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Let's see, we'll use Steam stats for October 2017 as reference. Windows: 98.04% OSX: 1.56% Linux: 0.32% That's not a significant number in the least. Now the

Let's see, we'll use Steam stats for October 2017 as reference. Windows: 98.04% OSX: 1.56% Linux: 0.32% That's not a significant number in the least. Now the numbers may be skewed by developers vs players, mobile vs desktop etc, and yet even then it's still not worthwhile in general. As to the 2nd part, I far more agree with that. There's no reason not to use SDL. But by that metric you should be using Unity/Unreal etc. anyway, unless if your focus is really on becoming an engine programmer.

partycoder 9y ago
And the reason for this is because back in the day, in 2003, Microsoft ran a Fear/Uncertainty/Doubt (FUD for short) campaign mostly based on false claims, such as that OpenGL would be put behind a compatibility layer with a significant performance cost. Simultaneously, Microsoft left the OpenGL Architecture Review Board giving a strong signal they were not supporting OpenGL anymore. Everyone freaked out and moved to Direct3D. http://blog.wolfire.com/2010/01/Why-you-should-use-OpenGL-and-not-DirectX http://blog.wolfire.com/2010/01/Why-you-should-use-OpenGL-an... http://chrishecker.com/images/3/33/Gdmogl.pdf http://chrishecker.com/images/3/33/Gdmogl.pdf Despite the technical differences, if you think this is morable acceptable, by all means do you all your development on Windows. Allow someone else to build a monopoly with no real gain for you.
- animal531 9y ago
  I've never bothered to seriously use DirectX, I've always used some flavour of OpenGL (quite successfully on Windows). But speaking for other devs, a long time ago DirectX was indeed really crap. It took for example 16+ pages of code just to initialise. But in later iterations MS did a lot of work to clean it up and improve it and its performance, which is a large contributing factor as to why people started using it (along with of course having to deal with countless OpenGL extensions, which became a really tiring exercise). Again I'm with you, I dislike the modern Microsoft practice of tying specific DX versions to specific OS versions, in trying to force people to upgrade. Sadly the solution to the problem isn't either of OSX or Linux. Apple is too closed off and expensive in general, and Linux perhaps too abstract to be bothered with by the average gamer.

partycoder 9y ago

And the reason for this is because back in the day, in 2003, Microsoft ran a Fear/Uncertainty/Doubt (FUD for short) campaign mostly based on false claims, such as that OpenGL would be put behind a compatibility layer with a significant performance cost. Simultaneously, Microsoft left the OpenGL Architecture Review Board giving a strong signal they were not supporting OpenGL anymore. Everyone freaked out and moved to Direct3D. http://blog.wolfire.com/2010/01/Why-you-should-use-OpenGL-and-not-DirectX http://blog.wolfire.com/2010/01/Why-you-should-use-OpenGL-an... http://chrishecker.com/images/3/33/Gdmogl.pdf http://chrishecker.com/images/3/33/Gdmogl.pdf Despite the technical differences, if you think this is morable acceptable, by all means do you all your development on Windows. Allow someone else to build a monopoly with no real gain for you.

animal531 9y ago
I've never bothered to seriously use DirectX, I've always used some flavour of OpenGL (quite successfully on Windows). But speaking for other devs, a long time ago DirectX was indeed really crap. It took for example 16+ pages of code just to initialise. But in later iterations MS did a lot of work to clean it up and improve it and its performance, which is a large contributing factor as to why people started using it (along with of course having to deal with countless OpenGL extensions, which became a really tiring exercise). Again I'm with you, I dislike the modern Microsoft practice of tying specific DX versions to specific OS versions, in trying to force people to upgrade. Sadly the solution to the problem isn't either of OSX or Linux. Apple is too closed off and expensive in general, and Linux perhaps too abstract to be bothered with by the average gamer.