Linux as a gaming platform

[FFighter]

I have always been a huge fan of game programming. I used to make a lot of prototypes and small games on my Windows box. I recently migrated to Feisty and while it has been a very pleasing and valuable experience, Windows just *feels* better for multimedia and gaming. I'm sure this isn't becouse Linux is worst in this aspect but mainly becouse hardware manofacturers not supporting their hardwares for Linux (at least most of them). I never really worked with OpenGL or SDL. With the advent of DirectX 10, I'm affraid OpenGL and SDL will loose more of its space. Sometimes, it feels like OpenGL is staying behind (as well as SDL), and so many game houses are only developing for DirectX, it makes me wonder about the future of Linux as a gaming platform. What do you think?

EDIT: Maybe something could be put o the "Linux Stardard Base" related on how a Linux distribution should handle multimedia/gaming -" maybe this could help making easier (perhaps even straightforward) to develop and deploy games on Linux (a la DirectX on Windows).

[Naegling23]

I am a gamer. I made the switch to linux a year ago, there is no going back.

My current playlist:
WoW - wine
UT2004 - native
Doom3 - native
Jedi Academy - wine
Star Wars Podracer -wine
Neverwinter nights - native
I also know that Oblivion, and HalfLife2 work with wine, but I havnt wanted to try them as I beat them both under windows.

Im also looking forward to UT3 and Quake Wars, which will be native, as well as starcraft2 which will (likely) run with wine.

Now, I will concede that I need to be a little picky about the games I play, because most of them will not work in linux, but then again, I dont get to play most games anyway.

My point is that you can use linux as a gaming platform, and it is actually getting, dare I say it...better. I dont think directx10 is going to have any impact, because microsoft seems intent on killing pc gaming in favor of its xbox. The pc gaming companies will just have to jump over to linux to market their games....I hope.

[Naegling23]

oh, and one more thing. Linux is much better than windows with multimedia. Last time I checked, there were a whole host of things that I cant do in windows that I can in linux. Transfer my mythtv recording to another format..check, rip a dvd to my hard drive...check, do you want me to go on?

[justin whitaker]

I'm a gamer.

Via Crossover Office
World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade
Steam (Counterstrike: Source, HL2, HL, mods).

Both of which work in Wine and Cedega. I just find CXO convenient.

Native:
UT2004 (+mods: TO Crossfire!)
World of Padman

Cedega:
System Shock 2
Deus EX
Guild Wars Nightfall

With all of that, I really don't have time for much other titles. By the time I get bored of CS:S and WoW, and start looking for a change of pace, some major title gets supported by WINE or Cedega. For example, Crossover has Call of Duty 2 running when installed via Steam....that's a coup! Battlefield 2 runs on Cedega, although you have to update Punk Buster manually. So difficult! ;)

All of iD's titles run native, and Bioware is certainly friendly to open source....

Everyone always says "the only thing holding Linux back is games." To my mind, that's completely false. The only thing holding Linux back is Linux GAMERS.

[DJ Wings]

After getting a new machine, I may well become a gamer. I'm already downloading Q3, Nexuiz 2, Cube 2, Tremulous, Gish, and ThinkTanks, just to piss off my Windows-using friends. ;) And all this without even using Wine...

[adam0509]

Jazz Jackrabbit 1 : works (dosbox)
Steam and all HL1 games : works with wine
Openarena
Serious sam TSE
Postal 2
Far-cry (well you need an Nvidia for this one)
fceu, Zsnes and Gens as émulators