Valve have put out another of their monthly Steam Hardware & Software Survey and it puts the Linux market share figure on Steam at 0.52%. In comparison the month before was at 0.57%.
I said before, I won't write about this every month, so I wanted to touch on it again today. To get this out the way first, as a reminder we're tracking the Linux share on Steam on a dedicated page right here. Obviously, it doesn't paint a very positive picture when you simply take the percentages at face value—which you simply shouldn't do.
However, this leads me onto an important point, Valve recently did a presentation where they showed quite a large amount of overall growth:
Nearly 4 million first-time users each month, actually buying something on Steam. Their figures always blow me away, it's just an insane amount of people we're talking about overall here. This seems to be a constant too, every time Valve talk about it, they've grown tremendously.
Considering the constant growth rate of Steam, especially in markets where the primary language is Chinese, it's not surprising the Linux overall share drops. Valve's own survey shows that for Linux users, Simplified Chinese as a language option only makes up 0.95%, so when you think about how Steam is growing and in markets where it seems Linux isn't popular, it will bring down our overall market share. This is shown pretty clearly on our dedicated page, where you can pretty easily see the correlation between the Linux share dropping as the overall share of Simplified Chinese across the whole of Steam rises.
Taking all that into account, while the Linux market share on Steam has dropped, we're always talking about a percentage based on an overall number that's constantly growing. I would imagine the overall number of Linux users has increased, but to know that for sure we would need Valve to be more forthcoming about their total active users more regularly.
There's still a lot of ways Linux gaming needs to improve of course. It seems pulling in users from Asia would probably help quite a lot, but for that we need the heavy-hitting titles they seem to love like PUBG. Virtual Reality is one of the big ones right now, which Valve have been investing in getting it to work well on Linux, so eventually that side of things should improve.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Quoting: Whitewolfe80Honestly and I know am going to get slated for it this is just one more nail in the coffin for me the lack of triple a gaming on linux this year aside from Tomb Raider reboot 2 means and i hate to say it i am going back to dual booting after six years on pure linux.That's a bummer for you. For me, I'd go to PS4 before Windows and keep a Linux computer. Windows 10 is like renting a computer. It's not yours.
That said, my two cents in this seasonal conversation is that not everyone who gives Linux a shot sticks with it. I'm an IT professional who works on a team of admins that administer many Windows and Linux servers. We all despise Windows (supposedly), but guess how many of us run a Linux/GNU computer for personal use? Just me. It's too much work to not be mainstream.
Of course, I love Linux/GNU and don't imagine myself leaving any time (never say "never" ). But other people? They probably need to grow up with it, or there is like no hope.
Last edited by 14 on 2 July 2018 at 11:19 pm UTC
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Jul 3, 2018
Quoting: 14Quoting: Whitewolfe80Honestly and I know am going to get slated for it this is just one more nail in the coffin for me the lack of triple a gaming on linux this year aside from Tomb Raider reboot 2 means and i hate to say it i am going back to dual booting after six years on pure linux.That's a bummer for you. For me, I'd go to PS4 before Windows and keep a Linux computer. Windows 10 is like renting a computer. It's not yours.
That said, my two cents in this seasonal conversation is that not everyone who gives Linux a shot sticks with it. I'm an IT professional who works on a team of admins that administer many Windows and Linux servers. We all despise Windows (supposedly), but guess how many of us run a Linux/GNU computer for personal use? Just me. It's too much work to not be mainstream.
Of course, I love Linux/GNU and don't imagine myself leaving any time (never say "never" ). But other people? They probably need to grow up with it, or there is like no hope.
@14 Hi, I am an IT as well :)
I am using Linux for work and other things as well but I dont think I will ever dualboot
I have a PS4 just to play AAA Titles (if I ever have time) that I cant play on Linux.
(Imagine that I have Resident Evil 7 , God of War,Monster Hunter,Shadow of the Colossus + so many other AAA tittles and I havent played anything so far)
I want to buy a VR but at the moment I am waiting for Linux support otherwise I may buy VR for PS4.
At the moment Linux Gaming is VERY VERY BAD !
1. No AAA titles are available in Linux (Especially the newest titles like PUBG etc)
2. NO VR Support and no cool VR Games in Linux
3. No gamer will want to play a game after 1 or 2 years if it will be ported.
4. Gamers jump from one game to another , I mean that gamers test every new game is getting released and if is trending they just stuck on it and play it until the next trending game tittle.
More than 5 years have passed and still Linux gaming is not a thing.
Yeah we do have many tittles especially indie games but until big companies decide to support Linux , Linux gaming will stay as is.
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Quoting: wolfyrionI am using Linux for work and other things as well but I dont think I will ever dualboot
I have a PS4 just to play AAA Titles (if I ever have time) that I cant play on Linux.
(Imagine that I have Resident Evil 7 , God of War,Monster Hunter,Shadow of the Colossus + so many other AAA tittles and I havent played anything so far)
I have "dual-booted" Linux, DOS, and OS/2, but the only version of Windows I have had installed on my computers was Windows 3.1, over 20 years ago. My extensive "backlog of shame" covers stacks of DOS games, PS2, PS3, PS4, and even a handful of Wii games. Whenever someone asks me "why not install Windows so you get more games," I have to mention the huge stacks of games I will probably never get to... :-p
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Quoting: 14That's a bummer for you. For me, I'd go to PS4 before Windows and keep a Linux computer. Windows 10 is like renting a computer. It's not yours.
Don't you realise inconsistency here? You prefer PS4, a fully locked-down system, both hardware- and software-wise, where the vendor has full control over what you can do and what they can do with the system you purchased, with a Windows-running PC. While Microsoft moved towards walled garden approach a lot in last few years, Windows 10 is still relatively open compared with consoles. And, if it comes to the worst and Microsoft disables Windows license key, you still have a PC you can use. If Sony decides to brick your PS4, there's nothing you can do about it. And let's not even start talking about cross-system multiplayer...
That said, I will probably follow your route. I won't replace my aging PC. It's fine for indie games on Linux. For AAA I will probably buy PS4 Pro - though issues with cross play between PS4 and other platforms might change my decision.
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Crazy Penguin Jul 3, 2018
Quoting: muell> I would imagine the overall number of Linux users has increased
> I can agree as long as fairy stable means growing slowly but otherwise I just can't believe it.
Can you all just stop that bullshit? All the data suggests that there is no growth. This is nothing where your believes are somehow relevant. Linux gaming doesn't grow whereas other platforms do. That's bad news. Stop trying to spin it any other way.
The only data you have are PERCENTAGES OF A MARKETSHARE which is dropping. But Steam has a rapid grow which means the absolute numbers of Linux Gamers is also growing, just not as fast as others which results in a dropping PERCENTAGE OF THE MARKETSHARE. Got it?
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It must be an age thing but I can't see the obsession with having to have all the latest so called "AAA games". How much does this cost to buy all these new releases at full price?!
I've got over 400 Linux games :O and have played a fraction of them to completion. If I never buy another game I will still never play all the GOOD games I haven't yet touched.
I will and do ^_^ I actually prefer this as all the bug fixes and DLC are included and it's cheaper!
I've got over 400 Linux games :O and have played a fraction of them to completion. If I never buy another game I will still never play all the GOOD games I haven't yet touched.
Quoting: wolfyrion3. No gamer will want to play a game after 1 or 2 years if it will be ported.
I will and do ^_^ I actually prefer this as all the bug fixes and DLC are included and it's cheaper!
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Ok, just in case because people at work asked what I'm talking about and maybe people here have the same false understanding of what statistics are.
Yes, "percentage over time" can be a measure of growth of a given value (either positive or negative). But this is only true when 100% constantly represents the same value over the whole measured period, i.e. when there are no other variables to consider. If 100% is a different number at each point in time the measurement is taken, it's no longer a statistical measurement of growth. It does describe the current situation but it says nothing about the future or the past.
It is a bad news to us because it does show whatever Valve is doing isn't as effective for Linux as it is for Windows or even MacOS. But it doesn't mean Linux market share is not growing. It doesn't share of it's shrinking either. It shows exactly nothing about it.
Last edited by cprn on 3 July 2018 at 9:28 am UTC
Yes, "percentage over time" can be a measure of growth of a given value (either positive or negative). But this is only true when 100% constantly represents the same value over the whole measured period, i.e. when there are no other variables to consider. If 100% is a different number at each point in time the measurement is taken, it's no longer a statistical measurement of growth. It does describe the current situation but it says nothing about the future or the past.
It is a bad news to us because it does show whatever Valve is doing isn't as effective for Linux as it is for Windows or even MacOS. But it doesn't mean Linux market share is not growing. It doesn't share of it's shrinking either. It shows exactly nothing about it.
Last edited by cprn on 3 July 2018 at 9:28 am UTC
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Quoting: fabertaweIt must be an age thing but I can't see the obsession with having to have all the latest so called "AAA games". How much does this cost to buy all these new releases at full price?!Apparently you and I aren't gamers, nevermind the ludicrous amount of hours Guild Wars 2's /age command shows me or how many times I've beaten Borderlands 1 & 2, or the fact that I'm more familiar with the lore of the Forgotten Realms than the history of my country.
I've got over 400 Linux games :O and have played a fraction of them to completion. If I never buy another game I will still never play all the GOOD games I haven't yet touched.
Quoting: wolfyrion3. No gamer will want to play a game after 1 or 2 years if it will be ported.
I will and do ^_^ I actually prefer this as all the bug fixes and DLC are included and it's cheaper!
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monsieursauce Jul 3, 2018
Quoting: TheSHEEEPI am currently learning Chinese and yes, the Linux support for Chinese typing is simply much worse on it than on Windows.
That just makes it that much harder to gain any ground in China. Not really sure how that could change other than with some serious financial backing. Windows is such a standard in China, I don't think much ground is to be gained there, tbh.
Well, I have to disagree with you: I have been using ibus-pinyin for years and it always worked perfectly, also having a sleek look compared to windows alternatives. I highly recommend you to use it! Also if you are learning Chinese, you can use Syng which is the best Chinese dictionary I found so far on Linux.
I don't think the keyboard issue is the main problem of Linux unpopularity in China.
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qptain Nemo Jul 3, 2018
Quoting: GuestWhen Mojang states it will reduce support for 7th Gen. consoles because they don't add up to 5% of those active in its 144,000,000 user base, that tells one a lot about how these elephants move in rooms.I think you're right.
https://minecraft.net/en-us/article/update-aquatic-coming-legacy-console-editions
Linux needs its own network-effect augmented category killer, much like DOOM (1993) was for DOS. Lord GabeN was wise to hinge Windows 95 on gaming compatibility and Gates was wise to listen, as Windows compared to Apple and Commodore back in 1993 makes today's Linux look like a flawless blue diamond.
However, just as the highly-coveted and super-sexy Apple II merely became "the thing" that ran the smash-hit business app VisiCalc, and DOS was just "the thing" for the exploding PC office and gaming market, so Linux must become "the thing" in its own network-advantaged right. What that is, ultimately, is anyone's guess.
Right now, "the thing" is just about any workable Win64 platform that can launch PUBG or Fortnite.
“Computers aren’t the thing. They’re the thing that gets us to the thing.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQLbi4VXYcA
Do you think it's possible to achieve that without exclusivity? Must the network-effect augmented category killer be platform exclusive?
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