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Why Are We Still Dual Booting?

By - | Views: 71,722
The Linux community is one full of passion. From the outside it may seem strange why a small percentage of people around the world care so much about an operating system, after all it's merely a tool or set of tools used to complete certain tasks.

For many of us it isn’t that simple however, and we have a multitude and wide variety of reasons which drive us to support Linux in the way we do. Be it contributing code, running websites like this one or simply advocating the OS and showing its greatness to others.

Some have different views to others, some may insist on calling it GNU/Linux and may insist on only using free software, while others may be less ideologically inclined and simply use Linux because it's the best operating system out there. What unites all these people is the operating system and the desire for it to succeed, seeing it widely adopted or improving in many areas.

In fact, this desire for success and to show the world that we exist has led many of us to take regrettable actions, ranging from abusiveness in forums to insulting the CEO of a major game development company or even going as far as threatening developers who aren’t supporting the platform.

In the gaming world, what often makes many of us flip out most (or the more level headed among us, respond in a constructive manner) is when two simple facts are stated:

1 - Linux only accounts for a small percentage of the desktop market.

2 - Many Linux gamers dual boot or have access to a Windows machine.

While there is not a huge amount we can do about the first of these two points, the second is one which always perplexes me considering it's so simple to amend. If there are so many of us who care so greatly about Linux succeeding (often to the point where we act immaturely) then why do so many of us commit the “cardinal sin” of the Linux world and use Windows?

When I set out to do the GOL survey, one of the things I expected was the number of dual booters to slowly decline as more games come out. In June of last year there were 500 Linux games on Steam. Since then, that number has risen to 1000 and we’ve had huge games like CS:GO, Dying Light, Borderlands 2, Dead Island, Civilization: BE and many AAA games right round the corner.

Despite this, and despite the passions which surround Linux, our survey has shown no significant change in the amount of people dual booting or who have a Windows partition, unlike the amount of people using Wine which seems to be showing signs of declining. In many ways, it seems as if while Linux gaming is making leaps and bounds, Linux gamers are standing still.

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The controversial phrase “Sie wissen das nicht, aber sie tun es” (they do not know it, but still they do it) from Das Kapital comes to mind, though condescending and completely incorrect in this case. Dual booting is far more cynical, a case of “they know very well what they are doing, but still they do it”.

We are all fully aware that the thought of Linux users dual booting and using Wine as a motive not to port a game to Linux has crossed the minds of many developers and even though we may badly want that game on our OS of choice, we still choose to be part of that percentage which makes that argument a valid one.

So why this doublethink? With the recent case of the WoW petition, it is a certainty that all those signing the petition who play WoW do so either on Windows or through Wine. It is easy to see how Blizzard CEO said what he said:

Michael MorhaimeLinux usage represents less than 2% of installed desktop operating systems browsing the web, and I would assume most of those people also have access to a Windows or Mac device capable of playing Blizzard games.


From his perspective, why should he spend money on porting a game to a platform when nearly all the people who would benefit from it are customers already? The irony of the petition is that its very existence also negates its purpose (unless, of course, Linux users were to abandon Blizzard altogether).

As much as I personally loathe the idea, the unavoidable fact is that we do live in a global free market which defines culture as an industry and decides who gets access to that culture based primarily on the profit motive. Culture, in this case, is video games and to many companies giving Linux users access to that culture does not fall within the worldview of putting profit above all else.

It is somewhat presumptuous to state to people whose lives are dictated by this fundamental premise that they are wrong in their conclusions. Simply put, yes 2% (or thereabouts) may be worth it to many developers financially, but when taking into account that with a game like WoW many (if not most) of their potential 2% like the game enough to sacrifice their principles in order to play it, then the rigid logic of the free market implies that WoW (and games like it) will never come to Linux so long as those individuals continue to choose the game over the operating system.

In essence, that 2% in many cases is non-existent and rather than being its own separate "market segment", developers like Blizzard will continue to see it as a percentage of the Windows market which also happens to use Linux on the side, that is, until people stop dual booting. Simply put, there is a significantly higher chance of games getting ported if users use Linux and Linux alone.

Thoughts and suggestions

The intention of this article isn’t to tell people what to do or to shout people down for not thinking in the same way as I do (in fact, if I see discussion heading in that direction, I may well see to it that comments are deleted). The intention is to create a debate surrounding a few simple questions to which there are no right and wrong answers:

- Why do you dual boot?

- Do you see yourself first as a gamer, then as a Linux user?

- Are the 1000+ games on Steam and hundreds more on other sites still not enough for you to be a 100% Linux gamer?

- If you feel so passionately about Linux that you’ll take questionable actions to defend it, then why not do the most simple thing and stop gaming on Windows?

- As someone with a tendency towards a specific genre, do you feel the current Linux suggestion doesn't cater to your gaming needs?

Ideally, I would like to see the number of dual booters decline after reaching some sort of consensus that it would be in all our best interests. I see myself as a Linux user first and a gamer second, and haven’t had Windows on a single computer since ~2008. However, I bear no animosity towards those who think differently. If all that comes of this article is an enlightening debate surrounding these issues and perhaps leads others to oppose the statements made in this article through other articles or through comments, then I’ll still be more than happy.

Even though I may have my own views as to how things should progress which may differ from those of others, I think we can all agree that being respectful, helpful and constructive goes a long way - be it to each other or to the developers which are (or aren't) porting our games. Though dual booting might not be something will (or maybe even should) disappear overnight, aggression and abuse certainly should. Likewise, the same goes for buying Linux games before porting - something which has been repeated and discussed time and time again. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: Editorial
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About the author -
After many years of floating through space on the back of a missile, following a successful career in beating people up for not playing Sega Saturn, the missile returned to earth. Upon returning, I discovered to my dismay that the once great console had been discontinued and Sega had abandoned the fight to dominate the world through 32-bit graphical capabilities.

After spending some years breaking breeze blocks with my head for money and being mocked by strangers, I have found a new purpose: to beat up people for not playing on Linux.
See more from me
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124 comments
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Feist Mar 12, 2015
Well, i *do* dual-boot, in the sense that I still have a windows partition and I can/could use it, if I had some very pressing reason to do so. Having said that, I haven't started windows for anything else than downloading system & anti-virus updates, ever since I started gaming for real on Linux in October.

Why do I keep it? Well for two simple reasons:

Number one, if (like I said above) there was some reason that I should feel a pressing need for it, some software (game, productivity, banking & transactions or other) that wouldn't work in linux and that I still felt I just *had* to use.

Number two, I have two hard-drives with grub that automatically starts my linux distro, while the second (much smaller) drive that contains windows stay unused and (this far) unneeded. Removing the second HD or deleting windows from it, really wouldn't gain me anything. It's really somewhat similar to having a bunch of "backup-dvd:s" that gathers dust in a closet, I have no use for them at present and maybe I never will but throwing them away would just be dumb.

Do you see yourself first as a gamer, then as a Linux user?

Hmm...I'd say at present 60/40 in favor of being a pc-gamer, but those numbers are likely to change in the future.

- Are the 1000+ games on Steam and hundreds more on other sites still not enough for you to be a 100% Linux gamer?

Well, numbers of games in itself, is a rather meaningless measurement. I don't play games simply to play games, I do it because certain *specific* game-titles are very attractive to me and enjoyable for me to play, while many other titles are not.

- If you feel so passionately about Linux that you’ll take questionable actions to defend it, then why not do the most simple thing and stop gaming on Windows?

I have stopped (since october). However, when (for example) GTA V arrives, I might take a brief windows-vacation. (though nothing is decided yet) ;-)

- As someone with a tendency towards a specific genre, do you feel the current Linux suggestion doesn't cater to your gaming needs?

Once "The Elder Scrolls VI" and "Fallout IV" and "Risen IV" and the sequel to "Deus EX:HR" and a few other high-profile crpgs are released for Linux, *then* it will definitly cater to my "genré-needs".
Hamish Mar 12, 2015
I am a Linux user first and a gamer second, and I have not dual booted since I was offered the opportunity to stop using Windows for my schooling back in 2007. I actually got more into games after I made the transition.

I personally rate being DRM free as being a heavier requirement than being Linux native though. While being Linux native means I can run the game on my system now, being DRM free makes it far more likely that I will be able to run the game on my system ten years from now, and so on and so forth. This is also part of the reason that I am so very much in favour of legacy source code releases, even though I do concede that it does not really affect my purchasing decisions.

I do still use WINE but not for any modern titles - I must admit to having bought a Windows game on GOG.com recently that I had previously played through WINE, mostly because I wanted a good digital copy. There are a few other older games on there which I might do the same on if I ever see them heavily discounted as well. Seeing as I am supporting GOG.com by doing so and that the vast majority of my purchases are still Linux native, I do not really feel the need to feel all that guilty about it, even though it is still a concession.

I can also say that being a Linux native gamer has actually broadened my horizons when it comes to genre. I would probably have never gotten into Dungeons of Dredmor or the Penumbra Collection if they were not on Linux, and now they are among some of my favourite game titles of all time. The genre which I do have the most affinity for is still classic shooters though, something that Linux happens to be fairly well stocked with.
serge Mar 12, 2015
I don't play games with WINE or on Windows.

I only use Windows for watching 3D Blurays iso ,because i can't with linux.
Pangachat Mar 12, 2015
Bethesda+Bioware games, and Linux still don't have a decent classic mmorpg, like WoW,Aion,TERA, FF14, Guildwars 2, or something similar in scale,setting and graphics.
Liam Dawe Mar 12, 2015
Linux user first, gamer second.

I have a PS3 and PS4 for "blockbusters", and apart from Mordor which I will buy again on Linux as I didn't complete it, AAA games are always traded in as they are full of issues, and most of the time, crap over hyped by a publisher bull.

So, i'm not even sure why I have my PS4 right now :/
Metallinatus Mar 12, 2015
QuoteThe irony of the petition is that its very existence also negates its purpose (unless, of course, Linux users were to abandon Blizzard altogether).

Do it, just do it, if they are not supporting us so there is no reason for them to see our support towards them....

As for the questions:

      I have a Windows partition just for the case of I extremely need to use it.... which I haven’t for years now.... and I definitely don’t use it for gaming. Also, no WINE, if I’m going to use Windows stuff I prefer to just use it on Windows already.
      I have been gaming ever since the N64 entered in my life.... ever since before that actually as I already liked playing on my friend’s SNES before that.... so I am definitely not a Linux user first, nor am I a gamer first as I won’t play stuff that are not on Linux or Nintendo (no PSXBox for me), but that doesn’t make me any less of a gamer.... I just won’t let the market dictate me what to use.
      The 3rd question is rhetorical by now.
      Exactly.
      If there is one genre that seriously need to improve on Linux is the fighting genre.... it is almost non-existent here as far as I know.
    I won’t lie, my gaming needs are not totally satisfied, of course, but we do have enough games to be satisfied with Linux alone now....


I actually have never felt so much attempted to game on Windows as I feel now after that Humble Star Wars Bundle some time ago.... I am a HUGE SW fan for over a decade now and I have codes for almost every SW Steam game sitting on my HB account waiting for the impossible to happen.... well, maybe they will port more games to Android someday as they did to KOTOR :(
FutureSuture Mar 12, 2015
I stopped using Windows as soon as Steam officially launched for Linux on the 14th of February, 2013. I have not touched Windows since, and even accidentally deleted the partition it was on only to discover that I didn't need it anyway. It has been all Linux since then and I do not see that changing.

I don't know whether I see myself primarily as a gamer or a Linux user. My time and money are limited, so I only have a certain amount of time and money to spend on computer games. With all these games that I want to play available on Linux natively, I prioritise those over games that would require Wine or Windows.

Considering that I waited for Steam to officially become available on Linux, I trusted that more games would follow, and made the switch. I would say that I am both a gamer and a Linux user. A Linux gamer, if you will.
reaVer Mar 12, 2015
Guys, you're all going about this wrong. As said before, I've had my own clashes with gamedevs and I still do. When developers state reasons like "there is no market share" be reminded that there's a Source engine and a Unreal engine designed with Linux in mind heading towards our platforms. If you however keep poking these guys until they become really agitated, you will find out because it's who we are and what we represent.

We don't buy any game they make, we are skeptical and expect our money not to go to waste. So if they were to make something, hype it to no end and then get no revenue out of it because people in the community give off signals that the game sucks, they would lose a lot of money. Now compare this with for example the console markets; there's a LOT of young, spoiled retards that some people dare to call kids that are yapping at their parents for the latest console and the newest games. It doesn't matter to these kind of people whether the game is any good, their minds are comparatively fragile and easy to coerce.

Just think, why would game companies make such a big issue out of software piracy while some higher profile games come out with no protection whatsoever? Some companies flat out say that people pirating the game aren't going to buy it anyway and other companies rely on the concept of piracy itself to distribute themselves to the masses (DotA2, LoL, AVA, etc). We as a market are just too hard for some of these guys to satisfy.

And in that light, it doesn't matter what you do. Whether you use Wine, dual boot or decide to boycott the game because they don't support your platform, they are not going to respond.

<snip by editor because it was ridiculous>
throgh Mar 12, 2015
I don't use dualboot at all and abandoned Windows from my systems. But I do use Wine for some games and I just think this is a part of Linux-gaming: Well functional and for most titles I'm using very good. So I just can't understand why there is dislike for Wine or a comparison to Windows. Wine is not really Windows for me. And to play for example "Dungeon Keeper 2" or the good "Thief 1 + 2" or "System Shock 2" there will be no other way.
adila01 Mar 12, 2015
I used to dual boot, but now I just forgo games that aren't available for Linux. There are enough AAAs available now. I will miss Battlefield 4 and Skyrim though
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