First Statistics On Steam Linux Usage

[ворот93]

That's kinda funny, you bought expensive kit with a sticker on the box saying "Windows only", and somehow it's linux's fault the manufacturer only supports windows?

Sadly, yes. It is up to OS developers to ensure that gadget experience is not obstructed software-side. Or else users stick to OS where gadgets work. Whining about bad MS, bad manufacturers, bad, bad, bad.... is not going to help.

[nightmarex]

If you want to know how your Wine Client is counter just open the "Help -> System Information" Menu and look what it says as "Operating System". It also counts Mint 64 bit as Mint and not as Ubuntu. It's sooo unlikely that there are no other distros that can't match the market share of Ubuntu 12.10 32-Bit and therefore aren't counted at all. The survey was open for about 48 hours. Yesterday I was simply asked to do the survey and the Statistics Site was offline during that time. So that was simply the timeframe where they counted everyone who was willing to fill out the survey. I think Linux is doing pretty good considering that it's just a Beta with 1 free game and Mac OSX has just a little more than double the amout of users after 2 years and 511 games available to them.

Yeah I did the help>system information and got

Operating System Version:
Linux (64 bit)
Kernel Name: Linux
....

Linux other lol. Though.... This is the first time I noticed it correctly gathering my video card information .... good now that's progress!

[curfew]

I was going to make the same point. Valve opened the beta in mid-late December, so the numbers are actually surprisingly good.

The beta was opened up early December. I got my welcome message on the 6th day. But what is your reference point for "good"? There are no valid reference points IMO. It's all just guessing and wishful thinking, not reality.

I myself didn't even care about the available titles on the Linux beta Steam, I just wanted to see how the app itself worked. It might aswell be most Linux gamers have tried out the beta out of curiosity. Or it might be most stayed with Wine (or Windows) simply because they weren't running Ubuntu and didn't want "hacks" or betas.

[GreatEmerald]

I myself didn't even care about the available titles on the Linux beta Steam, I just wanted to see how the app itself worked. It might aswell be most Linux gamers have tried out the beta out of curiosity. Or it might be most stayed with Wine (or Windows) simply because they weren't running Ubuntu and didn't want "hacks" or betas.

And this is only counting people who use Steam in the first place. Plenty of people like me play native games on Linux without using Steam and its DRM.

[Ancurio]

Sadly, yes. It is up to OS developers to ensure that gadget experience is not obstructed software-side. Or else users stick to OS where gadgets work. Whining about bad MS, bad manufacturers, bad, bad, bad.... is not going to help.

Yes, I am pretty sure Microsoft voluntarily code all the drivers for every shit out there. Go troll somewhere else.

[iniudan]

And don't forget the long culture of Linux with not many game players among community. Most of the people having Linux pc OS installed by me are mostly older or middle age people. Believe me, older people seems to be more open to try Linux than youngsters. Worse are those over 30 y old...

That because old people tend to mostly be very basic user, if they get something that work and doesn't cost much, they will mostly don't care, has they will have no loyalty to an OS, has they mostly have been educated with none, so the usual stuck in their mold is not there. Also add on top that a well configured and stable Linux will have much less pop up then a Windows, has they will actually take the time to read each of them, has oppose to younger user (including myself), but they are most likely to panic due to not understanding what is written, and that the sudoers right are much easier to configure and use on Linux then on Windows (find me someone who willing of going through the nightmarish listing of Windows policies for a single computer environment), which at least make me more willing of configuring them specific sudoers right, has to minimise support, but keeping thing secure. Not like you can keep a system secure on Windows if you give right to install software, without manually configuring which software are permitted or setting up a server, at least until Windows 8, but then the user will be stuck with metro software.

Sorry for going on a rant, but been a gamer and an IT, even if mainly a Linux user and want to become a Linux admin (just don't think I am ready to do it in a professional environment), I kind of get stuck with Windows.

[tehehe]

That's kinda funny, you bought expensive kit with a sticker on the box saying "Windows only", and somehow it's linux's fault the manufacturer only supports windows?

I don't care whose fault it is - fact is advanced functionality doesn't work on linux.

[Ancurio]

I don't care whose fault it is - fact is advanced functionality doesn't work on linux.

That's no problem, all you have to do is pay someone to fix it =)

[przemoli]

1) Early adopters had their time by now. And if not, next survey will show those numbers correctly. Next bump should be visible when Valve officially bless Steam on other distros. (Personally I await port of steam for MeeGo for Nexus tablets :P)

2) Other (those who will actually wont to PLAY GAMES) will come with games. And those will take their time. 2y for writing multiplatform game. So OSX will have them faster than any Linux. On the other hand I do await for games that DO NOT AGE so much. Like old titles (bundles with wine and/or dosbox), or games based on constant refinements by DLC's and expansions (Like HoI3, EUIV, CKII, and other Paradox Interactive productions.) So when I buy them I still can enjoy up-to-date game. (And CKII should have its Linux port!!)

[curaga]

(And CKII should have its Linux port!!)

Commander Keen 6 was so much better than 2.