Higby/Devs: PS2 Linux + Steam Q's

Trevellian · 2012-06-17, 09:35 PM

This is more of a curious question than anything else, hoping that Higby or any of the other Dev's are able to answer this question and aren't barred from stating a yes or no.

Question1: With all of SOE's other games that are F2P being released on Steam in the past few years, i.e. DC Online, EQ1 and EQ2 among others. What are the chances of there being a Planetside 2 steam client?

Question 2: With the news from valve that there will be a Linux Steam client coming out by the end of the year (or in Valve time, by the end of 2013). Will you be considering a Linux client? I feel like Valve creating the Steam client for Linux brings PC gaming one step closer to being able to ditch Windows OS at some point. I would love to see a Linux Planetside 2 Client to go along with the Steam Linux Client. Please, help to bring about the end of Microsofts monopoly on the PC community.

Zulthus · 2012-06-17, 09:39 PM

No news on Steam really except I think they said they'd like to see it on there at some point.

So few people use Linux compared to Windows/Mac I wouldn't really see the point... besides, it has terrible support for many programs/games and usually needs an emulator... to fix this problem, install Windows 7 or Mac to play PS2 (assuming they make a mac client, a reasonable assumption)

-Also, Windows will never be ditched; it is by far the most user friendly and compatible OS for anything and everything. Linux is really just for programmers and servers.

Goyo · 2012-06-17, 09:40 PM

Originally Posted by Trevellian

This is more of a curious question than anything else, hoping that Higby or any of the other Dev's are able to answer this question and aren't barred from stating a yes or no.

Question1: With all of SOE's other games that are F2P being released on Steam in the past few years, i.e. DC Online, EQ1 and EQ2 among others. What are the chances of there being a Planetside 2 steam client?

Question 2: With the news from valve that there will be a Linux Steam client coming out by the end of the year (or in Valve time, by the end of 2013). Will you be considering a Linux client? I feel like Valve creating the Steam client for Linux brings PC gaming one step closer to being able to ditch Windows OS at some point. I would love to see a Linux Planetside 2 Client to go along with the Steam Linux Client. Please, help to bring about the end of Microsofts monopoly on the PC community.

Develop a direct X api substitute for linux and I am sure most PC developers would gladly make a linux client.

Sadly, until then, linux and gaming will not be friends.

Rbstr · 2012-06-17, 09:41 PM

#1 you seem to have answered for yourself. They've been putting them on Steam, they seem to have success with it. Why wouldn't they put PS2 on it?

#2 Mac seems far and away the more likely port.

zomg · 2012-06-17, 09:41 PM

I recall seeing someone say that the Planetside 2 engine uses DirectX, which pretty much means that Linux and OS X users are screwed.

The devs would need to implement a rendering engine on top of OpenGL in order to support this, which could be a very major revamp.

Originally Posted by Goyo

Develop a direct X api substitute for linux and I am sure most PC developers would gladly make a linux client.

It's called OpenGL

Now, I'm not a game graphics expert, so I can't really say why more devs aren't using OpenGL rather than DirectX.

Goyo · 2012-06-17, 09:46 PM

Originally Posted by zomg

I recall seeing someone say that the Planetside 2 engine uses DirectX, which pretty much means that Linux and OS X users are screwed.

The devs would need to implement a rendering engine on top of OpenGL in order to support this, which could be a very major revamp.

It's called OpenGL

Now, I'm not a game graphics expert, so I can't really say why more devs aren't using OpenGL rather than DirectX.

id software were the only major dev team pushing it and that was a long time ago. I am sure there are reasons they gave up on it.

GreatMazinkaise · 2012-06-17, 09:46 PM

Originally Posted by zomg

It's called OpenGL

Now, I'm not a game graphics expert, so I can't really say why more devs aren't using OpenGL rather than DirectX.

Follow the Microsoft money trail and you shall find your answer.

Trevellian · 2012-06-17, 09:47 PM

Originally Posted by Zulthus

No news on Steam really except I think they said they'd like to see it on there at some point.

So few people use Linux compared to Windows/Mac I wouldn't really see the point... besides, it has terrible support for many programs/games and usually needs an emulator... to fix this problem, install Windows 7 or Mac to play PS2 (assuming they make a mac client, a reasonable assumption)

-Also, Windows will never be ditched; it is by far the most user friendly and compatible OS for anything and everything. Linux is really just for programmers and servers.

I run Windows 7 64bit. However I also have Linux on the system to dual boot and fix problems. I'd just like to see more developers support Linux in the future so that PC users can move away from Microsoft, especially with Valve supporting Linux which seems like a very good first step in that direction. I do not support what Microsoft is doing with Win8 and Metro.

zomg · 2012-06-17, 09:51 PM

Originally Posted by Goyo

id software were the only major dev team pushing it and that was a long time ago. I am sure there are reasons they gave up on it.

Originally Posted by GreatMazinkaise

Follow the Microsoft money trail and you shall find your answer.

Now that you mention id software... although I cannot remember the exact sources, I do recall John Carmack saying that Microsoft is actually the one innovating when it comes to graphics rendering technologies, and that OpenGL is simply coming afterwards implementing what MS did first. That would mean that by using DirectX, devs would have better options in utilizing the latest rendering tech.

CutterJohn · 2012-06-17, 09:56 PM

Originally Posted by zomg

Now that you mention id software... although I cannot remember the exact sources, I do recall John Carmack saying that Microsoft is actually the one innovating when it comes to graphics rendering technologies, and that OpenGL is simply coming afterwards implementing what MS did first. That would mean that by using DirectX, devs would have better options in utilizing the latest rendering tech.

Which is sensible, considering all the business it brings them. The very last thing they want is a viable competitor to directx.

Otoh, considering their inability to make GFWL anything less than a turd calls that statement into question...

Bags · 2012-06-17, 10:00 PM

Higby is all for it, but T-ray was really hoping they'd have their own version of steam, and after seeing origin flop I hope that doesn't happen.

Zulthus · 2012-06-17, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by Trevellian

I run Windows 7 64bit. However I also have Linux on the system to dual boot and fix problems. I'd just like to see more developers support Linux in the future so that PC users can move away from Microsoft, especially with Valve supporting Linux which seems like a very good first step in that direction. I do not support what Microsoft is doing with Win8 and Metro.

Agreeable that Microsoft are failures for targeting the tablet audience with windows 8, but still, Windows 7 is pretty much perfect right now. Personally I don't see the point of moving away from it, at least at the current time.

Goyo · 2012-06-17, 10:20 PM

Originally Posted by Bags

Higby is all for it, but T-ray was really hoping they'd have their own version of steam, and after seeing origin flop I hope that doesn't happen.

I do not see why each developer/distributor cannot emulate steam. Why can't each developer/distributor offer thier own Direct download store attached to their product main site that has a database of which users have purchased which products and allow the user to re-download the game/software that has already been purchased? I see no reason they need to try to replace steam. Just make the purchase/install/reinsall as painless as possible.

Edit: that point is moot for PS2 as it is free to play.

zomg · 2012-06-17, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by Goyo

I do not see why each developer/distributor cannot emulate steam. Why can't each developer/distributor offer thier own Direct download store attached to their product main site that has a database of which users have purchased which products and allow the user to re-download the game/software that has already been purchased? I see no reason they need to try to replace steam. Just make the purchase/install/reinsall as painless as possible.

Edit: that point is moot for PS2 as it is free to play.

The logistics involved in creating something like that which is reliable is kind of tricky

Easier to just piggyback off someone else who has already done the work for you.

Furber · 2012-06-17, 10:42 PM

I like the idea of it being advertised on Steam just because Steam is so popular. They've actually done a better job advertising the game so far than I thought they would have, Steam would push it even further into the public spotlight.