Test Driving Linux

Running Commercial Linux Games

Despite everything I've said previously, there are commercial games that run on Linux. In fact, some recent blockbusters, like Neverwinter Nights, Unreal Tournament 2004, and Doom3, have Linux versions. A few small game publishers also develop Linux games—check out BlackHoleSun Software's very fun and highly addictive Bunnies game (http://www.blackholesun.com) or the games from Garage Games (http://www.garagegames.com). And there are efforts underway to port a few popular Windows games to Linux.

Hardly anything elicits as much excitement in the Linux world as the announcement that an important new game is to have a native Linux version. Linux users anxiously awaited the release of the Linux version of the Dungeons & Dragons game Neverwinter Nights (Figure 5-4). It was eventually released a few months after the Windows version. You won't find a boxed Linux set in the stores, though. Instead, you have to purchase the Windows version and download some additional files from the game publisher's web site to get it to play under Linux. I've spent many happy hours playing this game on my Linux gaming machine.

Doom3, one of the most anticipated games ever, offers a Linux version as well. As with Neverwinter Nights, you must purchase the Windows boxed set and download some Linux files in order to play the game. If you want to try it before you buy it, you can get a demo of the Linux version at http://www.doom3.com. The game's publisher, iD, provides other Linux ...