Quoting: PeciskAlso Ars Technica reports that Android will move to Vulkan API as default graphics API.

Ah that's excellent support right there.

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Quoting: Mountain ManGames that are 100% OpenGL (which are unfortunately rare; most cross-platform games on PC seem to be an OpenGL-DirectX hybrid) usually have identical performance across platforms. In other words, we're not going to see performance parity until developers abandon DirectX, and that's probably not going to happen any time soon.

Don't forget that the biggest console of the current generation, the PS4, don't use DirectX and supposedly is the lead platform for a lot of games in development now. I would guess that could contribute with pushing things away from DirectX.

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Quoting: Mountain Man

Quoting: BeamboomTo raise the tests even one more level on the interest-bar (imho) you could add benchmark results for Windows running on the same machine.

Everything I've heard from various forum posts is that the Windows version performs better across the board, which is typical for any game ported from DirectX to OpenGL.

Yeah I fully expect the benchmarks to go in Windows' favour nowadays. But it would be interesting to see by how much, and how the gap (eventually) starts to shrink, and at what point in time games start to be of equal or better performance. Cause I think it will happen, it would just be fun to see the graphs over time.

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To raise the tests even one more level on the interest-bar (imho) you could add benchmark results for Windows running on the same machine.

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Oh man this looks awesome.

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Quoting: NyamiouWake up!

What do you mean "wake up"?

Quoting: NyamiouWhere do you think all this games on Linux come from?

I don't talk about small indie games. They port their games to whatever as long as it breaths - heck they even bother porting to the Sony Vita device.

It's the big releases I have in mind. If Valve grant advantages that spans wider than just the Linux release it would explain a lot about the ports of those games on the current market situation.

Quoting: NyamiouAlso, there is no way to pay Valve to have your game advertised more the others on the Steam Store, it's partially algorithms and partially hand-picked title by Valve, if your game support Linux you have probably more chance to be hand-picked.

I don't understand what you're talking about here. "Pay Valve"? Firstly, nobody here talk about paying Valve anything, secondly there's no problem whatsoever to implement a weighted announcement in the Steam store algorithms based on whatever factor you want to define - including the number of platforms the release is available for.

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I'm so totally going to buy this one.

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Quoting: liamdaweHonestly, I didn't see it that way. I saw it more as that Steam supports Linux fully, which is what I believe they meant. Rather than Valve directly pitching into help every developer (which would be impossible, they aren't a big company staff wise).

The key word here is "active". They are actively supporting games that have Linux versions. It doesn't sound like we just talk about the Linux version, but the game as a whole. It could indicate an incentive that benefits all versions of that game.
Something that would make good sense to do if one wants to drive the process forward at this stage, since the Linux share is so small.

Quoting: Mountain ManIt certainly seems he's talking about more than merely the fact that Steam is Linux compatible. But there's also the reference to "marketing expectations". Does this suggest, perhaps, that Valve promises more visibility to games that have a Linux version?

That's a thought that struck my mind too. Not just exposure of the Linux versions towards the Linux clients, but all the versions of the game.

For all I know a similar program for Mac may exist too - but this does sound very specific for the Linux versions.

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There's one piece of info in this interview that really stands out from the rest for me, and that's this:

"Steam actively supports games that have Linux versions"

He mention this twice, and was new to me. You should have digged more around this, Liam.
From how he express himself it does look like there are benefits on a wider perspective than just the Linux sales, I get the impression Valve gives some concrete additional benefits for the devs if they release the game for Linux too. One can only wonder what: Promotional benefits? Visibility in the store? Economical advantages across all versions?

Either way, it would explain quite a lot in regards to some of the ports we've seen coming our way.
Very interesting.

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Quoting: Mountain ManExcept that won't convince anybody to give up Windows and start using Linux.

Even 100% on par with Windows won't do that. It takes more than being "as good as" for average Joe to jump OS.

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