NWN Linux Client Not So Delayed after All? 155
Sir Joltalot writes "It seems as if the NWN linux client might not be as delayed after all. From the client page: "We have just been informed by Rad Game Tools that they have Linux versions of both Bink and Miles. ... This solves the two outstanding issues with the Linux Client, and I bet we will have even more good news for you in the coming week in terms of future Betas or Demos of the Linux Client."" You'll excuse me if I opt against holding my breath ;)
Bink and Miles (Score:5, Insightful)
I can understand why they wouldnt release source - but would sticking the client and encoders up hurt them?
It seems to me... (Score:5, Insightful)
-JT
It took them that long to find out? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:It seems to me... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:christmas (Score:2, Insightful)
Take it from me... (Score:4, Insightful)
Stupidity (Score:5, Insightful)
Personally, I think that the story of bioware should help a lot, both for linux gamers and developers. It should remind the developers that you should never, ever, EVER make a cross-platform game with non-cross-platform parts. Bioware got so incredibly lucky with this, I have no idea what they would do if they didn't have Bink and Miles available... I would have doubts about a winter date. As for the gamers, I think that this is a great opportunity to get a native game that isn't an FPS, supported by the developers (with an expansion on the way, too). I know that it's very easy to sigh and condemn bioware and all this silliness, but hey, at least they're doing it. And we should be happy and support them by buying it to ensure their future support of linux (now that they have gotten their act together
Also, hello to all the guys from the Great Linux Client Thread!
Re:The deeper meaning of switching from Irix to Li (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Just remember... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Been there, played it (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:It took them that long to find out? (Score:2, Insightful)
With all the whining... (Score:2, Insightful)
Portability should not be an afterthought (Score:1, Insightful)
Portable applications are well designed applications.
One guess as to why this port has been so difficult for them.
Why is Bioware doing it? (Score:4, Insightful)
I'm seriously curious here... why is Bioware releasing a Linux client? Please understand, I run Linux and I'm desperate to get a Linux client myself, I just don't understand Bioware's business reasons for this.
Bioware isn't likely to make back the money they've sunk into porting to Linux, not in sales they'd otherwise not have received. Yes, they'll certainly gain some good will from the Linux community but still...
Certainly, matters are different with the stand-alone linux server. Porting that didn't take much effort and this adds value to the product quite obviously.
So what's my theory? Bioware is using NWN to get some cross-platform experience for a future project. They know they aren't going to make their money back on the development of a linux client for NWN but that doesn't matter to them. The experience they get from this port is the value they are looking for and they plan to leverage this experience on future projects. Those are the ones Bioware expects to see a payback.
Re:christmas (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Why is Bioware doing it? (Score:3, Insightful)
Fundamentally, NWN is a method for telling stories. Everything else is simply a means to achieve that end. They've made amazing, engrossing stories before. Having a client run on all platforms will almost surely be a money-loser, but all those future expansions, cranked out every 8 months, is a sure way to continue being profitable for this company, because they know how to tell an engrossing story via a game engine.
So yeah, I agree with you. But it's not some mysterious future project that they are laying the groundwork for, but simply more and more expansions so they can use this as their base engine for the next 6 years.
Re:Bink and Miles (Score:2, Insightful)
Because we spend $I_don't_know_how_much_money_but_it's_a_boatload on bandwidth giving away the RAD Video Tools [radgametools.com] for free.
"""
As others have said, let the community set up mirrors. I know it's hard for corporations to understand this, but sometimes giving up control over every last detail of software distribution can be a *good* thing!
Besides, even if you didn't let others mirror your software how much extra traffic do you think the Linux versions will really generate? The Linux community's size is a pretty small fraction of the Windows throng's, and I imagine that most wanna-be game programmers are using windows anyway.
Finally, would it hurt to at least *mention* the linux version of the tools somewhere on the website? I don't imagine you ported them for giggles. You *did* want to make some money off of them, right? You might find that your profits from these ports would increase if your customers were aware that they existed!
-DA
Re:Why is Bioware doing it? (Score:2, Insightful)
They've been very open and understanding to the community the past couple of years, and I think a linux client just fits. I just don't think they realized it would be so difficult, and they got in a little over their head.