Is the Key to Linux a Games-Based Distro?

An anonymous reader writes "If in the FOSS community we could only get our act together and launch a game-based distro, we will be home and dry. That, at least, is the view of one British games enthusiast, Ian Bonham, who says in the short Linux World article: 'I would be happy to help a group of volunteers create a distro based on games, because I believe that's where the next generation is - NOT in giving away copies of Linux or OOo. That's a short-term ideal. The PS2 and the X-Box(sic) run Linux, so let's create a distro that turns home PC into a console with development potential. Expand that distro to the consoles. And lets get some 'killer' games on that disk.'"

Woo

[Anonymous Coward]

Can we get Tux Racer? Now that's livin'...

And we will call it....

[mschoolbus]

Indrema!

Re:Not killer games, but killer game compatibility

[gspr]

"needs to be able to run PC games" - what is that supposed to mean? You're obviously missing some vital information here...

Re:Key

[Bingo Foo]

I thought that figuring out how to make your peripherals work was what made most Linuxes "games-based" distros in the first place.

Re:It will take more than just any game,

[Anonymous Coward]

...and I'll just compile it into WIN32.

You lose once again.

Re:This is a great idea

[crackshoe]

Develop games for linux? on what processor? x86? And then someone will bother porting it to work well enough on PPC, Sparc, or what have you? You think linux users are marginalized, try being a linux user on a non-x86 platform... not that i'm bitter, mind you. i love having to compile almost everything.

Re:It will take more than just any game,

[Greedo]

Maybe this is what's stalling Duke Nukem Forever.

A text adventure would be perfect

[WankersRevenge]

Just think about it. You boot up Linux for the first time, and the way to activate functionality is to make your way through the "game". The first thing it should read when you boot it up:

It is dark. You will mostly likely be eaten by a Stallman.
>inventory
You are carrying:
man light
>man room
The room brightens. You are in a small chamber. A sign on the wall declares this room to be: init.

A door reads, "Daemon Restroom". A light glows from underneath it. You hear a toilet flush

A tall lanky fella steps out of the darkness. He wears a threadbare cloak and carries a large sack. He opens the sack, and grumbles something about "699". A large stilletto knife dangles from his belt.

Re:What planet is this guy from?

[fbg111]

1) Think up cool name for game
2) Open sourceforge project
3) wait for programmers and artists to come write it for you
4) ??

You forgot the most important step:

5) Profit!

Oh, wait... (ponders F/OSS game economics)

EverQuest

[Fizzl]

Just port the f*cuking EverCrack onto Linux and I'm ready to migrate my desktop.
No seriously, that's the only thing that is keeping me and my wife back. :)

Re:It will take more than just any game,

[Cruciform]

Tux Racer II: Grand Theft Penguin

Re:It will take more than just any game,

[cybermace5]

And the penguins would shoot frozen bubbles.

Re:What planet is this guy from?

[LurkerXXX]

Ahh yes. He's going to make a fine PHB someday.

wait..

[CoolMoDee]

wait..did you just say XFree86 and developing fast in the same sentence? Best laugh I have had all day thanks :-)

Obviously

[foonf]

Its common knowledge that becoming a superior gaming platform is the best way for a platform to gain mainstream acceptance. Thats why the Amiga has become the dominant computing platform today.

Re:Interesting

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't buy the mantra that using a Windows machine for anything soils a person.
Dude, the mantra is GPL! You don't gotta buy anything!
But you gotta believe!
These licensing arguments represent the IT theology; you have to have an ultimate truth which you grasp without reflection, and then use to beat other unbelievers.
Please don't tell anyone about my dual boot XP/RH9 laptop, or I'll be stoned (biblically) by both camps.

Re:Interesting

[Anonymous Coward]

Let's call the distro "Phantom".

Re:Didn't work for OS/2

[Anonymous Coward]

...OS/2 faced two major hurdles...
1)...
2)...
3)...

Heh, no wonder OS/2 never gained mass acceptance.

Re:Interesting

[Romeozulu]

Any game that has spare cycles isn't worth playing :-)

Re:Yeah, whatever!

[chromatic]

Perhaps we should tattoo your first paragraph on everyone who writes such an article.

It might be less painful to write "You have permission to implement your good ideas", but I do prefer your phrasing.