The developers of this rather robust flight simulator have shared the latest round of user data and it shows that Linux usage remains at the same level.
X-Plane 11 [Official Site] released earlier this year with same-day Linux support at launch and has since had a lot of updates, including a recent update that reworked how joysticks are recognized. This is a more serious sort of flight sim, where physics and flight models are carefully produced in order to provide an authentic experience. It’s got a very active modding community and all sorts of craft are available to take for a flight.
In the latest usage statistics, the developers have shared all sorts of interesting information about the game. Things like which types of craft are the most popular, user hardware and, most importantly to us, which operating systems users are running. The Linux figure sits at around 1.4%, which is about the same as the last series of statistics released earlier in the year. Unfortunately the developers haven’t shared actual numbers of users nor total sales, so all we can infer is that if there have been a growth in the user base, Linux numbers must have risen at the same rate.
Now, that may not sound like a lot, but we are still a rather niche market and I think it’s encouraging to see that we’ve kept apace proportionately with the other operating systems. It would be great if these figures were higher but it doesn’t seem that unusual when compared to sales data we’ve seen from other developers.
What’s more, this figure is higher than the typical percentage on Steam, overall. As you may recall from the latest Steam survey stats, Linux share has dropped in October. Liam presented a reasonable explanation as to why, mostly to do with the lack of popularity of Linux in China and Steam’s explosive growth in that region.
I used to be rather keen on flight simulators when younger but haven’t spent much time with the genre in recent years for various reasons. I played the demo for X-Plane but it was too brief to really get a feel for the game. So I guess I might as well ask: GOL readers who regularly play X-Plane, what keeps you coming back?
Thanks for the tip SuperTux
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Quoting: g000hAll I was doing was sharing my view on why the percentage Linux gaming market-share stands the way it does. To summarise - It looks worse than the Linux user market-share, because a lot of Linux gamers resort to other platforms because their favourite games are not available on "our" platform.
Nothing wrong with that; and strictly speaking your right in cases were a non-linux version exists people play on other platforms & WINE especially for the AAA titles. On the whole I game primarily on Linux of the 3 evening I get to game 2 are spent on Linux the other is on my PS4. All we can do is support developers who provide native versions, but I would think some leeway and understanding must be shown to newcomers to the platform that may still want to experience the AAA titles I was in that boat myself at first. 2014/2015 I would game on Linux where possible but still buy windows versions of AAA titles I wanted to play and dual boot. Eventually I went 100% Linux and now only buy Linux native games and I think this soft transistion is one most gamers will take.
If only the Steam survey had a way to matk WINE installations it could go a good way to showing developers a better picture of Linux demand for their games.
Quoting: g000hHow am I trolling? You seem to draw conclusions from the gamer to user ratio.Quoting: poisondQuoting: g000hAll I was doing was sharing my view on why the percentage Linux gaming market-share stands the way it does. To summarise - It looks worse than the Linux user market-share, because a lot of Linux gamers resort to other platforms because their favourite games are not available on "our" platform.
So you assume every Linux user is a gamer? That's a bit silly, don't you think?
Stop trolling please.
Last edited by poisond on 15 November 2017 at 1:08 pm UTC
Mountain Man Nov 15, 2017
QuoteGOL readers who regularly play X-Plane, what keeps you coming back?I simply find it relaxing and rewarding to navigate cross country from one airport to another and then successfully land at my destination. Not to mention that X-Plane version 11 is the most accurate and gorgeous consumer flight sim ever released.
xplane is great and will get better with vulkan and vr support.
Quoting: wojtek88The problem is that Valve is the only big company that can push Linux gaming forward.
I cannot say anything due to NDAs and stuff, but rest assured that this is not true. In fact the future of AAA games on Linux is very bright.
Quoting: ShabbyXShabbX is porting Skyrim and Witcher 3 for the Ataribox confirmed!Quoting: wojtek88The problem is that Valve is the only big company that can push Linux gaming forward.
I cannot say anything due to NDAs and stuff, but rest assured that this is not true. In fact the future of AAA games on Linux is very bright.
(just kidding :P )
Quoting: g000hOne little detail I feel like bringing up about Linux gamers: WINE compatibility layer.
It seems to me that plenty of Linux people who play games are not sticking to Linux to do it.
Some boot up consoles to play console-specific games (e.g. Horizon Zero Dawn on Sony PS4)
Some boot up to Windows to play Windows-specific games (e.g. Player Unknown Battlegrounds)
Some play Windows games via WINE on Linux (e.g. Witcher 3 or Skyrim)
My problem with the above is that it isn't helping Linux gain traction. All those Linux users, who play the above non-Linux games are bringing the Linux percentage down. It's not so big a deal if the game isn't sending usage analytics back to the game publisher or back to Steam, but when it is, then it is making Linux userbase smaller than it actually occupies. (i.e. If that Linux user was playing a Linux game instead of a Windows / WINE / console game.)
My feeling is that Linux user percentage worldwide could be as high as 3 to 4 percent. And, that userbase would play more games on Linux, if those games were available on Linux.
Well, always kind of interesting reading WINE-bashing: You've recognized that WINE exactly is running under Linux? And therefore you can use it to play older titles, which won't get any native binaries or porting? And what's the opposite? Renting "games" using a complete proprietary platform? (STEAM) Just because some native games are there it is not getting better. What's next? Getting Linux to another unixoid clone of Windows? Because that is going to happen when the majority is taking "control" and the part of freedom will be gone.
Quoting: g000hOne little detail I feel like bringing up about Linux gamers: WINE compatibility layer.Tbh. That right there is one of the reasons I don't use wine/dual boot. As far as developers know we're just on Windows.
It seems to me that plenty of Linux people who play games are not sticking to Linux to do it.
Some boot up consoles to play console-specific games (e.g. Horizon Zero Dawn on Sony PS4)
Some boot up to Windows to play Windows-specific games (e.g. Player Unknown Battlegrounds)
Some play Windows games via WINE on Linux (e.g. Witcher 3 or Skyrim)
My problem with the above is that it isn't helping Linux gain traction. All those Linux users, who play the above non-Linux games are bringing the Linux percentage down. It's not so big a deal if the game isn't sending usage analytics back to the game publisher or back to Steam, but when it is, then it is making Linux userbase smaller than it actually occupies. (i.e. If that Linux user was playing a Linux game instead of a Windows / WINE / console game.)
My feeling is that Linux user percentage worldwide could be as high as 3 to 4 percent. And, that userbase would play more games on Linux, if those games were available on Linux.
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