Valve Starts Promoting Steam For Linux To Windows Users 474
An anonymous reader writes "Steam is now being used by thousands of gamers running a Linux OS, and Valve has got to the point where they are happy to start urging Windows users to make the switch. Proof of that comes from a 'Join the Beta' promotion on the homepage of Steam suggesting you try Steam for Linux. There's even a download link to get Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, which removes yet another barrier to entry. With Gabe Newell's clear hatred of Windows 8, this shouldn't be a surprising move. We aren't going to see another version of Windows appear for a few years, so in Valve's eyes pushing Linux to gamers makes a lot of sense."
Lunux desktop (Score:0, Insightful)
This is the year...
Re:annual windows (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Lunux desktop (Score:5, Insightful)
Big Picture (Score:4, Insightful)
Call me a skeptic here.... (Score:3, Insightful)
But I really can't see this being a successful venture.
I'm not trying to troll, just calling it as I see it.
Why would people bother with this when they can just play practically all of (if not actually all of) the same games on the windows PC that they already have?
Their Linux console certainly isn't priced any more economically than a PC, so I'm not sure I see the advantgage as far as the end-user is concerned.
Re:Why? (Score:5, Insightful)
Maybe, maybe not.
Windows is still trying to be backwards-compatible with an API and end-user experience that was designed around single-user systems, whereas the UNIXy legacy is from large university systems where users were expected to be hostile (and, frequently, were).
Security on Windows has been getting a lot better over the last decade and a half, and it's going to continue to get better as Microsoft stops supporting legacy APIs and continues to modify workflows to adjust user expectations, but I'm still not much inclined to accept the assertion that there's no remaining difference that isn't directly and exclusively caused by the delta in marketshare.
Re:Call me a skeptic here.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Why not? Game developers can't be hurt by being given a way to stay independent of any one company. Currently they can play the console vendors off each other, even if the platforms are vendor controlled. On the PC, they've never had anyone but Microsoft.
Because I want a choice other than "Microsoft or no games at all." I'm not alone, apparently.
Re:Why? (Score:4, Insightful)
Also, once you get good on Linux the power of having a Unix command line available really becomes a boon. It took me a good year to 18 months of primary use on Linux, but at this point I truly feel more comfortable and efficient in Linux than in Windows.
This would be a valuable observation if you had first spent 18 months at the Windows command line. Of course, very few people are going to be willing to spend 18 months to get up to speed with using an OS.
For the expert, the command line is hard to beat for speed and efficiency. For anyone who isn't an expert, the command line is a major hindrance. They do far better with the point and click graphical interface. So I'm not sure better efficiency after 18 months of training is really a big selling point to most people.
Eh, who cares? (Score:0, Insightful)
Myself like the other 99% of pc users in the world use windows because we want the best experince on our pc's. When I do use linux is just to load up for a goof to play with for a little while but I never take it seriously.
Everything works on windows, thats why its the world most used OS and why all 3rd party developers make everything for windows. Its easier to use for everyone from a novice to a expert, hardware takes full advantage of it, drivers are updated more often for it, programs update themselves for it more often, windows itself can afford to R&D fixes and improvements to release on a constant basis for the OS, just about every game that comes out works on it, and what you cant get to work on windows the vast majority of the time there is a workdaround for it thats let you.
Linux is just something for those super tech guys that want to feel superior to everyone else so they use a half assed product and run around preaching to everyone how awesome linux is and youre stupid if you dont use it also because the bestest most awesomest thing ever!!! They cant even call their computer a computer, its always a linux computer or a linux box because they cant stop from letting people know specifically they use linux because they enjoy people asking about it and such. Linux users are basically the exact same thing as an Apple user.
Linux is a waste as a viable OS and no one uses it for the very reasons I mentioned before. But linux users wont accept that. They act like linux is this huge thing but in reality it just seems big because linux users are very loud and obnoxious so they seem to be larger in numbers than they are.
So linux people are like apple people in that they use a inferior product compared to android but the apple people get the most attention for being the most annoying and obnoxious while the android people are quite content with their product. Same way most windows users are quite happy with their product and thus dont make a big annoyingly loud display like linux guys do.
So with that said, who really cares if steam is on linux? I dont because its stupid for me to mess with it when I love my windows 7 product that is superior to linux in every single way.
Yes, Yes and Yes. (Score:5, Insightful)
You may not be alone... but do you seriously think that there are actually enough people like you to make this a successful venture?
...because the existing demographic(sic) has nothing to do with the future of computing. Android is set to overtake Windows this year as the dominant OS. Right now coding a Windows[Direct X] only game shuts out half of your potential audience, and Windows market share is set to decline further. The future is cross platform and steam is already there? The fact that one market is smaller than another is irrelevant when portability is not an afterthought...if it is Windows is likely to lose out not Linux.
Re:Yawn! (Score:4, Insightful)
They don't get more profit from Linux vs. MS-Windows. But by having a platform that Microsoft can't corrupt or control, it means that Valve can remain relevant and for much longer. That has a great value to Valve.
It also means Valve can develop a console/set-top using free Linux and pay nothing to MS or any other company to do so. That has a great value to Valve.
[Real] Linux compatibility could also be a great step to an entry into Android Linux for Valve... the #1 mobile platform in the world. That has a great value to Valve.
Re:Why? (Score:5, Insightful)
I see that you are being sincere here, so I won't make another sarcastic reply. I just think that stronger arguments than that will be needed to convince people to switch over. The command line is a non starter for most people who have no special interest in information technologies. As for the cost of the OS, it is rather immaterial right now, because few people buy it at retail, so they never see the bill. Finally, I think the gaming crowd is not the best one to cater to for an alternate OS, because
1. there are not that many games on Linux;
2. the small community makes it difficult to get support when it doesn't work, for instance sound issues are pretty frequent, at least in my experience;
3. I have seen some performance issues, but that was a few years ago and the situation may have improved;
4. Gaming rigs can be expensive, so again, OS price is less of a factor.
I would expand on these points, but I have to go now. Please accept my apologies, for I will not be able to answer any reply you make to this post in less than several hours, perhaps even until tomorrow.
Re:Why? (Score:2, Insightful)
One of the ideas they stole is the powerful command line, only they made it slightly less like an inbuilt scripting language and made it into a full-blown scripting language.
That's the problem. If you wanted a full blown scripting language on Windows, there was always VB, or you could install Python or Ruby or what have you. A full blown scripting language is a poor substitute for an interactive shell however, or we'd all be using Perl instead of bash.
Re:Compatibility (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:My experience on ubuntu 12.04 (Score:4, Insightful)
In your rush to vent your anonymous rage against Linux, you failed to notice one thing. The person you accused of being a "fucking nerd dickhead" for posting the solution (period3)...is the same as the person who posted the problem (period3)...
Heh.
Comment removed (Score:4, Insightful)