Valve’s been openly talking about developing on Linux for a while now, but a new blog post on the company’s site today has for the first time given us our first official information on the company’s plan to bring Steam to the platfom.
They say they’ll be bringing Steam to Ubuntu, and while Left 4 Dead 2 will be the first game running, “additional Valve titles” will be ported later.
Linux users can read a little more about Valve’s plans at the blog post below.
Steam’d Penguins [Valve]
Hell!
Yes!
Gaming is the only reason I still run Windows on my main PC....
While Win7 is actually very very nice to use indeed. I cannot wait until I can permanently run Linux on my Desktop.
Not saying this as a Microsoft fan boy, so please dont be offended, but you are aware that that will never happen right? it hasnt happened in the last decade, and that is unlikely to change.
I AM saying this as a Microsoft fanboy, but i fully supported steams move to mac just as i will to linux
at the end of the day, windows/mac/linux are all computer systems, and the more computer gamers we get the less the game industry will shaft us and goto consoles due to their terrible idea that piracy is just a problem in PC Gaming
No I don't take it the wrong way ;-)
But by your logic, you are saying that because something hasn't happened in a decade it has no chance of ever happening? There are very good reasons why it has not happened in the past decade. And very good reasons why this is a good **start**. Nothing will happen if no one takes the first steps.
Innovation is innovating because it is doing things which haven't been done before
It 'might' happen some time, but I wouldn't really count on it for a very very long time. The Mac as of now is just beginning to get Steam support with a small catalogue of games, if people were going to invest in porting games to a new 'platform' it'll be the Mac. At least they can be sure their investment will be going into a guaranteed install base and possibly some cash splash from Apple themselves.
Well it's the whole chicken and the egg situation right? Why invest in producing software for a platform with no users, yet how will a platform get users without software? It takes someone to take the leap.
Valve has the finances and talent to take this leap.
I agree that it is not going to be mass exodus of every developer. Nor is it going to be like flicking a switch where everything is now on linux, Windows probably will be a dominant force still. But having a native steam client, as well as the Source engine running natively in linux? I will take that any day.
I also think you are underestimating the linux userbase. This figure is also muddied by how many people have a windows machine for gaming because that is their only choice.
Are you saying that an open source linux distribution has no chance of gaming success if given a suitable platform for developers? *cough* Android *cough*
One thing that could help is moving away from a dependence on Microsoft libraries and such as DirectX, sure DX11 is nice but you have been able to do the exact same thing in OpenGL for a while now, OpenGL is incredibly modular, if a feature doesn't exist in it, it can be quite easily added in and given that its open source and cross platform (easier ports?), there are thousands of people actively developing it.
With Valve now supporting Linux along with Windows and OSX (already quite similar to Linux) hopefully this results in other devs taking the leap and making true cross platform games (and game engines for that matter) native to the system they are released on (the last thing we need is devs releasing games wrapped up in something like WINE). Also with publishers, more platforms means more potential sales right?
Ubunto is a nice platform, i hope it suceeds
Windows 8 is the coffin in the nail for people that like to play games using a keyboard and a mouse (like me!). I'm going Linux... I want none of this touch screen future :) Already banked up some sweet Indie Games in the bundles, now Steam and Valve titles. GOG and Desura Linux ports and we are outta here!