Latest Comments by Mal
Easy Anti-Cheat not as simple as expected for Proton and Steam Deck
9 Jan 2022 at 5:31 pm UTC Likes: 5
EAC was bought by Epic (not Valve) a few weeks before they announced EGS (and imho when they did, and Tim explained his "gaming vision", it became clear why they bought it. So the actual surprise was that they were supporting proton just because it would benefit gamers, not that they use it as a troyan horse to impose their infrastruture in the industry).
Reading it now it's clear that they didn't outright lie and that they really meant "Epic Game Services -which includes EAC" support is few clicks away. But the press (gamingonlinux on top in this case) wasn't disingenuous when it wrote that EAC was one click away either. Only actual devs trying to make this work know these kind of details, like that the same product EAC has two different libraries with different licenses and stuff attached. I mean, after the articles Epic could just release a statement and let the press disambiguate this. New games will probably use EOS libraries. But there is no way old ones will undergo all the work to integrate it when EAC library works fine for its intended purpose.
But I guess they were just happy to get free PR and then leave to the individual devs to deal with the unrealistic expectations of their fanbase. And possibly create attrition with them (ovbiously it's not just Vermintide, it's plenty of "plz do the few clicks and support proton" threads on EAC games Steam forums).
9 Jan 2022 at 5:31 pm UTC Likes: 5
Quoting: SakuretsuThe thing I really wanna know is:Epic made the "few click away" announcement [External Link].
Was Valve aware of that before they made the claim of "just a few clicks"?
EAC was bought by Epic (not Valve) a few weeks before they announced EGS (and imho when they did, and Tim explained his "gaming vision", it became clear why they bought it. So the actual surprise was that they were supporting proton just because it would benefit gamers, not that they use it as a troyan horse to impose their infrastruture in the industry).
Reading it now it's clear that they didn't outright lie and that they really meant "Epic Game Services -which includes EAC" support is few clicks away. But the press (gamingonlinux on top in this case) wasn't disingenuous when it wrote that EAC was one click away either. Only actual devs trying to make this work know these kind of details, like that the same product EAC has two different libraries with different licenses and stuff attached. I mean, after the articles Epic could just release a statement and let the press disambiguate this. New games will probably use EOS libraries. But there is no way old ones will undergo all the work to integrate it when EAC library works fine for its intended purpose.
But I guess they were just happy to get free PR and then leave to the individual devs to deal with the unrealistic expectations of their fanbase. And possibly create attrition with them (ovbiously it's not just Vermintide, it's plenty of "plz do the few clicks and support proton" threads on EAC games Steam forums).
Easy Anti-Cheat not as simple as expected for Proton and Steam Deck
9 Jan 2022 at 3:28 pm UTC Likes: 2
With those words they created a lot of expectation from his players and now he has to go on steam and explain that not only one click away means integrate a different library into the game, it will also require an EULA update for EOS (or at the very least some lawyer work to understand if this is the case).
9 Jan 2022 at 3:28 pm UTC Likes: 2
Quoting: GuestI'm simply pointing out it's disingenuous for one dev to put all the blame on Epic here, they're not the one's relying on Proton.The blame is on the "one click away" choice of words.
With those words they created a lot of expectation from his players and now he has to go on steam and explain that not only one click away means integrate a different library into the game, it will also require an EULA update for EOS (or at the very least some lawyer work to understand if this is the case).
Epic Games announce full Easy Anti-Cheat support for Linux including Wine & Proton
9 Jan 2022 at 12:20 am UTC Likes: 1
9 Jan 2022 at 12:20 am UTC Likes: 1
From this [External Link] thread it looks like it's more than a few clicks away and there are quite a few string attached.
It's been what, 3 months since the one click thing came out? It's strange that only now someone points this out.
It's been what, 3 months since the one click thing came out? It's strange that only now someone points this out.
PUBG's newer anti-cheat sounds problematic for the Steam Deck and Linux
15 Dec 2021 at 12:05 am UTC
Have the game run into some trusted, standardized container and have all the worst shit you want and some more run isolated there with the just stuff it has to monitor. At the worst make something intrusive but open source so one at least knows what it actually does.
Just don't make one sided spyware that has access to all your memory and expect people to trust you, your collaborators, your investors, all your providers and the government(s) that rules over all these people to make only your multiplayer interests with everything they get out of your machine.
People who play games with anti cheat should seriously consider to run that stuff on different partitions than where they use their sensible data. Even if it mean to have two Windows partitions.
15 Dec 2021 at 12:05 am UTC
Quoting: hardpenguinI think people commenting here today confused GamingOnLinux with some mailing list for free software and privacy zealots...?It's not that cheating ruining otherwise good games is not an issue. It's that there must be better ways to fight cheating than having intrusive and shady software look into all your memory and send reports back to some remote location.
While I understand the point of the concerns over intrusive anti-cheat solution, the problem stands. I would rather play one of the most popular video games in the world on Linux thanks to Proton than to use Windows. And so would many other Linux gamers.
Such a pity.
Have the game run into some trusted, standardized container and have all the worst shit you want and some more run isolated there with the just stuff it has to monitor. At the worst make something intrusive but open source so one at least knows what it actually does.
Just don't make one sided spyware that has access to all your memory and expect people to trust you, your collaborators, your investors, all your providers and the government(s) that rules over all these people to make only your multiplayer interests with everything they get out of your machine.
People who play games with anti cheat should seriously consider to run that stuff on different partitions than where they use their sensible data. Even if it mean to have two Windows partitions.
PUBG's newer anti-cheat sounds problematic for the Steam Deck and Linux
13 Dec 2021 at 5:41 pm UTC Likes: 15
13 Dec 2021 at 5:41 pm UTC Likes: 15
Call it what you want it, but that's Spyware. I don't see why anyone should put effort to support that on linux. I don't see added value, but damage here.
A shame for who likes the game, but if you have to make your pc insecure for it, make a Windows partition and use it to play pubg, while you use the Linux one for all the serious stuff like banking, shopping, play sensible games and so on.
A shame for who likes the game, but if you have to make your pc insecure for it, make a Windows partition and use it to play pubg, while you use the Linux one for all the serious stuff like banking, shopping, play sensible games and so on.
Steam could launch for Chromebooks soon, mentions game compatibility reports
3 Dec 2021 at 3:32 pm UTC Likes: 1
3 Dec 2021 at 3:32 pm UTC Likes: 1
It launches only on x64 right? ARM comes later if I recall correctly the rumors.
GOG to go through some reorganization after suffering losses
1 Dec 2021 at 10:44 pm UTC
1 Dec 2021 at 10:44 pm UTC
Quoting: kuhpunktEven if true - it still has nothing to do with your claim that Valve lowered the fees for big publishers. They didn't. They still have a 30%/70% share.Fine. I'm out.
GOG to go through some reorganization after suffering losses
1 Dec 2021 at 6:42 pm UTC Likes: 1
1 Dec 2021 at 6:42 pm UTC Likes: 1
Oh come on. Don't point the exception to the rule and call it the norm. :D
I'm not saying that indies can't sell millions. Most of those who did I bought a copy as well so I know (including stardew). But they are not consistent. It's a combination of having a good game, healthy PR and be a little lucky with network effect. But just a 0.0x% of all of them makes it. They win the lottery.
While for big publishers it's the opposite. They run commercials everywhere and they sell millions even with a broken or boring game. Then they might call "underperforming title" and in extreme cases not even recoup the costs of the commercials. But to not hit the threshold is just a 0.0x% of all the titles they publish. Publishers are consistent, because that's how all business survives the "natural selection".
Lowering the fees for low sales titles would mean that more indies can have another shot to the moon or can have a less hard life while they try their best to make somethign good. Lowering fees for big sales titles may benefit the occasional Barone out there (and I'm happy for him, he deserves), but mostly help investors in large publishers. I don't think I have to come here and enumerate how many exceptional launches of AAA games resulted in mass burnouts and firings in the ranks in the last years.
And I say this with candid honesty. I too work with professionalism (hoping to not burnout or be fired after doing all I can to meet deadlines) and I too invest my little savings (in hope of largest return as possible). I'd hate to be exploited as a worker as much as being exploited as an investor.
I'm not saying that indies can't sell millions. Most of those who did I bought a copy as well so I know (including stardew). But they are not consistent. It's a combination of having a good game, healthy PR and be a little lucky with network effect. But just a 0.0x% of all of them makes it. They win the lottery.
While for big publishers it's the opposite. They run commercials everywhere and they sell millions even with a broken or boring game. Then they might call "underperforming title" and in extreme cases not even recoup the costs of the commercials. But to not hit the threshold is just a 0.0x% of all the titles they publish. Publishers are consistent, because that's how all business survives the "natural selection".
Lowering the fees for low sales titles would mean that more indies can have another shot to the moon or can have a less hard life while they try their best to make somethign good. Lowering fees for big sales titles may benefit the occasional Barone out there (and I'm happy for him, he deserves), but mostly help investors in large publishers. I don't think I have to come here and enumerate how many exceptional launches of AAA games resulted in mass burnouts and firings in the ranks in the last years.
And I say this with candid honesty. I too work with professionalism (hoping to not burnout or be fired after doing all I can to meet deadlines) and I too invest my little savings (in hope of largest return as possible). I'd hate to be exploited as a worker as much as being exploited as an investor.
GOG to go through some reorganization after suffering losses
1 Dec 2021 at 3:41 pm UTC Likes: 1
I remembered that EGS was not open but already announced. I might be wrong. But if they did it before EGS was announced, that would make a monopoly case even weaker: there was already enough competition to put them under pressure even before Tim crusade. Now it might not even be worth considering.
1 Dec 2021 at 3:41 pm UTC Likes: 1
Quoting: kuhpunkt"EVERYBODY who made a certain amount of money" doesn't make it large publishers? Without mass investments into commercials it's hard to consistently make "certain amount of money" in any business. Let alone a overcrowded business like VGs. And that is essentially publishers business and role in the industry.Quoting: MalBut when Epic arrived they felt the pressure to even lowered fees for large publishers. That closes any possible claim of monopoly in front of any court.Valve never lowered the fees for large publishers. They lowered the fees for EVERYBODY who made a certain amount of money - and that was announced before the EGS was announced. Maybe they heard some industry chatter, but there were no signs of that.
I remembered that EGS was not open but already announced. I might be wrong. But if they did it before EGS was announced, that would make a monopoly case even weaker: there was already enough competition to put them under pressure even before Tim crusade. Now it might not even be worth considering.
GOG to go through some reorganization after suffering losses
1 Dec 2021 at 3:09 pm UTC
Though I would have much preferred if they instead walked the irreverent Apple way. Reduce indeed the fees but only for small indies.
1 Dec 2021 at 3:09 pm UTC
Quoting: kuhpunktSteam is getting 20 years old soon. Has Valve ever exploited their situation? Did they ever raise the cut they demand? Did they ever make it worse for customers? No, they improved.If I understand something of USA laws, had they rised their cut over the years that would have indeed resulted into an illegal monopoly case right away. But when Epic arrived they felt the pressure to even lowered fees for large publishers. That closes any possible claim of monopoly in front of any court.
Because they have a philosophy that works and makes sense. They understand that this is a symbiotic relationship... and that's good.
Though I would have much preferred if they instead walked the irreverent Apple way. Reduce indeed the fees but only for small indies.