Several months ago I’ve posted about the cRPG in developments called Venetica.
The company behind this game – Deck13, made many games which where ported to GNU/Linux and MacOS (by Runesoft) and I wrongly assumed that Venetica will have the same fate.
Despite using the FOSS cross platform Ogre3D engine like they did with their older games, they managed to make the port to GNU/Linux and MacOS very costly.
Apart from Ogre3D they used DirectX (to make the Xbox port) ,FMOD, PathEngine and Scaleform.
While DirectX could be replaced by OpenGL (for the sake of the other ports) the price to license the other middleware (FMOD, PathEngine and Scaleform) is very high, specifically – each tool needs to be re-licensed for each platform separately (those tools do support GNU/Linux, MacOS and other platforms).
So in other words a MacOS port won’t dramatically reduce the cost of the GNU/Linux port.
RuneSoft – the MacOS porters of Deck’s13 older games refused to port Venetica to MacOS due to the high licensing costs of the middleware.
Deck13 said that in order to justify a GNU/Linux port, they need at least 15k GNU/Linux units sold – which makes the port highly unlikely.
We can make a petition for it, or try the preorders method that worked with their older games like Jack Keane – but I still doubt that we’ll reach 15k.
Nonetheless Deck13 are still discussing with their publishers about porting Venetica to GNU/Linux and MacOS.
Although the chances are slim, it’s still possible.
When I read “Venetica’s GNU/Linux and MacOS Ports”, my first thought was: “Yes!!! Finally!!!” I really felt a happy feeling inside my body.
Then I read the first sentences and the happy feeling was gone and I thought: “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” 🙁
Well, that’s why you’ve got to take the right decissions when the development of the game starts. Developers start developing a game and only think about a release for Windows and just license DirectX and other kinds of middleware and after the release of the Windows game they start to think about a release for other oprating systems.
I also post in forums of developers to ask for releases for Linux and Mac OS X and it’s always the same: First the Windows version, then we’ll see. No, that’s not the right way. Take those decissions when the game’s still development. A simultaneous is always better than developing a game for one platform and then port it to other platforms.
My original post title was “Venetica unlikely to be ported to GNU/Linux” but I didn’t want to make the situation even more hopeless then it is, that’s why I didn’t add a few more lines about my personal feelings about this game development and ports.
But despite the high costs in the porting, they didn’t say absolute “no” , and it’s not a technological issue – but money (it always is…isn’t it ?).
I am not a programmer, but maybe – just maybe, other solution to the costly middleware could be found and a port could be made by someone (Ryan Gordon – if you reading this, check if you can do something about it).
As DirectX could be replaced by OpenGL, maybe other middleware could be replaced by free/cheap solutions.
But I’m not a programmer and Deck13 are still waiting for the final word from their publishers.
UT3 for Linux being release tomorrow is more likely than Venetica ever comming to Linux. BTW. Maxim, the Primal Carnage website is now up. They have an official forum and so on and soon people will be able to sign up for the beta of PC. Not sure whether it’s a Windows Beta or a Windows and Linux beta. From what I’ve seen so far (they seem to be treating Windows and Linux almost the same) I’d guess that at least a part of the testers will be testing the Linux version.