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GOG: Linux "the next major frontier" for gaming as it works on a native client

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Re: GOG: Linux "the next major frontier" for gaming as it works on a native client

#281

Post by amatecha »

eikenberry wrote: post #262
kirbs wrote: post #228

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As far I'm aware as a casual user of Galaxy, you're correct. It's just a convenience application with some light social features. I find it slightly more convenient when installing games on a new machine. I've never personally seen a game that required using it.

Convenience is 100% Steam’s most important feature. Finding games, installing them, updating, auto-login, cloud saves, probably more that I can’t think of right now.

Yeah, I'm remembering the time immediately before Steam launched, getting a computer set up with games for a LAN party or whatever, someone sharing a folder of installers/updates from their HDD so everyone could be on the same version and whatnot. .. and that was the best-case scenario. Sometimes you just don't play a certain game because half the people have a different version or whatever haha

Re: GOG: Linux "the next major frontier" for gaming as it works on a native client

#282

Post by jayd16 »

LtWorf wrote: post #259
Shorel wrote: post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The most stable Linux API is Wine/Win32. There are many older games I can't install on Linux anymore, because they used an older SDL1 or some particular X11 version or some GPU driver that's no longer available for the current kernel. The exact same game, Windows version, can be installed and runs flawlessly on both Linux and Windows. So, native Vulkan executables? Sure, if they can continue to run in 20 years.

There are a lot of older games that won't run on windows 11 as well. In fact most of my games no longer work on windows 11. Your point?

Yeah? Most? So like what?

Re: GOG: Linux "the next major frontier" for gaming as it works on a native client

#283

Post by generic92034 »

JohnFen wrote: post #222

I'm genuinely confused about all this. Can someone help me out? I've been buying and playing games from GOG on Linux for a very long time with no need for GOG Galaxy -- which is a thing I know nothing about. Since this announcement, I've been trying to figure out why I'd need it. It seems like it's just a convenience application and social connection point (leaderboards, etc.). In which case, it's not something of in…

There are games distributed by GOG which rely on the Galaxy client for multiplayer functions. For example, the GOG version of Grim Dawn needs the Galaxy client being loaded to enable multiplayer. Solo play works without Galaxy.

Re: GOG: Linux "the next major frontier" for gaming as it works on a native client

#284

Post by RunSet »

bsimpson wrote: post #280
jabroni_salad wrote: post #264

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So to me the things I want from a game launcher are pretty simple: - Download and all the gamefiles that I am entitled to, and keep them updated. - Show me a pretty interface to launch games from, including recent news and patch notes about that game's updates. - Keep track of my save files, synchronize them to other devices, and make sure they never get lost. - (linux) have some kind of per-game startup command mana…

If native software was routinely available, launchers might not feel necessary. But I sure as hell don't want to invest howevermany weekend days figuring out how to make games from other platforms as easy to play as Steam games on SteamOS. I imagine this is that - give me "download" and "play" buttons that let me run GOG games on Linux, even if the binaries were authored for Windows. Cloud saves and achievements and…

> If native software was routinely available, launchers might not feel necessary.

> But I sure as hell don't want to invest howevermany weekend days figuring out how to make games from other platforms as easy to play as Steam games on SteamOS.

For games that are licensed under terms that allow it, Debian's Game Data Packager has already automated that work. And- as your comment suggests- a native port is much better than running on a wine shim, which will always be second-rate.

https://wiki.debian.org/Games/GameDataPackager

List of games supported by Game Data Packager:

https://game-data-packager.debian.net/available.html

Re: GOG: Linux "the next major frontier" for gaming as it works on a native client

#285

Post by TulliusCicero »

pjmlp wrote: post #190
ecshafer wrote: post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Targeting DirectX and Win32 has become targeting Linux with how good Wine/Proton have gotten. I am able to play brand new games with no Linux support absolutely perfectly through proton. These games run better than games that had linux support actually ran on linux.

Thus making Linux irrelevant as target to game studios. For them DirectX and Win32 is what matters, if folks go out of their way to run on Proton, that is Valve's problem.

Like they were making native Linux clients before?

And studios definitely check out their games running on Steam Decks via Proton now, so that's good.

Re: GOG: Linux "the next major frontier" for gaming as it works on a native client

#286

Post by TingPing »

giancarlostoro wrote: post #250
emsign wrote: post #14

I'm very hopeful that Linux gaming will save the open PC desktop despite big tech is coming to destroy it. Or at least keep PCs alive for another decade. Gamers are still a huge factor as hardware customers. GOG creating a Linux launcher and Steam Box with SteamOS coming out soon should benefit PC users in general not just gamers since Microslop sees Windows like a social experiment where they can test AI on unsuspec…

I also feel like this is an insane opportunity for companies who previously did not offer Linux native clients to start doing so and see some of a hike in sales specifically coming from the Linux crowd. I would absolutely pay good money for high quality Linux compatible software, after all, its not free as in free beer. I am still surprised most Linux Distros haven't changed their package managers to allow for sellin…

It makes zero sense for traditional distros to have payments. They exclusively repackage software. You want direct to customer platforms (Snap, Flathub, etc).

Re: GOG: Linux "the next major frontier" for gaming as it works on a native client

#287

Post by TingPing »

Shorel wrote: post #196
pjmlp wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is nothing to save as long as it relies on game studios using Windows workstations, coding in Visual Studio and targeting DirectX. The goal has to be to make native Linux attractive, so that they actually bother to create native executables, using Vulkan and co. Until then it is no different from playing arcade games with MAME on Linux.

The most stable Linux API is Wine/Win32. There are many older games I can't install on Linux anymore, because they used an older SDL1 or some particular X11 version or some GPU driver that's no longer available for the current kernel. The exact same game, Windows version, can be installed and runs flawlessly on both Linux and Windows. So, native Vulkan executables? Sure, if they can continue to run in 20 years.

Those games did weird things. Every distro still ships SDL1, x11 didn’t really break API, and requiring a specific driver is obviously broken from the start. I won’t say none of this happens but the platform isn’t to blame there.

Re: GOG: Linux "the next major frontier" for gaming as it works on a native client

#288

Post by [deleted] »

Draiken wrote: post #100
pjc50 wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think this is a good lesson in why companies don't try to bring stuff to Linux: the market is incredibly resentful of products.

Come on... it's always the same reason: money. Companies don't support Linux because it's not widespread enough so it can't outweigh the costs. They don't give a rat's ass for the market's resentfulness or lack thereof. The Linux market was basically not a real market before because their market share was simply too small. There are plenty of products made for resentful markets and as long as they keep being profitab…

[deleted]

Re: GOG: Linux "the next major frontier" for gaming as it works on a native client

#289

Post by Radle »

Once Gaming hits Linux for real Windows will simply die. Explorer takes 10 seconds to open when the folder in question has a couple of Gigs, blue screen crashes are for some reason back in win11. The entire thing takes ages to boot.

It's simply to bloated.

Re: GOG: Linux "the next major frontier" for gaming as it works on a native client

#290

Post by JohnFen »

generic92034 wrote: post #283
JohnFen wrote: post #222

I'm genuinely confused about all this. Can someone help me out? I've been buying and playing games from GOG on Linux for a very long time with no need for GOG Galaxy -- which is a thing I know nothing about. Since this announcement, I've been trying to figure out why I'd need it. It seems like it's just a convenience application and social connection point (leaderboards, etc.). In which case, it's not something of in…

There are games distributed by GOG which rely on the Galaxy client for multiplayer functions. For example, the GOG version of Grim Dawn needs the Galaxy client being loaded to enable multiplayer. Solo play works without Galaxy.

Gotcha. I don't play multiplayer games or want the other features that people here have mentioned, so my current understanding is that it's safe for me to ignore the Galaxy application.
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