Valve on why they're favouring Linux over Windows 8

[wh0rd]

If you look at the way the world is going, where you see Apple completely in control of their system, and at least part of Windows 8 entirely controlled by the Microsoft App Store, Steam is going to be a little bit harder to do - both in the store aspect and in the content delivery aspect.

We want to continue developing in open platforms and so we’re looking around, and obviously Linux has become a very viable alternate platform. So we are now looking into doing Steam for Linux and supporting as many of our Steam games for Linux as we can.

We want to remove one roadblock that people have with Linux usage and keep the open platform alive. If Microsoft goes the way Apple has and Windows and Macintosh are, both completely closed ecosystems, Linux really is the best alternative for everybody. So we want to help it be as good a platform as possible.

PCGamesN.com

[ocratato]

I think their analysis is probably correct. If the MS App Store is at all successful it will drive MS more and more into the walled garden model - which in turn will make the App Store more successful.

I think we will see businesses staying with Win 7 for the next few years, while consumers will be herded into the Win 8/App Store where they can be made to pay for all their software - giving MS that new revenue stream it has been looking for. (And making life difficult for the likes of Steam.)

If there is a long term plan for businesses my guess is that will involve dockable smartphones and servers. (This will be at least 5 years out - so smartphones will be more than capable of doing most desktop processing - and anything else will go on a server.)

However, based on their past performance, I expect that MS will make a mess of the App Store. The herd will be forced to re-purchase their software fairly regularly for all sorts of "technical" reasons.

In the mean time Android and other versions of Linux will be available on a raft of very low cost ARM computers. (MS and Apple see the danger in this - hence all the legal shenanigans.)

[mmix]

let me quote this:

All of Microsoft's 'partners' have been screwed over. No exceptions.

[Bazu135]

Valve have been making an awful lot of noise on this subject lately - not just in putting their money where their mouth is (i.e. native Steam client in development), but in being repeatedly outspoken against Win8 too. I wonder if they're just trying to put pressure on Microsoft, or whether they're privately fully prepared to dive into Linux (rather than the "just testing the water" they claim the native client to be) and want to drum up awareness ahead of doing so?

[wh0rd]

Originally Posted by Bazu135

Valve have been making an awful lot of noise on this subject lately - not just in putting their money where their mouth is (i.e. native Steam client in development), but in being repeatedly outspoken against Win8 too. I wonder if they're just trying to put pressure on Microsoft, or whether they're privately fully prepared to dive into Linux (rather than the "just testing the water" they claim the native client to be) and want to drum up awareness ahead of doing so?

Seems pretty legit. I remember reading that even EA is trying to bring their online store, Origin, into the GNU/Linux world. The Windows marketplace will effect EA's sales too. Hopefully we can impress them with some good number of sales at launch.

[Bazu135]

On a related note; NVidia have announced new Linux drivers, developed in conjunction with Valve among others, that will "double the performance and dramatically reduce game loading times for those gaming on the Linux operating system."

NVIDIA today announced the latest NVIDIA® GeForce® drivers -- R310 -- double the performance(1) and dramatically reduce game loading times for those gaming on the Linux operating system.

The result of almost a year of development by NVIDIA, Valve and other game developers, the new GeForce R310 drivers are designed to give GeForce customers the best possible Linux-based PC gaming experience -- and showcase the enormous potential of the world's biggest open-source operating system.

Available for download at www.geforce.com, the new R310 drivers were also thoroughly tested with Steam for Linux, the extension of Valve's phenomenally popular Steam gaming platform that officially opened to gamers starting today.

My card hasn't hit the R310 release as yet, so I can't test it out, but it's good to see someone else putting their money where their mouth is! Viva la revolution!