[NTLUG:Discuss] Wine presentation

[Steve Baker]

R P Herrold wrote:

> How 'bout me?  -- Other than QuickBooks Pro, MICR check
> printing, and a vertical application written in Clipper and
> db3, I don't do Windows personally, EXCEPT for games.
> 
> I enjoy a good Quake or Doom Fragfest, and StarCraft -- but
> the best Linux does for me is 'SameGame';

(Check out TuxKart, TuxRacer, LinCity, Pingus, FlightGear, SearchAndRescue,
NetHack, glTron, XSoldier, Xracer, SimuTrans - these are my favorite native
Linux games)

>  I'd buy if they were there for my OS of choice.

Well, there *is* a Quake for Linux (I have Quake I and II from Loki).

The problem is that enthusiastic games players don't want this scenario:

  * Some game that's widely anticipated is released for Windoze at $40 in
    time for the Xmas market in November.

  * Hmmmm - no Linux version.

  * Three months later, Loki announce that they are STARTING a port.

  * The price of the Windoze version drops to $20.

  * Three MORE months go by and the Loki version appears for $40.

  * By now, the Windoze version is being remaindered at $10 and all
    the hype has gone as everyone anxiously waits for the next great
    game.

Quake was an exception to that with the Linux version appearing on
about the same day as the Windoze version...but that's very much
the exception.  ID say that they made a loss on it regardless.

The problem is that even if there *ARE* enthusiastic gamers who
love Linux, a six month wait and a 4x price uplift are just too
much to bear.

It's vital that the Linux and Windoze versions are developed in
parallel, released on the same day and at the same price.  However,
that's just not gonna happen because games companies are totally
fixated on the short term bottom line - they have no interest in
building and nurturing a market.

I don't boot into Windoze for games - my kid has one of every games
console in existance - that's plenty.

-- 
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