Valve Starts Promoting Steam For Linux To Windows Users

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."

annual windows

[genericmk]

It is worth pointing out that Microsoft has promised a more regular windows release so the comment of a few years wait for next Windows isn't correct. (or maybe not, maybe Microsoft will not deliver on its "promise").

Compatibility

[Doodlesmcpooh]

As soon as the games I already own and play work on Linux I will switch in a heartbeat.

Why?

[Anonymous Coward]

Apart from support open source software why should I switch from Windows 7 to Linux? Are there any benefits in terms of speed or reliability?

Re:Windows 9 or 8.1 / 8SE may hear sooner then

[rock_climbing_guy]

Run Metro in a Window! Best Windows 8 improvement I've heard of, so far.

Now if only I could make those awful mandatory Windows Updates run in a window, too!

Re:Compatibility

[Synerg1y]

already own (older games)... would be really stretching it. A Linux version of new big title games would be a gigantic improvement over the current state. Looks like Linux users at least have Steam games to look forward to including... SKYRIM!!! [playonlinux.com].

Funny how crazy marketing / another crappy OS can remove the chains off the competition. Reminds me of what happened to Apple... oh wait what's going* to happen to apple.

Re:Lunux desktop

[Anonymous Coward]

Hopefully a new era of game dev is upon us

As a developer of an unusual forthcoming FPS (i.e. FPS gameplay very far from CoDfield 6 & co.), I will be doing my bit. Linux and the BSDs are first-class citizens here.

Hopefully the proportion of game developers giving Linux that treatment will keep growing at an accelerating rate.

Re:Why?

[aztracker1]

Really!?! I've had plenty of linux systems break when using the built in update tools... At least some of the software I was using... and, ironically enough, it's happened to me far more than my osx or windows systems. As for preserving configs, for a while the default user config locations changed from ~/.appname (file) to ~/appname/file to ~/.config/appname/ and different apps doing it differently.. not *that* easy. There are a *LOT* of reasons to choose Linux over windows what you are talking about isn't it.

Re:Lunux desktop

[PopeRatzo]

Hopefully a new era of game dev is upon us. This is not only great for linux, but great for people like myself who only use windows for games. Hopefully the video card makers will beef up their effort writing drivers and software for compatibility.

The resurgence of PC gaming started a couple of years ago and has only been picking up steam (see what I did there?). 2012 brought us some PC-centric games that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, when we believed PC gaming was dying.

The moves Valve is making will only be wind at the back of PC gaming, and by the time the ultra-expensive next gen consoles come out, the landscape is going to look plenty different.

The future of gaming is not handheld. It's not console and it's not behind a walled garden. From AAA to the rawest indie title, PC gaming's future has not looked this bright in a long time.

Re:My experience on ubuntu 12.04

[andydread]

Yeah I would say that's a bit easier and faster to fix that problem on Linux than on Windows. At least you can copy paste.

On Windows fixing a similar Steam install problem

Windows Vista/7: Click Start, then type "regedit" in the Start Search Bar and press enter.
Windows XP: Click Start > Run, then type "regedit" in the Run dialog and press Enter.
Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Products\.
Right-click on 9C8928403D4AB094F99FBA20A329833F and select "Delete." Click Yes.
64-bit Windows: Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
32-bit Windows: Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
Right-click on {048298C9-A4D3-490B-9FF9-AB023A9238F3} and select "Delete." Click Yes.

Re:3D in VM

[dns_server]

In the last year or so support for 3d acceleration inside a vm has been possible.

Virtual box states that it has opengl and dirext3d 8/9 support in it's release notes.
http://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch04.html#guestadd-video [virtualbox.org]

I have not needed to use it so I am not sure how it performs.

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[account_deleted]

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