John Carmack: Linux is not the right platform for video games

[QUOTE="ShadowriverUB"][QUOTE="organic_machine"]

He has a good point, but I sure hope he's wrong about it. It would really be cool to see a gaming scene thrive in Linux. I personally don't like the directions MS and now Apple have been heading in there desktop OSs.

clyde46

Bill Gates once said that we would never need more than 64kb of memory on a computer. Big boys are not always right :P I see Linux as the future. And unless you're mentally deficient Linux can be as easy if not more than Windows you just need, you know, to use it regularly.kuraimen

Carmack's a firm believer of Windows' monopoly, he even abandoned superior openGL for dierectX. We can't let him keep deceiving people with his bullcrap, we need to stop this.

Gue1

[QUOTE="kuraimen"]Bill Gates once said that we would never need more than 64kb of memory on a computer. Big boys are not always right :P I see Linux as the future. And unless you're mentally deficient Linux can be as easy if not more than Windows you just need, you know, to use it regularly.DarkGamer007

Dont worry guys, 2013 is the year of the Linux desktop.

As was said about 2012, and 2011, and 2010, and 2009, and 2008, and 2007, and 2006, and 2005, and....

Man, i think something is off.

Dont worry guys, 2013 is the year of the Linux desktop.

As was said about 2012, and 2011, and 2010, and 2009, and 2008, and 2007, and 2006, and 2005, and....

Man, i think something is off.

XaosII

Bill Gates once said that we would never need more than 64kb of memory on a computer. Big boys are not always right :P I see Linux as the future. And unless you're mentally deficient Linux can be as easy if not more than Windows you just need, you know, to use it regularly.kuraimen

So what he's saying is not that Linux is bad, but that it isn't profitable to officially support Linux for mainstream games, and that changing this is not a priority.
I am surprised how difficult (expensive) it is to support Linux. I do think that Carmack will change his tune about finding alternatives not being a priority.

This time it will be... it is already, Steam on Linux is biggest thing that happened to Linux that can turn things upside down on desktop and Steambox will only amplified it as developers working on games for it are forced to port game to Linux. I think people yet to realize that as they needed to realize that OnLive is possibleShadowriverUB

Right. The adoption problem for Linux was its lack of games. Not the fact that its a largely unsuable OS for nearly every average person.

So what he's saying is not that Linux is bad, but that it isn't profitable to officially support Linux for mainstream games, and that changing this is not a priority.
I am surprised how difficult (expensive) it is to support Linux. I do think that Carmack will change his tune about finding alternatives not being a priority.

This guy hasnt made 1 good game since doom 2. doom 3 was boring!

This guy hasnt made 1 good game since doom 2. doom 3 was boring!

new_gamer244

Carmack doesn't design games. He creates engines. And he's done quite a heck of a job with them regardless of how you feel about the gameplay.

The simple truth is that Windows is only good for ONE thing and one thing only, gaming. I would have dropped Windows years ago if I wasn't a gamer. I can do everything and more on Linux when it comes to desktop functions. For me once you get rid of the only advantage Windows has it becomes obsolete. Also for the average desktop/laptop user EVERYTHING they need to use is just as simple on Linux as on Windows.

Linux is the future and already is, more electronic devices are running Linux than any other OS combined. Something we didn't see 10 years ago and something that will be the norm 10 years from now.

The steambox is more meant to be used for streaming video games rather than an actual computer...

Im pretty sure idtech5 engine is open gl it's based off idtech4.nextgenjoke

Steambox is for people who aren't smart enough to build their own rig, ps3 fanboys for example.

Send your linux hate to /dev/null

sudo grub

Steambox is for people who aren't smart enough to build their own rig, ps3 fanboys for example.

percuvius2

What the @#$% is Linux?

What the @#$% is Linux?

Goyoshi12

[QUOTE="Goyoshi12"]

What the @#$% is Linux?

clyde46

OK....

What the @#$% is GNU/Linux?

Even mac os sucks lol windows is the best operating system on the market.

mac os=open gl only

linux=open gl only

windows=direct x and open gl.nextgenjoke

And like others have said, Windows is only really best for gaming, so calling it "the best operating system on the market" isn't necessarily true for everyone, just PC gamers.

-

Please learn to either edit your posts, or put all your ideas into the first post. There's no reason to have 3 tiny posts back to back.

[QUOTE="KungfuKitten"][QUOTE="kuraimen"] Valve has proven that Linux can run games way better than Windows. That's not a surprising since Linux is a much better designed OS. The problem is always the install base. But Linux will never get popular if more games are not ported. So it's a vicious cycle, that's why I hope Valve's succeeds making Linux more mainstream for gaming.kuraimen

Developing good protocols and APIs that get popular is fine but MAKE THEM OPEN. That's what Linux and GNU do. They make their programs in a way that can be run on any OS out there. Companies like Apple and M$ focus on closing protocols and APIs to their systems to create a monopoly that's why I dislike them.

I thought Mac games used similar APIs to Linux games.

gabe doesnt like windows 8? lol ok ship it with windows 7nextgenjoke

Linux is free. 

no big games on linux so its no wonder it does not bring in money.

[QUOTE="nextgenjoke"]gabe doesnt like windows 8? lol ok ship it with windows 7Gue1

Linux is free. 

[QUOTE="nextgenjoke"]gabe doesnt like windows 8? lol ok ship it with windows 7Gue1

Linux is free. 

I thought that applied to non-commercial use only.

[QUOTE="clyde46"][QUOTE="Goyoshi12"]

What the @#$% is Linux?

Goyoshi12

OK....

What the @#$% is GNU/Linux?

[QUOTE="kuraimen"]

[QUOTE="KungfuKitten"] Oh yes and I think it's very important to have a competitive OS. I still don't really understand why MS was allowed to have a monopoly, I don't see how it 'sped things up' or whatever. I can understand using certain protocols to speed things up but not having just one company of charge.jun_aka_pekto

Developing good protocols and APIs that get popular is fine but MAKE THEM OPEN. That's what Linux and GNU do. They make their programs in a way that can be run on any OS out there. Companies like Apple and M$ focus on closing protocols and APIs to their systems to create a monopoly that's why I dislike them.

I thought Mac games used similar APIs to Linux games.

[QUOTE="Gue1"]

[QUOTE="nextgenjoke"]gabe doesnt like windows 8? lol ok ship it with windows 7jun_aka_pekto

Linux is free. 

I thought that applied to non-commercial use only.

[QUOTE="jun_aka_pekto"]

[QUOTE="kuraimen"]

Developing good protocols and APIs that get popular is fine but MAKE THEM OPEN. That's what Linux and GNU do. They make their programs in a way that can be run on any OS out there. Companies like Apple and M$ focus on closing protocols and APIs to their systems to create a monopoly that's why I dislike them.

kuraimen

I thought Mac games used similar APIs to Linux games.

Apple may be locked in the OS/EFI level. But the APIs themselves should be similar. It'd take less effort to port an OSX game to Linux than a Windows game to OSX especially from 3rd parties like Aspyr (Mac) and Loki (Linux) if they ever start collaborating. Macs actually get a decent amount of games (compared to Linux) although they often arrive a little late. For Linux games, that's a good place to start.

Anyway, I'm not adverse to a "Steam" Linux distro or even a Steam LiveCD which would be stripped down to the core and running nothing but Steam and Big Picture. But, that's an awful lot of games that'll have to be ported from Windows. That's the part that really hurts.