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: Misc
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16 comments
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Lubos Mar 30, 2013
How could the numbers decrease when there are + changes almost everywhere? Doesn't add up.
Liam Dawe Mar 30, 2013
Two versions of Ubuntu have a total of -0.48% together. That's one reason. So with the other additions it just can't add up this time.
Sabun Mar 30, 2013
I don't know if I was a part of the reason it went down, but when the survey came up on my end I accidentally closed it. It didn't reappear after that, so I assume it's as if I didn't enter the survey.
fedso Mar 30, 2013
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it would be interesting to know how users are selected for the survey, googling for that appears that steam survey has been criticized more than once for not being reliable, but it's a survey after all, so I guess we'll have to expect some jumping around. Said that a decrease was expected, on February SoL was on the headlines, but with only 9 indie titles released in March it just disappeared from the radar. However it must have raised the awareness considerably, I'd like to have a survey on how many people tried/installed/kept linux after the SoL release and how many will eventually move to linux after more big titles. From SoL forum there are quite a few people ready to drop windows if their (few) favorite games are ported.
Hyeron Mar 30, 2013
Quoting: liamdaweTwo versions of Ubuntu have a total of -0.48% together. That's one reason. So with the other additions it just can't add up this time.
That looks like some pretty bogus stuff. 0.48 amounts to a population well above most major distros represented here apart from Ubuntu; and equal to a quarter of the whole represented gaming population. I say bulldung, seriously. That single digit discredits the rest (of the survey, not of the article). :)

More in detail :
I assume the 0.48 you're talking about are those:
Ubuntu 12.04.1 LTS 64 bit 0.01% -0.32%
Ubuntu 12.04.1 LTS 0.01% -0.16%
But they HAVEN'T gone down. It's just a bit more fragmentation and updates:
Ubuntu 12.04.1 LTS 64 bit 0.01% -0.32%

|
v
Ubuntu 12.10 64 bit 0.47% +0.04%
Ubuntu 12.04.2 LTS 64 bit 0.28% +0.28%



Ubuntu 12.04.1 LTS 0.01% -0.16%

|
v
Ubuntu 12.04.2 LTS 0.16% +0.16%



It's a simple TRANSFER of 0.48. So WHERE are the remaining linux players?


(PS: wow, nifty copy/paste bug there :D)
Liam Dawe Mar 30, 2013
Hmm that is very odd you are 100% right, it seems there may be an issue with the survey itself.
Liam Dawe Mar 30, 2013
Infact they are borked, take this for example:

This Month: Linux Mint 14 Nadia 64 bit 0.13% +0.13%
Last Month: Linux Mint 14 Nadia 64 bit 0.17% +0.17%

How can this month be lower yet be +0.13%, the survey this month just isn't right or last month wasn't right or both.

Another


This Month: Ubuntu 12.10 64 bit 0.47% +0.04%
Last Month: Ubuntu 12.10 64 bit 0.71% +0.28%

Again how can this month have a +0.04% increase yet again actually be lower.

Something just isn't right, unless I am looking at it completely wrong that is...

I mean it's possible that overall they are less against the rest (the rest being all other Linux, Mac and Windows) but still have more if that makes sense?
Hyeron Mar 30, 2013
That would, in fact, make more sense (well, the Mint example would).
0.13 compared to last month's 0.17 would give us a -0.04... Doesn't remove the fact that the deltas or statistics are borked...
Liam Dawe Mar 30, 2013
My honest opinion is that we shouldn't read into it too much since no one really knows how the survey works.

It's a survey after all it's never 100% accurate, It can't be unless they counted as close to 100% of their user base as possible, but it's not, it's a small section of their users they survey.
Hyeron Mar 30, 2013
Amen to that. :)
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