Gabe Newell on Linux Gaming and Valve

[Julius]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gzn6E2m3otg

Interestingly he makes a point for open-source game development without realizing it I think

However, I am under the uneasy impression that the current influx of propitiatory Linux games has actually decreased the contributions to FOSS games...

[jcantero]

However, I am under the uneasy impression that the current influx of propitiatory Linux games has actually decreased the contributions to FOSS games...

This is a (probably a inevitable) trend. But there's another trend of better tools, libraries, and plataforms to make games in Linux. And more people, too. Which trend would win?

[amuzen]

However, I am under the uneasy impression that the current influx of propitiatory Linux games has actually decreased the contributions to FOSS games...

At least as far as I can tell, this hasn't historically been how things work. Back when Loki was still porting semi-significant proprietary titles to Linux and people were optimistic about Linux gaming, the FOSS gamedev circle felt quite lively and productive to me. Perhaps it's just my imagination, but I think that the atmosphere has been rather apathetic in the recent years compared to back then.

I'd actually be interested in hearing why proprietary games would decrease contributions. My impression has always been that (proprietary) games are a significant source of motivation and inspiration to developers, in the sense of "I liked this game, but..." or "I didn't like this game, so...". I'd expect that bringing more games to Linux would actually motivate existing FOSS people to join/start/resume game projects and perhaps bring completely new contributors if it led to the marketshare of the OS increasing.

[Julius]

Well it's really just a intuitive snap-shot, and maybe it is just based on my unconscious prior anticipation that more Linux users would mean more FOSS game developers (as you point out rightly, that would also make some sense).

However, I guess there is not really (yet) a "mass" movement toward Linux just because of some more games (it will probably need a Steambox or something like that to make that happen) and more other games means more distraction for the current FOSS game developers

P.S.: However compared to the past, there is much more open art being produced and that is a pretty great thing for potential FOSS games.

[Jastiv]

I guess what your saying is , whether the fresh meat to the Linux community would outweigh the current Linux developers getting distracted with proprietary games.
I actually think the fresh meat would have more impact for a few reasons.

1) The longer some one uses Linux, the more likely they are to go all free software, and have less and less proprietary applications installed or running. I know the more I used Linux, the more reluctant I became to install proprietary software, although I still have a few things I use, I'm always trying to get rid of it and always trying to find free software replacements. Some proprietary game that may or may not be any good does not seem so compelling at this point.

2) Fresh meat means fresh recruits from windows (and possibly mac) who are more likely to care about games a lot in the first place.

[devnewton]

The keyword is money :-)

Most game developer dont care about FOSS. Some of them are suspicious about it... To make FOSS game successful, we need a good success story, ie a best selling FOSS game.

Only a few FOSS game are also commercial. Let's make more of them!

http://devnewton.bci.im/games/newton_adventure/mods
http://www.stuff-o-matic.com/asgp/

[Julius]

Not necessarily.

Personally I see (or rather hope to see) the future of FOSS gaming in (competitive) online games, where the strength of the continuous, participative a iterative development style of open-source projects can really play of its strengths. Think of what could have happend if DOTA would have been a FOSS game, rather than a really limiting Warcraft3 mod. And in that kind of game commercial involvement in development like one can witness with other non-gaming FOSS projects (e.g. companies contributing to the Linux kernel for example) is also imaginable.

While I don't mind commercial FOSS games following the traditional games-sales approach, it will always be a lesser type of FOSS (e.g. one that somehow restricts the freedoms, either though unfree media or some kind of mandatory subscription service) and the real benefit compared to a close development style is simply not really there, so I doubt that will really become a common sight.