Quoting: GoboIf you look at it from a "small world" perspective, the release of Proton/Steam Play this suddenly and quickly advancing it in the open just a few months before Epic announced their store is remarkable.

Both companies have engines that are capable of running on Linux natively, but Proton is some kind of lighthouse project that shines on Steam alone for the time being. Maybe that is the reason Epic only vaguely hints at open platform support in the future. Maybe that one even delayed their release.

I think Tim Sweeney will have seen the beacon. He was the one loudly complaining about Microsofts walled garden plans. He might believe to be able to stop those plans, but he at least should welcome Proton as an insurance against them!
Valve intentionally left Linux games support (including Proton) free for everyone, even releasing self developed software and standards open source.
It might be based on wishful thinking, but Linux support and even Proton support of the Epic store seems like a logical step to me (maybe a big one, but logical nonetheless).
Wouldn't it be great if avoiding Steam, would not automatically mean MS only?
Thanks again to Valve for this possibility!

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Quoting: Alm888

Quoting: Nevertheless…until (to be effective) the Linux community of 2018 (us) is a numerical minority amongst Linux users of the future.

So, basically, we should grow twice the size +1 user. :D

Quoting: NeverthelessI guess most of those gamers won't completely share "our" current values and ideals.

Well, they have to. :( Otherwise for all intents and purposes they are Windows gamers. Or worse yet, they are deluded Windows users thinking they have "escaped" Windows somehow or have gotten hold of "better Windows that Windows". Surely, these illusions can not last long.

Quoting: NeverthelessHowever, more Linux users will purchase more Proton games and more native indie games, so I hope Linux gaming can grow even further, and Linux friendly devs get to reap what they have sown.

Hopefully, but right now all what I see is that some of "our" Linux users' money is getting dispersed (at best) or outright redirected towards Windows titles with all that

I picked up DOOM to test it out myself and I’ve enjoyed it greatly.

stuff.

Quoting: NeverthelessI think it's a good idea to keep on purchasing native games of course!

Yeah, me too! ^_^ It is NTNB all the way for me.

Yes, of course, they will have had a reason to move to Linux, maybe it's privacy, security, technical reasons, maybe MS locked up its walled garden some more... What I mean is, they might just want a trustworthy, solid OS to start their games (and stuff) with. I wouldn't expect them to want to contribute to Linux gaming, FOSS, the Linux community, indy gaming, or whatever.
We want some more mass market to be of significance. If we succeed, we'll get some of it. I just hope we can also shape it a bit into our direction.

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Quoting: Alm888

Quoting: BeamboomMaybe Steam Play in fact is the only way forward after all. Forget games developed for our platform, forget ports even, we now need to emulate our way to the bigger games.

Yes, we should forget those Linux-supporting indies. After all, they are just a bunch of losers. I mean, who plays their puny "games" on RPGMaker, AGS, GameMaker or whatever garbage they are using? Some 10000 outcasts lacking money for a proper $60+Microtransactions big AAA title.

And we are sure a big community; so big sticks to big! We must pay big AAA publishers so they can continue to not support Linux and wash their boots off us, modifying their AntiCheat and DRM components, breaking compatibility in the process, banning us from on-line for "hacking attempts" and watching us writing petitions to them, pleading them, humiliating ourselves… And than they say "Sorry, No. But thanks for the money", grinning in the process. ^_^

Sounds like a plan to me. :D

Quoting: Salvatos…now game devs can see that those sales come from Linux users and that Linux users are actively playing their games on this OS in spite of the lack of official support. That sends a more powerful message than a bunch of +1's in a forum thread.

Sure, it is a strong message that all those who invested money and effort into Linux ports proper were stupid. If Linux users don't have guts to stay beside their OS and are eager to give money for Windows games, then why bother? The devs will get our money regardless. :whistle:

Quoting: SalvatosLastly, even if some devs get lazy, Proton can be a positive for consumers and publishers alike. Suppose you don't want to port your game but you hear reports that it runs on Proton with the exception of one thing that you could fix by switching a library or rewriting one component of your engine. You do that one change and suddenly there's nothing stopping Linux gamers from buying your game, and you still don't have to give them any sort of guarantee or maintain an additional version of your software. That could be appealing to some, and foster a good habit of using Linux-compatible components from the start.

"If they almost figured how to make it work by themselves, then let them finish the work!" Big AAA publishers are all about money and "Rate of Investment". If you are an AAA publisher and can order your devs to "fix" Linux compatibility and gain 1000 purchases or add another feature to the game and get another 100000 Windows gamers, then what would you choose?

Only small indie devs have the mindset to actually try out Linux as they are clearly overshadowed by AAA "whales" on Windows, so they have to seek out any niche, any audience they can find. But to no avail, as all Linux users are busy playing Windows games with Glorious Proton and already don't have money after spending $60+ per title. :(

IMO, WINE (or Proton, if you must) is here for softening the jump for ex-Windows users, enabling them to play their previously purchased games, not for developers to provide "support via Proton" or even "see the potential".

I think it's there to grow our numbers, ultimately until (to be effective) the Linux community of 2018 (us) is a numerical minority amongst Linux users of the future. That means:
Hopefully much more people will use Linux in the future, because this is the only way to get any significant market leverage. If it happens, I guess most of those gamers won't completely share "our" current values and ideals. However, more Linux users will purchase more Proton games and more native indie games, so I hope Linux gaming can grow even further, and Linux friendly devs get to reap what they have sown.
Until that can happen, I think it's a good idea to keep on purchasing native games of course!

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Quoting: LeopardIf Epic Store will be coming to Linux ( which i don't think so ) without a Proton like solution it would mean nothing.

It would give developers of Linux games another market shelf.
It would give Linux more market presense.
It would be a foot in epics door for Linux versions of their products.

View this comment - View article - View full comments

What? They let you step up your pledge?? This is cruel and unfair!
:O :P
Ok.. ok.. it's for the greater good! They are quite committed to Linux, and I really hope it all works out! The game looks really great .. that is .. from afar.. ;-)

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Quoting: Eike

Quoting: wvstolzingThat's interesting. I'm really curious about the DRM policy, though. The publishers mentioned in that tweet are all (I think) GOG-friendly publishers. But could they go the exact opposite route this time, implementing some sort of BLOCKCHAIN (yeah they like that term a lot) DRM to keep track of who's buying & selling & keeping what???

Enabling digital reselling of "used" games sounds like a Good Thing (compared to e.g. Steam) to me...

Really don't know what to think of it yet.. but have a look at this:
https://help.robotcache.com/hc/en-us/articles/360020575372-Do-we-have-any-updated-information-on-support-for-Linux [External Link]-

Edit: Use the whole URL

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Quoting: wvstolzing

Quoting: NeverthelessThey will launch with titles from those devs/publishers:

https://twitter.com/RobotCache/status/1072502769679040513?s=20 [External Link]

That's interesting. I'm really curious about the DRM policy, though. The publishers mentioned in that tweet are all (I think) GOG-friendly publishers. But could they go the exact opposite route this time, implementing some sort of BLOCKCHAIN (yeah they like that term a lot) DRM to keep track of who's buying & selling & keeping what???

You're right! This would not make sense if you could just keep your games after selling them...

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Quoting: wvstolzing

Quoting: Nevertheless

Quoting: Comandante ÑoñardoMore competence is coming from ROBOTCACHE [External Link], the digital distribution store that allow You to re-sell your games.

Heard anything about Linux support?

I just took a peek, and it really looks like everything depends on developer/publisher support*; and needless to say it can only work on drm-free titles. There's no clue as to cross-platform buying or selling. There's no clue as to whether they have any publishers on board either.

(* That's true for any kind of store, obviously; what I mean is that it depends whether the publishers will be on board with the 'percentages from used sales' model that they're proposing.)

They will launch with titles from those devs/publishers:

https://twitter.com/RobotCache/status/1072502769679040513?s=20 [External Link]

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Quoting: Comandante ÑoñardoMore competence is coming from ROBOTCACHE [External Link], the digital distribution store that allow You to re-sell your games.

Heard anything about Linux support?

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Quoting: stephenseiber420I must say I get competition is great but I hate having my games split between multiple apps library. got command and conquer, battle field 4, and sim city with EA. wow, diablo 3 and star craft 2 with battlenet, witcher 3 with gog and 300 games on steam. there is a point where compitition is great but EA, blizzard arent actually even competing with steam. I would love intergration with EA, battlenet and GOG doubt that would happen. WE need a program to link all these programs together to give one gaming library.

It would be nice. It would help acceptance of Linux too. The only downside of course would be the old Wine problem: People buying and playing Origin and Battlenet are seen as Windows using customers. And they won't buy and play Linux games at the same time, unless of course their numbers grow significantly...

View this comment - View article - View full comments