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Latest Comments by Alm888
Editorial: On paying for Linux games when you already have a Windows version
22 March 2017 at 6:02 pm UTC Likes: 1

Quoting: JanIt's a common misunderstanding macOS would be a "walled garden" like iOS or consoles. ...but you can buy, download or install applications from wherever you want as long as you checked the right box in your system security settings.

Well, the idea is there. Microsoft is also going in that direction with Windows Store (or however it is called). It is generally better for the owning company to fully control all and every outlets and sources of applications for the OS as it allows to control money flow.

Quoting: JanPersonally, I buy ... directly from the Feral store. Rarely off of Steam.

But I thought Feral Store is just Steam-keys re-seller. Am I right?

P.S. I wonder whether Feral will be able to easily maintain Mac releases profitable with Apple's Metal push (and OpenGL abandonment) or not... Current setup with "enemy of my enemy is also my enemy" with Direct3D 12 vs. Metal vs. Vulkan makes things extremely murky. Most probably Apple will pay developers for MacOS exclusives for the time being (till Metal gains enough of traction). Apple is not Valve, they will not repeat Gaben's mistake with SteamOS.

Editorial: On paying for Linux games when you already have a Windows version
22 March 2017 at 4:21 pm UTC Likes: 1

Quoting: JanIf you're a developer and enough people buy your app from there, it's a pretty good indication that Mac development is profitable (or at least break-even) for you.

Somewhere here was an article stating Feral just recently getting even on Linux while being profitable on Mac for some time. So yes, I do not worry about Feral's (or other porters' ) wellbeing. ;)

Quoting: JanThere is no such thing as the MAS on Linux. Ubuntu's Software Center or elementary's App Center are not comparable at all, because they mainly consist of open-source or non-commercial applications.

I loathe the sole idea of all eggs in one basket! That one can be happy that all of the games are being provided by single publisher (be it Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, Apple, Valve or whatever) which can single-handily decide what to sell and what not and how much take for itself (30%.. 40%? 90%! And what will you do about it? It is either you comply or GTFO!) and having the ability to "ban" users for whatever reason instantly stripping them from all purchases is mind-bogging to me!

That's why I'm all for Humble Bundle, GOG, itch.io, Desura (RIP!) and even self-distribution! PC is an Open Platform, not some walled garden.

Quoting: JanTo be considered a "viable" platform for commercial software development (such as games) -- Linux needs a well-curated and managed storefront for apps (not only games). Steam partly offers that for games, but the "buy once, play everywhere" approach of Steamplay is counter-productive to the business model of the current porting companies.

The heck with Steam! (See above)

Saying that, I see no problems having Linux versions separately. It should teach Windows and Mac users a lesson not to pretend to be a Linux users. Apparently there are a lot of simpletons pre-ordering Windows games on unsustained promises of future Linux version (I will not post examples here... they are too well-known) and bugging developers with "+1 for Linux" comments while having 200+ hours of Windows gameplay themselves. This only makes developers believe every Linux user secretly has Windows partition so there is no point releasing Linux versions: all interested Linux users got Windows version already.

Editorial: On paying for Linux games when you already have a Windows version
22 March 2017 at 1:55 pm UTC

Quoting: JanIt's not about 3.5 % or 5 % desktop market share for macOS -- it's about profitability of a certain market segment and if people are willing to pay for a product.

Windows is much more profitable. The "game is not even on Steam" behavior is outright irrational if there are no additional factors, like Apple® paying for the exclusive product.

Quoting: JanApple users seem to spend more on apps and games than the average Linux user.

It seems wrong to you. See Humble Visualizations for details. In short, Linux users are more generous.

Quoting: JanThat's one of the major reasons why SteamOS is so important for Linux to have a realistic chance as a gaming platform. It's one target distribution instead of a hundred.

Sorry, I won't buy this. Seen that fallacy too many times. Even though Steam™ is the one additional target distribution to the hundred, I've personally never used Steam (nor I willing to, ever), I've never used Ubuntu™ and I can confirm: that "over 9000 distros hell" is utter BS. Everything works if the developers are following standards and begins to fall apart when they are trying to be smart and start bundling outdated Steam-runtime libraries or packaging to "*.deb".

Quoting: JanGuys like Jonathan Blow might seem to be arrogant or pretentious to you -- but these are smart people and it's sad they don't think of Linux as a "viable" and profitable option for their games.

Are you implying that guys like "Defender's Quest" developers are not smart? Sorry, but that is another BS.

"Jonathan Blow"s and "Tommy Refenes"es are "Windows Programmers" trying to rationalize their lack of skill and general inability to write decent OS-agnostic code with insults. I think by the time Refenes said that phrase he barely understood what Open Source is and was under false impression that releasing under Linux requires to open the code. Not that his code is somewhat unique or unorthodox in any way to be worth protecting...

Quoting: JanAsk Feral why they ported Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition to Mac but not Linux, why there's no LEGO or family-themed game from them on the platform, etc.?

I dunno... Because of the RightHolders? "Apple Paid Not To"™? Ask them yourself, please. I couldn't care less about any "Feral-ports".

P.S. I understand clearly you are a Mac user (you stated it yourself in the "PC Info"). I'm sorry if I somehow attacked your feelings.

Editorial: On paying for Linux games when you already have a Windows version
22 March 2017 at 4:35 am UTC

Quoting: JanJonathan Blow released the Mac version of The Witness using the Metal-API a few days ago on the Mac App Store first (self-published), Steam will follow later.

Sure... targeting 3.5% of market share first is a sound business strategy for a guy complaining for "Braid didn't make any money on Linux"... Don't make my horseshoes laugh!

Seriously, those "Indie Guys" are full of themselves. I wonder, why didn't you remember Tommy Refenes with his "There'll also be a Linux version, because we're gonna waste our time with a Linux version. Linux is garbage." and "Linux can fuck off for all I care!" opinion.

Quoting: JanIn October 2016 they brought Jade Empire Special Edition to Mac and iOS -- not Linux -- and exclusively through Apple's storefronts (Mac and iOS App Store). The game is not even on Steam (most likely due to SteamPlay concerns).
...
Feral releasing Life Is Strange timed-exclusive on the Mac App Store...

So, we can see what is going on here. Namely, Apple® trying to protect its Walled Garden by providing exclusives. We can assume it will be doing so for quite some time in the future, given that current game projects are refusing to support Metal™ technology.

But what has it to do with "the attitude of some Linux users"?

Editorial: On paying for Linux games when you already have a Windows version
15 March 2017 at 4:38 pm UTC

A fair practice, IMO.

This will filter those so called (self-proclaimed?) "Linux users" who get the Windows version at Day-1 and then begin to whine "What about Linux?" Maybe they use Linux for... purposes. But in all honesty they should not pretend to be Linux gamers as it is clear that they are Windows guys(gals).

In other words, "No Tux == No Bucks!"

This separation should straighten people somewhat.

SDL2 Gamepad Tool, an alternative to Steam Big Picture configurator
10 March 2017 at 10:26 am UTC

Quoting: DaiKaiser93Apparently libqt5core5 was broken so complete removal & installation fixed the broken dependencies but apparenty the newest version that gives me is (5.5.1+dfsg-16ubuntu7.2)and this actually needs 5.6, so I'm unable to use it ATM either way thank's for your response

Well, there are always backports. Just in case something is too progressive. ^͜^

SDL2 Gamepad Tool, an alternative to Steam Big Picture configurator
10 March 2017 at 5:24 am UTC

Quoting: DaiKaiser93I try to install it with "sudo apt-get install qt5-default" but I get this:

Spoiler, click me
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
console-setup : Depends: console-setup-linux but it is not going to be installed
Depends: keyboard-configuration (= 1.108ubuntu15.3) but it is not going to be installed
nvidia-prime : Depends: mdm but it is not going to be installed or
lightdm (>= 1.9.1) but it is not going to be installed or
gdm but it is not going to be installed or
kdm but it is not installable or
sddm but it is not going to be installed
pkg-config : Depends: dpkg-dev but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libdpkg-perl but it is not going to be installed
qt5-default : Depends: qtbase5-dev
E: Error, pkgProblemResolver::Resolve generated breaks, this may be caused by held packages.

Any ideas?

I don't know how Ubuntu works (never used it) but it would appear you have several errors.

console-setup, nvidia-prime and pkg-config -- all have some dependency conflicts. I don't know what do they do, but it seems these packages were installed but were not configured properly because they are waiting for required packages to be installed (e.g. "nvidia-prime" is waiting for some sort of display manager to be available but you do not have any??? Or you do have "lightdm" but it is too old). They are preventing any progress till their issues are resolved. Try adding --force or --no-deps or similar key (see help) to bypass this safety measure.

Next, as for qt itself. Check this handy site. According to it "libQt5Widgets.so.5" is being provided (under Ubuntu 16.04) by libqt5widgets5_5.5.1+dfsg-16ubuntu7.2_amd64.deb and its 32bit counterpart. You probably need both.

And don't touch "qt5-default". It depends on "qtbase5-dev" -- a development package. They are for development, not run-time libraries.

SDL2 Gamepad Tool, an alternative to Steam Big Picture configurator
9 March 2017 at 6:29 pm UTC Likes: 1

Quoting: DaiKaiser93"./gamepad-tool: error while loading shared libraries: libQt5Widgets.so.5: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory"

You need Qt5.

P.S. Works for me under "Fedora 23" (only needed to rip the actual "gamepad-tool" executable from the deb).

NVIDIA have announced the 1080 Ti and it's a beast
1 March 2017 at 2:42 pm UTC Likes: 3

Should come in handy for future Feral ports! ;D

River City Ransom: Underground has released with day-1 Linux support as promised
28 February 2017 at 1:30 pm UTC

Nice! Will wait for DRM-free release though. They are actively seeking suitable store now (in case nothing will work they promised to distribute themselves).