Would You Switch?

Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2004 1:17 am

A very interesting topic has come up over at Slashdot which begs the question be answered, "Is the Key to Linux a Games-Based Distro?" To many, the reason they don't switch to another platform is the lack of gaming support, and while we Unreal Tournament players aren't hit by this problem as we have native releases, the question remains, would you switch if you could game more easily in Linux? Granted, there are other reasons some don't switch, like other applications they require, but that's not the point of this discussion, so lets not get into that.

Some Linux advocates in this article claim that it's a step in the wrong direction, that we should force game developers to develop Linux native code along with the Windows code. Problem being, this is obviously not working, so while some companies like Epic are doing that, other companies refuse to, and the Linux gaming market is laughed at by those who are to dense to look any deeper than what Microsoft tells them.

So, here's the question of the day, would you switch to gaming in Linux if there was a distro designed to game in Linux? Who knows, it may be the way of the future being discussed right here.

UO Noob Joined: 23 Jun 2003 Posts: 25

Yes I'd switch if there was a gaming distro. At the very least I'd try it along with other versions of Linux.

UO Noob Joined: 04 Jun 2003 Posts: 41 Location: Portugal

I would seriously consider it. I've used Linux in the past but i had to switch back mainly because of my work and games.

Guest

I tried UT2k4 under linux and switched back to windows because of the crappy performance. It's going to take a lot more than just a gaming distro to lure gamers to linux. It's going to have to perform as well or better under linux.

Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2004 3:11 pm

Assuming they could pull it off, then yes i'd give it a shot.

But to be honest, I feel most of the Linux community is too far removed from the gamer community (they don't even consider gamers "geeks") to have a fucking clue as to what we need/want. So I don't think it will happen, solely based on their own ignorance.

But hey, miricles do happen, right?

Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2004 4:23 pm

Actually MachDelta, there is quite a large group of linux gamers out there..... Infact, the guys at Transgaming do nothing but work on gaming.

This is another one of those misbeliefs that there is no Linux gaming community, when infact, it's rather large, people just don't think about it or see it because right now we're typically forced to emulate windows to game.

I know a great many linux users who have windows on their systems for the sole purpose of gaming.

Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2004 4:33 pm

Well if its so large, how come the rest of teh linux community hates gamers? Sad

Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2004 4:37 pm

They don't that I've ever seen..... Razz

Where ya seeing that they hate gamers? The only community that I've ever seen any hate around is the K desktop group, and well, they're just weird Wink

Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2004 4:39 pm

From my own personal experience with UT2k3 and Linux, I've found the native copy to be very solid. Sure, it may take a bit of time, but that's because it's one person programming the client, not a team of people, so unfortunately the Linux client can be slower on releases at times.

But in the end, my UT2k3 install was much more stable and smooth under Linux than it ever was under Windows.

Ultimate Fanboy Joined: 18 May 2003 Posts: 508

No.. The there's the "ELITE" group that think anyone who knows less than them about Linux/Unix, are losers. It intimidates newbies from wanting to learn it.

Some server admins think they are gods Confused

Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2004 4:56 pm

lol, you'd find that in any operating system.... hell, I actually ran across a "windows ELITE" person.... scared the hell outta me.

Ultimate Fanboy Joined: 18 May 2003 Posts: 508

lol, you'd find that in any operating system.... hell, I actually ran across a "windows ELITE" person.... scared the hell outta me.

Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2004 5:42 pm

Funny thing actually, /. is a pretty good place to go to be flamed and called a (l)user for having an opinion on linux fer games. Confused

Irix WAnnabe Joined: 22 Jun 2003 Posts: 122

Linux and Unix is too much hassle, games or not.
Linux has to work on the general "Plug and Play" of both software and hardware before I'd switch.

Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2004 9:19 pm

bwahh... I actually agree with the other guy (sorry other guy I don't remember your nick), I was looked down upon when I asked about games on Linux. I would definitely change if there would be more usage of Linux and easy kind of Linux that is similar to Windows so I can go slowly into Linux. just starting Linux can get a long time Windows user afraid.

"The 1337357 thing to use is Windows... that actually works."