Linux for gamers
My opinion is that Linux is the best operating system for games. In this article I will show you why. This topic is currently under discussion, because Steam now offers games for Linux systems. A list of these games can be found here.
App Stores
The biggest problem today for game developers are App stores. Apple started the Apple Store (App Store, iTunes, …) years ago and this model was so successful, that it was copied by many other companies. Examples are: Google (Play Store), Microsoft (Windows 8 App Store), Sony and so on. All Store owners want to use this kind of business model. Developers create content and the store owners get a part of the sell price of apps. The problem is that these stores want to bind customers. So you can only load programs, that are allowed for the device allowed store. This mainly depends on the operating system. This has two side effects:
- Limited selection
There is a limited selection of products for each store. This can be a problem if the content of a store is small. Many Android devices have limited content, because the manufacturer often implement their own store which only displays a small part of the whole possible Android (Google Play) Store. This is really annoying.
- More work for developer
If a developer wants to implement a game or program, he has to port it to different systems. He also have to stay in contact with different store owners and also have to sign different contracts.
It would be nice to have a all in one solution. Steam is a good start. It offers game for all possible operating systems on desktop devices. Maybe some time it also offers mobile apps?
Platforms
There are many different platforms available today. We can categorize them in:Consoles
- These are gadgets that are manufactured especially for games. Examples are XBOX (Microsoft), Playstation (Sony) and Wii (Nintendo). New consoles like Playstation 4 and Xbox 720 are announced but not available. In the meantime more and more Android consoles are in stores. One of them is
Steambox. - mobile Devices
These are smartphones, tablets, but also things like the new Smartwatch (Sony) or iWatches? (Apple)… - desktop PC
The classic desktop computer and also laptops (they are not really mobile gadgets nowadays).
You can see there are many different platforms. There is less that connects all these platforms. The only thing you can find on all can be Linux. It can be installed on desktop systems or as an Android system on mobile devices or consoles. Microsoft on the other side also wants to get that system. Windows 8, Windows Phone or the XBOX system.
The free system
The main feature and advantage for Linux is, that it is a free system. There are no license costs and so there is also no limitation of a system only store. On the other side it is versatile. It can be found everywhere. From a server system to a mobile device system. This is the reason why Valve currently supports a pro Linux strategy. This could be a win-win situation for both. Steam is not exclusive for a special device and Linux is more interesting for gamers and developers.
