Gabe Newell says Linux is the future of gaming, new hardware to come out

Gabe is awesome. He is the real deal. He knows that Microsoft is holding us back, or has no incentive to bring PC gaming forward anymore. Microsoft wants us to gravitate towards Xbox for profit. This company has gone another direction, which changed the game radically. We need to completely change the system. Linux will be a fresh new beginning, no more consolitis and hidden corporate agendas? I agree, this is the right way.

The bottom line is that pc gaming should move forward, faster. It should not be dependant on a private company that is no longer interested because of internal competition. PC gaming has been at a stand still for a while because of this, and we need to move forward. Linux is the logical next step imo.
 
I would think that compatibility with Linux is more about building compatibility with the Linux based mobile operating systems (Android, Chrome). Gabe is no fool and he knows that mobility is going to be the growth area for computing for many years. Right now, Steam has zero gaming presence in the mobile world. Linux compatibility won't hurt them in the PC world as long as they continue to support the dominant Windows users and will build the bridge to the mobile one. Good long term strategy. I don't see Linux as an OS either helping or hurting PC gaming. A technology, like Ocular Rift, or cheap multiscreen gaming is more likely to turn gaming on its head then Linux, in my opinion ;)
 
hfk said:
Gabe is awesome. He is the real deal. He knows that Microsoft is holding us back, or has no incentive to bring PC gaming forward anymore. Microsoft wants us to gravitate towards Xbox for profit. This company has gone another direction, which changed the game radically. We need to completely change the system. Linux will be a fresh new beginning, no more consolitis and hidden corporate agendas? I agree, this is the right way.

The bottom line is that pc gaming should move forward, faster. It should not be dependant on a private company that is no longer interested because of internal competition. PC gaming has been at a stand still for a while because of this, and we need to move forward. Linux is the logical next step imo.
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Microsoft is not holding PC gaming back. That's delusional in all aspects.
 
Stiletto said:
Games for Windows Live.

Try again.
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There is a difference in actively supporting gaming (which they don't) and actually holding gaming back (which I don't think they do either) ... They help gaming in the sense that their OS is highly standardized with lots of developer tools and compatibility across many platforms (all things that help gaming) ;)
 
kbrickley said:
There is a difference in actively supporting gaming (which they don't) and actually holding gaming back (which I don't think they do either) ... They help gaming in the sense that their OS is highly standardized with lots of developer tools and compatibility across many platforms (all things that help gaming) ;)
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Their single platform for PC gaming is a broken, nightmarish piece of software that can cause BSODs on its own. It's like Steam circa 2003.
 
Stiletto said:
Their single platform for PC gaming is a broken, nightmarish piece of software that can cause BSODs on its own. It's like Steam circa 2003.
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Windows 7 is extremely stable ... all we need from MS to support gaming is a stable OS and developer tools like DirectX ... with gaming platforms like Origin, Steam, UPlay, and others we didn't need their highly unstable Gaming for Windows platform (which is why it went away) ;)
 
kbrickley said:
Windows 7 is extremely stable ... all we need from MS to support gaming is a stable OS and developer tools like DirectX ... with gaming platforms like Origin, Steam, UPlay, and others we didn't need their highly unstable Gaming for Windows platform (which is why it went away) ;)
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But they don't want that. They want to push everything through their own App store or to XBone...they want to cut out the middle man and control everything. I'm not sure how that is so hard to see for certain people?
 
I've been hearing for years about Linux and OpenGL (again), and how they are going to take over the gaming world.

Still hasn't happened.

Will I buy a steam box? Hell no. Why would I? Half life 3 exclusive? I don't care.

It will end up in the same place as NVidia Shield.

I'm not a Microsoft fanboy, but those believing open source software is somehow going to gain traction and overtake Microsoft are delusional. I've worked on many open source projects in the past, and they are a nightmare of bad ideas, bad communication, lofty goals and honestly, was a complete waste of my time. I guess that happens when there is no accountability and no pay check.
 
I don't know what the outcome will be, if Linux will be huge in PC gaming, but you can't blame Valve of trying to push it. There are people out there who prefer gaming on Linux, so if game companies from Valve to smaller indie dev are willing to support Linux, it's good.

Windows may be a good PC platform right now, but we don't know what direction Microsoft will take it in the future. It's better to start working on an alternative now than to wait for the day something happened that will have us searching for an alternative.
 
pcjunkie said:
I'm not sure how that is so hard to see for certain people?
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Because that's not how it works now, at least on the desktop, though I can see why people might think that because of the Windows Store and Modern apps. And there are many who believe that Microsoft is trying to get rid of the desktop but practically speaking that just doesn't seem possible or realistic for the indefinite future.
 
heatlesssun said:
Because that's not how it works now, at least on the desktop, though I can see why people might think that because of the Windows Store and Modern apps. And there are many who believe that Microsoft is trying to get rid of the desktop but practically speaking that just doesn't seem possible or realistic for the indefinite future.
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That's exactly the opposite of what you are preaching in the other threads? Remember pc's are dying and everything is going mobile! Your always preaching the future and that is EXACTLY how they want it to work in the future. Your post shows just how hypocritical you are.
 
pcjunkie said:
But they don't want that. They want to push everything through their own App store or to XBone...they want to cut out the middle man and control everything. I'm not sure how that is so hard to see for certain people?
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Unless they cut out compatibility with media (DVD, Blu Ray, etc) they can't lock people out of other stores on desktop PCs ... they are clearly trying to lock up tablet users (just like all the other tablet OS providers are) but to maintain compatibility with Enterprise they can't really lock out the desktop gamers since whatever they need to do to support Enterprise software needs will likely also protect gamers ;)
 
kbrickley said:
Unless they cut out compatibility with media (DVD, Blu Ray, etc) they can't lock people out of other stores on desktop PCs ... they are clearly trying to lock up tablet users (just like all the other tablet OS providers are) but to maintain compatibility with Enterprise they can't really lock out the desktop gamers since whatever they need to do to support Enterprise software needs will likely also protect gamers ;)
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Oh I agree with you but Windows 8 (see Metro/new desktop start button) shows you what lengths they would go to accomplish that no matter how much people complain.
 
pcjunkie said:
That's exactly the opposite of what you are preaching in the other threads? Remember pc's are dying and everything is going mobile!
Your always preaching the future and that is EXACTLY how they want it to work in the future. Your post shows just how hypocritical you are.
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I've NEVER said that everyone is going mobile and I have repeatedly stated that I do see the need for desktop OSes for the indefinite future. But it's a plain fact that mobile is growing at a very fast rate, tablet shipments in Q4 2013 are expected to outnumber conventional PC shipments and people are buying new PCs.

It's never been zero proposition but there are market trends that are clearly aligned in the mobile space. I don't see how Windows can not have mobile software and hardware and continue to have large mainstream consumer relevance.
 
heatlesssun said:
I've NEVER said that everyone is going mobile and I have repeatedly stated that I do see the need for desktop OSes for the indefinite future. But it's a plain fact that mobile is growing at a very fast rate, tablet shipments in Q4 2013 are expected to outnumber conventional PC shipments and people are buying new PCs.

It's never been zero proposition but there are market trends that are clearly aligned in the mobile space. I don't see how Windows can not have mobile software and hardware and continue to have large mainstream consumer relevance.
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Bull...you've stated that there is no need to give us the start menu back as the desktop OS is rapidly losing market share. You speak out of both sides of your mouth. I'd have more respect for your opinion if you weren't all over the place depending upon the subject and Microsoft's stance on things. You've acted like desktop is hastily dying so why throw good money into a dying ecosystem. Sorry but I have to stick with hypocrite.
 
pcjunkie said:
Bull...you've stated that there is no need to give us the start menu back as the desktop OS is rapidly losing market share. You speak out of both sides of your mouth. I'd have more respect for your opinion if you weren't all over the place depending upon the subject and Microsoft's stance on things. You've acted like desktop is hastily dying so why throw good money into a dying ecosystem. Sorry but I have to stick with hypocrite.
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The Start Menu nor the Start Screen is the desktop, they are mostly app launchers though the Start Screen also support notifications. While one may like the Start Menu over the Start Screen the Start Menu is not needed in order to use the desktop and in some cases like multiple monitors many may prefer the Start Screen as it is multiple monitor aware. Options could be added to the Start Screen to make it more palatable to desktop folks, not full screen and having Start Menu folder hierarchy view. If those were added to the Start Screen then what would be the point of the Start Menu?
 
SilverSliver said:
Microsoft is not holding PC gaming back. That's delusional in all aspects.
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heatlesssun said:
Because that's not how it works now, at least on the desktop, though I can see why people might think that because of the Windows Store and Modern apps. And there are many who believe that Microsoft is trying to get rid of the desktop but practically speaking that just doesn't seem possible or realistic for the indefinite future.
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Okay, so play that card. Maybe I shouldn't say "holding back", rather "blatantly ignoring the potential of, whilst going all in on a different competing platform". Same difference...

The fact is pc gaming is obviously held back when you compare pc gaming potential to current day level of technology and supply of games, in terms of game design and utilization of technology.

Microsoft as a company is being counter-productive to the classic culture of pc gaming, has obviously tried to demolish it in favor of the xbox, and should not be relavant anymore. I have WAY more confidence in a future change brought along by Valve to a free platform that works better and is not tied up to private interests, than anything Microsoft would bring along from here on out. Again, Microsoft doesnt have to give a damn about pc gaming, Valve does. Why some people cant put two and two together is indeed amazing
 
pcjunkie said:
But they don't want that. They want to push everything through their own App store or to XBone...they want to cut out the middle man and control everything. I'm not sure how that is so hard to see for certain people?
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It doesn't particularly matter what Microsoft wants. What matters is what's still an option for publishers and what isn't, and that doesn't appear to be changing any time soon. Even if Microsoft wants to kill off the free-for-all world of the desktop, they can't: market forces simply dictate that they can't.

We heard the same doom-and-gloom when Apple introduced their Mac App Store. Tales of how all OS X software would become locked down and tightly-controlled by Apple. Hasn't happened. Isn't gonna. The ecosystem on Windows — with its numerous existing distribution systems — is such that it's even less likely to happen.
 
I would use linux in a heartbeat if all my games would run on it. If it goes that way im cool with that.
 
Stiletto said:
Games for Windows Live.

Try again.
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GFWL was bad, but using that as THE example of Microsoft 'holding back' PC gaming is simply ridiculous and you should feel bad for saying something that stupid.

If anything can be pinned on PC gaming being held back, it's consoles.
 
SilverSliver said:
GFWL was bad, but using that as THE example of Microsoft 'holding back' PC gaming is simply ridiculous ~unnecessary insult snipped~

If anything can be pinned on PC gaming being held back, it's consoles.
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Well, let's see here. Microsoft's PC gaming platform is GFWL, but to you, that's simply unacceptable as the example of "Microsoft's PC gaming shortcoming".

What I obviously should have blamed as "Microsoft's PC gaming shortcoming" was "consoles"...apparently including all the consoles Microsoft never made. Thanks for that enlightening viewpoint. In future, I'll be sure to PM you my responses before I post them so that they pass muster. :rolleyes:
 
wonderfield said:
It doesn't particularly matter what Microsoft wants. What matters is what's still an option for publishers and what isn't, and that doesn't appear to be changing any time soon. Even if Microsoft wants to kill off the free-for-all world of the desktop, they can't: market forces simply dictate that they can't.

We heard the same doom-and-gloom when Apple introduced their Mac App Store. Tales of how all OS X software would become locked down and tightly-controlled by Apple. Hasn't happened. Isn't gonna. The ecosystem on Windows — with its numerous existing distribution systems — is such that it's even less likely to happen.
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I never said it was doom and gloom...all I meant was MS is not the front runner in keeping gaming going strong on the pc. We can all see where they want to go but hopefully it won't get there. And of course it matters what Microsoft wants being their platform and with its OS monopoly, point in case, Windows 8 and user backlash.
 
pcjunkie said:
all I meant was MS is not the front runner in keeping gaming going strong on the pc.
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Well it's hard to see how anyone else is the front runner in keeping gaming strong on the PC as no other desktop platform comes close to the PCs size and scale. People can cheerlead all they want about desktop Linux gaming, it's got no users, and that's a HUGE problem. People will talk about the lack of apps and users when it comes to Windows tablets or Windows Phone but somehow that all of sudden doesn't matter when it comes to desktop Linux, which has been around for well over a decade and gone nowhere.

pcjunkie said:
We can all see where they want to go but hopefully it won't get there. And of course it matters what Microsoft wants being their platform and with its OS monopoly, point in case, Windows 8 and user backlash.
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If we can all see where Microsoft wants to go then we probably wouldn't be debating it.
Backlash over Windows 8 doesn't mean that Microsoft is abandoning the desktop, at least not at this point. Windows 8.x is simply adding features to make Windows work on the fastest growing class of devices which had to be done. The backlash is about turning those features off. Plenty of people have said that Windows 8 would be the greatest thing since sliced bread if Microsoft provided a Metro off switch and that everyone would be happy.
 
pcjunkie said:
I never said it was doom and gloom...all I meant was MS is not the front runner in keeping gaming going strong on the pc.
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I haven't seen anyone disagree with this. Myself and others have pointed out that it doesn't really matter, though. What game developers and publishers need from an operating system is stability and freedom to implement software in a manner to their liking (which they've always been able to do, and will continue to be able to do) and APIs that allow for straightforward exploitation of hardware, of which the rate of advancement has slowed on the Windows side, but not yet ceased.

Anything else is of little to no interest. PC gaming needs two tent poles, and those are there. They're going to continue to be there.
 
heatlesssun said:
Plenty of people have said that Windows 8 would be the greatest thing since sliced bread if Microsoft provided a Metro off switch and that everyone would be happy.
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I'd have to agree with that statement...at least for desktop users.
 
heatlesssun said:
Well it's hard to see how anyone else is the front runner in keeping gaming strong on the PC as no other desktop platform comes close to the PCs size and scale. People can cheerlead all they want about desktop Linux gaming, it's got no users, and that's a HUGE problem. People will talk about the lack of apps and users when it comes to Windows tablets or Windows Phone but somehow that all of sudden doesn't matter when it comes to desktop Linux, which has been around for well over a decade and gone nowhere.
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This. Over and over again. Without users, it doesn't matter how amazing, new, free, a platform is - it doesn't matter without users.
 
hfk said:
Clearly the users will come. It's free.....
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Cost isn't the only consideration or Linux would have won a long time ago ... the vast majority of computer users are NOT techies ... a successful OS needs to be pretty much idiot proof ... Windows for the most part has fit that bill (Linux has not) ... if Valve supports one build of Linux that is more locked down to prevent the users from messing it up then Linux has a chance ... if it relies on people with the technical know how and interest to support it then it will stay where it is at ... Steam has somewhere around 30 million to 50 million user accounts (most of which are Windows based or Mac based) ... as long as Windows remains functional for gaming then Valve has little to gain from competing on the OS front ... if it gains them access to the hundreds of millions of mobile app users then that is a different calculation completely ;)
 
hfk said:
Clearly the users will come. It's free.....
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...and requires a person to learn a completely new operating system, and not in the simple way that a console manifests an OS. If the SteamBox runs off Linux and turns out to be successful, that will be one thing. However, even if it is successful, that's not going to convince millions of Steam users to format their gaming computers, install some distro of Linux, and then spend Christ knows how long tweaking drivers, settings, and third-party programs to get the games working.
 
Linux really needs convergence or at least have very strict standards for distro's to adhere too in order to have a chance. Go to distrowatchdotcom and see just how fragmented it is....
 
Scoobydo said:
I've been hearing for years about Linux and OpenGL (again), and how they are going to take over the gaming world.

Still hasn't happened.

Will I buy a steam box? Hell no. Why would I? Half life 3 exclusive? I don't care.

It will end up in the same place as NVidia Shield.

I'm not a Microsoft fanboy, but those believing open source software is somehow going to gain traction and overtake Microsoft are delusional. I've worked on many open source projects in the past, and they are a nightmare of bad ideas, bad communication, lofty goals and honestly, was a complete waste of my time. I guess that happens when there is no accountability and no pay check.
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Angry much? The only people that are delusional are those that spit foam out of the sides of their mouths because Valve is exploring diversifying to multiple platforms so they're not beholden to one private company with a monopoly on Steam's existing single-platform dependency.

Nobody's talking about anything overtaking Microsoft, right now it's about alternative and choice to Microsoft going Metro bipolar and doing everything it can to commit Windows suicide. If you have a problem with that then you're part of the problem.
 
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Stiletto said:
Well, let's see here. Microsoft's PC gaming platform is GFWL, but to you, that's simply unacceptable as the example of "Microsoft's PC gaming shortcoming".

What I obviously should have blamed as "Microsoft's PC gaming shortcoming" was "consoles"...apparently including all the consoles Microsoft never made. Thanks for that enlightening viewpoint. In future, I'll be sure to PM you my responses before I post them so that they pass muster. :rolleyes:
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And yet, the now dead GFWL which was terrible, had a completely negligible effect on PC gaming as a whole. To argue otherwise is silliness. That was your original statement.

And yes, Nintendo, Sega, Sony, and even Microsoft making consoles had a direct effect on the slowing in the PC gaming industry. But this is a discussion about OPERATING SYSTEMS, particularly Linux vs Microsoft, hindering PC gaming development.

Linux will never, ever, be mainstream and thus, never, ever be a mainstream competitor to Windows gaming. Whatever garbage Apple comes out with has a better chance at diversifying gaming than Linux does.
 
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