Still Holding Out Hope For UT3 Linux Client, Editor

[hal]

Though a Linux client and editor patch have been planned all along for Unreal Tournament 3, the days, weeks, and months have slipped by with only hints of it being held up by middleware issues. A recent post by Jeff 'WarTourist' Morris on the Phoronix forums indicated that there is still hope.

Hi Scibotic. That's my understanding, that the UT3 Linux client patch will include full editor support. I'll double check with Ryan though and will post if that's not the case.

[SCIBOTIC]

I'm a big fan of this site so seeing my username on the frontpage really caught me by surprise. Huge kudos for feeding my addiction to everything Unreal over the years.

As far as I'm concerned Ryan (icculus) has always done a fantastic job for Linux gaming and I figure if the port really wasn't going anywhere he would have made the point of letting us know by now, I have complete faith that he's doing what he can to make the release no matter how badly it may have been delayed.

[Bersy]

I think a Linux release is a necessary step in breathing some life into the game..

[Deapblade]

It has taken a long time, but here we are now: A true competitor for DNF has stepped up!

[JohnDoe641]

Originally Posted by Deapblade

It has taken a long time, but here we are now: A true competitor for DNF has stepped up!

ha!

But seriously, we need this so there will be like, seven servers instead of four.

[Autopsy]

Originally Posted by JohnDoe641

ha!

But seriously, we need this so there will be like, seven servers instead of four.

Abysmally, horribly, sadly, true.

Where's the icon? Not that I've anything against Linux I just think it should be the official UT3 logo by now.

You guys aren't missing much really.

[StreetPreacher]

But seriously, who needs a Linux CLIENT and editor? I understand that some people like to use Linux for dedicated servers, but if you're holding out to PLAY your games on Linux, then you obviously aren't terribly interested in gaming in the first place.

Most devs develop Linux distros as a pet project only; they have no economic viability. I'd personally rather see Epic spend that time (/$$) developing more bonus content that EVERYONE can use.

[[did]madis]

Originally Posted by StreetPreacher

Most devs develop Linux distros as a pet project only; they have no economic viability. I'd personally rather see Epic spend that time (/$$) developing more bonus content that EVERYONE can use.

Aren't Linux users part of EVERYONE?

[StreetPreacher]

Originally Posted by [did]madis

Aren't Linux users part of EVERYONE?

Yep, and that's exactly my point. Why bother spending time on something that only PART of your users can use (and let's be honest here - probably less than 1%), instead of ALL of them? It's time wasted IMHO.

[hal]

Originally Posted by StreetPreacher

Yep, and that's exactly my point. Why bother spending time on something that only PART of your users can use (and let's be honest here - probably less than 1%), instead of ALL of them? It's time wasted IMHO.

FYI - Ryan Gordon is doing the port, so there's no "wasted" Epic time.

[Deapblade]

Originally Posted by StreetPreacher

But seriously, who needs a Linux CLIENT and editor? I understand that some people like to use Linux for dedicated servers, but if you're holding out to PLAY your games on Linux, then you obviously aren't terribly interested in gaming in the first place.

Most devs develop Linux distros as a pet project only; they have no economic viability. I'd personally rather see Epic spend that time (/$$) developing more bonus content that EVERYONE can use.

Yeah, your right. Minorities shouldn't be allowed to get anything and should be ignored in favour of the majority...

[Severin]

They (Epic) had plenty say prior to the games launch on pc about the fantastic linux version that they (Epic) would be shipping. Now its a non-official personal project nothing to do with them at all.

Moral of story: Don't deliberatly mislead your customers.

[StreetPreacher]

elmuerte:
Sorry, but I don'g get where you're coming from at all.

Why on Earth would other game developers need a Linux port of the UT3 client specifically? Should they sit around playing UT3 on Linux instead of developing their own games? And please explain to me what Pixar (who isn't even a game dev, but I digress) or anyone else running Linux on their redering farms is going to do with a Linux UT3 client. Maybe I'm the thick one here, I dunno.

And when I said "Most devs develop Linux distros as a pet project only," I was obviously referring to GAME devs. No kidding Red Hat et al spend time and money on Linux; OS's are their business. But that's irrelevant here. What's relevant here is the number of would-be UT3 gamers who use Linux exclusively, without any access to a Windows PC, PS3, or 360. And I'm guessing that number is very close to nil.

And the economic value of free bonus content is actually quite easy to understand. Releasing free content generates a lot of good press, and may well represent a tipping point for consumers who were on the fence about a purchase. For many (or most, by the looks of it), UT3 @ $50=no sale. But UT3 @ $20 with added content? Now maybe that's worth checking out. On the other hand I can't imagine anyone new running out and buying UT3 just because it's suddenly available on Linux.

Deapblade:
That's not called sarcasm, it's called "business." You don't waste money on negligible markets if you're going for mass appeal.

I think Severin made the best point yet. Maybe they should do it merely because they said they would. In this case, throwing money at something that nobody will use may be worth it just to protect your good name and reputation.

[elmuerte]

Originally Posted by StreetPreacher

elmuerte:
Sorry, but I don'g get where you're coming from at all.

Why on Earth would other game developers need a Linux port of the UT3 client specifically? Should they sit around playing UT3 on Linux instead of developing their own games? And please explain to me what Pixar (who isn't even a game dev, but I digress) or anyone else running Linux on their redering farms is going to do with a Linux UT3 client. Maybe I'm the thick one here, I dunno.

UT3 for linux would be an example that UnrealEngine3 would run well on the linux platform. Which makes it an interesting piece of middleware for others. The investment for Epic to make the linux port might very well be much less than the returned investment from companies that want to use UnrealEngine3 on a linux system.

Quite some people tend to forget that a game engine is also very well suitable for non-game projects.

Every product that Epic releases is an example of what the UnrealEngine can do. Any product others release which use the UnrealEngine is an example of what others can do with the UnrealEngine.

[Deapblade]

Originally Posted by StreetPreacher

Deapblade:
That's not called sarcasm, it's called "business." You don't waste money on negligible markets if you're going for mass appeal.

I think Severin made the best point yet. Maybe they should do it merely because they said they would. In this case, throwing money at something that nobody will use may be worth it just to protect your good name and reputation.

no nuance = no realism

[EisWiesel]

Well, this news is better then nothink and much appreciated after a long time of not the smallest amount of news in that direction.
I would switch to linux on my gaming-pc if a release will happen some time...

[StreetPreacher]

Well if Epic isn't doing it then I retract my statements. But "a Linux client and editor patch have been planned all along" makes it sound like it's an official patch from Epic. Obviously the community can and should do anything it damn well pleases.

[Sir_Brizz]

Epic is "doing it". They are paying Ryan Gordon to do it, just as they have for every previous UT game.

[hal]

The point stands, however, as the Epic Games staff is not investing human resources in the Linux port. I'm guessing their legal department might be generating a few billing hours out of it though.

[elmuerte]

Originally Posted by StreetPreacher

But seriously, who needs a Linux CLIENT and editor? I understand that some people like to use Linux for dedicated servers, but if you're holding out to PLAY your games on Linux, then you obviously aren't terribly interested in gaming in the first place.

You forget an important group: Game developers.
Linux isn't as small as you hope it to be. For example, most computer graphics studios (Disney/Pixer, Dreamworks) run mostly on linux, maybe some mac osx.

Originally Posted by StreetPreacher

Most devs develop Linux distros as a pet project only; they have no economic viability. I'd personally rather see Epic spend that time (/$$) developing more bonus content that EVERYONE can use.

Wrong. All big linux distros have dedicated people working on it. There are companies like Red Hat, SUSE/Novell, Canonical, IBM,... that invest a lot of money and people in development of linux distros and software.

People working on bonus content (wait... doesn't that mean "free" content, wtf is the economic value there?) are no the same people that would work on the linux port.