3 ms·

> The future isn't physical disks that you lose. No, it's a Netflix subscription, so when they drop your kids' favourite shows you have fun explaining corporat

by rodgerd 13y ago

> The future isn't physical disks that you lose. No, it's a Netflix subscription, so when they drop your kids' favourite shows you have fun explaining corporate politics as the reason they can't watch Bob the Builder any more. > Linux versions of most games, isn't some far away dream, it's here. Very little of my Steam library is available with Linux versions. Almost none, in fact. This would be the norm for most people, unless you're limiting yourself to games that run on Linux in the first place.

ekianjo 13y ago
> Very little of my Steam library is available with Linux versions. Almost none, in fact That probably means you don't play any Indie games. Not sure who is the norm here. Indie Games have been booming in digital distribution, in case you did not notice.
- BSousa 13y ago
  Yes, and I love me some indie games, but I'm pretty sure each version of Call of Duty will sell more copies than most (if not all) indie games combined on Steam. I buy indie games that I already own to support the developers (some of which I know personally), heck, I just bought the Humble Bundle even though only of the games there I didn't have, but Medal of Honor/Call of Duty/Skyrim/Bioshock/GTA are the games most of the players want, not Frozen Synapse or Hotline Miami.
  - TheCraiggers 13y ago
    You seem to be making the assumption that you'll never see a Call of Duty game on Linux. It wouldn't be the first AAA FPS title to come out for the platform (UT, Quake, etc), and if Valve's console thing sells well enough, they could entice them onto Linux.
    - jonny_eh 13y ago
      I remember that the Windows version of Call of Duty 1 worked perfectly on Linux using WINE.
    - BSousa 13y ago
      But you will have a chicken and egg problem. If the steam box sells well, they will port, but except for some early adopters, they won't buy it until the games are ported. I hope we see more games ported, but having worked in the industry for many years, going the extra lengths to support yet another OS which will most likely be just a small beep in the sales numbers isn't going to happen anytime soon. Heck, look at the franchises that started on the PC (CoD for example) and how the developers still focus more on the console versions then the PC ones.
- rodgerd 13y ago
  I have. I play some of them (e.g. Limbo, which is great). I also want to play the Saints Row and Risen series, too. Unfortunately, the games market as a whole leans more towards the big series, which are much less likely to be cross-platform beyond "several consoles and maybe a PC port."
dekz 13y ago
> No, it's a Netflix subscription, so when they drop your kids' favourite shows you have fun explaining corporate politics as the reason they can't watch Bob the Builder any more. Mate, the 'future' you're suggesting here and the related straw man argument is one of your choosing. Netflix or some known current company isn't a future to a medium. I'll assume you're suggesting online streaming as a service as opposed to other potential digital medium schemes. Physical disks provide no advantages in this scenario either, what happens when (not if) this favourite disk becomes scratched and unreadable? > Very little of my Steam library is available with Linux versions. Very few of mine don't have Linux versions. This might not be the norm for most people of course, because it's linux that is gaining in the field of gaming platforms over windows. Sure, I can't play the same amount of AAA games as if I ran windows. With the Half-Life engine now running on Linux and many indie games having ports, I don't _need_ to run windows to game. I'd love to throw in some data, but alas many a site related to numbers are classified as 'games' and blocked on this connection.
- yaeger 13y ago
  >what happens when (not if) this favourite disk becomes scratched and unreadable? Wow, really? I have you know I still own DVDs from 1997! and they work just fine so you might want to dial down the "when not if" argument. On the flipside, I do have some trouble finding streaming sites that offer their services for that long. Not to mention the fact that these services have recurring payments to use. So excuse me if I and many many others opt to buy our media to own and to be in control of it rather than trusting some company with offering it for god know how little time. And here is the real kicker: If you own a disk, you have ways to digitize it yourself if you can't be arsed to put a disk in the drive. So it seems to me that I have the better end of the deal compared to someone who just streams everything. Not to mention the fact that not everybody has internet connections that lend itself to stream blu ray quality.
  - eirikm 13y ago
    >Wow, really? I have you know I still own DVDs from 1997! and they work just fine I have you know I still own a horse-drawn cart, and the wheels work just fine! It really is more of a "Where we are going, we wont need wheels" situation. Sure there are some edge cases for physical media today, but they will slowly fade.
jeffool 13y ago
>No, it's a Netflix subscription, so when they drop your kids' favourite shows you have fun explaining corporate politics as the reason they can't watch Bob the Builder any more. I suppose this is as good a time to ask as any... Why has UltraViolet not taken off, in anyone's reasonable estimation? Seems smart to me. I buy a UV film, everyone recognizes my purchase. I buy a film once. I own it. Do I have this wrong? I only own a few, mostly with other purchases, but it seems smart to me, and easy.
- Already__Taken 13y ago
  You don't own it. You have a lease until they shut down the ultraviolet service. You've giving control of all rights to the operator of the service. If they don't want you to have subtitles in your language then you don't get them. It give up so many freedoms I can't wish for ultraviolet to die more.
- wmf 13y ago
  I guess UV doesn't offer enough lock-in to its partners. These days if you can't build a Thiel-style "monopoly" you might as well not even bother.

by rodgerd 13y ago

ekianjo 13y ago

> Very little of my Steam library is available with Linux versions. Almost none, in fact That probably means you don't play any Indie games. Not sure who is the norm here. Indie Games have been booming in digital distribution, in case you did not notice.

BSousa 13y ago
Yes, and I love me some indie games, but I'm pretty sure each version of Call of Duty will sell more copies than most (if not all) indie games combined on Steam. I buy indie games that I already own to support the developers (some of which I know personally), heck, I just bought the Humble Bundle even though only of the games there I didn't have, but Medal of Honor/Call of Duty/Skyrim/Bioshock/GTA are the games most of the players want, not Frozen Synapse or Hotline Miami.
- TheCraiggers 13y ago
  You seem to be making the assumption that you'll never see a Call of Duty game on Linux. It wouldn't be the first AAA FPS title to come out for the platform (UT, Quake, etc), and if Valve's console thing sells well enough, they could entice them onto Linux.
  - jonny_eh 13y ago
    I remember that the Windows version of Call of Duty 1 worked perfectly on Linux using WINE.
  - BSousa 13y ago
    But you will have a chicken and egg problem. If the steam box sells well, they will port, but except for some early adopters, they won't buy it until the games are ported. I hope we see more games ported, but having worked in the industry for many years, going the extra lengths to support yet another OS which will most likely be just a small beep in the sales numbers isn't going to happen anytime soon. Heck, look at the franchises that started on the PC (CoD for example) and how the developers still focus more on the console versions then the PC ones.
rodgerd 13y ago
I have. I play some of them (e.g. Limbo, which is great). I also want to play the Saints Row and Risen series, too. Unfortunately, the games market as a whole leans more towards the big series, which are much less likely to be cross-platform beyond "several consoles and maybe a PC port."

dekz 13y ago

> No, it's a Netflix subscription, so when they drop your kids' favourite shows you have fun explaining corporate politics as the reason they can't watch Bob the Builder any more. Mate, the 'future' you're suggesting here and the related straw man argument is one of your choosing. Netflix or some known current company isn't a future to a medium. I'll assume you're suggesting online streaming as a service as opposed to other potential digital medium schemes. Physical disks provide no advantages in this scenario either, what happens when (not if) this favourite disk becomes scratched and unreadable? > Very little of my Steam library is available with Linux versions. Very few of mine don't have Linux versions. This might not be the norm for most people of course, because it's linux that is gaining in the field of gaming platforms over windows. Sure, I can't play the same amount of AAA games as if I ran windows. With the Half-Life engine now running on Linux and many indie games having ports, I don't _need_ to run windows to game. I'd love to throw in some data, but alas many a site related to numbers are classified as 'games' and blocked on this connection.

yaeger 13y ago
>what happens when (not if) this favourite disk becomes scratched and unreadable? Wow, really? I have you know I still own DVDs from 1997! and they work just fine so you might want to dial down the "when not if" argument. On the flipside, I do have some trouble finding streaming sites that offer their services for that long. Not to mention the fact that these services have recurring payments to use. So excuse me if I and many many others opt to buy our media to own and to be in control of it rather than trusting some company with offering it for god know how little time. And here is the real kicker: If you own a disk, you have ways to digitize it yourself if you can't be arsed to put a disk in the drive. So it seems to me that I have the better end of the deal compared to someone who just streams everything. Not to mention the fact that not everybody has internet connections that lend itself to stream blu ray quality.
- eirikm 13y ago
  >Wow, really? I have you know I still own DVDs from 1997! and they work just fine I have you know I still own a horse-drawn cart, and the wheels work just fine! It really is more of a "Where we are going, we wont need wheels" situation. Sure there are some edge cases for physical media today, but they will slowly fade.

jeffool 13y ago

>No, it's a Netflix subscription, so when they drop your kids' favourite shows you have fun explaining corporate politics as the reason they can't watch Bob the Builder any more. I suppose this is as good a time to ask as any... Why has UltraViolet not taken off, in anyone's reasonable estimation? Seems smart to me. I buy a UV film, everyone recognizes my purchase. I buy a film once. I own it. Do I have this wrong? I only own a few, mostly with other purchases, but it seems smart to me, and easy.

Already__Taken 13y ago
You don't own it. You have a lease until they shut down the ultraviolet service. You've giving control of all rights to the operator of the service. If they don't want you to have subtitles in your language then you don't get them. It give up so many freedoms I can't wish for ultraviolet to die more.
wmf 13y ago
I guess UV doesn't offer enough lock-in to its partners. These days if you can't build a Thiel-style "monopoly" you might as well not even bother.