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Description
We all know that the Wii is a big hit. We can make linux just as successfull with these mini ideas:
- Make a program (Ubuntu Game Browser) that is like adept or synaptic but only shows games (and emulators) that can be installed/removed with proper description and screenshots. This program would be automatically installed in Programs/Games
- Help financially projects like stepmania, frets on fire, sim-city like games etc. Games that are popular and would be successful on other platforms too, or mimic other successful games exclusively in linux. Make these available in the repositories and be sure to always have the latest version.
- Make a subpage on ubuntu.com for games. Also, games should be able to send "achievment points" or high scores to this page to show the top100 gamers for each popular game. There could also be an online matchmaker here
- Make easy to use interface in gnome and kde to configure gamepads, joysticks, dancepads, wheels etc. Be sure to support out of the box the wii controller, xbox360 controller etc...
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LostOverThere wrote on the 27 Mar 08 at 08:47
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No doubt this will get downvoted due to the idea being quite radical.
But there needs to be a bigger focus on games. However, I disagree with a subpage for games. But maybe someone, just someone, should create a linux games website.
*Rubs Invisible Beard*
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oblique63 wrote on the 27 Mar 08 at 09:14
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I think an Ubuntu game explorer app would be pretty cool, something like steam crossed with add/remove programs. not sure how necessary it would be, but it'd be cool to get more info on the games available, because right now, its kind of hard to really tell what a game is all about from the simple descriptions on synaptic, not to mention the lack of screenshots... and to add on to that, a configuration tab or something, to configure game pads and stuff, that would definately make it a pretty neat application. but again, not sure how much people would really want it on there, unless it was like a clearly advertised optional download or something, so that people that want it wouldn't have to browse synaptic to get it, and could just click a link or something, while others could just ignore it, and not install it...
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XVIIarcano wrote on the 27 Mar 08 at 09:50
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CAUTION: Long post.
LostOverThere is right, more focus on gaming is a priority for spreading Ubuntu, but the these specific ideas mainly miss the point:
Selecting the "games" category in add/remove applications is already fine, another dedicated package manager would be nonsense.
Financial help to some projects might work but is not the solution, in order to create good games (I mean good as top notch PC games, not funny puzzle games, we have plenty of those)you need more money than the community can provide... you need a business model and a closed one if it cannot be avoided. Check out this:
http://savage2.s2games.com/main.php
this game has a native linux client, innovative gameplay (might work or might not, I think it will) a heck of a graphic, a business model behind, it is not free as in beer but it is still affordably cheap. This is the kind of business we have to encurage. I am sorry but we cannot think of attracting windows and console gamers offering them stepmania, frets on fire and sim-city-like games, we have to offer (good) alternatives to Halo, PES and Final Fantasy; and these require cash, lots of cash to develop and to do it quickly, we can't afford endless alpha stages because our games would be outdated before they even see the light. As I see it the key is, for the moment cross platform development, DirectX is our enemy more than anything else.
In the perspective of independent game makers providing games for linux in general, as we shall be the first but we cannot afford to make gaming an Ubuntu only affair, hosting a game community service on the ubuntu site does not seem a good idea. Let the single game makers offer their community as they already do (and they do it well), let us have our scores compared with windows users, THAT would be a match, literally.
I absolutely agree on game controllers support out of the box for the widest possible gaming controller range (if not "proprietary controllers" such as wii and console ones which might pose some legal issue - I'm not aying we shouldn't use them, but perhaps official support would be troublesome)
Overall I am very sorry but I am forced to vote down an idea on which I wholeheartedly share the intent. Sorry for the very long post as well.
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shovelhead wrote on the 27 Mar 08 at 11:56
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if you want a wii: buy a wii - or use windows for playing!
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Endperform wrote on the 27 Mar 08 at 12:13
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This sounds like a pretty cool concept, but I don't think some of the ideas will never happen. The 'achievement points' stands out, because it would require game developers to implement code for it, and as such I don't think the developers would target one particular Linux distribution. A central gaming site as suggested by LostOverThere might work, but again, you have to get the developers to buy into the idea.
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Warbo wrote on the 28 Mar 08 at 16:35
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Games should not get preferential treatment over other (usually more useful) software.
Look at the Amiga, it suffered poor adoption because it was seen as a games console by productivity people, and seen as a business machine by gamers. Ubuntu is doing well with its current focus.
Also, because games are all about wasting time rather than getting something done they are completely taste and preference based. Ubuntu can market itself as more secure than Windows, and this has been shown time and time again. It can be demonstrated as more integrated or efficient or flexible, etc. and of course the hard fact about the price can be seen. Games, on the other hand, vary completely. Do pseudo-3D graphics make a game 'better' than a pure 2D game? Is a shootemup 'better' than a roleplaying game?
By giving third party (ie. Canonical) support to games there is going to be the decision about what games to support, how to divide support between them, etc. The other option is to treat them like every other piece of software in Ubuntu and the good ones will get community support (ie. they will attract developers) whilst terrible ones die and rot away.
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tenchi39 wrote on the 28 Mar 08 at 20:04
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In my 9 years of "promoting linux" experience:
There are 2 questions after telling people that its's free, more secure and no BSOD:
1) Are there games on it? (Yeah, but no, that game does not run on it)
2) Does Photoshop, Coreldraw and Indesign work on it? (well...)
These are the main reasons why people do not adopt linux. Support for gaming is crucial here.
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XVIIarcano wrote on the 31 Mar 08 at 08:03
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@Warbo, you said a lot of things I agree about and a lot of things I don't:
Amiga was a great game console indeed, I used to have one and it was lots of fun.
Yes, games are taste-driven and are not productive tools, yet that is what people want. I used to play games once in a while -ok, frequently- and I would love to do it again now and then, which I still do with urban terror and such, but gaming is also about variety and that is what linux still misses.
I agree that direct Canonical involvment in games developing would be a huge error, the games must be supplied by third parties, but what the operating system can do is provide the ideal environment. Look at microsoft: 99% of the games are developed by someone else. They just offer a reliable environment so that anyone can develop games (and in the same way all other kind of application) for it. This don't seem so outlandish to me.
I may repeat myself but the "enemy" is not this or that title we need to offer an alternative to, because as you say, titles change rapidly... we should adress directX and other proprietary software that prevents the portings, we should improve wine, we should make cross-platform compatibility the norm, not the exception. Then there would be no further need for Windows machines.
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h4ck3r wrote on the 1 Apr 08 at 01:34
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We need to make our community big enough to get noticed by the gaming industry for them to start making games that work on ubuntu out of the box too. Enemy Territory: Quake Wars has done it... anyway just because we port a game, it isn't the real thing 50% of the time. (I just came up with that number but it often isn't the same) We need to concentrate on making Ubuntu itself more desirable for the gaming industry to make their games for it too.
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