Comments on: Valve’s Linux Steam Blog

By: timperoinen

timperoinen — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 09:51:53 +0000

@hwyckoff
I believe there is some confusion in your statement. Mr. Stallman doesn’t care if the software creators get compensated or not. It is like you said:

“free” was defined as “free as in speech and not as in beer.”

Which in practice means there is nothing wrong with software being commercial or costing money (like beer!), so long as it’s free as in you distribute the source code with it. Obviously, different kind of licencing schemes can be used (like the software framework Qt used to have) for non commercial and commercial licencing or what ever. The biggest challenges here for the gaming industry are that they’d have to forsake any and all DRM and ofc. all of their competitors could see how they implemented that cool feature X (then again if they don’t want to break the law they’d have to buy the commercial licencing to use it in their game). All in all it sounds like a very scare step to take. Perhaps someone will take it one day and show us how to turn it into a commercially viable option.

By: hwyckoff

hwyckoff — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 04:54:46 +0000

I live in a world where people MUST get paid for the work they do if they hope to survive in a world where everything costs money: food, utilities, medical expenses, taxes, etc. Volunteer effort is fine, but how does Stallman expect independent software companies to create software for Linux unless their employees can get paid and the expenses can be paid? I’d love Stallman offer a solution where customers can get AWESOME software for free — without pirating.

Besides, every biography I read about Stallman and descriptions of free software said that “free” was defined as “free as in speech and not as in beer.” So long as it’s open source software (free speech), why should he care if the software creators need to be compensated (the beer isn’t free)?

By: slim.one

slim.one — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 21:04:21 +0000

this might be the end of linuxgames as we know it

By: xteraco

xteraco — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 18:38:07 +0000

The enemy is at the gate and many people will welcome them in with open arms and wallets; they will get what they deserve. Its a pity that EVERYONE has to suffer for it though.

By: 2nd_floor

2nd_floor — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 02:22:01 +0000

In response to the comment by Thunor: What a laugh at what Valve is doing. I’d like to see them explain the 13-15 year “absolutely no interest or even mention of Linux”. Yet they power Steam, their billion dollar business using Linux servers. And now they are all into Linux, by word anyway, they haven’t released a single product for Linux yet. A year or so of delays with Linux internally for them?. With their resources, Valve should have had most of their games and Steam running on Linux by now. (I think this is in tune with what you are saying Thunor).

Bravo and best of luck to the small companies and individuals who have quietly, without trying to gain obvious popularity, over the years supported Linux!! Id, S2 games, xatrix, numerous other independent developes., lokigames (awesome with Loki)

By: Thunor

Thunor — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 00:51:20 +0000

“Operating system Windows 8 will be a “catastrophe” for PC game makers, according to Valve Software’s boss.”
…
“The [built-in] Windows Store could dent the success of Valve’s own online market, Steam, through which players buy games.”
…
“Mr Newell, who worked for Microsoft for 13 years on Windows, said his company had embraced the open-source software Linux as a “hedging strategy” designed to offset some of the damage Windows 8 was likely to do.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18996377

Microsoft is attempting to close its operating system, is going to force users to buy software through its built-in store and will take a 30% cut of everyone’s profits, so Valve are forced to move into other markets.

By: drakpofoley

drakpofoley — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 07:39:38 +0000

Linux games are in trend nowadays and I am a very big fan of mobile bingo games.

By: Maquis196

Maquis196 — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 13:22:47 +0000

Yeah I know :). Seems almost silly that is all I meant, I’d be happy to pay them all again for them. Hell, give me a special edition DVD Linux boxset lol.

By: c3rb3rus

c3rb3rus — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 12:23:45 +0000

Actually, if they don’t change policy you don’t have to buy the games again. “Steam Play” allows to buy the game once and play it on Windows and Mac OS X and hopefully then on Linux as well!

By: Maquis196

Maquis196 — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 12:03:26 +0000

I own all the valve titles on steam but damn, I’d gladly pay for them all again for the Linux versions.

How many of us dreamed that one day we’d get to play Half Life native on Linux… Only to be told that Gabe is a Windows man and wants Linux dead