Gaming on Linux - Steam?

[junk2drive]

I keep trying ubuntu Linux with the hopes of getting the kind of games that I like to run on it. I finally had success with Battle Academy in Wine but most other Windows games don't work. There are games that run natively in Linux but most of them are not my style. I have XP and don't want to go to a version of 7 and 8 is looking even worse. Apparently the people at Valve don't like 8 either. There are rumors about a Linux version of Steam. I guess there have been rumors before. According to this article there is a chance of Microsoft blocking 3rd party apps or something to that effect.

https://decentralist.wordpress.com/2012 ... -platform/

Since Android is Linux based, I wonder how long before games are cross platform or ?

[junk2drive]

No comments. Guess nobody cares. You may change you mind someday.

Latest news:

EA Games Arrive in the Ubuntu Software Center
EA have deposited two games in the Ubuntu Software Center for users to download easily – and for free. The titles, ‘Lords of Ultima‘ and ‘Command & Conquer Tiberium Alliances‘, are both flash-based games that run in the browser. Installing the games through the Software Center adds handy Dash launchers in the Dash and Unity Launcher. Baby Steps When we first posted news of EA‘s tie-up with Canonical, which will see the company present a plenary talk at tomorrow’s UDS, expectation reached fever pitch. But for a hulk of a games giant like EA to look at the Ubuntu platform with dollar signs in their eyes is an amazing opportunity for us as much as them. So sure, these games might not be native or be the platform-exclusive never-bef0re-seen game-changing releases many folk had built themselves up for – but they are a start. It’s up to users to prove to EA that gaming on Ubuntu is worth pursuing – and the easiest way to do that is to download and try out these two titles. Lord of Ultima Ultima is one of the worlds longest running RPG series’ with a rich and varied history spread across various consoles and platforms. EA build on this with Lord of Ultima – a strategy MMO taking place in the Ultima universe. “you must master the art of diplomacy and trade as well as the military activities of spying, plundering and sieging enemy cities.” Command and Conquer Tiberium Alliances The latest entry into the Command & Conquer series is this strategic MMO written in HTML5. “Compete or ally with your friends in a worldwide war for precious resources.”
Source: OMG! Ubuntu!
Published: 2012-05-08 17:14:42 UTC

[Perturabo]

I find it fascinating that EA wants to promote Linux.

[mbar]

I try a linux disto from time to time. I find too much time is wasted getting things to work in linux vs buying a compatible OS. I like how Ubuntu has evolved and if a user just stuck to linux apps and the Ubuntu store you could run your PC just fine and interact with other on the internet.

I'm a gamer first though. If you want to game with a wide variety of choices, Windows is the way to go.

For now.

[junk2drive]

Win 8 may not allow dual booting or other browsers. Adding an app store like Apple.

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/05/ ... illa-says/

[junk2drive]

More news recently about Valve and Steam and L4D and linux. Some say believe it when you see it.

I started out with an Apple IIe, then a W95, W98 and finally XP Home. Dabbled with a W3.1 at work a few years ago.

Somewhere here I have a 1.2g hard drive. That was for a Windows that had a limit. I have an 8.4 hard drive. That was for a Windows that had a limit. Windows also has limits on RAM. Right now I have 4g of ram and can only use 3.2g in XP. I think there is a limit on hard drive too. I'm tired of it.

I'm also tired of anti virus and firewalls and permissions and helping people on these forums with game problems because Windows or Norton or something else protects them from themselves.

I have yet to have a computer wear out. They get replaced because of websites that require more power to view and games that require more power to run. I don't like the prospect of having to buy a new operating system because of limits on hardware and software. Such as DX10+ and IE9.

I am using ubuntu version of linux. linux is like the car engine and ubuntu and the other distros are like the body wrapped around it. Just like a car, there are lots of ways to do things and options. To me ubuntu is user friendly and has a great forum for help and how to. It does occasionally require you to use a "terminal" to type in commands, just like windows (running a dxdiag or regedit) with strange DOS like code words.

Did I mention that it is FREE?

There are 32 and 64 bit versions, I don't have to worry about the size of my RAM or HDD or CPU. It has a built in firewall. Virusususues (virii?) don't work because you need a password to execute anything.

There is lots of free open source software that will do just about anything and a few pay for softwares. I read a post today that someone found out that they didn't need the paid for version of FRAPS. Ever heard of Open GL? Some games use it for graphics instead of or in addition to DX. Note the word Open.

You may not care so much about all of this now. But I have a feeling that if desktop PCs stay around for a while, and Windows 8 turns out like I am hearing, you may be looking for an alternative. Did I mention it is FREE? And you can dual boot with your Windows?

[junk2drive]

I missed this. Upgrade from XP, vista or 7 to 8 pro for $39.99 till end of year. Wonder if it will include the compatible layer for older games?

http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57465 ... enter-too/

[junk2drive]

Received an email from Apple about Mountain Lion and other news. I don't own any Apple products other than a IIe in a box in the garage. The Game Center caught my eye. At the bottom of the email:

*Game Center is available on iPad, iPhone 3GS or later, iPod touch (3rd generation and later), and Mac computers with OS X Mountain Lion. Game Center works with games that have been developed to work with the Game Center service. Game Center may not be available in all countries or regions, and the available games may vary by country or region.

This is from a company that shunned games when they had the chance to be the premier choice for gamers.

[Lützow]

What's wrong with Apple?

I got a 27" iMac as work machine for developing. Awesome display, no wire mess anymore and it synchronizes with my iPhone and iPad over the cloud. OSX kinda runs on UNIX and I could as well install Win7 via bootcamp, if I hadn't another PC for this. Aside of gaming there is really no need anymore for Windows and with the enforced Metro GUI Microsoft is going to finally seal their fate.

[junk2drive]

Nothing wrong with Apple. Where did I say that? My first PC was an Apple. I use my daughter's iMac when I visit. It is nice.

My last line is that Apple started out giving PCs to schools to get kids use to Apple and want to use them later in life. Apple had the graphics too. Too bad that they shunned games as making computers look like toys instead of tools.

[histgamer]

ORIGINAL: Lützow

What's wrong with Apple?

I got a 27" iMac as work machine for developing. Awesome display, no wire mess anymore and it synchronizes with my iPhone and iPad over the cloud. OSX kinda runs on UNIX and I could as well install Win7 via bootcamp, if I hadn't another PC for this. Aside of gaming there is really no need anymore for Windows and with the enforced Metro GUI Microsoft is going to finally seal their fate.

I want to build my own PC and I really don't like Apple's draconian policies dealing with OEM software... ie they force you to buy a pre-built machine so they can charge you well over 1,000 more than the same equipment would cost you and I don't feel like stealing the OS and making a hackentosh. I would have a mac if they had more consumer friendly policies with regards to software.

[Lützow]

ORIGINAL: junk2drive

Nothing wrong with Apple. Where did I say that? My first PC was an Apple. I use my daughter's iMac when I visit. It is nice.

My last line is that Apple started out giving PCs to schools to get kids use to Apple and want to use them later in life. Apple had the graphics too. Too bad that they shunned games as making computers look like toys instead of tools.

Don't think they intensionally shunned games. Like 20 years ago Apple established themselves as DTP platform and when Windows gaming arised, in the second half of the 90's, they missed to jump on the bandwagon. Actually, they were halfway underfoot at that time. Home computers aside, I started with a PC 286 and Windows 2(!) in 1989. Sometime inbetween I had to purchase a Mac III FX and hated this machine from the get-go. Super-expensive, limited operation purpose and simply not sexy. Back then Windows was King.

Time has changed. Microsoft lost track and has become the fifth wheel - like IBM with OS2 in the early 90's. Their web technologies are abysmal, with iOS and Android nobody needs another mobile device system and on top of it they're running Windows in the ground now.

Anyway, if you can get a cheap Win7 license, grab it. It's the best Windows MS made. Just the successor I would avoid like the plague.

[junk2drive]

I remember waiting "forever" for Apple versions of the latest games for the IIe.

It could be urban legend but the way I heard it was that Jobs did not want console type games on computers as then people would think of them as toys.

I'm hoping that I can keep XP going just for games after there is no support from MS. Sooner or later I won't want to be playing those games anyway just like the DOS and 98 games that I have.

[junk2drive]

Back to MS, in order to use .Net 4.0 you must have at least XP SP3. How long before a version of .Net or XNA that requires a minimum of Vista?

[Lützow]

You can always run older DOS or Windows Versions in a virtual machine as long as the OS doesn't deny it.

Having said that, Win7 runs most of these old games and for the rest there are the remastered versions of GoG.

[junk2drive]

Here is a 5 minute intro video of the latest ubuntu linux OS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzFm2tmmhGc&feature=plcp

[Lützow]

I enjoy Linux due to the convenience of performing administration tasks at command line, without getting bugged from annoying from dialogue-windows all the time. I use Debian for my Webserver and on the iMac runs a virtual machine with CentOS, Vagrant and Ruby on top.

[junk2drive]

Interesting developments with Steam and L4D2 running faster in linux

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2036590

[pelle75]

More Linux games would be nice. But I think for many (most) types of games the future is going to be "HTML5" soon anyway, either online or wrapped in something to look like a regular application, so it will be less important what OS you run anyway. For non-games it has been the case already for many years that you do almost everything in a browser window anyway. This laptop for instance is dual-booting between Vista and Ubuntu, but it hardly matters which OS is running, all I see is this fullscreen browser (the title bar gives it away as currently running Ubuntu).