14 DAY TRIAL // GOG.com releasing games for Linux would have been great news for the open source platform, but it seems that we shouldn't get our hopes up. A GOG representative has left a somewhat disappointing message in a Linux wishlist.
When the official announcement hit at the start of this month, a lot of people in the Linux community got excited at the possibility of GOG.com selling games for the open source platform. The information was not straightforward, but what else could have been?
“Not only console and PC users should tune in for the conference. Mac Computer users should be prepared for a bunch of thrilling announcements including more information about the upcoming release of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings for OS X.
“Speaking of new operating systems, GOG.com will also be announcing that it is bringing the best PC games from throughout history to a new operating system,” stated the official announcement.
Everyone imagined that “the new operating system” would be Linux, but it might have just been a poor choice of words.
On the GOG.com website, in the Request Site Features category, there's request from a user that asks the company to also provide the Linux version of a game, if the developer has already made the port.
Needless to say that the request has gathered a lot of support, over 7000 votes, and 443 comments, so far. The interest for games that also support Linux seems to be much bigger than previously anticipated by digital distribution services.
A mysterious representative of GOG.com, identified only as TheEnigmaticT, has posted a response to the Linux debate, which is not all that encouraging.
“We've seen a lot more of you guys voting on this wish recently and I thought it was only fair for me to update you. Linux is a great platform, and we love how much passion you guys are showing for it here on our wishlist.
“We definitely know that it's one of the top things our community wants from us, but it's also really difficult to bring the GOG.com level of support and ease-of-use to the wide variety of distros that are commonly used by Linux users. If we're able to bring GOG.com games to Linux--and we're constantly evaluating ways that we can do this--we want to make sure that we're doing it the GOG.com way: simple, easy, and it "just works,” explained TheEnigmaticT.
He also added that users mustn't lose hope and that GOG.com was not ready to move to support Linux officially just yet.
More information about this subject will be available tomorrow, after the press event organized by CD Projekt, the owners of GOG.com.