Steam for Linux Coming in 2012

[Greg Tito]

Steam for Linux Coming in 2012

Gabe Newell from Valve confirmed it via email.

Despite rumors the pioneering game company was working on a new console, and they still haven't finished Half-Life 3, Gabe Newell has become obsessed with getting his digital distribution tool working with the Linux kernel [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/116943-Steam-Coming-to-Linux-Soon]. Earlier this year, Newell brought out experts in the open source operating system begun by Linus Torvald to show off Left 4 Dead 2. Newell was excited for Linux, and even moved his desk at the Valve offices next to the team working on the native Linux Steam client. We will see the fruits of Valve's labors sooner rather than later, as a fan sent a simple email asking whether Steam would be on Linux by the end of the year.

Gabe Newell's one-word response was, "Yes."

There you have it. Steam on Linux in 2012. Now that's a platform I can get behind.

I haven't experimented with Linux myself, not having the chops (or the time) to get it working with my PC games. But if Linux can run Steam natively, I may just make the switch.

Then I will be a real hacker!*


*not really

Source: Phoronix [http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTExMzA]

Permalink

 

[tehbeard]

My one concern is the catalogue that will be available. Yes it is nice to see steam expand to more platforms, especially if it means I don't have to reboot back into windows. But if it's just going to be a few source games, then what is the point?

 

[Z of the Na'vi]

My one concern is the catalogue that will be available. Yes it is nice to see steam expand to more platforms, especially if it means I don't have to reboot back into windows. But if it's just going to be a few source games, then what is the point?

They said the same thing when Steam was launched on OSX.

Look where that is now.

 

[Dryk]

My one concern is the catalogue that will be available. Yes it is nice to see steam expand to more platforms, especially if it means I don't have to reboot back into windows. But if it's just going to be a few source games, then what is the point?

Now now. It'll be Source games, and then all the games from previous Humble Indie Bundles.

 

[The Artificially Prolonged]

HELL YEESSSSSSSSSS!!!!

And so begins the golden age of linux gaming, in time having to dual boot may become a thing of the past even if it is just for some Valve games for now

Although they say this year, that could mean anything in Valve time.

 

[DazZ.]

My one concern is the catalogue that will be available. Yes it is nice to see steam expand to more platforms, especially if it means I don't have to reboot back into windows. But if it's just going to be a few source games, then what is the point?

Almost all the Humble Bundles were Linux compatible, so Bastion, Amnesia, Super Meat Boy, Psychonauts, Cave Story etc will all be there as well.

There's a fair amount of games on Steam that are on Linux already, and this would only encourage more.

Looking forward to this extensively.

 

[Baresark]

Yes. Steam pioneering the game move away from Microshit Windows. Since they don't care about PC gaming at all, they won't mind if we all migrate to other systems and stop using their soon to be useless OS.

My one concern is the catalogue that will be available. Yes it is nice to see steam expand to more platforms, especially if it means I don't have to reboot back into windows. But if it's just going to be a few source games, then what is the point?

In order to move a great distance, you must first take a single step.

 

[Lucem712]

This is fantastic; even if it is in 'Valve time'. I'm quite excited at the prospect of not having to run wine much longer! (Even though Google continues to be shift-y in their Linux support)

 

[tehbeard]

My one concern is the catalogue that will be available. Yes it is nice to see steam expand to more platforms, especially if it means I don't have to reboot back into windows. But if it's just going to be a few source games, then what is the point?

They said the same thing when Steam was launched on OSX.

Look where that is now.

I don't have a mac so I am unaware how it's doing, good I presume?

Yes. Steam pioneering the game move away from Microshit Windows. Since they don't care about PC gaming at all, they won't mind if we all migrate to other systems and stop using their soon to be useless OS.

My one concern is the catalogue that will be available. Yes it is nice to see steam expand to more platforms, especially if it means I don't have to reboot back into windows. But if it's just going to be a few source games, then what is the point?

In order to move a great distance, you must first take a single step.

My fear is not a lack of launch titles, but a lack of growth thereafter.

 

[Albino Boo]

My one concern is the catalogue that will be available. Yes it is nice to see steam expand to more platforms, especially if it means I don't have to reboot back into windows. But if it's just going to be a few source games, then what is the point?

I agree with you, there is only going to be a few source games and some indie games on the Linux platform. I doubt very much any non valve AAA games will appear on Linux for the simple reason its going to be a pig to support. Trying to get all the dependencies right for the all the distributions is going to be a nightmare on its own.

 

[Z of the Na'vi]

I don't have a mac so I am unaware how it's doing, good I presume?

Certainly. Several titles other than the obligatory Source games have been ported over to OSX. While it's not the size of the Windows library, it's substaintial enough to make any Mac a decent gaming platform, depending on what kind of games you want to play.

There's a large enough variety of games for Mac to make up for it.

 

[NLS]

There's over 250 Mac games available in the Steam catalogue. Most of these should be little work getting to Linux, plus many of them have already been released for Linux, just not through Steam (until now).

 

[Waaghpowa]

Now we just have to sit back and wait for devs, not just indie devs, to start making cross platform games so I can finally ditch Windblows....

Optimistic much?

 

[mixadj]

My one concern is the catalogue that will be available. Yes it is nice to see steam expand to more platforms, especially if it means I don't have to reboot back into windows. But if it's just going to be a few source games, then what is the point?

Now now. It'll be Source games, and then all the games from previous Humble Indie Bundles.

Those are really the only games I have on steam so that works out for me.

 

[80Maxwell08]

So basically I can look up a tutorial to dual boot linux on my computer sometime later this year. I've always wanted to try linux out but I've honestly had no idea what it even is aside from an OS. Well I'll figure it out soon.

 

[Rainforce]

This is all part of Newell's personal vendetta against Microsoft, crushing its consumer base one alternative OS at a time. : D

 

[Steve the Pocket]

My one concern is the catalogue that will be available. Yes it is nice to see steam expand to more platforms, especially if it means I don't have to reboot back into windows. But if it's just going to be a few source games, then what is the point?

They said the same thing when Steam was launched on OSX.

Look where that is now.

I am looking. And I see half of Valve's own library still unported, a bunch of indie games that were already on the Mac anyway, a small handful of AAA titles that all have horrible ports, a client that uses 10% of the CPU when it's idle among other things, a failure to provide proper support for Lion, and the fact that the people they had working on Mac stuff doesn't even work there anymore.

But I suppose this is all the fault of that eeeeeeeeevil Apple, and the Linux experience will be all sunshine and rainbows for all parties involved.

 

[Z of the Na'vi]

I am looking. And I see half of Valve's own library still unported, a bunch of indie games that were already on the Mac anyway, a small handful of AAA titles that all have horrible ports, a client that uses 10% of the CPU when it's idle among other things, a failure to provide proper support for Lion, and the fact that the people they had working on Mac stuff doesn't even work there anymore.

But I suppose this is all the fault of that eeeeeeeeevil Apple, and the Linux experience will be all sunshine and rainbows for all parties involved.

Not quite sure what you were trying to accomplish there, but whatever. Sorry to hear you've had a less-than perfect experience with OSX Steam. I've never had a problem with mine, but that's always the argument, isn't it? I think it's great that Valve bothered to bring Steam to Mac at all, at least providing some games for me to play when the need arises.

I don't need my entire Steam library to be Mac-compatible, because that's what my Windows partition in Bootcamp is for. Nor do I ask they run flawlessly at Ultra-High graphics either. As long as I can play the game, that's fine with me.

I wouldn't change a thing about Steam for Mac OSX.

 

[Steve the Pocket]

Earlier this year, Newell brought out experts in the open source operating system begun by Linus Torvald to show off Left 4 Dead 2.

Torvalds, Mr. Tito.