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Submitted via IRC for Fnord666
Valve appears to be working on a set of "compatibility tools," called Steam Play, that would allow at least some Windows-based titles to run on Linux-based SteamOS systems.
Yesterday, Reddit users noticed that Steam's GUI files (as captured by SteamDB's Steam Tracker) include a hidden section with unused text related to the unannounced Steam Play system. According to that text, "Steam Play will automatically install compatibility tools that allow you to play games from your library that were built for other operating systems."
Other unused text in the that GUI file suggests Steam Play will offer official compatibility with "supported tiles" while also letting users test compatibility for "games in your library that have not been verified with a supported compatibility tool." That latter use comes with a warning that "this may not work as expected, and can cause issues with your games, including crashes and breaking save games."
Tools that let users run Windows apps in Linux are nothing new; Wine has existed for decades, after all. But an "official" Steam-based compatibility tool, with the resources and backing of Valve behind it, could have a huge impact on the Linux development space that could reach well beyond games. Assuming it worked for a wide range of titles, the Steam Play system could also help ameliorate one of SteamOS' biggest failings—namely, the relative lack of compatible games when compared to Windows.
With all that said, some caution is warranted before getting too excited about these possibilities. For one, we don't know what specific form Steam Play will take. Valve could simply be preparing a wrapper that lets users run existing emulation tools like Wine and DOSBox on top of SteamOS without actively advancing the state of that emulation directly.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Friday August 17 2018, @03:26PM
I wouldn't really chock it up to "getting old" necessarily. 30 years ago, games were really just getting their start. There was a lot of experimentation going on in games and as such we got to play the first games of a genre. Now, we get Clone 9999 that's not even as good as a 30 year old game in the genre. Ultima, Fallout, X-Com, Civilization, Doom, Roller Coaster Tycoon, Zoo Tycoon, Age of Empires, Wing Commander, Wolfenstein 3D, Duke Nukem, Commander Keen, Starflight, Star Control, Sopwith 2, Spy vs Spy, Epic Pinball, and many others were great games in their own right. But, who needs a bad clone of Sopwith 2? Pinball is great, but after a while, it really does get old. Even Ultima VII, what might be called the pinnacle of the series has a finite number of things to do. The things that set some of these games / series apart is that they were the First to do what they did. Some, were truly great games, with so much story that a novel or two could have been made out of them or maybe an entire series of novels. Sure, there are some really good games coming out, but better than the old ones? I'm not so sure. Though, something like Dungeon Defenders is really a mashup of multiple genres and it Just Works. In recent years, Dungeon Defenders, Terraria, and 7DTD are the ones that have kept gaming interesting for me. Overwatch is just another FPS. Can we have some real innovation? Give me a Great Story and I won't care, if it's "just another" FPS/RTS/Etc. Too often, the story is so massively stupid, it makes your brain hurt. Give me an immersive world and I might forgive you for the focus on eye candy. Just don't screw it up with a stupendously stupid story.
Work on that cutting edge VR, because that's innovation. The potential for fun, immersive, exciting, fun, and great games in VR is astounding. Perhaps, the greatest potential, since the beginning of computer games. One of the funnest games I've played in VR was a Tower Defense game (Child of Ault). It reminded me somewhat of Dungeon Defenders, but they essentially skipped the motion sick issue by confining your movement. It's a tad too hard in some instances, but the game is pretty short and a whole bundle of fun. There's no real progression, hero lvling, etc, but this one's much more of a proof of concept than anything.
Portal Stories VR is the best Mod you could have asked for. It is fun and is a great introduction into the world of VR. Mainly, it doesn't have any of the same motion-sick inducing things that a lot of VR games have. You almost owe it to yourself to get a Vive or Rift, just so you can play this mod of Portal 2.
Fallout 4 VR is all you could have imagined it being, except it's definitely one of those motion-sick inducing games. You might be able to get over it, but don't push yourself. Any of the games you start to feel motion sick playing, stop for a bit, take the VR headset off, then come back to it in a bit. You may also have to tweak the responsiveness, etc in the settings. Part of it is just getting used to the idea that your character is moving while you aren't. Part of it is a learning curve on how to effectively use the controls. But, really I've not played it a whole lot. I'm one of those people that are prone to motion-sickness, so 'meh.
I also wear glasses and have to wear them with the VR headset. It does press your frames to your face a bit, but not uncomfortably so. It can be a bit tricky getting the VR Headset on / off, but has worked fine for me.
Some of the most fun can be had for free. Like with the Home thing in Steam VR. You can download a landscape thing that really gives you an idea of the size of the Mars Rovers. Also, some cool information about Mars.
(Removed from above paragraph.) FAIR WARNING. I dislike the horrible, pay-to-play, pay-to-win, and "free" game economic systems.
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Even the likes of the Fallout series look poised to cash in on stupid business models. Assuming, we just totally ignore that Fallout Shelter game, which totally wasn't a cash grab. (Okay, I can't ignore it. Paying for virtual currency, virtual treasure chests, virtual power, is Evil. It's preying on those with addiction. It's preying on the innocent/ignorant. It's predatory marketing.)
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"