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World of Goo Ported To Linux
Posted by
Soulskill
on Sat Feb 14, 2009 01:17 AM
from the good-for-goo dept.
from the good-for-goo dept.
christian.einfeldt writes "Lovers of both games and Free Open Source Software will be pleased to see that the popular indie puzzle game World of Goo has been released for Linux. It was designed by a small team of two ex-Electronic Arts developers, Kyle Gabler and Ron Carmel, who used their entire combined savings of $10,000.00 USD to create the gooey game aimed at guiding goo balls to salvation. The developers built their gooey world with open-source technologies such as Simple DirectMedia Layer, Open Dynamics Engine for physics simulation, and TinyXML for configuration and animation files. Subversion and Mantis Bug Tracker were used for work coordination. Blogger Ken Starks points out that the release of this popular game for Linux could be a big step toward ending the chicken-and-egg problem of a dearth of good games that run natively under Linux."
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Unusual Physics Engine Game Ported To Linux 117 comments
christian.einfeldt writes "Halloween has come early for Linux-loving gamers in the form of the scary Penumbra game trilogy, which has just recently been ported natively to GNU-Linux by the manufacturer, Frictional Games. The Penumbra games, named Overture, Black Plague and Requiem, are first-person survival horror and physics puzzle games which challenge the player to survive in a mine in Greenland which has been taken over by a monstrous infection/demon/cthulhu-esque thing. The graphics, sounds, and plot are all admirable in a scary sort of way. The protagonist is an ordinary human with no particular powers at all, who fumbles around in the dark mine fighting zombified dogs or fleeing from infected humans. But the game is remarkable for its physics engine — rather than just bump and acquire, the player must use the mouse to physically turn knobs and open doors; and the player can grab and throw pretty much anything in the environment. The physics engine drives objects to fly and fall exactly as one would expect. The porting of a game with such a deft physics engine natively to Linux might be one of the most noteworthy events for GNU-Linux gamers since the World of Goo Linux port."
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World of Goo Creators Try Pick-Your-Price Experiment 216 comments
2D Boy, the independent game studio behind World of Goo, recently celebrated the game's one-year anniversary by offering it at whatever price buyers cared to pay. They've now released some sales statistics about how people responded to the opportunity. The average price during the sale was $2.03; the game normally retails for $20. According to a survey of why people paid what they did, 22.4% said it was all they could afford at the time, and 12.4% said they already owned World of Goo and were buying it for a different platform. (Yes, there is a Linux version.) Over 57,000 people took advantage of the offer, which was enough for 2D Boy to term it "a huge success." Interestingly, they also saw a significant increase in sales through Steam, and a smaller increase through Wiiware. They've decided to extend the experiment until October 25th.
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Did they actually use all $10K? (Score:3, Interesting)
I'm curious what they spent the $10K on. That seems too small for living expenses (unless perhaps you are single and living on ramen noodles), and it seems too much if they used open source software for the most part. Of course, $10K buys a lot of coffee. I might budget $10K for coffee...
Re:Did they actually use all $10K? (Score:4, Insightful)
Parent
Re:Did they actually use all $10K? (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:Did they actually use all $10K? (Score:5, Funny)
From what I understand, it was for therapy to recover from working at EA.
Parent
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Did they actually use all $10K? (Score:4, Insightful)
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Slave owners usually find slavery quite acceptable due to the profits it brings them, and have more power than their slaves. And, of course, libertarians and their ilk are all for total contractual freedom, which results in de factor slavery due to the inherent power difference between a single employer and a single employee; this could easily be solved by unionising, but such voluntary cooperatio
Re:Did they actually use all $10K? (Score:4, Informative)
Kyle did all the music.
http://kylegabler.com/WorldOfGooSoundtrack/ [kylegabler.com]
Parent
DRM-Less (Score:5, Informative)
World of Goo is DRMless. There are no copy protections upon it.
It's also very worth the $20. There's a level editor and fan-made levels starting to spring up as well, so even after you've exhausted the LENGTHY puzzle challenge, you can play other challenges to your heart's content.
Go purchase this game.
Re: (Score:2)
I love the game, but it's not lengthy. Neither is Crayon Physics. You can beat both in a few hours, but that's not the point. They are fun, simple as that.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Should also note that they have free demo .rpm and .deb so it's easy to give the game a try and see if it's worth your $20 (which as Parent pointed out, it really is).
http://worldofgoo.com/dl2.php?lk=demo [worldofgoo.com]
Re: (Score:2)
I would have bought it if it had properly supported current resolutions. I kept tabs on it a few months but eventually gave up waiting for it to happen.
Any game that won't run on my desktop resolution, I steer clear of. It messes up my desktop icons and widgets and resorting those afterwards every time is too annoying to be worth it.
I have to wonder how two apparently experienced game developers could overlook such an apparently small issue. Is it really very tricky to do?
Re: (Score:2)
Its because you don't need to run it at uber rez to see how well crafted the game is, its perfect and very worth the price (cheaper than a 2h trip to the movies, and more fun).
Re:DRM-Less (Score:4, Informative)
Edit the preferences file. There is a disclaimer in it that states playing with the resolution might cause your computer to explode.
I haven't seen it happen yet.
Meanwhile, I enjoy my World of Goo in glorious 1680x1050.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Yes, and that seems to be you.
Hint: Just because vector graphics might have been used in production doesn't mean they will end up in the game, in this case its all pixel textures.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Apparently you can change the resolution: Program Files -> World of Goo -> properties -> config.txt.
(IMHO it is Windows's behaviour of rearranging the whole desktop just because you played a game fullscreen which is retarded.)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
That is indeed incredibly stupid - although I've not encountered it after playing a game normally, if a fullscreen game *crashes* I am indeed SOL. ..well, partly.
Grab this:
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/iconrestore.html [snapfiles.com]
It allows you to easily store and restore the layout of your desktop icons - perfect for these situations.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Hmm, just played the demo now on my KDE3.5 desktop and it didn't mess up my icons - everything was where I expected it to be. I have experienced exactly what you're describing with certain WINE games though, particularly those that crash midgame have a tendency to screw up everything. Like you, I much prefer games that can run at my native resolution though, even if they just upscale the graphics.
Re:DRM-Less (Score:4, Informative)
Look, it's common courtesy to say such and such is great or fantastic so you don't hurt feelings, but I'm being honest here. This is a glorified flash game with all of about 15 minutes of actual gameplay that is simply repeated over and over.
It's alright, it's what you might expect from a flash game on Newgrounds or wherever. But it most certainly is not worth $20. Just want to put that out there so people don't buy this expecting something different. [I'd recommend playing the demo first, so you know what you're getting into.]
Parent
Re:DRM-Less (Score:5, Insightful)
Wow, the ministry of truth is out in numbers today. He stated his opinion, so it gets modded down as overrated and gets told it's because he steals so much. I played it, it was fun but it was also fairly repetitative. Doing just a quick search shows that you can get Civilization 4 complete (Civ4, Beyond the Sword and Warlords) for 22$ or Oblivion for 19$. A bit unfair competition maybe against older games that's now in the bargain bin but if you hadn't tried any of them I'd buy either before World of Goo. 20$ is quite okay, but it's nowhere near a bargain and just because it has a native Linux version doesn't make it so either.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Just bought it (Score:4, Interesting)
I am not particularly interested in the game (I prefer FPS) but it looks like a bit of fun. Even if I do not play it all that much (or at all!), I am happy to give the developers $20 for their effort. In fact, I am pondering buying it TWICE. Games for linux should, in my opinion, be supported. Well done.
I played the demo under wine but... (Score:2)
I did the same with Doom3
Re: (Score:2)
I've been watching Greenhouse with this in mind, actually. Indie games, some of which look really good and interesting. World of Goo has had a "coming soon" button there for forever.
Well, Greenhouse doesn't have it yet, and this version has no DRM at all, and even a native deb. Awesome! Impulse buy!
I'd be curious to know what the statistics are, there...
Re: (Score:2)
Way too passive unless you did _tell_ them about that fact in advance. I emailed them about it and made them promise. _Then_, I pre-ordered (they needed money back then, they have enough, now).
Interesting. (Score:2, Interesting)
Doesn't work for *all* Linux users (Score:2, Interesting)
I have Linux, which, according to TFA, is supported.
$ ./WorldOfGoo.bin ./WorldOfGoo.bin: cannot execute binary file
-bash:
$ file WorldOfGoo.bin
WorldOfGoo.bin: ELF 32-bit LSB executable, Intel 80386, version 1 (SYSV), for GNU/Linux 2.6.8, dynamically linked (uses shared libs), stripped
I have a PowerPC processor, and I have Linux, and yet it does not work. They should advertise that it's only available for x86 users.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
He probably understands perfectly well, and is just expressing his annoyance at that situation.
Besides which, many open source projects are only offered for download as source tarballs, which tend to compile just as well for ppc as for x86. So, if this is his first encounter with a (proprietary) game, that's a reasonable mistake.
Re: (Score:2)
He probably understands perfectly well, and is just expressing his annoyance at that situation.
Indeed I do, and am.
I wonder if it's possible for proprietary games to have architecture-neutral byte-code blobs, and have an open source "shim" that can be compiled on multiple architectures, which will "compile" the blob into architecture-specific code on-the-fly.
Isn't this something like what Java does with .class files?
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
No, Java runs platform-independent code in a virtual machine, with no guarantee that any architecture-specific code will be compiled at any point.
Except for the fact that all major desktop Java implementations do just that with JIT, and gcj can statically compile it.
It provides portability but there's a significant performance cost.
Also a performance advantage. There's a reason LLVM is used in some parts of OS X that actually need performance.
Sometimes JIT compilation can be used to claw back a fair bit of performance, but that's not available for all platforms, and mostly useful for long-running server processes.
It is available for far more platforms than a platform-specific x86 binary. And a game certainly runs long enough for the performance advantages of runtime optimizations to kick in. About the only thing that wouldn't is a commandline app.
Loads of games are written to run in VMs: the most popular host VM is of course Flash.
Which really doesn't have a compatible o
Re: (Score:2)
Why not? They've ported it to the Wii, which is a PowerPC processor. They've also got Windows, Mac, and Linux ports to begin with, and the Mac port is a Universal Binary, as in, both x86 and PPC.
I can see why they wouldn't want to spend a lot of time on it, but this really looks like nothing more than a cross-compile needed. And yes, even if they wanted to do ARM.
Re:Doesn't work for *all* Linux users (Score:5, Insightful)
Frankly I'm already amazed they bothered to target Linux/x86, which is already an incredibly tiny games market. Linux/PPC is a fraction of the size of that again! There may well not be more than a few dozen people in the world who (a) use Linux/PPC, (b) don't have a single x86 box they can play games on, and (c) are interested in paying for closed-source games.
Cross-compilation is not always trivial. And then you need to conduct all the testing, etc. And at the end of all that, you might get a handful of sales at most.
The simple truth is that no commercial software company is ever going to target desktop Linux on anything but the most common platforms. If you want to use an unusual processor, you're going to have to stick with free software.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
I don't even care that it's not FOSS (Score:2)
When it comes to games, I just don't care that much if they're not FOSS. I only care if it's supported under Linux--and not through Wine.
I consider games far more to be artwork than just software.
That said, I am a big fan of the id/John Carmack style of releasing source code after a game is no longer commercially viable, and I do wish more companies would do the same.
Re: (Score:2)
When it comes to games, I just don't care that much if they're not FOSS.
Yeah, but I do mind if a game is advertised on ./ with a phrase like "Lovers of both games and Free Open Source Software will be pleased..." when the game itself is not FOSS.
It would be news if some noteworthy game was released as FOSS, but it's definitely not news these days anymore if free software has been used in the development of a game, and a low budget indie game at that.
It already ran under Wine (Score:4, Interesting)
It's worth noting that the Windows x86 binary runs fine under Wine [winehq.org], and that's how I first played the game before buying it and running it on a Mac. A native Linux release is great news though.
Hey, waiting paid off (Score:3, Interesting)
I for one am glad I emailed them, making them promise to support Linux at _some_ point and then pre-ordering early in the game to make sure they had enough food to get this thing out the door. The last piece of software before WoG which I paid for was Vim. SuSE 8.1 before that. So yah.. ;)
One thing is lacking, though (Score:3, Interesting)
They promised everyone who pre-ordered a profanity pack to replace the standard sounds with. But as they systematically kept all their promises up to now, I am not exactly worried ;)
One less pirate (Score:4, Interesting)
Hail the new messiah, same as the old messiah... (Score:3, Interesting)
"a big step toward ending the chicken-and-egg problem of a dearth of good games that run natively under Linux."
So was the Quake port in the late '90s. So was Loki Software around 2000. So was Uplink in the mid-2000s. So was EVE a couple years ago.
People have been predicting the imminent end of crappy Linux gaming for ten years now; every new game is heralded as the savior of Linux gaming, and a year later we're pretty much back where we started.
This changes nothing.
Re:Paypal? (Score:5, Funny)
http://2dboy.com/sneakyPaypal.gif [2dboy.com]
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
The page says:
NOTE: You don't actually have to have a paypal account to use that button above. After you click it, just click "continue" on the left side of the next page to use any standard credit card. Paypal is sneaky!
Why would paypal be responsible for returning your money if a 3rd party rips you off anyway? Why not pay Visa for that service?
Re: (Score:2)
Feel free to use the Free Software alternatives instead:
http://www.nongnu.org/construo/ [nongnu.org]
Of course that lacks all the polish and advanced physics of World of Goo.
Re:Lovers of FOSS (Score:5, Insightful)
Yup.
Games, however, aren't exactly essential qualities of an OS or even to life.
They're more like artwork, and I am quite willing to pay for good art.
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
They're more like artwork, and I am quite willing to pay for good art.
Amen to that!
This is the first time I've thought of that view... and thanks to you it sticks.
This is how games should be viewed - as art - not as product. Major publishers, take notice (pretty pretty please)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
On Steam I just find the Windows version, why? :(
Because you will have to wait until later this year when Valve announces Steam for Linux natively together with all the Source games in line with the release of the Source Engine powered Postal III [wikipedia.org]
Re:I can't find the Linux version on Steam... (Score:5, Interesting)
What makes you think there is going to be a Linux steam client?
The only thing I've heard about it is a nonsense rumour from a valve job advertisement.
Maybe you should update your facts. The Postal 3 dev listed Linux as a confirmed platform for the Source Engine in 2009. Since I doubt Valve will sell their games without Steam compatibility if they have a native Source engine I'm assuming they will also provide a native Steam client. This not only to me acts as proof that the "nonsense" rumor (actually from a really unsubstantial source: the Valve website! [valvesoftware.com]) is actually true and one of the precursors to a Linux port of Steam and the Source games.
With Source already ported to OpenGL on the PS3 there is further evidence that a port is not only possible but likely. Postal 3 is a confirmed Source engine based game for Linux in 2009. I'm expecting delays but this is as close to a Linux client Valve has ever confessed. They know through their hardware survey and forum participation that their users use WINE and Linux operating systems. They know the direction of the market and know that Steam is the perfect platform to distribute games to alternative OSs. I would actually be more surprised if they hired a Senior Linux Engineer and DIDN'T port Source/Steam.
OMG! PC Games: What systems will Postal III be released on?
Vince Desi: Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Mac and Linux.
http://www.omgpcgames.com/content/view/45/37/ [omgpcgames.com]
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
I already got it for the Wii. I belive it is same for much of the players interested in this game. The linux sale will be low because of this.
I doubt that many other Linux users have a Wii or bought the game for another platform they don't use regularly. Even if they did they now own the game for all OSs (except the consoles of course). Buying it for the Wii is probably the worst option imho because you have to keep it on that one console and can't install it on other computers. But that's just my opinion. I didn't buy it for the Wii because I knew a Linux port was coming so I waited, until today.
Compared to other games the Linux sales will pr