Just adding myself to the discussion because:
1. I'm also waiting for the Linux client. Although mostly because of the community features. I don't buy games on Steam (DRM sucks, I've seen too many multiplayer games that are no longer playable, because official servers shut down, and don't get me started on MMOs that shut down... that I consider any game with DRM to be a ticket to cinema - it may work today, I get no guarantee it will work tomorrow). But I do have games on Steam mostly from Humble Bundle. And I occasionally play them. I also play some free games on Steam - Team Fortress, Left 4 Dead 2 (was free once) - I'm not saying "no" to a free cinema ticket.
And some of the things I do like about the Steam client is the ability to see what games my friends are playing right now, if they recommend any particular game, or even simply which games we have in common. This is why I'd like to see GOG Galaxy for Linux. I'd be ok if it run with wine, but so far no luck in my case.
2. Some people mentioned in earlier posts the topic of Linux user base and reasons why game developers ignore Linux. Well, here are some of my observations:
a) Most statistics underestimate the number of Linux users. People repeat numbers like 2% or 3% without even thinking how accurate those are. Well, let me tell you in the early days of Humble Bundle, when they only accepted DRM-free, multiplatform games, they would get about 30% of money from Linux gamers. Now when they also sell windows-only games and oftentimes games with no DRM-free option, money from Linux users dropped to around 10%. And an average Linux user tends to give them 50% to 100% more money than an average Windows user. Either Linux users are more generous, or have more money. Or both.
Sure, Humble Bundle users are not a good statistical sample either - I'm sure your average Linux gamer is more likely to know about them than an average Windows gamer. But so is the case with GOG. It means if GOG was to put more effort into satisfying Linux customers, they could easily get 30% of their money from Linux users. Not because Windows and Mac users would leave GOG. But because Linux users vote with their wallets, and are the first guys to switch to competition, if they are fed up with a game merchant.
c) Some people were talking about desktop environments. I guess it's a bit off topic, but whatever.
The reason I think DEs are important and just like choosing the right programming language or library, they can affect your efficiency, is because they can show different things in different ways.
For me a good DE has the following features:
- It allows me to quickly start up software that I use often.
- It allows me to find software I use rarely even if I don't recall the name of the program.
- It shows me similar software around it, so I can make the decision which program to use for a given task. And it might remind me of something else I wanted to do with some other program. (For example, maybe I wanted to start up GIMP, but seeing Inkscape next to it's icon made me reconsider, and use vector graphics instead. And the fact I saw Blender next to them reminded me I had some ideas for 3D stuff I wanted to make a few days ago)
- In general, it should show me the current state of my system, what applications I have installed and so on.
Because desktop environments that try to hide everything they deem unimportant and rely too much on search bars etc. to find exactly what I'm looking for, have a tendency to make me forget about stuff that might be unimportant right now, but could become important later.
Post edited January 12, 2017 by Xinef