Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

The problem is that Linux can't run games. If Linux is such an awesome OS, then why can't someone develop an application that can run ALL windows games. FYI, no one is going to develop games for Linux, and to expect game companies to waste time doing so is b***s***. Until Linux can run games, Linux is still 2nd best...after Windows.

King S: Rubbish. On what basis do you say that you cannot play games under GNU/Linux? Have you tried?

As a GNU/Linux gamer, I've been keeping a record of games I've *finished* lately just so I can dispute claims like this. Here we go:

2009-08-29: BlackSite (WINE + mousepatch)
2009-08-30: F.E.A.R. 2 Project Origin (WINE)
2009-09-11: Quake 4 (native GNU/Linux)
2009-09-13: Unreal (WINE)
2009-09-14: Frontlines: Fuel of War (WINE + mousepatch)
2009-12-12: Unreal II: The Awakening (WINE)
2009-12-13: Wolfenstein (WINE)
2009-12-20: Crysis (WINE + regression patch)
2009-12-25: Crysis Warhead (WINE + regression patch)

As indicated, some required WINE patches to get going. I expect even these few issues will be ironed out in the near future so people can just double click that .exe file...

Note that the majority of games (>50%) in my largish collection already run under GNU/Linux with ease. The few I've listed here are just the games I've completed without requiring a Windows install. It will keep growing as quickly as I can finish them.

@ King S.
I strongly believe that computers are not for gaming purpose in the first place. if you want the best out of your gadgets, use linux for computer and use CONSOLE for gaming :) the money you shell out for a gaming console would be almost equal to the amount of money you will be forced to pay for windows and the updates and the license and the support and the OEM softwares, the mcafee or norton antivirus which comes along with OS. We can keep adding on.
Computer - UNIX (Linux)
Gaming - Console

WINE is garbage. The truth is, unless it's a popular game or program it doesn't stand a chance of working very well or even at all. Don't forget to add additional time to hunt down missing fonts, DLLs, and scripts needed to get things to install or launch.

My favorite game, Day of Defeat Source, STILL doesn't work very well under WINE and other games are slow as molasses unless all details are set on their lowest levels. Some of my other favorite applications like XMPlay or Weather Pulse are either extremely buggy or don't run at all. The only people who claim WINE works well are Linux zealots who aren't going to honestly tell you how well it doesn't work.

This Chinese version of Linux won't ever be popular in China. Why? Because with the more Internet users than the USA, everyone here uses QQ instant messenger. There is a crappy version for Linux, but it crashes constantly. The Windows version under WINE? HA HA. Again, like so many other programs, it doesn't work under WINE.

I tried playing Iji and Fate/stay night under WINE, but both were crippled by slowdown. I wish there were a better way, but it's not like Microsoft's going to be releasing their own intermediary with XP code in it.