Jack Keane on Linux ?

[duglambier]

According to some statements made on the Internet, Jack Keane should be ported to Linux in the coming weeks. Rune Soft is behind the port.

After the succesful release of Ankh 2, Jack Keane is another graphical point 2 click adventure game.

More informations about this game :
http://www.jackkeane.com/index.php?id=7&L=2

[Svartalf]

I figured that Deck13 and Runesoft was enjoying some success in the Linux version space. I suspect that they'll make a Linux version- but it remains to be seen if there'll be a pre-order play like the last two passes with Ankh and Ankh2 or if this one will be floated directly without having a break-even level of interest already in place. As long as I'm assured that I'll get either the game or my money back, I won't mind doing the pre-order thing with them- they've proven themselves well enough to be given the benefit of the doubt on that score.

[duglambier]

Jack Keane is now available for pre-order

[Svartalf]

Jack Keane is now available for pre-order

Good. Runesoft's had a shaky start on a few things (I can't comment too much on LGP's former partner... :D) but it seems that they may have found a spot in the segment finally where they're doing a lot better at things.

[Thetargos]

I'm downloading the trailer now, these guys can pull out some really funny characters and interesting games... Reminds me of a mixture between Indiana Jones and Monkey Island (oddly both from Lucas Arts :D) I may be pre-ordering this one.

[niniendowarrior]

I remember playing this demo and absolutely hating the game. Oh well, to each his own.

[Thetargos]

Hmm... Not a bad idea, I hope it will work on my Vista install on this laptop... The trailer was funny, hopefully it didn't show all the funny parts of the game, and there are many more (like Anhk).


... By the way, if anyone else tried the trailer, were you able to get any sound off it in Linux? I wasn't, had to see it in Vista.

[Janusz11]

I remember playing this demo and absolutely hating the game. Oh well, to each his own.

I wouldn't go as far to say that I hated the demo. I simply didn't like it. When I tried it out I found the dialogues absolutely shallow and ridiculous. Needless to say that I didn't find the jokes funny at all.

Also, I didn't like the graphics. What irritated me most were the strange colours.

This game simply isn't for me. There are not many, but definitely better Adventures out in the market.

[duglambier]

75 so far. I hope IxSoft, Tuxgames and others will carry on with other titles like Europa Universalis 3

[marakaid]

I think they are committing a big mistake, I don't know if you have noticed that "heavy" price difference:
Jack Keane for Windows, can buy it for 20 Euros / 30 USA dollars;
Jack Keane preorder for Linux, 40 Euros / 60 USA dollars.

[Svartalf]

I think they are committing a big mistake, I don't know if you have noticed that "heavy" price difference:
Jack Keane for Windows, can buy it for 20 Euros / 30 USA dollars;
Jack Keane preorder for Linux, 40 Euros / 60 USA dollars.

< /sigh>

Either you want to run under Linux or you want to run under Windows.

Dual booting isn't really the answer because it contributes to the network effect for Windows. A purchase for Windows is a vote for that OS to continue to get versions explicitly for it.

WINE's not any better an answer for those already on Linux for a while- and for the same reasoning.

The price is what each publisher set (not the studio) based on what return on their investment of a production run of a given size would be- if you like the game, but don't like the price, don't buy. But don't be whining when you don't have ANY other titles because they don't have metrics to us to make Linux versions. A purchase of a Windows SKU is a vote for THAT OS with your dollars as far as the publisher is concerned. They typically don't look at "installed user base" of an OS except to contemplate a possible version. Things not selling won't help us, never mind the pricing (they WILL NOT look at what the Linux SKU cost to get- they will only look at numbers sold and base it off of that...). If you want to play ON Linux, you need to BUY Linux.

As it stands, most of everyone will be unfamiliar with the MacOS gaming situation. Pricing is very similar to what you're seeing here in many cases. They buy all the same. They don't bitch about the Windows version being cheaper or in the bargain bin before it comes out. They don't typically buy up a "gaming rig" just to run Windows so they can play those games. They buy the stuff because they know if they like it and they buy it, there'll be more down the line- and better fare.

Think of the price delta right at the moment as the premium to NOT have things like Vista on your machine, if you have to. Sure, you can run XP now, but what happens when they don't activate anymore? What happens when they completely turn the lights off on things like they're doing with "Plays for Sure"?? If you can't justfy the expense, it's okay. If you don't like it, it's okay. If you can swing both, buy it and don't bitch about the price difference, okay?

[Aradreth]

I think they are committing a big mistake, I don't know if you have noticed that "heavy" price difference:
Jack Keane for Windows, can buy it for 20 Euros / 30 USA dollars;
Jack Keane preorder for Linux, 40 Euros / 60 USA dollars.
Your looking at it the wrong way think of it as spending 100 Euros less (Vista home premium is about 150 Euros) as you don't need to buy a windows licence (not taking WINE into the picture of course...).

[marakaid]

I can run other games with the price not increased, i.e. Quake Wars does not cost more to run it in Linux.
Jack Keane will fail because see that double price as a big penalty.
Don't try to "sell" the price difference as a "premium" to enter into the elite who buys expensive Linux games or expensive Apple hardware (or MacOS software) to have bragging rights.

[marakaid]

Your looking at it the wrong way think of it as spending 100 Euros less (Vista home premium is about 150 Euros) as you don't need to buy a windows licence (not taking WINE into the picture of course...).

I understand that you are saving Euros because you don't need to buy Windows to run the game, but, what if you want to play with 3 or 4 games whose Linux versions cost so much as Jack Keane one? You lose all the supposed saving if you plan to get more than 1 game with premium price.

[deanjo]

As it stands, most of everyone will be unfamiliar with the MacOS gaming situation. Pricing is very similar to what you're seeing here in many cases. They buy all the same. They don't bitch about the Windows version being cheaper or in the bargain bin before it comes out. They don't typically buy up a "gaming rig" just to run Windows so they can play those games. They buy the stuff because they know if they like it and they buy it, there'll be more down the line- and better fare.

That is actually a bit outdated, the current gen of OS X games that debut at the same time as the PC version are identically priced.

The games that are introduced a bit later after the PC release debut at a price usually cheaper then what the PC game debuted at.

Your right when you day Mac users generally don't buy a separate PC to play PC games. They do however install windows utilizing bootcamp. Games are the #1 reason why people run bootcamp.


Think of the price delta right at the moment as the premium to NOT have things like Vista on your machine, if you have to. Sure, you can run XP now, but what happens when they don't activate anymore?


By that time, the game will be in a bargin bin / bundle pack / and people would have already played it to death.

If you can swing both, buy it and don't bitch about the price difference, okay?

Feedback on any product good or bad is constructive. Without it, suppliers / manufacturers / companies are taking a blind shot in the dark as to why something isn't doing as well as expected.

[Svartalf]

I can run other games with the price not increased, i.e. Quake Wars does not cost more to run it in Linux.
Jack Keane will fail because see that double price as a big penalty.
Don't try to "sell" the price difference as a "premium" to enter into the elite who buys expensive Linux games or expensive Apple hardware (or MacOS software) to have bragging rights.

Do you know why they're the same? Because you're not buying a Linux SKU- you're buying a WINDOWS one and then 'patching' it because the studio has enough pull to do that thing. You didn't pay attention to ANYTHING I just told you. Here's a clue: I work in the games industry as a second job. I do happen to know a goodly portion of the business side of things because I checked into it before I entered into my relationship with Michael Simms, being interested in doing the same thing he's doing.

I don't know HOW many times I have to tell someone this.

If you don't like the price, fine. Just don't buy- but don't whine either when there's nothing else there.

It's not going to magically appear with you doing this stuff the way you're talking to; each and EVERY Windows sale is a vote of dollars for MORE Windows versions, not less. Installed base for the OS is going to have to triple what it actually is right now before they'll consider going out on a limb without sales figures to show that it's worth the trouble to do Linux versions as they GO OFF OF SALES NUMBERS. The same game that others like what you're talking to have pulled in the past with Q3:A have made the mess of things we have today. Part of it WAS Loki's fault. The other part was the people that couldn't friggin' wait to buy the Linux SKU and bought the Windows one instead and "patched" it.

Those numbers are what we're fighting against now.

You want to know WHY you don't have games? It's crap like this that we're discussing that's the cause. Honest.

[Svartalf]

Feedback on any product good or bad is constructive. Without it, suppliers / manufacturers / companies are taking a blind shot in the dark as to why something isn't doing as well as expected.

Heh... After over a decade of giving them all feedback the way you guys keep talking to, do you think they're at all listening to you?

I don't- because the situation's not changing all that much.

[Aradreth]

That is actually a bit outdated, the current gen of OS X games that debut at the same time as the PC version are identically priced.
That's because enough people bought the games when they where expensive to give the publisher enough confidence to lower the prices.
Feedback on any product good or bad is constructive. Without it, suppliers / manufacturers / companies are taking a blind shot in the dark as to why something isn't doing as well as expected.
The problem is that bitching about the price and saying you wont buy it whilst bitching about there not being enough linux games is idiotic; it's the chicken and the egg problem till people suck it up and become an early adopter the situation wont improve. It's the same with nearly every new type of product released, the initial price is always high until the maker is confident that if they reduce the price they will still turn a profit.

[marakaid]

I know that Quake Wars is a Windows copy patched to Linux, but (at least with multiplayer games) the creators of the game can know the OS the user is running the game with; even "Icculus" said that about UT2004, telling us that they could see that Mac and Linux clients were a small but an important number, with more clients using Linux instead of Mac.
I think it would be easier if creators of singleplayer games ask you (inside the game, ie, at start) politely if you want the game to report what operating systems in being run into.

[Aradreth]

I think it would be easier if creators of singleplayer games ask you (inside the game, ie, at start) politely if you want the game to report what operating systems in being run into.

Instead of asking they just look at the sales figures for a particular OS, that's all they care about. If the person then used a compatibility layer to play it they don't care, it's the fact that it was bought for X that matters.

[deanjo]

Heh... After over a decade of giving them all feedback the way you guys keep talking to, do you think they're at all listening to you?

I don't- because the situation's not changing all that much.

And that would be a shortcoming of your business model. What would happen if we applied your theory to other items. Without bug reports, fixes take a long time to be fixed if ever. You take a look at any of the million surveys that marketing does there is always a "If not, why?" option to a question.

Take a look at the Playstation 3, it was beat to the market by the 360 and the 360 pounded the PS3 into near oblivion until Sony woke up and looked and listened to it's market wants. They did not see any value in a $700 gaming machine when they could get a system at a far cheaper price that was competitive with it's offereings. It wasn't until the PS3 started coming down into a reasonable price that it started making some headway. Once Sony adjusted to the markets demands, only then was it able to launch a full scale attack on it's competitors and become a profitable market for their product. That had a waterfall effect as then the game publishers started actually putting out some material for the PS3 and it also allowed them to smite HD-DVD into the dust.

You have to listen to your market, good and bad, or be stuck with the white elephant.

[Svartalf]

I understand that you are saving Euros because you don't need to buy Windows to run the game, but, what if you want to play with 3 or 4 games whose Linux versions cost so much as Jack Keane one? You lose all the supposed saving if you plan to get more than 1 game with premium price.

I can tell you why this ends up being the case. Perhaps you can get a clearer picture (as will deanjo... ;) ) of what I've been trying to tell people off and on in the forums.

Unless the studio and publisher take it upon themselves to make a Linux version (Id, until recently Epic, perhaps Valve (which might change things if they do come our way...)) you have to find a publisher that is willing to allow a port to be done for a given title. Not all publishers do this (see: Atari...) and when they DO allow it, they're interested in a royalty up-front and then one for producing a production run of SKUs for the new version. The production one is due for each production pass and MUST be paid before you can legally sell the game in question. The right to port royalty, the one that you pay to even get a sniff of the game's source code, is typically anywhere from $10-250k per title, paid up-front. The average that LGP pays is on the order of 10-15k, half down, half upon completion, in preparation for mastering. Sometimes this is more, sometimes this is less. When you wonder why we don't have more AAA titles, it's because they want 50k and up just to see the code- and this doesn't get into what they want out of you per unit.

Now... You're down 20k on a "good" title already. On what would be considered a 'sane' mastering run for Linux, this translates into an immediate $7 per copy charge up-front for the FIRST batch of 3000. You can eat a bit of this by making a larger run, but at 10k units (which is insane...) it's still $2 per copy.

At 3000 units, the mastering costs, including packaging, will most likely run you $1-2 per disc, box, and manual, if you're frugal on the packaging. Let's presume you choose the packaging like what the big-boys use. $2.

Now... Development costs. If the studio does the work, it's typically nothing on that part. If you have to have a port team or a consultant (like Ryan Gordon or myself...) do it it'll cost money. Me, I work for a little less than Ryan does because it's not my main calling right at the moment (not for wont of trying, mind...:D). Doesn't make it any less work, etc. If you use the typical effort and costs, this translates into $2 or so per unit sold in costs.

Right now, we're at $11 for an older, but nice title- not a new one of B grade or higher. And we've not got into the royalties owed and that it needs to at least show enough of a profit to carry it forward. Typically, they want $3-5 per unit, sometimes as high as $10 per unit at this level of sales.

At this point we're hovering close or past that threshold you're talking to for Jack Keene. For something a bit older than this title. If you want something like Rage from Id this way...heh...the price goes substantively higher.

When you all compare the stuff you do, you're neglecting the detail that you're not buying a Linux SKU specifically made by a seperate publishing interest or one working specifically in concert with the mainline publisher (which would be the case with most of the more modern MacOS titles...), you're buying a Windows SKU, built and published for Windows with an installer thrown in as an afterthought for Linux or pulled from off the 'net in the same manner.

When you run that way, you're not voting Linux either, really. But they're supporting us all the same (well...until recently, that is...) so it's sort of okay because they're using other metrics to justify their support. Other studios, on the other hand, don't use "installed base"- they go strictly for what they think will make them money. Windows. Until they see that they can make money doing Linux SKUs, even if it's unofficial and hackery-pokery'd like Id's stuff, you're not going to get any better than what you're seeing right now for some time to come.

The only way to do this is to buy what IS available so that places like Runesoft and LGP can hand sales numbers to studios and publishers to get simultaneous deals like the MacOS crowd have now. The main reason why they have those sorts of deals is because they have the sales numbers on titles to get the attention of publishers and studios- to give the OS a serious look at least. All we have right now is people begging, hat in hand.

GDC was a sobering experience for me. They thought we were laughable. They still do, actually, for the most part. A fringe of people that insist upon using that "server" OS.

[Svartalf]

And that would be a shortcoming of your business model.

It's not MY business model, but the one that the whole rest of the Game Industry applies. You're trying to insist on the "customer is always right" (Which you won't have me arguing...;)) and coming up to someone proportionately as big as EA is to an indie and saying "Make me games or else"- which is what you're intrinsically doing. They're going to tell you to go eff yourself, if you get my drift- which is intrinsically what happened to us with Atari. Even though their online metrics told them that over half of the players were Linux users on NWN. Now, with those metrics, why do you suppose they acted the way they did? It was partly due to them chasing MS, yes. It was also a goodly portion of the very thing I keep trying to tell people is going on and part of what will help things in the long run if we're going to play the game their way. To them, right at the moment, we're NOT their market- the Windows and console space largely is.

Got a workable answer for this mess? I'd love to hear it- might even help you do it. Done right, it'd break out the company(ies) that did it and make them big players in the whole economy.

[deanjo]

Your barking up the wrong tree when your telling customer's that if they stop b*tching about things like prices. What linux gaming needs is a sugardaddy with some money to burn, to survive the tough times until the market potential is shown to the rest of the industry. This porting of one or two old games a year stategy does not work.

What linux gaming needs is someone like Mark Shuttleworth to lay a chunk of cash on the table saying "we want to publish your game too for linux" on grade "a" titles. Linux gaming also needs a simple quickfix for porting like what Cedega has done with Cider for Mac titles until the market is proven itself.

Then there is also the stupid ass ongoing wars between linux developers that drive away commercial endevours because they would have to try to find a working solution that hits all solutions like:

QT vs GTK
ALSA vs OSS
<insert your favorite sound server> vs <any of the other sound servers>
Deb vs RPM vs <insert any other package method>
etc

While freedom of choice is nice it does come at a P.I.T.A. price. This doesn't only apply to games but any commercial software. Maybe Valve with their money can make some of this happen. Everybody start emailing Mark, Novell, Redhat, etc expressing that, we, the consumer, want such a endevour and that's what it's going to take to complete the transition to linux. Put some big money behind porting endevors and the landscape of gaming on linux could start to change.

[Svartalf]

Your barking up the wrong tree when your telling customer's that if they stop b*tching about things like prices. What linux gaming needs is a sugardaddy with some money to burn, to survive the tough times until the market potential is shown to the rest of the industry. This porting of one or two old games a year stategy does not work.


And, you've no better an answer than anyone else...

Shame.

I'd hoped for something more akin to the response I got regarding Falcon 4.0 ;)

[edit- I rethought what I wanted to say to you... It came out much more harsh than I wanted...I'm on your side, I
just don't see things quite your way from being on the battle front for years now...]

I don't think you'll find that sugardaddy. We've been looking for that for years now. It's not happened now, I don't think it'll happen the way you envision any time soon.

It'll take tens of millions of dollars to get it un-screwed-up the way you propose. Valve coming our way may be something that shifts that bad offset; but unless we have something like that, where we can actually have Linux SKUs without any "cost" past developing it, it's going to be a tough proposition. Because of the numbers I quoted to this thread. They're for-real, and anyone funding the production of a title will have to face this for each one you take up the old way, which is still what you're doing, just throwing a lot more money at it that may or may not see a return ever for the person putting the money into it.

Think Shuttleworth ought to do that sort of thing? When pushing 10 million into Ubuntu will do more than siphoning 10 million into what most people will see as a lark? That's the kind of money it'll take to do this for a single year- doing what you propose. With a lowered production cost overhead (i.e. being able to download and to be able to afford to make smaller runs, it takes some of that financial barrier away. Valve possibly coming to Linux would be a boon- it wouldn't remove the problem, but it'd make it easier to get stuff done.

[duglambier]

According to IxSoft, other titles should follow Jack Keane. I hope it will be 8th wonder, Kult, Europa Universalis and Hearts of Iron 2.

Ankh 3 should also be ported before then end of the year

[Aradreth]

Ankh 3 should also be ported before then end of the year
That makes me very happy. :D

[Thetargos]

I know that the Ankh series is incredibly funny... I have one question though: Can I purchase either (or both) online and DOWNLOAD them, or should I order them in the traditional way of purchase + shipping of a CD/DVD?

[Aradreth]

I know that the Ankh series is incredibly funny... I have one question though: Can I purchase either (or both) online and DOWNLOAD them, or should I order them in the traditional way of purchase + shipping of a CD/DVD?
When I looked I only found boxed versions, but I didn't spend much time trying to find a download version as I tend to go for the boxed versions and with tuxgames being in the UK its nice and easy to get boxed linux games.

[Thetargos]

My only complaint about TuxGames (I really, really like their store!) is that they take too long to get packages down to Mexico :) But now that I think of it, it would be great to have the games in boxed versions. I think I'll buy them boxed.

[Aradreth]

My only complaint about TuxGames (I really, really like their store!) is that they take too long to get packages down to Mexico :) But now that I think of it, it would be great to have the games in boxed versions. I think I'll buy them boxed.
Sadly for you most (all?) linux game stores are based over in Europe so you will always have to wait a long time for shipping.

[Thetargos]

Is not so bad, actually. The simple fact that there is a Linux-specific video games store at all is more than enough for me!

[duglambier]

84 pre-orders on IxSoft (14/05/2008)

Not too good, not too bad :/

[Aradreth]

84 pre-orders on IxSoft (14/05/2008)

Not too good, not too bad :/
It's selling well enough on tuxgames as it is the current top seller. When looking at pre-orders you can't just take one site. :p

[duglambier]

The Mac Version is ready, but the Linux version has yet to be officialized.

Is it due to the lack of interest ?

[Aradreth]

The Mac Version is ready, but the Linux version has yet to be officialized.

Is it due to the lack of interest ?
It's probably not quite ready yet but if the mac version is out you can probably expect it fairly soon.

[Thetargos]

I read somewhere that there were still many orders pendent.

[Aradreth]

84 pre-orders on IxSoft (14/05/2008)
I read somewhere that there were still many orders pendent.
I complete forgot they want 200 pre-orders... they are at least half way there (that figure doesn't include tuxgames which should have more then 20 orders...) hopefully they are much closer than that.

[Aradreth]

I appears that Rune Soft are still waiting on 20 pre-orders before for they ship Jack Keane for linux.

http://www.linuxforen.de/forums/showthread.php?t=250914&page=3

[Aradreth]

Apparently it's now coming to linux. :D
http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/10456

[SlackerTD]

Cool! Guess my pre-order shall be shipped soon. :D

[krzta]

Seriously, is this game anywhere close to monkey island? I would be glad to buy it if so, but after playing Ankh2 I'm full of scepticism.

[Aradreth]

Seriously, is this game anywhere close to monkey island?
I seriously doubt it'll come close to touching the first 3 monkey island games because they were something special. I pre-ordered it anyway though.

[alazyworkaholic]

I can tell you why this ends up being the case. Perhaps you can get a clearer picture (as will deanjo... ;) ) of what I've been trying to tell people off and on in the forums.

Unless the studio and publisher take it upon themselves to make a Linux version (Id, until recently Epic, perhaps Valve (which might change things if they do come our way...)) you have to find a publisher that is willing to allow a port to be done for a given title. Not all publishers do this (see: Atari...) and when they DO allow it, they're interested in a royalty up-front and then one for producing a production run of SKUs for the new version. The production one is due for each production pass and MUST be paid before you can legally sell the game in question. The right to port royalty, the one that you pay to even get a sniff of the game's source code, is typically anywhere from $10-250k per title, paid up-front. The average that LGP pays is on the order of 10-15k, half down, half upon completion, in preparation for mastering. Sometimes this is more, sometimes this is less. When you wonder why we don't have more AAA titles, it's because they want 50k and up just to see the code- and this doesn't get into what they want out of you per unit.

Now... You're down 20k on a "good" title already. On what would be considered a 'sane' mastering run for Linux, this translates into an immediate $7 per copy charge up-front for the FIRST batch of 3000. You can eat a bit of this by making a larger run, but at 10k units (which is insane...) it's still $2 per copy.

At 3000 units, the mastering costs, including packaging, will most likely run you $1-2 per disc, box, and manual, if you're frugal on the packaging. Let's presume you choose the packaging like what the big-boys use. $2.

Now... Development costs. If the studio does the work, it's typically nothing on that part. If you have to have a port team or a consultant (like Ryan Gordon or myself...) do it it'll cost money. Me, I work for a little less than Ryan does because it's not my main calling right at the moment (not for wont of trying, mind...:D). Doesn't make it any less work, etc. If you use the typical effort and costs, this translates into $2 or so per unit sold in costs.

Right now, we're at $11 for an older, but nice title- not a new one of B grade or higher. And we've not got into the royalties owed and that it needs to at least show enough of a profit to carry it forward. Typically, they want $3-5 per unit, sometimes as high as $10 per unit at this level of sales.

At this point we're hovering close or past that threshold you're talking to for Jack Keene. For something a bit older than this title. If you want something like Rage from Id this way...heh...the price goes substantively higher.

When you all compare the stuff you do, you're neglecting the detail that you're not buying a Linux SKU specifically made by a seperate publishing interest or one working specifically in concert with the mainline publisher (which would be the case with most of the more modern MacOS titles...), you're buying a Windows SKU, built and published for Windows with an installer thrown in as an afterthought for Linux or pulled from off the 'net in the same manner.

When you run that way, you're not voting Linux either, really. But they're supporting us all the same (well...until recently, that is...) so it's sort of okay because they're using other metrics to justify their support. Other studios, on the other hand, don't use "installed base"- they go strictly for what they think will make them money. Windows. Until they see that they can make money doing Linux SKUs, even if it's unofficial and hackery-pokery'd like Id's stuff, you're not going to get any better than what you're seeing right now for some time to come.

The only way to do this is to buy what IS available so that places like Runesoft and LGP can hand sales numbers to studios and publishers to get simultaneous deals like the MacOS crowd have now. The main reason why they have those sorts of deals is because they have the sales numbers on titles to get the attention of publishers and studios- to give the OS a serious look at least. All we have right now is people begging, hat in hand.

GDC was a sobering experience for me. They thought we were laughable. They still do, actually, for the most part. A fringe of people that insist upon using that "server" OS.

I can sympathize with the porter's cost issues (except for packaging - let me download it, I don't even want a box; heck, I even get my groceries online), but I will not pay extra for a Linux version of a game. I got into Linux a year ago substantially because I could buy my 1st computer & save $500 by using various free software equivalents. The big "selling" point for me (besides virus immunity) was cost savings. It's a bit of a slap in the face to be presented a higher price for a game now. The # of potential Linux-using buyers may be small, but the # of potential Linux-using buyers who are idealists willing to pay a substantial Linux-market-share-growth premium must be even smaller.

I don't dual-boot (MS didn't get a cent from me when I built my system) & don't necessarily require Jack Keane, so if it weren't available for Linux, I wouldn't require Windows. There are enough good FOSS games, games from id software et al. that work with Linux, & Wine works well enough that I don't need Keane so much that I'll pay a premium for it. That's strong competition, & you have to compete with that. In fact, there are already more games than I have time for.

Before anyone bitches about gamers that bitch about the price for holding back Linux gaming, consider the negative effect of providing software that costs more than the Windows alternative. Hardly a way to attract new converts.

By the way, Frictional Games made Linux & Mac versions of all 3 parts of its (excellent) Penumbra series, & offered them at the same price as the Windows versions. Now they've gone & offered a great discount - ONLY FOR MAC & LINUX! Needless to say, I went & bought the lot :D

I'll buy Linux software, you just have to make it attractive. :p