Linux Game Publishing: Difference between revisions
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===2001-2012=== |
===2001-2012=== |
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[[File:Creatures-Internet-Edition.png|right|thumb|200px|Creatures: Internet Edition was the first game published by LGP]] |
[[File:Creatures-Internet-Edition.png|right|thumb|200px|Creatures: Internet Edition was the first game published by LGP]] |
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The company was founded on October 15, 2001 by [[Michael Simms (software developer)|Michael Simms]] when the similarly oriented [[Loki Software]] filed for bankruptcy.<ref>[http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2001-08-17-014-20-NW-BZ-LF&tbovrmode=3 Founder, Creditors Differ as to Loki's Future Course] [[Linux Today]], August 17, 2001 (Article by Dennis E. Powell)</ref> Simms had previously founded the [[Tux Games]] retailer a few years earlier, and the collapse of Loki would have gravely affected his available stock. Linux Game Publishing had initially tried to pick up the support rights to many of Loki's titles, but in the end it was only able to acquire the rights to ''[[MindRover|MindRover: The Europa Project]]''. It was able, however, to independently pick up the publishing rights to ''[[Creatures (artificial life program)#Creatures Internet Edition / Creatures Gold|Creatures: Internet Edition]]'' as well as the rights to the port of ''[[Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim|Majesty: Gold Edition]]'' which was previously being developed by [[Tribsoft]].<ref>[http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2009/05/15/lgp-history-pt-1-how-lgp-came-to-be/ LGP History pt 1: How LGP came to be] Linux Game Publishing Blog, May 15, 2009 (Article by [[Michael Simms (software developer)|Michael Simms]])</ref><ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/5282 Majesty, Tribsoft, and LGP] [[LinuxGames]], January 3, 2002</ref> Empowered by the addition of former Loki employee Mike Phillips, LGP released its first title on December 21, 2001.<ref>[http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2009/06/23/lgp-history-pt-2-the-early-days/ LGP History pt 2: The Early Days] Linux Game Publishing Blog, June 23, 2009 (Article by [[Michael Simms (software developer)|Michael Simms]])</ref> In 2002 [[Ryan C. Gordon]] (a.k.a. icculus, former [[Loki|Loki Software]]) started porting the puzzle game ''[[Candy Cruncher]]'' to Linux and he was looking for beta testers. The first Linux version of Candy Cruncher was released in 2002 by Pyrogon (an indie game company founded by former employee of [[3dfx]] and [[id Software]] Brian Hook) as a digital download.<ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/5411 Call for Candy Cruncher Beta Testers] [[LinuxGames]], February 13, 2002</ref> LGP took interest in publishing Pyrogon games on physical CDs, and on September 10, 2002, LGP and Pyrogon announced a publishing partnership for Pyrogon's Linux titles.<ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/5902 Linux Game Publishing and Pyrogon Announcement] [[LinuxGames]], September 10, 2002</ref> Upon learning about the release of ''[[Postal 2]]'' in 2003, Ryan decided to contact the developer behind it wondering if they would be interested in him making a port of the game to Linux. Loki had previously ported the original ''[[Postal (video game)|Postal]]'' to Linux, and he was interested in keeping the franchise compatible.<ref>[ |
The company was founded on October 15, 2001 by [[Michael Simms (software developer)|Michael Simms]] when the similarly oriented [[Loki Software]] filed for bankruptcy.<ref>[http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2001-08-17-014-20-NW-BZ-LF&tbovrmode=3 Founder, Creditors Differ as to Loki's Future Course] [[Linux Today]], August 17, 2001 (Article by Dennis E. Powell)</ref> Simms had previously founded the [[Tux Games]] retailer a few years earlier, and the collapse of Loki would have gravely affected his available stock. Linux Game Publishing had initially tried to pick up the support rights to many of Loki's titles, but in the end it was only able to acquire the rights to ''[[MindRover|MindRover: The Europa Project]]''. It was able, however, to independently pick up the publishing rights to ''[[Creatures (artificial life program)#Creatures Internet Edition / Creatures Gold|Creatures: Internet Edition]]'' as well as the rights to the port of ''[[Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim|Majesty: Gold Edition]]'' which was previously being developed by [[Tribsoft]].<ref>[http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2009/05/15/lgp-history-pt-1-how-lgp-came-to-be/ LGP History pt 1: How LGP came to be] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713212344/http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2009/05/15/lgp-history-pt-1-how-lgp-came-to-be/ |date=2011-07-13 }} Linux Game Publishing Blog, May 15, 2009 (Article by [[Michael Simms (software developer)|Michael Simms]])</ref><ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/5282 Majesty, Tribsoft, and LGP] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614052930/http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/5282 |date=2011-06-14 }} [[LinuxGames]], January 3, 2002</ref> Empowered by the addition of former Loki employee Mike Phillips, LGP released its first title on December 21, 2001.<ref>[http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2009/06/23/lgp-history-pt-2-the-early-days/ LGP History pt 2: The Early Days] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812152919/http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2009/06/23/lgp-history-pt-2-the-early-days/ |date=2011-08-12 }} Linux Game Publishing Blog, June 23, 2009 (Article by [[Michael Simms (software developer)|Michael Simms]])</ref> In 2002 [[Ryan C. Gordon]] (a.k.a. icculus, former [[Loki|Loki Software]]) started porting the puzzle game ''[[Candy Cruncher]]'' to Linux and he was looking for beta testers. The first Linux version of Candy Cruncher was released in 2002 by Pyrogon (an indie game company founded by former employee of [[3dfx]] and [[id Software]] Brian Hook) as a digital download.<ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/5411 Call for Candy Cruncher Beta Testers] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004230322/http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/5411 |date=2013-10-04 }} [[LinuxGames]], February 13, 2002</ref> LGP took interest in publishing Pyrogon games on physical CDs, and on September 10, 2002, LGP and Pyrogon announced a publishing partnership for Pyrogon's Linux titles.<ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/5902 Linux Game Publishing and Pyrogon Announcement] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004225902/http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/5902 |date=2013-10-04 }} [[LinuxGames]], September 10, 2002</ref> Upon learning about the release of ''[[Postal 2]]'' in 2003, Ryan decided to contact the developer behind it wondering if they would be interested in him making a port of the game to Linux. Loki had previously ported the original ''[[Postal (video game)|Postal]]'' to Linux, and he was interested in keeping the franchise compatible.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050309061407/http://www.macologist.org/viewtopic.php?t=607 Interview with Ryan Gordon: Postal2, Unreal & Mac Gaming] [[Macologist]], November 10. 2004</ref> [[Running With Scissors (company)|Running With Scissors]] agreed, and the finished port was shipped on February 14, 2005, with LGP initially handling the publishing of the Linux version.<ref>[http://icculus.org/news/news.php?id=2328 Postal 2 for Linux now shipping!] [[icculus.org]], February 14, 2005</ref> In 2003, [[Hyperion Entertainment]] and [[Metropolis Software]] have extended their existing license agreement for ''[[Gorky 17]]''. Linux gaming developers Steven Fuller and Joe Tennies joined to the Hyperion Entertainment game development team and they ported Gorky 17 to Linux, which three years later was published by LGP.<ref>[http://hyperion-entertainment.biz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=93:hyperion-and-metropolis-announce-amigaos-4-version-of-gorky-17&catid=37:games&Itemid=18 Hyperion and Metropolis announce AmigaOS 4 version of Gorky 17] [[Hyperion Entertainment]], December 25, 2003</ref> |
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[[File:Shadowgrounds-Survivor.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Shadowgrounds Survivor is the latest game published by LGP]] |
[[File:Shadowgrounds-Survivor.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Shadowgrounds Survivor is the latest game published by LGP]] |
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David Hedbor, founder and main programmer of ''[[Eon Games (video game company)|Eon Games]]''—an independent game development company specializing in creating games for desktop computers and handheld devices,<ref>[ |
David Hedbor, founder and main programmer of ''[[Eon Games (video game company)|Eon Games]]''—an independent game development company specializing in creating games for desktop computers and handheld devices,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090225193305/http://eongames.com/about.html About Eon Games]</ref> ported ''[[NingPo MahJong]]'' and ''[[Hyperspace Delivery Boy!]]'' to Linux, which later were published by LGP.<ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/5883 Hyperspace Delivery Boy Port] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204130450/http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/5883 |date=2015-02-04 }} [[LinuxGames]], September 6, 2002</ref> (the first version of NingPo Mah Jong for Linux, however, was released in 2003 by Pyrogon only as a digital download).<ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/6263 Pyrogon Releases NingPo] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121613593400/http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/6263 }} [[LinuxGames]], April 18, 2003</ref> |
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Eon Games stopped development and porting of games for Linux and other platforms in 2005 (and later closed in 2010).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100128043133/http://eongames.com/ Eon Games] January 7, 2010</ref> In 2003, LGP began working with [[RuneSoft|Epic Interactive]], a German company specializing in porting and publishing games to alternative platforms.<ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/6386 (Three) New Titles from LGP] [[LinuxGames]], November 7, 2003</ref> Epic Interactive ported ''[[Knights and Merchants: The Shattered Kingdom]]'' and ''[[Software Tycoon]]'' to Linux.<ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/7210 Software Tycoon Available] [[LinuxGames]], January 10, 2005</ref> In 2005 Epic Interactive has changed its name to Runesoft Entertainment.<ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/7547 E.P.I.C. Interactive Becomes Runesoft Entertainment] [[LinuxGames]], June 8, 2005</ref> In 2005 Czech development studio [[Mindware Studios]] released the Linux demo of ''[[Cold War (computer game)|Cold War]]''.<ref>[http://www.tuxmachines.org/node/3348 Cold War Linux Demo Released] March 11, 2005</ref> Cold war was first LGP game published on [[DVD]] disc. LGP gained the publishing rights to several other game titles including ''[[Soul Ride]]'', as well as ''[[Disciples II: Dark Prophecy]]''. The latter has been described by Michael Simms as "LGP’s [[Development of Duke Nukem Forever|DNF]]" and "the game that refused to be ported" and has been said to have been the cause of several resignations from the company, including that of aforementioned employee Mike Phillips.<ref>[http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2009/08/25/lgp-history-pt-3-the-long-haul/ LGP History pt 3: The long haul] Linux Game Publishing Blog, August 25, 2009 (Article by [[Michael Simms (software developer)|Michael Simms]])</ref> It has still, alongside another long delayed game ''[[Bandits: Phoenix Rising]]'', yet to be released.<ref>[https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=linux_bandits&num=1 Bandits: Phoenix Rising Proceeds On Linux] [[Phoronix]], February 15, 2008 (Article by [[Michael Larabel]])</ref><ref>[https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=NzEyNw Bandits: Phoenix Rising Finally Gets A New Beta] [[Phoronix]], March 07, 2009 (Article by [[Michael Larabel]])</ref> |
Eon Games stopped development and porting of games for Linux and other platforms in 2005 (and later closed in 2010).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100128043133/http://eongames.com/ Eon Games] January 7, 2010</ref> In 2003, LGP began working with [[RuneSoft|Epic Interactive]], a German company specializing in porting and publishing games to alternative platforms.<ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/6386 (Three) New Titles from LGP] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121613372100/http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/6386 }} [[LinuxGames]], November 7, 2003</ref> Epic Interactive ported ''[[Knights and Merchants: The Shattered Kingdom]]'' and ''[[Software Tycoon]]'' to Linux.<ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/7210 Software Tycoon Available] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204143331/http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/7210 |date=2015-02-04 }} [[LinuxGames]], January 10, 2005</ref> In 2005 Epic Interactive has changed its name to Runesoft Entertainment.<ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/7547 E.P.I.C. Interactive Becomes Runesoft Entertainment] [[LinuxGames]], June 8, 2005</ref> In 2005 Czech development studio [[Mindware Studios]] released the Linux demo of ''[[Cold War (computer game)|Cold War]]''.<ref>[http://www.tuxmachines.org/node/3348 Cold War Linux Demo Released] March 11, 2005</ref> Cold war was first LGP game published on [[DVD]] disc. LGP gained the publishing rights to several other game titles including ''[[Soul Ride]]'', as well as ''[[Disciples II: Dark Prophecy]]''. The latter has been described by Michael Simms as "LGP’s [[Development of Duke Nukem Forever|DNF]]" and "the game that refused to be ported" and has been said to have been the cause of several resignations from the company, including that of aforementioned employee Mike Phillips.<ref>[http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2009/08/25/lgp-history-pt-3-the-long-haul/ LGP History pt 3: The long haul] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713212323/http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2009/08/25/lgp-history-pt-3-the-long-haul/ |date=2011-07-13 }} Linux Game Publishing Blog, August 25, 2009 (Article by [[Michael Simms (software developer)|Michael Simms]])</ref> It has still, alongside another long delayed game ''[[Bandits: Phoenix Rising]]'', yet to be released.<ref>[https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=linux_bandits&num=1 Bandits: Phoenix Rising Proceeds On Linux] [[Phoronix]], February 15, 2008 (Article by [[Michael Larabel]])</ref><ref>[https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=NzEyNw Bandits: Phoenix Rising Finally Gets A New Beta] [[Phoronix]], March 07, 2009 (Article by [[Michael Larabel]])</ref> |
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In 2005, LGP has announced the opening of their beta test for Linux version of ''[[X2: The Threat]]''.<ref>[http://games.slashdot.org/story/05/10/02/1743219/lgp-opens-beta-test-for-x2 LGP Opens Beta Test for X2] [[Slashdot]], October 2, 2005</ref> |
In 2005, LGP has announced the opening of their beta test for Linux version of ''[[X2: The Threat]]''.<ref>[http://games.slashdot.org/story/05/10/02/1743219/lgp-opens-beta-test-for-x2 LGP Opens Beta Test for X2] [[Slashdot]], October 2, 2005</ref> |
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On March 13, 2008 Finnish game company [[Frozenbyte]] announced a partnership with Linux specialist [[Alternative Games|IGIOS Ltd]] to port and release ''[[Shadowgrounds]]'' and ''[[Shadowgrounds Survivor]]'' on the Linux platform.<ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/10093 Shadowgrounds Survivor headed to Linux] [[LinuxGames]], March 14, 2008</ref> Both ports were later published by LGP, and LGP was actively involved in developing the Shadowgrounds Survivor port alongside IGIOS. |
On March 13, 2008 Finnish game company [[Frozenbyte]] announced a partnership with Linux specialist [[Alternative Games|IGIOS Ltd]] to port and release ''[[Shadowgrounds]]'' and ''[[Shadowgrounds Survivor]]'' on the Linux platform.<ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/10093 Shadowgrounds Survivor headed to Linux] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319211711/http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/10093 |date=2012-03-19 }} [[LinuxGames]], March 14, 2008</ref> Both ports were later published by LGP, and LGP was actively involved in developing the Shadowgrounds Survivor port alongside IGIOS. |
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In December 2008, LGP released ''[[X3: Reunion]]'' and X3: Reunion Special Edition, which were first games using copy protection and the new installer written to use the [[GTK+|GTK2]] toolkit and support for using XDG menus.<ref>[https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=new_lgp_installer&num=1LGP Has A New Linux Game Installer [[Phoronix]]], February 26, 2008 (Article by [[Michael Larabel]])</ref> |
In December 2008, LGP released ''[[X3: Reunion]]'' and X3: Reunion Special Edition, which were first games using copy protection and the new installer written to use the [[GTK+|GTK2]] toolkit and support for using XDG menus.<ref>[https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=new_lgp_installer&num=1LGP Has A New Linux Game Installer [[Phoronix]]], February 26, 2008 (Article by [[Michael Larabel]])</ref> |
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In December 2008, LGP launched PenguinPlay, a new website for Linux gamers, allowing matchmaking for [[multiplayer]] games, and [[social networking]].<ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/11300 PenguinPlay!] [[LinuxGames]], January 2, 2009</ref> |
In December 2008, LGP launched PenguinPlay, a new website for Linux gamers, allowing matchmaking for [[multiplayer]] games, and [[social networking]].<ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/11300 PenguinPlay!] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108200238/http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/11300 |date=2009-01-08 }} [[LinuxGames]], January 2, 2009</ref> |
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In June 2009 they began offering downloadable games and game rentals.<ref>[https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=NzMwMg LGP Gets Into Game Downloading, Rentals] [[Phoronix]], June 2, 2009 (Article by [[Michael Larabel]])</ref> |
In June 2009 they began offering downloadable games and game rentals.<ref>[https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=NzMwMg LGP Gets Into Game Downloading, Rentals] [[Phoronix]], June 2, 2009 (Article by [[Michael Larabel]])</ref> |
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In August 2009 they grudgingly dropped support for all [[PowerPC]] games, stating that "demand for PPC versions of LGP games has been almost non existent".<ref>[http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2009/08/05/ppc-support-officially-being-discontinued-for-all-lgp-titles/ PPC support officially being discontinued for all LGP titles] Linux Game Publishing Blog, August 5, 2009 (Article by |
In August 2009 they grudgingly dropped support for all [[PowerPC]] games, stating that "demand for PPC versions of LGP games has been almost non existent".<ref>[http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2009/08/05/ppc-support-officially-being-discontinued-for-all-lgp-titles/ PPC support officially being discontinued for all LGP titles] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101215042145/http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2009/08/05/ppc-support-officially-being-discontinued-for-all-lgp-titles/ |date=2010-12-15 }} Linux Game Publishing Blog, August 5, 2009 (Article by |
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[[Michael Simms (software developer)|Michael Simms]])</ref> |
[[Michael Simms (software developer)|Michael Simms]])</ref> |
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===2012–present=== |
===2012–present=== |
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On January 31, 2012, after over a decade with the company, Michael Simms announced in a [http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2012/01/31/lgp-history-pt-4-the-end-of-the-ride-but-not-the-end-of-the-company/ blog post], that he was stepping down as CEO, saying "you can’t continue on a high energy rampage for 10 years without something breaking", and handing over control to [[Clive Crous]], citing his "unrestrained enthusiasm for Linux gaming" as his primary qualification.<ref>[http://www.gamingonlinux.info/index.php?threads/linux-game-publishing-the-return.730/#post-3246 Linux Game Publishing...the return?] [[GamingOnLinux]], January 31, 2012 (Article by Liam Dawe)</ref> Since August 2012, LGP has started selling their games in stores like [[Desura]], [[Gameolith]] and [[Ubuntu Software Center]].<ref>[http://www.ubuntuvibes.com/2012/08/linux-game-publishing-adds-sacred-gold.html Linux Game Publishing Adds 'Sacred Gold' RPG to Ubuntu Software Center] Ubuntu Vibes, August 31, 2012</ref> However, first information about LGP games in USC were shown up on [[Canonical Ltd.|Canonical]] blog two years before.<ref>[http://www.canonical.com/news/ubuntu-10.04-for-software-vendors Canonical announces strong ISV and open source ecosystem support for Ubuntu 10.04 LTS] [[Canonical Ltd.|Canonical]] Blog, April 27, 2010</ref> In 2012, they shut down the PenguinPlay website.<ref>[https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTMxMDc Linux Game Publishing Shuts Down PenguinPlay] [[Phoronix]] February 24, 2013</ref> In 2015, LGP decided to host their website on the Heroku cloud service and they closed their support system hosted on Tender.<ref>[https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=LGP-CEO-Three-Years-Down Linux Game Publishing Remains Offline, Three Years After The CEO Shakeup] [[Phoronix]], January 27, 2015 (Article by [[Michael Larabel]])</ref> In 2013, LGP removed several LGP's resellers from their list e.g. Fun4tux, Ixsoft, Linuxpusher etc. In 2014 - 2015 LGP's resellers stopped to offer the service of rental or downloading eight games which used the LGP copy protection. |
On January 31, 2012, after over a decade with the company, Michael Simms announced in a [https://web.archive.org/web/20120406053812/http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2012/01/31/lgp-history-pt-4-the-end-of-the-ride-but-not-the-end-of-the-company/ blog post], that he was stepping down as CEO, saying "you can’t continue on a high energy rampage for 10 years without something breaking", and handing over control to [[Clive Crous]], citing his "unrestrained enthusiasm for Linux gaming" as his primary qualification.<ref>[http://www.gamingonlinux.info/index.php?threads/linux-game-publishing-the-return.730/#post-3246 Linux Game Publishing...the return?] [[GamingOnLinux]], January 31, 2012 (Article by Liam Dawe)</ref> Since August 2012, LGP has started selling their games in stores like [[Desura]], [[Gameolith]] and [[Ubuntu Software Center]].<ref>[http://www.ubuntuvibes.com/2012/08/linux-game-publishing-adds-sacred-gold.html Linux Game Publishing Adds 'Sacred Gold' RPG to Ubuntu Software Center] Ubuntu Vibes, August 31, 2012</ref> However, first information about LGP games in USC were shown up on [[Canonical Ltd.|Canonical]] blog two years before.<ref>[http://www.canonical.com/news/ubuntu-10.04-for-software-vendors Canonical announces strong ISV and open source ecosystem support for Ubuntu 10.04 LTS] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103084904/http://www.canonical.com/news/ubuntu-10.04-for-software-vendors |date=2012-11-03 }} [[Canonical Ltd.|Canonical]] Blog, April 27, 2010</ref> In 2012, they shut down the PenguinPlay website.<ref>[https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTMxMDc Linux Game Publishing Shuts Down PenguinPlay] [[Phoronix]] February 24, 2013</ref> In 2015, LGP decided to host their website on the Heroku cloud service and they closed their support system hosted on Tender.<ref>[https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=LGP-CEO-Three-Years-Down Linux Game Publishing Remains Offline, Three Years After The CEO Shakeup] [[Phoronix]], January 27, 2015 (Article by [[Michael Larabel]])</ref> In 2013, LGP removed several LGP's resellers from their list e.g. Fun4tux, Ixsoft, Linuxpusher etc. In 2014 - 2015 LGP's resellers stopped to offer the service of rental or downloading eight games which used the LGP copy protection. |
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==Games published== |
==Games published== |
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Linux Game Publishing employs a simple form of [[digital rights management]] similar to that employed by [[Games for Windows – Live]]. Upon the first run of the game, the user is prompted for a license key, alongside their LGP user name and password.<ref>[https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=lgp_copy_protection&num=1 LGP Introduces Linux Game Copy Protection, Rentals] [[Phoronix]], June 23, 2008 (Article by [[Michael Larabel]])</ref> |
Linux Game Publishing employs a simple form of [[digital rights management]] similar to that employed by [[Games for Windows – Live]]. Upon the first run of the game, the user is prompted for a license key, alongside their LGP user name and password.<ref>[https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=lgp_copy_protection&num=1 LGP Introduces Linux Game Copy Protection, Rentals] [[Phoronix]], June 23, 2008 (Article by [[Michael Larabel]])</ref> |
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Some features includes:<ref>[http://keyserver.linuxgamepublishing.com/about.php Linux Game Copy Protection] Linux Game |
Some features includes:<ref>[http://keyserver.linuxgamepublishing.com/about.php Linux Game Copy Protection] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100311182101/http://keyserver.linuxgamepublishing.com/about.php |date=2010-03-11 }} Linux Game |
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Publishing</ref> |
Publishing</ref> |
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* LGP copy protection does not require internet connection to install or play the game. |
* LGP copy protection does not require internet connection to install or play the game. |
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Owners of a game license can transfer the license to someone else, download a replacement disc image and allow people to see that the license is valid if they buy your game. Owners can retrieve lost keys and forgotten passwords. Buyers can check to see if they are buying a game with a valid license.<ref>[http://keyserver.linuxgamepublishing.com/? Linux Game Publishing Key Server website]</ref> |
Owners of a game license can transfer the license to someone else, download a replacement disc image and allow people to see that the license is valid if they buy your game. Owners can retrieve lost keys and forgotten passwords. Buyers can check to see if they are buying a game with a valid license.<ref>[http://keyserver.linuxgamepublishing.com/? Linux Game Publishing Key Server website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215040805/http://keyserver.linuxgamepublishing.com/ |date=2012-02-15 }}</ref> |
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==Open source projects== |
==Open source projects== |
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They also created several patches for [[OpenPlay]], that fix broken Linux support, bring some functionalities that are present in [[DirectPlay]].<ref>[http://www.advogato.org/person/Svartalf/diary.html?start=28 Ballistics] [[Advogato]] Svartalf Blog, September 28, 2003</ref> LGP sponsors the development of [[Grapple (network layer)|Grapple]], a free software network library for games. They work on other open source projects such as [[Simple DirectMedia Layer|SDL]] or [[OpenAL]].<ref>[http://opensource.linuxgamepublishing.com/ Open source projects] Linux Game Publishing</ref> LGP worked on [[GPL|GPL’d]] the Soul Ride engine at [[SourceForge]].<ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/6295 LGP Announces Three New Titles] [[LinuxGames]], January 5, 2003</ref> Michael Simms also claims that LGP avoids publishing games similar to popular [[open source video game]]s.<ref>[ |
They also created several patches for [[OpenPlay]], that fix broken Linux support, bring some functionalities that are present in [[DirectPlay]].<ref>[http://www.advogato.org/person/Svartalf/diary.html?start=28 Ballistics] [[Advogato]] Svartalf Blog, September 28, 2003</ref> LGP sponsors the development of [[Grapple (network layer)|Grapple]], a free software network library for games. They work on other open source projects such as [[Simple DirectMedia Layer|SDL]] or [[OpenAL]].<ref>[http://opensource.linuxgamepublishing.com/ Open source projects] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100202134111/http://opensource.linuxgamepublishing.com/ |date=2010-02-02 }} Linux Game Publishing</ref> LGP worked on [[GPL|GPL’d]] the Soul Ride engine at [[SourceForge]].<ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/6295 LGP Announces Three New Titles] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121613535300/http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/6295 }} [[LinuxGames]], January 5, 2003</ref> Michael Simms also claims that LGP avoids publishing games similar to popular [[open source video game]]s.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050712080821/http://www.linuxgazette.com/node/10249 Linux Game Publishing: Interview with Michael Simms] [[Linux Gazette]], March 6, 2005</ref> |
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==Canceled projects== |
==Canceled projects== |
||
LGP canceled Angry-Pixel project, which was sponsor the creation of a new company for the development of games for Linux.<ref>[http://happypenguin.org/angrypixels/ Angry Pixels] [[The Linux Game Tome]]</ref> |
LGP canceled Angry-Pixel project, which was sponsor the creation of a new company for the development of games for Linux.<ref>[http://happypenguin.org/angrypixels/ Angry Pixels] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030806084550/http://www.happypenguin.org/angrypixels/ |date=2003-08-06 }} [[The Linux Game Tome]]</ref> |
||
The game ''[[Tzar: The Burden of the Crown]]'' was considered by Linux Game Publishing to be ported to Linux, but it was rejected due to concerns within the company about its gameplay and after hearing negative comments about the game from the Linux gaming community.<ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/?s=Tzar Tzar related posts] [[LinuxGames]]</ref> |
The game ''[[Tzar: The Burden of the Crown]]'' was considered by Linux Game Publishing to be ported to Linux, but it was rejected due to concerns within the company about its gameplay and after hearing negative comments about the game from the Linux gaming community.<ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/?s=Tzar Tzar related posts] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305205726/http://www.linuxgames.com/?s=Tzar |date=2012-03-05 }} [[LinuxGames]]</ref> |
||
On February 6, 2003 LGP released ''Candy Cruncher'' to Linux running on computers with [[Sparc]] processors, but two years later they removed this information from their website without explanation.<ref>[ |
On February 6, 2003 LGP released ''Candy Cruncher'' to Linux running on computers with [[Sparc]] processors, but two years later they removed this information from their website without explanation.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050909024159/http://www.linuxgamepublishing.com/info.php?id=10& Candy Cruncher Linux Sparc] Linux Game Publishing Products, September 9, 2005</ref> |
||
On June 24, 2005 LGP released ''Soul Ride'' to Linux running on computers with [[DEC Alpha|Alpha]] and Sparc processors.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20050712080821/http://www.linuxgazette.com/node/10249 Linux Game Publishing: Interview with Michael Simms] [[Linux Gazette]], March 6, 2005</ref> |
On June 24, 2005 LGP released ''Soul Ride'' to Linux running on computers with [[DEC Alpha|Alpha]] and Sparc processors.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20050712080821/http://www.linuxgazette.com/node/10249 Linux Game Publishing: Interview with Michael Simms] [[Linux Gazette]], March 6, 2005</ref> |
||
On August 30, 2005 Linux Game Publishing cancelled a contract to publish the Linux version of ''Northland'' which is the third game in the ''[[Cultures (video game series)|Cultures]]'' real-time strategy series, because technical issues with the game that Runesoft, who were doing the development work on the port, could not resolve to their satisfaction. However, on January 25, 2006 Runesoft released ''Northland'' for Linux, but the multiplayer mode is still not supported.<ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/7872 Linux Game Publishing Cancels Northland] [[LinuxGames]], August 30, 2005</ref> |
On August 30, 2005 Linux Game Publishing cancelled a contract to publish the Linux version of ''Northland'' which is the third game in the ''[[Cultures (video game series)|Cultures]]'' real-time strategy series, because technical issues with the game that Runesoft, who were doing the development work on the port, could not resolve to their satisfaction. However, on January 25, 2006 Runesoft released ''Northland'' for Linux, but the multiplayer mode is still not supported.<ref>[http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/7872 Linux Game Publishing Cancels Northland] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121612071000/http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/7872 }} [[LinuxGames]], August 30, 2005</ref> |
||
LGP grudgingly dropped support for five [[PowerPC]] games.:<ref>[http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2009/08/05/ppc-support-officially-being-discontinued-for-all-lgp-titles/ PPC support officially being discontinued for all LGP titles] Linux Game Publishing Blog, August 5, 2009 (Article by |
LGP grudgingly dropped support for five [[PowerPC]] games.:<ref>[http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2009/08/05/ppc-support-officially-being-discontinued-for-all-lgp-titles/ PPC support officially being discontinued for all LGP titles] Linux Game Publishing Blog, August 5, 2009 (Article by |
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Line 369: | Line 369: | ||
* ''Sacred: Gold Edition'' |
* ''Sacred: Gold Edition'' |
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On October 2012 they inform their customers that license agreement with Egosoft for X2 and X3 (including Special Edition) has expired and are no longer able to offer these titles to new customers.<ref>[http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2012/10/06/x2-x3/ X2 & X3] Linux Game Publishing Blog, October 6, 2012 (Article by Clive Crous)</ref> |
On October 2012 they inform their customers that license agreement with Egosoft for X2 and X3 (including Special Edition) has expired and are no longer able to offer these titles to new customers.<ref>[http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2012/10/06/x2-x3/ X2 & X3] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111004224/http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2012/10/06/x2-x3/ |date=2012-11-11 }} Linux Game Publishing Blog, October 6, 2012 (Article by Clive Crous)</ref> |
||
==Unreleased projects== |
==Unreleased projects== |
||
A Linux client of ''[[World of Warcraft]]'' was developed, and negotiations with Linux Game Publishing were under way until [[Blizzard Entertainment]] cancelled the project without warning or explanation, even though it was functionally complete and ready to go.<ref>[https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=OTA0NQ Blizzard Still Has a World of Warcraft Linux Client] [[Phoronix]], January 25, 2011 (Article by [[Michael Larabel]])</ref><ref>[ |
A Linux client of ''[[World of Warcraft]]'' was developed, and negotiations with Linux Game Publishing were under way until [[Blizzard Entertainment]] cancelled the project without warning or explanation, even though it was functionally complete and ready to go.<ref>[https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=OTA0NQ Blizzard Still Has a World of Warcraft Linux Client] [[Phoronix]], January 25, 2011 (Article by [[Michael Larabel]])</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050712080821/http://www.linuxgazette.com/node/10249 Linux Game Publishing: Interview with Michael Simms] [[Linux Gazette]], March 6, 2005</ref> |
||
Since 2004 Frank C. Earl (also known as svartalf) worked on PowerPC and [[Athlon 64|Athlon64]] versions of ''Ballistics'' and ''Soul Ride'', but these versions of the games were never released.<ref> |
Since 2004 Frank C. Earl (also known as svartalf) worked on PowerPC and [[Athlon 64|Athlon64]] versions of ''Ballistics'' and ''Soul Ride'', but these versions of the games were never released.<ref> |
||
[ |
[https://web.archive.org/web/20100528063917/http://www.earlconsult.com/frank_resume.html Frank C. Earl resume] Earl Consulting Services</ref> However, he prepared demo version of ''Soul Ride'' for Linux x86_64 for GDC 2003, but this demo is not publicly available.<ref>[http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?426181-Linux-port] Paradox Interactive Forums, December 9, 2009</ref> |
||
Svartalf was also the lead developer of ''Disciples II: Dark Prophecy'' and he worked on PowerPC and [[x86-64]] versions of ''Disciples II'', but work on the game still ended and LGP stopped working on games for PowerPC.<ref>[http://china.amd.com.cn/CHCN/assets/content_type/DownloadableAssets/dwamd_linux_gaming_presentation.pdf Peddling the Penguin: Linux Gaming] A Presentation for [[Game Developers Conference|GDC]] 2004 (Presentation by Frank Earl)</ref> |
Svartalf was also the lead developer of ''Disciples II: Dark Prophecy'' and he worked on PowerPC and [[x86-64]] versions of ''Disciples II'', but work on the game still ended and LGP stopped working on games for PowerPC.<ref>[http://china.amd.com.cn/CHCN/assets/content_type/DownloadableAssets/dwamd_linux_gaming_presentation.pdf Peddling the Penguin: Linux Gaming] A Presentation for [[Game Developers Conference|GDC]] 2004 (Presentation by Frank Earl)</ref> |
||
However, LGP is still working on [[IA-32]] version of ''Disciples II''.<ref>[http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2012/02/04/greetings-fellow-linux-gamers/ Greetings Fellow Linux Gamers] Linux Game Publishing Blog, February 4, 2012 (Article by Clive Crous) {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209053853/http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2012/02/04/greetings-fellow-linux-gamers/ |date=February 9, 2012 }}</ref> |
However, LGP is still working on [[IA-32]] version of ''Disciples II''.<ref>[http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2012/02/04/greetings-fellow-linux-gamers/ Greetings Fellow Linux Gamers] Linux Game Publishing Blog, February 4, 2012 (Article by Clive Crous) {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209053853/http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2012/02/04/greetings-fellow-linux-gamers/ |date=February 9, 2012 }}</ref> |
Revision as of 13:29, 16 May 2017
![]() | |
Company type | Limited company |
---|---|
Industry | Video games |
Founded | October 15, 2001 |
Headquarters | Nottingham, UK |
Key people | Clive Crous, CEO (2012 - Present) Michael Simms, Founder and LGP Business Adviser (CEO: 2001 - 2012) Frank C. Earl, Senior Developer |
Website | www |
Linux Game Publishing (sometimes also referred to as LGP) is a software company based in Nottingham in England. It ports, publishes and sells video games running on Linux operating systems. As well as porting games, LGP also sponsors the development of Grapple, a free software network library for games. As well as acting as a Linux game porter in of themselves, they also function as a publisher for other Linux game developers and porters.
History
2001-2012
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/dd/Creatures-Internet-Edition.png/200px-Creatures-Internet-Edition.png)
The company was founded on October 15, 2001 by Michael Simms when the similarly oriented Loki Software filed for bankruptcy.[1] Simms had previously founded the Tux Games retailer a few years earlier, and the collapse of Loki would have gravely affected his available stock. Linux Game Publishing had initially tried to pick up the support rights to many of Loki's titles, but in the end it was only able to acquire the rights to MindRover: The Europa Project. It was able, however, to independently pick up the publishing rights to Creatures: Internet Edition as well as the rights to the port of Majesty: Gold Edition which was previously being developed by Tribsoft.[2][3] Empowered by the addition of former Loki employee Mike Phillips, LGP released its first title on December 21, 2001.[4] In 2002 Ryan C. Gordon (a.k.a. icculus, former Loki Software) started porting the puzzle game Candy Cruncher to Linux and he was looking for beta testers. The first Linux version of Candy Cruncher was released in 2002 by Pyrogon (an indie game company founded by former employee of 3dfx and id Software Brian Hook) as a digital download.[5] LGP took interest in publishing Pyrogon games on physical CDs, and on September 10, 2002, LGP and Pyrogon announced a publishing partnership for Pyrogon's Linux titles.[6] Upon learning about the release of Postal 2 in 2003, Ryan decided to contact the developer behind it wondering if they would be interested in him making a port of the game to Linux. Loki had previously ported the original Postal to Linux, and he was interested in keeping the franchise compatible.[7] Running With Scissors agreed, and the finished port was shipped on February 14, 2005, with LGP initially handling the publishing of the Linux version.[8] In 2003, Hyperion Entertainment and Metropolis Software have extended their existing license agreement for Gorky 17. Linux gaming developers Steven Fuller and Joe Tennies joined to the Hyperion Entertainment game development team and they ported Gorky 17 to Linux, which three years later was published by LGP.[9]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d5/Shadowgrounds-Survivor.jpg/200px-Shadowgrounds-Survivor.jpg)
David Hedbor, founder and main programmer of Eon Games—an independent game development company specializing in creating games for desktop computers and handheld devices,[10] ported NingPo MahJong and Hyperspace Delivery Boy! to Linux, which later were published by LGP.[11] (the first version of NingPo Mah Jong for Linux, however, was released in 2003 by Pyrogon only as a digital download).[12] Eon Games stopped development and porting of games for Linux and other platforms in 2005 (and later closed in 2010).[13] In 2003, LGP began working with Epic Interactive, a German company specializing in porting and publishing games to alternative platforms.[14] Epic Interactive ported Knights and Merchants: The Shattered Kingdom and Software Tycoon to Linux.[15] In 2005 Epic Interactive has changed its name to Runesoft Entertainment.[16] In 2005 Czech development studio Mindware Studios released the Linux demo of Cold War.[17] Cold war was first LGP game published on DVD disc. LGP gained the publishing rights to several other game titles including Soul Ride, as well as Disciples II: Dark Prophecy. The latter has been described by Michael Simms as "LGP’s DNF" and "the game that refused to be ported" and has been said to have been the cause of several resignations from the company, including that of aforementioned employee Mike Phillips.[18] It has still, alongside another long delayed game Bandits: Phoenix Rising, yet to be released.[19][20]
In 2005, LGP has announced the opening of their beta test for Linux version of X2: The Threat.[21]
On March 13, 2008 Finnish game company Frozenbyte announced a partnership with Linux specialist IGIOS Ltd to port and release Shadowgrounds and Shadowgrounds Survivor on the Linux platform.[22] Both ports were later published by LGP, and LGP was actively involved in developing the Shadowgrounds Survivor port alongside IGIOS.
In December 2008, LGP released X3: Reunion and X3: Reunion Special Edition, which were first games using copy protection and the new installer written to use the GTK2 toolkit and support for using XDG menus.[23]
In December 2008, LGP launched PenguinPlay, a new website for Linux gamers, allowing matchmaking for multiplayer games, and social networking.[24]
In June 2009 they began offering downloadable games and game rentals.[25]
In August 2009 they grudgingly dropped support for all PowerPC games, stating that "demand for PPC versions of LGP games has been almost non existent".[26]
On August 10, 2009 Michael Simms confirmed that LGP is working on an original simple game based on Sudoku.[27]
In September 2009 Shadowgrounds (first LGP game available in Finnish language) and Shadowgrounds Survivor were finally released, the latter becoming the first commercial game for Linux using the Nvidia PhysX middleware.[28] In late December 2010 IGIOS Linux team founded new Finnish company Alternative Games, which is focus upon porting games to Linux as well as to Mac OS X.[29] Later they will also be ported Linux version of Trine for Frozenbyte without Linux Game Publishing.[30]
In late September 2010 the Linux Game Publishing server suffered a massive hard drive failure which took down all of their online infrastructure, including related websites such as Tux Games and The Linux Game Tome.[31] Various other unforeseen issues caused the recovery not to take place until late November, with partial service being restored on November 23, 2010,[32] with full recovery not being made until December 8, 2010.[33] They have since stated that work is going well on their current project, and that they have a working build of it in internal alpha testing.[34]
2012–present
On January 31, 2012, after over a decade with the company, Michael Simms announced in a blog post, that he was stepping down as CEO, saying "you can’t continue on a high energy rampage for 10 years without something breaking", and handing over control to Clive Crous, citing his "unrestrained enthusiasm for Linux gaming" as his primary qualification.[35] Since August 2012, LGP has started selling their games in stores like Desura, Gameolith and Ubuntu Software Center.[36] However, first information about LGP games in USC were shown up on Canonical blog two years before.[37] In 2012, they shut down the PenguinPlay website.[38] In 2015, LGP decided to host their website on the Heroku cloud service and they closed their support system hosted on Tender.[39] In 2013, LGP removed several LGP's resellers from their list e.g. Fun4tux, Ixsoft, Linuxpusher etc. In 2014 - 2015 LGP's resellers stopped to offer the service of rental or downloading eight games which used the LGP copy protection.
Games published
Supported
Title | Genre | Date of Release | Available Languages | Developer | Porter | Publisher |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Creatures: Internet Edition | Simulation | December 21, 2001 | Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish | Creature Labs | Creature Labs | Linux Game Publishing |
MindRover: The Europa Project | Strategy | December 13, 2002 | English | CogniToy | Loki Software/Linux Game Publishing | Linux Game Publishing |
Candy Cruncher | Puzzle | February 6, 2003 | English | Pyrogon | Ryan C. Gordon | Linux Game Publishing |
Majesty: Gold Edition | Real-time strategy | April 15, 2003 | English | Cyberlore Studios | Tribsoft/Linux Game Publishing | Linux Game Publishing |
NingPo MahJong | Puzzle | January 21, 2004 | English | Pyrogon | Eon Games | Linux Game Publishing |
Hyperspace Delivery Boy! | Puzzle/Action | May 10, 2004 | English | Monkeystone Games | Eon Games | Linux Game Publishing |
Software Tycoon | Simulation | January 10, 2005 | English, German | destraX Entertainment Software GbR | RuneSoft | Linux Game Publishing |
Postal²: Share The Pain | First-person shooter | February 4, 2005 | English | Running With Scissors | Ryan C. Gordon | Linux Game Publishing |
Soul Ride | Sports | June 24, 2005 | English | Slingshot | Linux Game Publishing | Linux Game Publishing |
Gorky 17 | Tactical RPG | June 15, 2006 | English, German, Spanish, French (Text Only) | Metropolis Software | Hyperion Entertainment | Linux Game Publishing |
Cold War | Stealth | August 4, 2006 | English, German, French, Russian, Spanish (text only), Italian (text only), Polish (text only), Czech (text only) | Mindware Studios | Mindware Studios | Linux Game Publishing |
Knights and Merchants: The Shattered Kingdom | Real-time strategy | March 13, 2007 | English, German, Spanish, French | Joymania Entertainment | RuneSoft/Linux Game Publishing | Linux Game Publishing |
Ballistics | Racing | June 7, 2007 | English | Grin | Linux Game Publishing | Linux Game Publishing |
Jets'n'Guns | Shoot 'em up | January 29, 2009 | English | RakeInGrass | RakeInGrass/Linux Game Publishing | Linux Game Publishing |
Sacred: Gold Edition | Action role-playing | April 9, 2009 | English | Ascaron Entertainment | Linux Game Publishing | Linux Game Publishing |
Shadowgrounds | Shooter | September 16, 2009 | English, Finnish | Frozenbyte | IGIOS/Linux Game Publishing | Linux Game Publishing |
Shadowgrounds Survivor | Shooter | September 18, 2009 | English, Finnish | Frozenbyte | IGIOS/Linux Game Publishing | Linux Game Publishing |
Unsupported
Title | Genre | Date of Release | Available Languages | Developer | Porter | Publisher |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
X2: The Threat | Space simulation | May 30, 2006 | English, German, French, Italian | Egosoft | Linux Game Publishing | Linux Game Publishing |
X3: Reunion | Space simulation | December 5, 2008 | English, German, French, Italian (text only) | Egosoft | Linux Game Publishing | Linux Game Publishing |
X3: Reunion - Special Edition | Space simulation | December 5, 2008 | English, German, French, Italian (text only) | Egosoft | Linux Game Publishing | Linux Game Publishing |
Upcoming
Title | Genre | Date of Release | Available Languages | Developer | Porter | Publisher |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unknown Title (Original LGP game)[40] | Puzzle | in development since 2009 | ? | Linux Game Publishing | Linux Game Publishing | Linux Game Publishing |
Bandits: Phoenix Rising | Racing | in development since 2003 | English | Grin | Linux Game Publishing | Linux Game Publishing |
Disciples II: Dark Prophecy | Turn-based strategy | in development since 2002 | English | Strategy First | Linux Game Publishing | Linux Game Publishing |
Copy protection
Linux Game Publishing employs a simple form of digital rights management similar to that employed by Games for Windows – Live. Upon the first run of the game, the user is prompted for a license key, alongside their LGP user name and password.[41]
Some features includes:[42]
- LGP copy protection does not require internet connection to install or play the game.
- This system does not require user to keep the disc inside the CD drive while playing games.
This system enables users to install the game on multiple systems (as there is not a limited number of activations), while also discouraging sharing by noting that any user who has access to the owner's LGP account credentials could potentially lock the owner out of their own game.
Games published
Currently, LGP has published nine games that contain their DRM technology:
Title | Box version | Digital version |
---|---|---|
Ballistics | No | None |
Ballistics (r2) | None | Yes |
Jets'n'Guns | Yes | Yes |
Majesty Gold | No | None |
Majesty Gold (r2) | Yes | Yes |
Sacred: Gold Edition | Yes | Yes |
Shadowgrounds | Yes | Yes |
Shadowgrounds Survivor | Yes | Yes |
X2: The Threat | No | None |
X2: The Threat (r2) | None | Yes |
X3: Reunion | Yes | Yes |
X3: Reunion - Special Edition | Yes | None |
Owners of a game license can transfer the license to someone else, download a replacement disc image and allow people to see that the license is valid if they buy your game. Owners can retrieve lost keys and forgotten passwords. Buyers can check to see if they are buying a game with a valid license.[43]
Open source projects
They also created several patches for OpenPlay, that fix broken Linux support, bring some functionalities that are present in DirectPlay.[44] LGP sponsors the development of Grapple, a free software network library for games. They work on other open source projects such as SDL or OpenAL.[45] LGP worked on GPL’d the Soul Ride engine at SourceForge.[46] Michael Simms also claims that LGP avoids publishing games similar to popular open source video games.[47]
Canceled projects
LGP canceled Angry-Pixel project, which was sponsor the creation of a new company for the development of games for Linux.[48]
The game Tzar: The Burden of the Crown was considered by Linux Game Publishing to be ported to Linux, but it was rejected due to concerns within the company about its gameplay and after hearing negative comments about the game from the Linux gaming community.[49]
On February 6, 2003 LGP released Candy Cruncher to Linux running on computers with Sparc processors, but two years later they removed this information from their website without explanation.[50]
On June 24, 2005 LGP released Soul Ride to Linux running on computers with Alpha and Sparc processors.[51]
On August 30, 2005 Linux Game Publishing cancelled a contract to publish the Linux version of Northland which is the third game in the Cultures real-time strategy series, because technical issues with the game that Runesoft, who were doing the development work on the port, could not resolve to their satisfaction. However, on January 25, 2006 Runesoft released Northland for Linux, but the multiplayer mode is still not supported.[52]
LGP grudgingly dropped support for five PowerPC games.:[53]
- Candy Cruncher (PowerPC)
- Gorky 17 (PowerPC)
- Majesty Gold (PowerPC)
- NingPo MahJong (PowerPC)
- Soul Ride (PowerPC)
PenguinPlay was a website for Linux gamers, allowing matchmaking for multiplayer games, and social networking.[54] LGP added PenguinPlay lobby for six games:
- Ballistics
- Candy Cruncher
- Jets'n'Guns
- Knights and Merchants: The Shattered Kingdom
- Majesty Gold
- Sacred: Gold Edition
On October 2012 they inform their customers that license agreement with Egosoft for X2 and X3 (including Special Edition) has expired and are no longer able to offer these titles to new customers.[55]
Unreleased projects
A Linux client of World of Warcraft was developed, and negotiations with Linux Game Publishing were under way until Blizzard Entertainment cancelled the project without warning or explanation, even though it was functionally complete and ready to go.[56][57]
Since 2004 Frank C. Earl (also known as svartalf) worked on PowerPC and Athlon64 versions of Ballistics and Soul Ride, but these versions of the games were never released.[58] However, he prepared demo version of Soul Ride for Linux x86_64 for GDC 2003, but this demo is not publicly available.[59] Svartalf was also the lead developer of Disciples II: Dark Prophecy and he worked on PowerPC and x86-64 versions of Disciples II, but work on the game still ended and LGP stopped working on games for PowerPC.[60] However, LGP is still working on IA-32 version of Disciples II.[61]
LGP still did not release the demo version of Sacred: Gold and patch 1.08 for Linux version of MindRover: The Europa Project
See also
References
- ^ Founder, Creditors Differ as to Loki's Future Course Linux Today, August 17, 2001 (Article by Dennis E. Powell)
- ^ LGP History pt 1: How LGP came to be Archived 2011-07-13 at the Wayback Machine Linux Game Publishing Blog, May 15, 2009 (Article by Michael Simms)
- ^ Majesty, Tribsoft, and LGP Archived 2011-06-14 at the Wayback Machine LinuxGames, January 3, 2002
- ^ LGP History pt 2: The Early Days Archived 2011-08-12 at the Wayback Machine Linux Game Publishing Blog, June 23, 2009 (Article by Michael Simms)
- ^ Call for Candy Cruncher Beta Testers Archived 2013-10-04 at the Wayback Machine LinuxGames, February 13, 2002
- ^ Linux Game Publishing and Pyrogon Announcement Archived 2013-10-04 at the Wayback Machine LinuxGames, September 10, 2002
- ^ Interview with Ryan Gordon: Postal2, Unreal & Mac Gaming Macologist, November 10. 2004
- ^ Postal 2 for Linux now shipping! icculus.org, February 14, 2005
- ^ Hyperion and Metropolis announce AmigaOS 4 version of Gorky 17 Hyperion Entertainment, December 25, 2003
- ^ About Eon Games
- ^ Hyperspace Delivery Boy Port Archived 2015-02-04 at the Wayback Machine LinuxGames, September 6, 2002
- ^ Pyrogon Releases NingPo Archived (Timestamp date invalid) at the Wayback Machine LinuxGames, April 18, 2003
- ^ Eon Games January 7, 2010
- ^ (Three) New Titles from LGP Archived (Timestamp date invalid) at the Wayback Machine LinuxGames, November 7, 2003
- ^ Software Tycoon Available Archived 2015-02-04 at the Wayback Machine LinuxGames, January 10, 2005
- ^ E.P.I.C. Interactive Becomes Runesoft Entertainment LinuxGames, June 8, 2005
- ^ Cold War Linux Demo Released March 11, 2005
- ^ LGP History pt 3: The long haul Archived 2011-07-13 at the Wayback Machine Linux Game Publishing Blog, August 25, 2009 (Article by Michael Simms)
- ^ Bandits: Phoenix Rising Proceeds On Linux Phoronix, February 15, 2008 (Article by Michael Larabel)
- ^ Bandits: Phoenix Rising Finally Gets A New Beta Phoronix, March 07, 2009 (Article by Michael Larabel)
- ^ LGP Opens Beta Test for X2 Slashdot, October 2, 2005
- ^ Shadowgrounds Survivor headed to Linux Archived 2012-03-19 at the Wayback Machine LinuxGames, March 14, 2008
- ^ Has A New Linux Game Installer Phoronix, February 26, 2008 (Article by Michael Larabel)
- ^ PenguinPlay! Archived 2009-01-08 at the Wayback Machine LinuxGames, January 2, 2009
- ^ LGP Gets Into Game Downloading, Rentals Phoronix, June 2, 2009 (Article by Michael Larabel)
- ^ PPC support officially being discontinued for all LGP titles Archived 2010-12-15 at the Wayback Machine Linux Game Publishing Blog, August 5, 2009 (Article by Michael Simms)
- ^ Bringing Windows games to Linux TechRadar, August 10, 2009 (Interview by Graham Morrison)
- ^ Shadowgrounds: Survivor Proceeds On Linux Phoronix, February 18, 2009 (Article by Michael Larabel)
- ^ Shadowgrounds and Shadowgrounds Survivor for Mac OS X Frozenbyte Forum, May 6, 2011
- ^ Alternative Games Is All About Linux Gaming Phoronix, December 14, 2010 (Article by Michael Larabel)
- ^ LGP Has Been Down For A Month And A Half Phoronix, November 18, 2010 (Article by Michael Larabel)
- ^ LGP Is Partially Back Online; More Unforeseen Issues Phoronix, November 23, 2010 (Article by Michael Larabel)
- ^ Linux Game Publishing Is Back Online Phoronix, December 08, 2010 (Article by Michael Larabel)
- ^ Linux Game Publishing...are alive? GamingOnLinux, May 4, 2011 (Article by Liam Dawe)
- ^ Linux Game Publishing...the return? GamingOnLinux, January 31, 2012 (Article by Liam Dawe)
- ^ Linux Game Publishing Adds 'Sacred Gold' RPG to Ubuntu Software Center Ubuntu Vibes, August 31, 2012
- ^ Canonical announces strong ISV and open source ecosystem support for Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Archived 2012-11-03 at the Wayback Machine Canonical Blog, April 27, 2010
- ^ Linux Game Publishing Shuts Down PenguinPlay Phoronix February 24, 2013
- ^ Linux Game Publishing Remains Offline, Three Years After The CEO Shakeup Phoronix, January 27, 2015 (Article by Michael Larabel)
- ^ Bringing Windows games to Linux TechRadar, August 10, 2009 (Interview by Graham Morrison)
- ^ LGP Introduces Linux Game Copy Protection, Rentals Phoronix, June 23, 2008 (Article by Michael Larabel)
- ^ Linux Game Copy Protection Archived 2010-03-11 at the Wayback Machine Linux Game Publishing
- ^ Linux Game Publishing Key Server website Archived 2012-02-15 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Ballistics Advogato Svartalf Blog, September 28, 2003
- ^ Open source projects Archived 2010-02-02 at the Wayback Machine Linux Game Publishing
- ^ LGP Announces Three New Titles Archived (Timestamp date invalid) at the Wayback Machine LinuxGames, January 5, 2003
- ^ Linux Game Publishing: Interview with Michael Simms Linux Gazette, March 6, 2005
- ^ Angry Pixels Archived 2003-08-06 at the Wayback Machine The Linux Game Tome
- ^ Tzar related posts Archived 2012-03-05 at the Wayback Machine LinuxGames
- ^ Candy Cruncher Linux Sparc Linux Game Publishing Products, September 9, 2005
- ^ Linux Game Publishing: Interview with Michael Simms Linux Gazette, March 6, 2005
- ^ Linux Game Publishing Cancels Northland Archived (Timestamp date invalid) at the Wayback Machine LinuxGames, August 30, 2005
- ^ PPC support officially being discontinued for all LGP titles Linux Game Publishing Blog, August 5, 2009 (Article by Michael Simms)
- ^ PenguinPlay! LinuxGames, January 2, 2009
- ^ X2 & X3 Archived 2012-11-11 at the Wayback Machine Linux Game Publishing Blog, October 6, 2012 (Article by Clive Crous)
- ^ Blizzard Still Has a World of Warcraft Linux Client Phoronix, January 25, 2011 (Article by Michael Larabel)
- ^ Linux Game Publishing: Interview with Michael Simms Linux Gazette, March 6, 2005
- ^ Frank C. Earl resume Earl Consulting Services
- ^ [1] Paradox Interactive Forums, December 9, 2009
- ^ Peddling the Penguin: Linux Gaming A Presentation for GDC 2004 (Presentation by Frank Earl)
- ^ Greetings Fellow Linux Gamers Linux Game Publishing Blog, February 4, 2012 (Article by Clive Crous) Archived February 9, 2012, at the Wayback Machine