How to get the Linux version of my games?

[RealNC]

I have some games bought for Windows that have a Linux version listed in http://www.tuxgames.com (like Neverwinter Nights.) Where do I get the Linux binaries for the games? I wish to stress out that I *already* bought the games. Hopefully I'm not required to buy it again for Linux?

[SlackerTD]

For Neverwinter Nights, take a look at this post. Luckily, for this game, you can download the client. What other games do you have? Some games, like Heretic 2 for example, are only good if you buy the Linux version itself. I bought the Windows version of that in a bargain bin years ago & had to re-purchase the Linux version since it was ported by a different company.

[deanjo]

There is also the loki installers
http://www.liflg.org/?catid=6

[Svartalf]

Where do I get the Linux binaries for the games? I wish to stress out that I *already* bought the games. Hopefully I'm not required to buy it again for Linux?

Ahem... Keeping in mind that I typically don't speak for LGP when I chime in on this forum, and that this is my personal observations in the matter, I'll indicate the following:

Unless the studio that produced the game provides it themselves, which is NOT the norm, you don't just simply "get" binaries. For titles provided by Bioware (i.e. Neverwinter Nights...), iD (i.e. Quake4, etc...), Epic (UT 2k3/2k4...), 3DRealms/Human Head (i.e. the recent Prey release...), and similar the game binaries are either on the install media or can be downloaded from the studio or at Ryan Gordon's icculus.org website. Some vendors, such as Oddlabs or Hothead actually believe you should have the ability to move from one OS to another so long as only one instance of the game is in play at any one time, even.

If you're talking about the BULK of things, however, you're talking about someone other than the studio and/or original Windows publisher that is producing the title- or they don't provide a conversion from one OS to another. In this case, you bought a Windows-only title and while you are operating under the impression that you bought the game- you only bought it for running under Windows not in toto. In this case, you will, unfortunately, have to "buy the game again" for Linux. This is because the royalties have to be paid for that Linux version and you haven't done that. You've only paid for the right to play under Windows when you bought the Windows version.

In reality, this is no different than if you had bought the Windows version of Orange Box and expected a conversion pack to make the game run on the PS3. Or, for any of the titles and expected it to run under MacOS.

[RealNC]

Thanks for the clarification. No Linux games for me then for most of the titles. I have better things to do with my money than pay twice for the same game.

[xav1r]

Thanks for the clarification. No Linux games for me then for most of the titles. I have better things to do with my money than pay twice for the same game.

In case you didnt know, there was a very heated discussion on the subject of buying games twice for linux. You dont want to get Svartalf started on it.

[RealNC]

He's free to buy his twice

[Svartalf]

Thanks for the clarification. No Linux games for me then for most of the titles. I have better things to do with my money than pay twice for the same game.

I know the feeling there. Unfortunately, that's how the whole lot's framed in- that's the game industry as a whole. I pretty much haven't bought a Windows title, save for evaluation for possible porting, in years now.

Keep in mind, you have a choice here. You can choose to dual boot (ugh...) or skip those games and just buy ones that support Linux in some way, preferably with a native version. Dual booting keeps perpetuating the very problem you're not happy with, just so you know.

[RealNC]

I'm dual booting (grub entry is called "Wintendo" ). Fortunately, I've found linux binaries for some of my games (NWN, D3, Q4).

The policy of some publishers doesn't make much sense to me. If I want the Linux version, OK, I should pay for the development costs for it. Are they higher then the cost for the Windows binaries? I doubt it. So who cares what it is what I pay for? Money is money, no matter what it's intended for. If I give you 10$ for foo, and then take back those 10$ in order to give you 10$ for bar, you're left with 10$ anyway. :P

[xav1r]

I'm dual booting (grub entry is called "Wintendo" ). Fortunately, I've found linux binaries for some of my games (NWN, D3, Q4).

The policy of some publishers doesn't make much sense to me. If I want the Linux version, OK, I should pay for the development costs for it. Are they higher then the cost for the Windows binaries? I doubt it. So who cares what it is what I pay for? Money is money, no matter what it's intended for. If I give you 10$ for foo, and then take back those 10$ in order to give you 10$ for bar, you're left with 10$ anyway. :P

They develop the game first for windows (second actually, first is for consoles ), then if they have extra money/time/interest they make a linux client, either themselves or have someone else do it. Usually the linux binary making takes a lot of resources and time, for the same game, and most devs dont want to spend more resources and time on the same game. Usually the first developed games are so dependant on windows technologies like directx, d3d, etc, it would take a lot of effort to make it working on linux, so they dont bother.