Linux Installers for Blizzard Products Petition

[GundamSonicZeroX]

Link to petition.

To: Blizzard Inc.

We the undersigned would like to see native Linux installers for the products of Blizzard Inc. It is only fair that Blizzard's products designed for both Windows and Mac should be made compatible with Linux as well, especially due to the popularity of Blizzard's released products (StarCraft, WarCraft, WoW, etc.) and their upcoming releases (StarCraft 2).
The computer world is about choices now. Not everyone wants to be stuck with a Windows or a Mac. Some people use Linux, BSD, and other OS types.
It is also suggested that perhaps the installers be released with open-source code, to adjust the installers to other various systems (BSD, Solaris, other distributions of Linux)
The installer should be in a .run file, and require the user to have already bought the product (hence a CD detection)
Blizzard's games are hailed as some of the most influential games around, and it is about time that companies start adopting the business practices of id Software.

Click here to sign the petition.

Locked at the request of the OP
-Schadenfroh (AT Mod)

 

[Baked]

Blizzard do whatever they want, suggestions and petitions are useless.

 

[Bateluer]

Signed. Blizzard may do whatever Vivendi, or Activision Blizzard, tells them to do, but petitions like these will show them their is interest in linux clients.

 

[StinkyPinky]

What percentage of the gaming population use Linux at all, let alone as their main gaming system? Probably around 1% I would say. I'm not sure they will be bothered but good luck anyway.

 

[PhatoseAlpha]

Is there an anti-sign button? PC gaming has enough trouble these days without devs having to code for even more OSes, especially chaotic user tweakable OSes.

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: StinkyPinky
What percentage of the gaming population use Linux at all, let alone as their main gaming system? Probably around 1% I would say. I'm not sure they will be bothered but good luck anyway.

How many gamers play on a Mac?

 

[Genx87]

The last report I saw put linux penetration on the desktop at .57%. Good luck.

btw OSX had a penetration of ~8.5%.

 

[trexpesto]

I'd Play on Linux - completely MOVE to Linux - IF the Games were there!!! Serials!

 

[SunnyD]

This is stupid.

 

[trexpesto]

Originally posted by: PhatoseAlpha
Is there an anti-sign button?

Funny that you mention it, but there IS a vote yes/no radio button that you can sign NO to. Hilar

 

[Maximilian]

Originally posted by: trexpesto

Originally posted by: PhatoseAlpha
Is there an anti-sign button? PC gaming has enough trouble these days without devs having to code for even more OSes, especially chaotic user tweakable OSes.

Funny that you mention it, but there IS a vote yes/no radio button that you can sign NO to. Hilar

Good because im gonna sign NO for the same exact reason.

 

[PhatoseAlpha]

Ah, I see. Done.

 

[potato28]

Done, Blizzard does it everyone else will start trying.

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: Genx87
The last report I saw put linux penetration on the desktop at .57%. Good luck.

btw OSX had a penetration of ~8.5%.

I bet Linux has a much larger penetration that .5%, Dell alone probably sells more than .5%. Also, I assume we're both referring to the desktop market and not the server type markets?

Originally posted by: trexpesto
I'd Play on Linux - completely MOVE to Linux - IF the Games were there!!! Serials!

Its likely a lot of people would move to Linux entirely if it had better gaming support. The stability is there, the apps(non-gaming) are there, etc. Distros like Ubuntu have made Linux almost as easy as windows to use as well.

Lastly, I'm no programmer, but with OSX being based off BSD, would it really be difficult to code for Linux?

 

[TheVrolok]

Like some others, I would absolutely move to Linux permanently if gaming support were there. I can understand how absurd it is, though, to ask developers to now code for linux as well, so I won't argue much.

 

[StinkyPinky]

Originally posted by: Bateluer

Originally posted by: StinkyPinky
What percentage of the gaming population use Linux at all, let alone as their main gaming system? Probably around 1% I would say. I'm not sure they will be bothered but good luck anyway.

How many gamers play on a Mac?

Way more than Linux.

 

[mrCide]

Thought it was a silent agreement that if you install linux you forfeit your rights to play any games with it? Same with a Mac. Us Windows users give up stability for our games!

 

[Schadenfroh]

While I fully support this (posting from Ubuntu right now), I doubt it is going to happen.

No petition's goal that I have signed ever came to fruition.

 

[Skunkwourk]

"it is only fair"??????

While I sympathize, the choice is akin to buying a car, and not all auto makers are required to include the same options for EVERY model.

 

[ayabe]

Originally posted by: SunnyD
This is stupid.

:thumbsup:

Sorry Linux had it's time to shine, adoption has leveled off considerably in the last couple years even with the Vista fiasco.

 

[Xavier434]

I have seen a lot "support Linux" petitions in the past. They always seem to focus on what is "fair" and that it is all about "choice". The truth is that those two reasons will never count for anything. This is 100% about money. In order to convince the Publisher.....let me say that again. In order to convince the Publisher (not Blizzard) to fully support Linux, it will need to be proven that the money it will cost to continuously support that OS will return enough profit for it to be worth the hassle. Despite what many believe, there will be a lot of hassle to deal with. I'm sure the Devs have reported enough issues in the past where one coding solution works for Windows but doesn't work on Macs or vice versa. In many cases, the end result will be coming up with a solution that works "well enough" on both OS's. These sorts of things are very difficult to do and they cost a lot of time (money). Adding support for another OS will greatly increase the time needed to develop/debug content, the quality of that content will be lesser, and it will most likely require more overtime for the current head developers as well as employing more Devs to support Linux.

Why go through all of that pain when they are already so incredibly successful? Whatever your answer is to that question, it better solely revolve around money and a hell of a lot of it because if it doesn't then there is little hope that those with the power will listen.

Good Luck...

 

[Scrimmy]

Count me in. Games are the only reason I still dual boot and after using Ubuntu for a while, Windows really just bugs the crap out of me. The real solution, though, is a return to OpenGL as a popular development platform for PC gaming; apart from buying a new computer and being forced into it, DX10 is really the only reason a lot of people (myself included) to switch to Vista.

If OpenGL can get more competitive as an API, then it'd be much easier for companies to design cross-platform games. Unfortunately, DX10 is tied to the XBOX, so it's easier to develop simultaneously for both. Which is, of course, Microsoft's plan to make it more difficult to develop games for other platforms. And which is exactly why lots of people want to get away from Microsoft.

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: Scrimmy
Count me in. Games are the only reason I still dual boot and after using Ubuntu for a while, Windows really just bugs the crap out of me. The real solution, though, is a return to OpenGL as a popular development platform for PC gaming; apart from buying a new computer and being forced into it, DX10 is really the only reason a lot of people (myself included) to switch to Vista.

As long as you and most Ubuntu/Linux users are willing to duel boot and it works well enough, there will never be a reason for the Publishers to spend their money for support of another OS.

 

[Aikouka]

Why? I thought you nerds went to Linux for the hardships of gaming. It's like why people become Amish... to experience the hardships of life and the purity! You must Wine it!

 

[Scrimmy]

Originally posted by: Aikouka
Why? I thought you nerds went to Linux for the hardships of gaming. It's like why people become Amish... to experience the hardships of life and the purity! You must Wine it!

Honestly, a lot of people are going to Linux because it's an OS that actually works extremely well out of the box on most systems. Very often better than Windows, too. It's a little tricky to get working with some of the proprietary parts on laptops, but other than that the transition was incredibly easy.

Not to mention, it's a free OS instead of the $100-200 Vista is going for retail.