Hello, open gaming fans! In this week's edition, we take a look at Unity Editor and DirectX 11 for Linux, and more gaming news.
Open gaming roundup for June 27 - July 4, 2015
Unity Editor for Linux coming soon
I wrote about the Unity Roadmap last week. This roadmap also included a highly-voted feature, a Linux port of the Unity Editor!
Official support for the editor will be available for Ubuntu, but should run on most modern Linux distributions. You can read more about this news in a post by Na'Tosha Bard, on the Unity blog. In this post you can read about what to expect from the editor, and current plans for an experimental build.
Image credit: Na'Tosha Bard, Unity.
Image credit: Na'Tosha Bard, Unity.
DirectX 11 is coming to Linux thanks to CodeWeavers and Wine
Chris Hoffman writes for PCWorld about the news on CodeWeavers that they are adding support for DirectX 11 to CrossOver by the end of this year. Wine is to follow shortly after.
"Wine is an open-source compatibility layer that allows Windows applications to run on top of Linux". CrossOver, a paid product by CodeWeavers, is built on top of Wine. The code to make support for DirectX 11 possible, will be open source, and submitted to the Wine project. With this support, developers will be able to port DirectX 11 games to Linux.
Get a Steam Machine with Nvidia's GeForce graphics
In another article by Chris Hoffman, also for PCWorld, Hoffman writes about why you should get a Steam Machine with Nvidia's GeForce graphics.
Hoffman states, Nvidia's Linux graphics drivers are far ahead of AMD's. Also, many recent AAA games ported to Linux on Steam work better on Nvidia graphics hardware. An example is The Wither 2, when ported to Linux, only supported Nvidia. Read Hoffman's post which includes references to some benchmarks as well.
Pick of the week: Minecraft Modding with Forge
I have been playing Minecraft the last few weeks, and it's an awesome game. As it is based on Java, an open source programming language, this offers lots of options for gamers who are into development.
Minecraft can be extended through 'mods'. Mods are small programs that let you modify the game elements, and add content. This is what Arun and Adity Gupta explain in their book 'Minecraft Modding with Forge'.
Playing Minecraft is a lot of fun, but the game is more engaging, entertaining, and educational when kids learn how to build mods. This family-friendly guide teaches kids and parents how to create mods of different types, using the Minecraft Forge modding tool. No programming experience is needed.
New games out for Linux
Relativity exploration puzzle game for Linux
Relativity, an exploration puzzle game, is coming to Linux. "A game set in an Escher-esque world filled with secrets and mysteries, you utilize a unique gravity-manipulation mechanic to turn walls into floors." Make sure to check out the extra YouTube movie, in the post by Linux Game News, where creator Willy Chyr shows how he builds his astonishing levels.
Portal Stories: Mel, a free mod for Linux
Portal Stories: Mel is a free mod of Portal 2, and has just launched for Linux and SteamOS. You will need your own copy of Portal 2 on your Steam account to play it, but you do not need to have it installed.
Portal Stories: Mel is a community made, free modification for Portal 2 based in the Portal universe. It tells the story of Mel, who meets a new personality core and faces an undiscovered threat to the Aperture facility.
Prototyping card and board games with Squib
I'd like to end this week's roundup with Squib, a Ruby DSL for prototyping card and board games. Hat Tip to fellow Opensource.com moderator Joshua Holm, for suggesting this. Based on the Cairo graphics rendering engine, Squib lets you compile your game into a series of images ready for print and play. A great 'tool' to build your own card and board game!
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