Why Gaming Sucks On Linux

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For the rest of part one:
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2047517,00.asp

For part 2:
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2063221,00.asp

 

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I personally think thats why a lot of people hold back with Linux for home use due to lack of gaming. I think that Linux would take a huge market share if they had a way of being able to install retail games simply and also compatibility with Microsoft based appz like ReactOS is trying so the method I'm assuming to be compatible must be a reachable goal.

 

Until there's a must-have game that comes out on Linux that I simply can't get on PC, there's really no reason for me to use it at home. Plus, until I can play EVERYTHING I want to play on another platform, I won't completely leave the Windows platform behind.

 

I really think for Linux to gain ground on Windows they need to intergrate support for apps and games that are designed for Windows. They also need to make it easier to install things manually.

 

Theres Wine thats a Open Source impelmentation of Windows on Unix

 

I hope I'm not necroposting, but here goes:

Linux was never designed to have a large portion of the computer market or to play games.

Linux was designed to give technology lovers complete freedom over their O.S, they have complete access to all the source code, the config files, even the pretty graphics. If they don't like it, they can change it.

Windows was designed to be the average man's O.S, he can point and click, he can play games, he's not allowed to do things that might damage the computer.

I think someone I know put it best when they said:

"Want a nanny? Get Windows. Want a slave? Get Linux."

Linux is all about freedom of choice. Windows is about out of the box computing.

 

I've been called a lot of different things in my life, but average, would be a first...

Welcome to CF ruairidh. I hope your stay here will be as rich and entertaining as mine has.

Now if you will excuse me, I have a new case of duct tape to open and engrave...

 

It does not hardly get easier than Ubuntu. I had a friend who tried to get me to do an update via Command Line. I noticed a button called update. When I pushed said button, it automated all the command line stuff.

 

There's a fellow at the Linux Tutorial forums who's a gamer and has had great success with Wine and DOSBox.

 

Linux is pretty much all I use nowadays. I'm even doing some SQL Server to Oracle migration projects. Wish I had made the transition sooner, as the Linux community is a meritocracy that values experience and ability. The petty politics that dominates at Microsoft won't get you anywhere in the *nix world..

As far as gaming, there are some excellent games with native Linux clients. PlaneShift is WoW-like and runs fine without Wine or Cedega or Crossover. Complex sims like FlightGear and first person shooters like Nexuiz can even be found precompiled in Fedora's repos. It's as simple as typing "yum install nexuiz" and you're ready to start blasting.

2008 will be the year Linux becomes a force to be reckoned with.

 

Sounds like last year, when Linux fanbois proclaimed that 2007 was the year Linux would become a force to be reckoned with...

...and 2006...

...and 2005...

...in fact, I think I've heard this same story since around 2000.

Sorry... I've got absolutely nothing against Linux, but I'll believe it when I see it.

 

I pretty much agree. I don't know that there will be a huge movement in 2008 Linux on the desktop is gaining a lot of momentum with Dell, Lenovo, and now HP starting to sell computers with Linux pre-installed on them. That's a first, and a huge boost to having the general public become aware of Linux.

Linux is also used in a lot more companies in the server area now. My ISP offers hosting services to their customers, only they don't do the hosting themselves. They are just a middle man. But, the provider they are using uses Debian on their machines. This is a nationwide ISP that has up to now been strictly Windows oriented. They've also moved their DNS servers to Linux and away from Windows. So, there is a lot of momentum for the Linux movement right now. I think it might take until 2009 or so to really take off, but the change is coming. Grassroots movements take a long time to reach the point of really rapid growth, but once they do, there is no stopping them, and I've thought the Linux movement has been pretty close to that point for the last year.

 

That's exactly what Linux has needed for a long time, and thankfully, it's happening now.

 

This is drifting a tad off topic but as you all know, there have been two things slowing the adoption of LInux on the desktop:

1. Drivers and applications written for Linux

2. Lack of awareness of Linux among the general population.

Of course when Linus wrote the thing, he really didn't have the desktop in mind and for most of its history, Linux users have enjoyed a certain mystique in being the only ones to be able to master this arcane operating system. The term "end user" was deffo a "dirty word" to them.

I agree the landscape is changing. For many people, Windows is the only operating system in existence. Even describing what an operating system is to an average home user can be challenging.

Sooner or later, Linux will gain enough traction to successfully compete with Windows in the desktop market. We are getting close to that time but still have a ways to go. Stay tuned, sports fans.