Quote:
Originally Posted by cDnStealth
Sure if you consider the following indie games...
Europa Universalis
Crusader Kings II
Dota 2
Left 4 Dead 2
Wargame: Airland Battle
Tropico 5
Football Manager 2014
Metro Last Light
Paradox has made all of their games Linux compatible. Linux support was only added less than a year ago on Steam. More and more developers will begin offering Linux versions of their games just like they did with Mac OSx. I'd actually expect to see Linux support take off much faster simply because of what Steam is doing. A lot of developers are fed up with Windows and Steam is offering an alternative.
So the answer is both. Yes, there are companies making their games Linux compatible and more will be adding support in the future.
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OK I guess one major publisher ports them. I just don't see it happening as much as you think it will. Look how long it took for companies to pay attention to Apple with a much larger install base. These are the issues I see for Steambox and why I think it's a silly move:
1. The PC market is brutal. No one makes money on consumer PCs. So pretty much trying to compete against billion dollar companies is a mistake.
2. The console market is brutal. No one makes money on consoles. So pretty much trying to compete against billion dollar companies is a mistake.
3. I can hook up a PC up to my TV today and in addition to playing video games on it, I also have the ability to run non-video game apps that are supported on Windows and not supported on Linux.
4. Does steam have the $$$ to lose money on hardware so they can make it on software/games? That's the model everyone else follows so they will have to as well.
5. The streaming of your PC to a box is a good idea, but I think we will see wireless HD prices drop and tech improve in the next year or so. This would make it obsolete. However, they still have time to make money here and this is the market they should go after. They would sell a bunch.
I might be out to lunch on this, but I just don't see it. I am sure a lot of Steam fans will buy it, but I just can't see this being a money making project for them unless they will be subsidizing the hardware in hopes to make money off their store (a la Amazon, MS, Sony) and even then it will be hard to break even. I will say that if Valve can get not only the publishers, but the hardware manufacturer's (video and sound card makers) behind Linux as a gaming platform then they have a chance to succeed. Also, if they announce HL3 as SteamOS or Linux only then they can shake up the industry, but will they take the chance of it failing and losing guaranteed $$$ by releasing it on Windows as well. It will be interesting to see what happens.
