The indie gaming market for Linux is actually thriving.

There isn't a "triple A" Linux gaming market.

The biggest drawback for Linux currently is Ubuntu. Reason being is, most people that think of trying Linux for the first time think about, or are recommended to Ubuntu. Which at one time was pleasant to use with Gnome 2. But now they are greeted with Unity/Gnome 3. Those in the know switch to Xfce, or another distro that's more usable. Those who don't probably won't try Linux again, or at least for a while.

As for gaming, there's some pretty fun retro games that run good on Linux. Currently letting my 5-year old play Frogatto and Droid Assault.

The biggest drawback for Linux currently is people who resist change so virulently... Gnome 3 / Unity are both fine. Just fine.

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Yes and Linux Mint is sure glad Ubuntu thinks that.

Moved to Linux-Games

+1 to Gnome 3 being just fine, I personally don't like Unity but that's personal choice. I also agree that resisting change just for the sake of it isn't doing Linux any favours, sure keep the old style of things but don't stop people from trying the new styles either.

Sorry to tell you this but Linux Mint has just as much difficulty keeping people with its distro as Ubuntu. "People in the know" as you call them are able to think for themselves and don't want to be dictated to what things they can update on their system or what menus they must use or what DE they will use this year. The situation with Mint is ridiculous if you have been following it for long enough you will instantly know what I mean. The decision process are all over the place and at least one developer has gone and is starting his own distro. It's all fine to have plenty of bling and colour (why green) but you need more than just that.

I took the freedom to correct that sentences for you.

Of course they do. My main PC is very suitable for gaming, just because gaming was one part that was considered when building that machine.

Exactly. Compare the graphics of Skyrim on a XBox 360 with the graphics on a high-end (or even higher mid-range) PC. Stands for it self.

+1. After trying really hard to play games like Red Dead Redemption, GTA 4 and Battlefield on my XBox 360 I gave up and sold that crappy thing. Still have one of the controllers, they work with a PC (and are Linux compatible). Fun to play racing games with them, but when it comes to games where you have to aim nothing beats a mouse.

The problem with games on Linux is not that Linux is not capable of running games. The Humble Indie Bundles show it and in the past there were Linux versions of AAA titles, like Neverwinter Nights or Unreal Tournament. The most used game engine out there, the Unreal engine from Epic, has support for Linux in all its versions. The game developers just decide not to use this Linux support.
So to change the situation regarding Linux and gaming it is more that the developers have to change, not Linux.
The Humble Indie Bundles have shown that Linux is a market and that Linux users are willing to spend money for good games. This just has to arrive in the heads of the marketing departments of game developers/producers.

Oh I agree. I once hoped LMDE would go somewhere, but that is dying. They did see a surge because of Cinnamon though. Many people want Ubuntu, and they went to Linux Mint because they wanted that traditional Ubuntu experience. Mint delayed its move to Gnome 3, then added Cinnamon when they finally made the move. They got an influx of users because of this. Now keeping that influx is another matter.

I agree with acid kewpie, they are fine. I personally use kde, but have tried gnome 3 and don't mind it. Gnome3 lacks customization, but it's still a baby and it think it will improve in this respect. I have not tried Unity, and doubt i will as i hate universal menu bars.
I do think you're on the right track Silver bolt. I remember when i first started Linux, and it was with Ubuntu, and i was turned off too, but because the bloody thing played up more than bloody Windows did; i soon tried Opensuse and that was when i realized what crap Ubuntu was.

Here's a quote from Tobi, from a different post about a week ago, that i think summed it up nicely.

The Largest drawback of Linux is morons that come from windows and expect everything to work just like it did with windows.

There are plenty of Games for Linux.

I think the word morons is a little harsh don't you? Many people whom come from Windows or Os X for that matter, are unaware of the issues that the minority market share face. hardware specifically designed with Windows in mind; software developers only creating Windows version, ect.

Just an observation to counter your point, not saying your wrong just giving a different side to the discussion.

Many Windows users who dabble in Linux don't want to know about these issues they want a system that just works and gives them what they had in Windows but for free. The number of people who ask about installing an AV or a defragmenter in Linux and even after having things explained clearly and simply they still install or demand one is written one is amazing.

People who use Mac OSX are the same people who have the latest and greatest iPod/iPhone/tablet etc and want iTunes to seamlessly work in Linux with their new toys. It just isn't going to happen and they get frustrated, rightly or wrongly I wont judge. While Banshee is great it isn't iTunes and it wont work with every iToy Apple make.

Then you have people who genuinely do want to learn and use Linux but jump in head first and get themselves into trouble and expect the Linux community to get them out of it.

My point is there are at least two sides to every argument, I see your side but I also see craigevil's.

Well i suppose that's a valid point, and when phrased like that, one i can't argue with. I have seen some people like that.

Yep. I'm sure his post confused the heck out of me. :P But I I'm not confused with Linux and its capabilities.

agreed [though not on the moron bit as it is just ignorance from being not educated enough on anything outside of what they are used to].

had gotten out of a lifelong addiction to gaming a while ago due to dad throwing out a gaming/RAID setup PC of mine and having a *cough* fatal error with the xboxes hd tv last year,but for several months have been having great fun with native linux gaming and cannot recommend these enough to all other gamer LQers.

http://assault.cubers.net/
assault cube is the best linux game have ever played,incredible highly detailed FPS yet is easily tailored to dated or rubbishy specs.

http://openarena.ws
openarena uses the original quake III source,runs on mostly middling to high settings on this laptop, which is funny given the fact gnomes unity runs an error saying this laptop is to inferior to run on.

http://prboom.sourceforge.net/
-PRboom uses the original source of..the original doom, a beauty to play and see again in its slightly modified glory.

http://trainsimframework.org/
ever wanted to be a train driver and treat the train using public like crap? well heres the opportunity-openBVE,good god what a hardcore sim-have used this for a long time but still can only get the train driving backwards,its well worth an install though,even if just to see how decent games can get on linux.

http://pinball.sourceforge.net/
emilia pinball,addictive.

http://dopewars.sourceforge.net/
dopewars is a very funny drug dealing sim/game, it is completely text based-perhaps in homage to gaming as it was years ago [or perhaps they coudnt be bothered making a GUI] either way,it can get so ridiculous,unfortunately it isnt that long.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/billardgl/
billard-GL is like a three dimensional version of pool,only on a smaller table,good for passing the time.

http://supertux.lethargik.org/
supertux is a decent clone of the supermario games,works very well and we have tux instead of a fat plummer with a moustache.

http://supertuxkart.sourceforge.net/
supertuxkart is a decent modernised clone of super mario kart, features all the iconic characters of open source,unix and linux [the GIMP dog,BSD devil,
tux,the GNU goat or whatever it is...]