Why make games for Linux if they don't sell? • Hacker News Board

Re: Why make games for Linux if they don't sell?

#71

Post by TheCapeGreek » Thu, Dec 31, 2020, 7:33 AM UTC

thetanil wrote: post #33

hatchoo wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't consider if they run using Proton?

Ultimately I want to support devs who support Linux, but if it works on Proton doesn't it also get the flag on steam for support of SteamOS/Linux. I am only going by the Steam flag.

No, proton compatibility isn't really signified by the flag as it's not official support. That being said it seems Valve doesn't do much to help promote Proton compatibility either, as the only good resource I know to check compatibility is protondb.com (which you should take a look at by the way).

Re: Why make games for Linux if they don't sell?

#72

Post by mbrodersen » Fri, Jan 01, 2021, 3:02 AM UTC

dmarchand90 wrote: post #57

I think there's a certain chicken egg aspect to this problem as well. Devs don't target Linux because people don't game on Linux and people don't game on Linux because there's no games. (Obviously this isn't the whole story there are other reasons people don't use Linux and i admit this loop is probably relatively minor)

No the real problem is that almost nobody use Linux desktop computers, and the ones that do don’t want to pay for games. It would be crazy for a game developer, who has to spend a lot of $ on art etc. to focus on Linux.

Re: Why make games for Linux if they don't sell?

#73

Post by mbrodersen » Fri, Jan 01, 2021, 3:04 AM UTC

tpoacher wrote: post #69

They don't sell? Eh? Says who? The article offers no backup for this claim. It's just plain wrong. Have we already forgotten how when HumbleBundle first launched, Linux accounted for 20% of its sales? (then worth only a 1% "marketshare"). The other 20% being mac (4% marketshare) and 60% windows.

A number of Indie game developers have published their sales numbers. All show close to no sales on Linux.

Re: Why make games for Linux if they don't sell?

#74

Post by buttersbrian » Mon, Jan 04, 2021, 2:11 PM UTC

manojlds wrote: post #45

buttersbrian wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The success of Stadia means more developers who are comfortable with Vulkan and linux as a platform. That should give us better ports and even more Vulkan first titles. That could lead to better driver support (at least from Nvidia :| ) on 'nix, and so on and so forth.

Success of Stadia? It's barely Presence of Stadia at this stage.

Meant is more hypothetically, not as if it is a current fact.

Re: Why make games for Linux if they don't sell?

#75

Post by buttersbrian » Mon, Jan 04, 2021, 2:24 PM UTC

doikor wrote: post #61

buttersbrian wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The success of Stadia means more developers who are comfortable with Vulkan and linux as a platform. That should give us better ports and even more Vulkan first titles. That could lead to better driver support (at least from Nvidia :| ) on 'nix, and so on and so forth.

When someone makes a game for Stadia they don't really care if it works on linux or Vulkan in general. All they care is that the game works on the custom hardware and drivers Google/AMD provides for Stadia. That is the only platform they will test that version on. (This is very similar to how console development happens. You have a fixed set of hardware so you just develop for that without a care for anything else re…

"All they care is that the game works on the custom hardware and drivers Google/AMD provides for Stadia."

I understand, and agree. Exposure to Vulkan, Linux, and the related optimizations is helpful and I personally considering it a bonus and assume it will have downstream benefits (maybe im delusional) for gaming.