Gabe Newell owner of Valve the company behind Steam did a keynote at LinuxCon 2013 inside is a video and the info.
Video
The video isn't ours, sorry about the quality.
It was great to see Gabe talk about Linux and gaming and gave some nice insight into Valve. Here are just a few points I managed to pick up on:
They haven't been happy about the way closed systems have been heading for several years, most likely pointing towards things like Windows Store, App Store etc where approval can take ages and can cost a lot money.
Gabe gave an example of an update they put out on the apple store that took 6 months to get approved.
They feel like if they can get games out like Left 4 Dead and more that it can remove issues for other big name developers by them doing the work for them (speaking to nvidia, sorting other drivers out etc).
Several Valve developers actually work on SDL itself (it was also started by a current Valve employee) so we should steadily see decent improvements to that project thanks to them.
They are co-developing a Linux debugger in addition to the work they do with LLVM. This should help a lot of developers.
They say the next step for them is to release some work they have done on the hardware side.
Next week they will give more info on bringing Linux into the living room, so it looks like a Steam Box is getting closer to being a reality. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Gabe Newell ValveLinux is the future of gaming
It was great to see Gabe talk about Linux and gaming and gave some nice insight into Valve. Here are just a few points I managed to pick up on:
They haven't been happy about the way closed systems have been heading for several years, most likely pointing towards things like Windows Store, App Store etc where approval can take ages and can cost a lot money.
Gabe gave an example of an update they put out on the apple store that took 6 months to get approved.
They feel like if they can get games out like Left 4 Dead and more that it can remove issues for other big name developers by them doing the work for them (speaking to nvidia, sorting other drivers out etc).
Several Valve developers actually work on SDL itself (it was also started by a current Valve employee) so we should steadily see decent improvements to that project thanks to them.
They are co-developing a Linux debugger in addition to the work they do with LLVM. This should help a lot of developers.
They say the next step for them is to release some work they have done on the hardware side.
Next week they will give more info on bringing Linux into the living room, so it looks like a Steam Box is getting closer to being a reality. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Quoting: DrMcCoyYes, of course, but it was a bit ambiguous :PYou're just choosing to look at it like that. All I said was he started it and he's a valve employee, nothing more.
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Yes, of course!
Look, I'm not trying to say you meant to write that a then-Valve-employee started SDL. Just that it can be read that way. I just wanted to make sure everyone, including the other GoL readers, is on the same page here. :)
Look, I'm not trying to say you meant to write that a then-Valve-employee started SDL. Just that it can be read that way. I just wanted to make sure everyone, including the other GoL readers, is on the same page here. :)
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Thanks DrMcCoy for that information. I did not know that. The way the information is conveyed by DrMcCoy implies, that working on a Free Open Source software project can even land you a job at the "best employer" in the world if you want to. The way Liam has put it, on the othe hand, implies that Free Open Source wouldn't be as successfull and quality as it is, if it weren't for the corporations that let their employees work on Open Source projects.
don't underestimate the power of words and language. It is used against you every day anyway.
peace & cheers
don't underestimate the power of words and language. It is used against you every day anyway.
peace & cheers
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Quoting: Humbleworking on a Free Open Source software project can even land you a job at the "best employer" in the world if you want toValve does that kind of thing. Ditto with LordHavoc: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTExMDM
Quoting: Humbleimplies that Free Open Source wouldn't be as successfull and quality as it is, if it weren't for the corporations that let their employees work on Open Source projects.Well, yes and no. SDL was developed by Sam Lantinga for Loki Software, after all.
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A lot of developers working on things Linux related only can because they are paid too mr Humble.
You have canonical behind ubuntu, redhat behind fedora, intel employs linux engineers as does amd, the list goes on and on.
Like i said people all i have stated are facts. Also Humble i had to edit your post it had lots of bbcode we don't even use here, where did that come from?
You have canonical behind ubuntu, redhat behind fedora, intel employs linux engineers as does amd, the list goes on and on.
Like i said people all i have stated are facts. Also Humble i had to edit your post it had lots of bbcode we don't even use here, where did that come from?
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Quoting: liamdaweLike i said people all i have stated are factsDude, chill. It was not an attack, it was just a clarification. I really wonder why you're getting so worked up about that... o_O
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Quoting: DrMcCoyI'm fine, just clarifying what i have said.Quoting: Quote from liamdaweLike i said people all i have stated are factsDude, chill. It was not an attack, it was just a clarification. I really wonder why you're getting so worked up about that... o_O
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QuoteThey haven't been happy about the way closed systems have been heading for several years, most likely pointing towards things like Windows Store, App Store etc where approval can take ages and can cost a lot money.Now that's some irony. People shouldn't forget that even with all the Linux support and benefits of easy buying & downloading games through Steam, the service is still a closed source product with DRM. There are already quite a few indie developers unhappy with how long it takes to get listed on Steam. It's exactly the same situation just that Valve is the one at the helm in this case.
Fortunately for game developers there are alternative services, however none of them have the reach that Steam has, so the two situations are quite comparable overall.
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First prediction: next week's announcement will not show off the Steam Box to the world (maybe a prototype at most), but will reveal Valve's Steam Box strategy.
Second prediction: HL3 will be announced as a first-party title to launch with the Box. It will not be an exclusive, and will be announced to launch on each of Steam's three desktop platforms simultaneously with the Steam Box "console" version (which will really just be good controller support for the most part).
Those are pretty obvious (to me). Now, wild and rampant speculation...
Third prediction: We won't see a full launch title list (not remotely), but at least one title will be unportable, suggesting a thoroughly tested Wine experience. Valve will put a lot of effort into making Wine ports very stable and performant on the specific hardware & distro employed in their Box platform, for the specific games they wish to sell, and a fair number of day-one ports will end up on the Box. High-end ports will sort of peter out as Steam Box compatibility (via Wine-wrap, or at best, in-built winelib) becomes the new low bar for Linux porting of AAA's.
Alternate third prediction: The Box will not actually be a specific hardware product, but rather a distro + software stack licensed out to OEM's to build their own branded Steam Boxen, e.g., the Alienware Steam Box, the Falcon Northwest Steam Box, the Maingear Steam Box, the HP Steam Box, etc. Gabe will announce a certification program for OEM partners to qualify their hardware for Valve-approved "Steam Box" status (like Microsoft's WLK/WHC, Apple's MFi Program, or VMware's "Ready" program). In this alternate future, Wine is not emphasized because system configurations vary, with the "bar" characterized by Valve's performance thresholds for certification of titles within the current gaming generation.
Not super excited about either outcome, but that's what my crystal ball reads. :) It will be interesting to see what actually happens...
Second prediction: HL3 will be announced as a first-party title to launch with the Box. It will not be an exclusive, and will be announced to launch on each of Steam's three desktop platforms simultaneously with the Steam Box "console" version (which will really just be good controller support for the most part).
Those are pretty obvious (to me). Now, wild and rampant speculation...
Third prediction: We won't see a full launch title list (not remotely), but at least one title will be unportable, suggesting a thoroughly tested Wine experience. Valve will put a lot of effort into making Wine ports very stable and performant on the specific hardware & distro employed in their Box platform, for the specific games they wish to sell, and a fair number of day-one ports will end up on the Box. High-end ports will sort of peter out as Steam Box compatibility (via Wine-wrap, or at best, in-built winelib) becomes the new low bar for Linux porting of AAA's.
Alternate third prediction: The Box will not actually be a specific hardware product, but rather a distro + software stack licensed out to OEM's to build their own branded Steam Boxen, e.g., the Alienware Steam Box, the Falcon Northwest Steam Box, the Maingear Steam Box, the HP Steam Box, etc. Gabe will announce a certification program for OEM partners to qualify their hardware for Valve-approved "Steam Box" status (like Microsoft's WLK/WHC, Apple's MFi Program, or VMware's "Ready" program). In this alternate future, Wine is not emphasized because system configurations vary, with the "bar" characterized by Valve's performance thresholds for certification of titles within the current gaming generation.
Not super excited about either outcome, but that's what my crystal ball reads. :) It will be interesting to see what actually happens...
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Quoting: JoeThere are already quite a few indie developers unhappy with how long it takes to get listed on Steam.
To be honest, I don't know of any indie devs who are happy about the listing delay and jumping the necessary hoops. Most seem happy to do business with Valve once the gauntlet has been run, but I agree, it really does come off as being a kind of "indie dev hazing ritual". :(
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