If developers need to get this, that and the other thing right specifically for Linux, but it's still only 0.1% of sales, then it's just not worth doing - even if there aren't any bugs.
source:
- am a business person
- am a developer
- am a linux users
- am a linux gamer
I love the idea of being able to game and work/dev on the same machine. But its not the current reality and its not the reality of the near future. Ive recently settled for macos because even though it doesn't offer optimal solutions for anything, it offers the really nice solutions for everything.
I tried linux gaming for years, and Steam really really gave it a strong push. But the truth is, gaming on linux is complicated and doesn't offer the same experience as on Windows or even macos. I'd rather my favorite studios and developers dedicate its linux resources to customers that pay instead.
The thing is, if you only boot into Windows occasionally, you'll have to wait for updates about every time you use it. That's pretty annoying and has actually stopped me from doing it at some point.
I don't think I realized it until you mentioned it, but I think I'm in the same boat with my dual-boot box. Doubly so because it's a laptop and half of the time I only have phone-teathered internet.
> I have to say that even on Windows, driver stability leaves much to be desired (for Nvidia in my case).
I agree. That is why I tend to leave my Windows box really bare. It has Steam with some 4-5 games on it and my Music Production Software. Every other endeavor is tackled in Linux.
> I love the idea of being able to game and work/dev on the same machine.
For what it's worth, I used to have that, and I am happy I don't anymore. Having two separate computers for gaming and work has been very positive to both my work and gaming experiences. I recommend this to anyone who can afford it.. even if you work on Windows.
Settled on MacOs for gaming? I built a Windows PC (for gaming only) because I was tired of every title I wanted to play being exclusive to Windows. Plus graphics card support is much better on Windows than everything else.
I agree with you that it is definitely not commercially worth it. But I guess you missed his point. He is not saying that "it was worth it for this game if well implemented", but that this game is actually a really bad example of how gaming on Linux is. It is like analyzing PC gaming by looking at Devil May Cry 3 or Resident Evil 4...
This is a question of margins, so you're neither right nor wrong.
It normally isn't just 0.1% of sales when developers do get everything right, although whether or not the usual 1-5% of sales is worth it depends on the particular game, budget, and sales numbers. Linux support clearly wasn't worth it for Planetary Annihilation due to its low sales numbers, but a game with (1) high sales and (2) easy porting process would be leaving money on the table not to support Linux.
If developers need to get this, that and the other thing right specifically for Linux, but it's still only 0.1% of sales, then it's just not worth doing - even if there aren't any bugs.