← Back to team overview

ubuntu-gaming team mailing list archive

Re: Lets start rocking - idea of spawning ubuntu gaming distro?

 

Lupine wrote:
> Team,
>
> It appears as though the first step is to define exactly what this
> group's intentions are.  As already pointed out, and as clearly stated
> on the Wiki: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/GamingTeam
>
> -------------------------------------------------------
> The Gaming Team strives to promote Ubuntu through FOSS games and FOSS
> games through Ubuntu. 
>
> Our objectives are: 
>
>       * Address barriers to the development of FOSS Games 
>       * Connect FOSS gamers on Ubuntu 
>       * Promote FOSS gaming on Ubuntu 
>       * Connect LoCo's involved with FOSS gaming 
>       * Help organize gaming events 
> -------------------------------------------------------
>
> I would have to agree with those that have already mentioned, that
> promoting WINE for the use of commercial gaming, does not coincide with
> the above objectives.  If there is a desire to promote "complete
> gaming", meaning non-FOSS games, then we need to decide to either 1.)
> change the objectives or 2.) create a different group.  I honestly don't
> see how any progress can be made until this is clearly defined.
>
> Thoughts?
> -Lup
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-gaming
> Post to     : ubuntu-gaming@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-gaming
> More help   : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
>   
Hi,

I will have to side with both sides here, so the solution in my opinion
will be to create a different group.  Both of these groups will be under
the "Ubuntu-gaming" banner, we could call it [1] FLOSS-games; and [2]
Proprietary-games.

There are two issues that I see here:
1) FLOSS vs. Proprietary
2) Linux/Ubuntu vs. Non-Linux/Ubuntu

We can different mixes of the two.  We have games that are:
a) FLOSS but only available for Mac/Windows
b) Proprietary that is available "natively" in Linux/Ubuntu
c) Proprietary that is available via WINE/etc. in Linux/Ubuntu
d) Proprietary that is available for all OS
e) FLOSS that is available for all OS
f) FLOSS that it available only in Linux/Ubuntu

Obviously, we don't have problems with letters E and F above, but how
about letters A to D?  For A, the solution is simple, if it's FLOSS then
we can just compile it for Ubuntu.  Now we're down to B to D.

That's the question now, why alienate Proprietary games?  By not
including them at all, we are effectively preventing the future of
gaming in not just Ubuntu but Linux in general.  For one, as already
shown above, there are Proprietary games that is available natively, and
those that also offer support via WINE/etc.  I won't be surprised if
they later decide to drop Linux support because they found they have
less users in Linux.

And I won't be surprised if they give more effort to their Linux support
(natively or via WINE) if they found they have a growing user-base in
Linux.   If we truly want FLOSS gaming to mature, we need the following:
1) get the gaming-base growing - one way of achieving that is making
their "favorite" proprietary games playable in Linux/Ubuntu, especially
LAN and Online Games;
2) create demand for gaming in Linux/Ubuntu
3) With the gaming-base there and demand high, FLOSS game developers
will be encouraged to create and continue developing games for Linux
4) With it growing, the proprietary game developers will start
considering supporting Linux - natively or via WINE
5) With proprietary game support increasing for Linux/Ubuntu, the FLOSS
gamedevs will be encouraged to create games that can compete head-on
with the proprietary games - they might even get hired by these game
companies or get funding from these companies (possibilities are endless)

It's a chain-reaction.  We haven't even considered OpenGL development
here, yet another important factor in the puzzle.  If we want
FLOSS-Gaming to reach a maturity level we will all agree upon to be
"it", we need to include all players (FLOSS and proprietary) in the
formula.  Gaming is different, this is not the same as all the other
FLOSS apps out there where we can just go create our own FLOSS version.

And gamers are different today than yesterday.  I'm 27, and I'm not into
eyecandy so I play FLOSS games, it's the games of my generation.  But
how many of us are from that generation of gaming?  The 70s and 80s? 
Today it is different, number one for gamers are the graphics and the
"online" factor - be it an MMO or "WAN" (for the lack of a better term,
I just term online-LAN as "WAN"; these are games that can be played via
Battle.Net; GG-Game/Garena; Stream; GGZ; etc.)

That's all from me, as someone who's working for the gaming industry -
marketing and community management.

Best Regards,
JC John Sese Cuneta
Philippines, ASEAN


Attachment: signature.asc
Description: OpenPGP digital signature


References