Hello there, joining the conversation. It seems that this thread is closely related to the project I started working on a year and a half ago, Lutris ( http://lutris.net ). For the moment I've only implemented what I call 'runners' for a bunch of emulators and whatever program that can run games. My first goal is to provide a perfect gaming experience, providing fixes for common problems such as fullscreen or sound issues. I've also started on game installaters which are basically a YAML files describing the way the game should be installed. ( there's an early draft of the specs here : http://lutris.net/wiki/index.php/Writing_Lutris_installers)
Then comes all the stuff you are talking about and that I haven't started implementing yet (but it's planned) : - A contact list, with the possibility to join a friend in a network game - Synchronization of game saves in the cloud - Game stats (Number of hours played, etc...) Most of this stuff would be done on the server, I've done work on the website but it's still at a very early stage and not useful at all. The sourcecode for the server has not been released yet but it will, eventually (it's a Django project). Bear in mind that I haven't found anyone to help hacking on the project so the development is very slow but I have made everything possible to ease contribution : there's a Wiki ( http://lutris.net/wiki ), a blog ( http://www.lutris.net/blog/ ), an IRC channel ( #lutris on Freenode ), a launchpad project with a bzr branch and a bugtracker ( https://launchpad.net/lutris ). Please keep Lutris in mind when thinking about providing a good gaming experience in Ubuntu ;) Cheers, Mathieu On Tue, May 3, 2011 at 7:59 PM, Niklas Rosenqvist < [email protected]> wrote: > If it could be installed as a plugin to empathy and if the applications > using the API could detect if the plugin is installed and if not have > fallback method then I guess it could be integrated nicely. But I think that > most important is to get the games application itself to work with save game > synchronization and other meta data such as Ubuntu Software Center rating. > Then afterwards I would gladly see it implemented with an API for games to > use empathy and other software. But the games application shouldn't > necessarily depend on the developers for integrating these functions. It > should be able to work as a standalone application with information on where > the games available in the software center saves it's data and with a > growing list for other games, which also could be configured by the user, by > manually pointing to the directory where they reside. > > How about that? > > 2011/5/3 Shane Fagan <[email protected]> > >> Well the idea was an interesting idea and pretty attainable in terms >> of what we have to work with. >> >> So the social features are all done with Empathy/Telepathy so the >> developers would be able to plug in to this API that is already there >> for this (in 99% sure its a dbus call or something to do it). More >> advanced features like allowing users to join games or install games >> from the software center by clicking a link in empathy would require a >> little bit of code in empathy itself to work but not too much. >> >> The idea itself shouldn't add too much to the default Ubuntu install >> the only thing that might add a lot is adding mumble to empathy which >> would be awesome even for non gamers. I don't really agree with the >> term hardcore gamers since the developers of both styles of games >> should be able to use the APIs on offer in the same ways and get equal >> great user experiences from it. >> >> Saving games to u1 is easy to do you can either sync the folder or you >> can use desktop couch and sync the table so thats easy and if you send >> any developer to #ubuntuone on freenode we can help it out. Between >> devices is interesting because we do have a file sync for android and >> it is being improved at the moment so ill have to say maybe on the >> devices comment. On windows if the developer uses the same config or >> save files you could even work there too (on the new windows client in >> development, soonish release but not near ready yet). >> >> Videos in the software center is something ive wanted for a while. It >> would take some effort to set up though so I wont try to speculate on >> it. Id love to have trailers and gameplay videos though since thats >> what people base their buying decisions on when buying games. The >> interesting thing would be how to do this. Streaming is always a >> sticky issue. >> >> --fagan >> >> On Tue, May 3, 2011 at 4:43 PM, Niklas Rosenqvist >> <[email protected]> wrote: >> > Sorry If I accidentally sends this twice. I had some problem when >> sending it >> > the first time so here goes: >> > Thanks for the contribution Shane! What I understand from your blueprint >> is >> > that you guys were designing a "games application" with social community >> > features like Steam or Desura. This would make it a fairly big project >> and I >> > think that it might be too big for something that could ship as standard >> in >> > Ubuntu. What I want from this idea is that it should be an easy to use >> and >> > lightweight application which all users could make use of not only the >> > hardcore gamers, even the ones just playing mines and mahjong. As Desura >> is >> > coming to Linux I think that need will be met. But there were a bunch of >> > really great ideas in your blueprint and I think that there was one that >> was >> > exceptional: >> > Save game synchronization! It would be great to be able to integrate the >> > application with Ubuntu One so that the saves can be synchronized (and >> > backed up) between devices! This is a feature I think that many would >> > appreciate. Maybe even high scores and such can be synced. >> > Also the possibility of adding videos to games in Software Center is an >> > interesting idea. But it presents itself with a bunch of problems: Would >> > only trailers be allowed or also explanatory videos? Should there be a >> > quality standard? Should only games be allowed to have videos or regular >> > applications as well? I think it is a good idea but one that requires a >> lot >> > of thought and design, maybe it should wait for a later iteration of >> > Ubuntu... >> > Please continue the discussion :) >> > I think I will try make a mockup of such an application. Don't know when >> I >> > will have time though... >> > 2011/5/3 Shane Fagan <[email protected]> >> >> >> >> On this entire thread I had a blueprint at the last UDS talking about >> >> how to improve the gaming experience on Ubuntu and it got some >> >> interesting responses although we didn't really do anything in the end >> >> with it but we came up with a list of things that we could do in the >> >> future and I think that was good. I cant remember the link to the >> >> outcome but the original ideas (a big brain dump really) was >> >> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/GamesIntegration take with it what you will. >> >> >> >> --fagan >> >> >> >> On Tue, May 3, 2011 at 3:06 PM, Niklas Rosenqvist >> >> <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > I think it would be used rather extensively since most people don't >> want >> >> > to >> >> > put all their games in the launcher since it clutters it completely >> and >> >> > I >> >> > atleast don't want to have to search for them everytime I want to >> find a >> >> > game. I guess it's the feeling of well organised content that appeals >> >> > most. >> >> > This would also simplify the whole process by having one launcher for >> >> > all >> >> > your games and even provide meta data. >> >> > >> >> > Regular Steam users tend to (from my experience) put all their games >> in >> >> > their steam launcher to make them easily accessible. On my windows >> >> > partition >> >> > I only have one icon for all my games and that is Steam. It makes the >> >> > whole >> >> > thing fast and easy. Most importantly, as I stated before, it would >> >> > encourage gaming on Ubuntu. >> >> > I believe that instead of just dismissing the gaming situation on >> linux >> >> > as >> >> > "Developers will never focus on us since they don't have market here" >> >> > and >> >> > settle for having it as an office workstation we should make it as >> gamer >> >> > friendly we can! Because if we get the gamers to Ubuntu, we also get >> the >> >> > hardware vendors to create good drivers. >> >> > 2011/5/3 James Gifford <[email protected]> >> >> >> >> >> >> Ah right. I agree that it could be more visible - but I'm not sure >> how >> >> >> many users would use something like that. You have to balance >> features >> >> >> with "How many users are actually going to use this thing?" >> >> >> >> >> >> Cheers, >> >> >> James Gifford >> >> >> http://jamesrgifford.com >> >> >> >> >> >> On 05/02/2011 06:01 PM, Niklas Rosenqvist wrote: >> >> >> > I know, that's why I said: "we have the 'applications'-lens which >> is >> >> >> > good but it can't give a description of any of the games or meta >> >> >> > information as: 'last played' or '10 hours of total game time'". >> >> >> > >> >> >> > Also sorry about mentioning Desura, I just realised it hasn't been >> >> >> > released yet. All the talk about Project Bossanova these days got >> me >> >> >> > fooled :) >> >> >> > >> >> >> > On 02/05/11 23:51, James Gifford wrote: >> >> >> >> There is already a way to do this - it's hidden, but it's there >> [1] >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Cheers, >> >> >> >> James Gifford >> >> >> >> http://jamesrgifford.com >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> [1] http://lts.cr/arr >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> On 05/02/2011 05:05 PM, Niklas Rosenqvist wrote: >> >> >> >>> Wouldn't it be sweet to be able to gather up all games into a >> >> >> >>> "games"-application, similar to the one used for system settings >> or >> >> >> >>> the >> >> >> >>> games folder in windows vista/7? Since the traditional gnome >> menu >> >> >> >>> is >> >> >> >>> gone we need a new way to gather up games, we have the >> >> >> >>> "applications"-lens which is good but it can't give a >> description >> >> >> >>> of >> >> >> >>> any >> >> >> >>> of the games or meta information as: "last played" or "10 hours >> of >> >> >> >>> total >> >> >> >>> game time". Think of it as a mini-Desura or mini-Steam client. >> >> >> >>> Without >> >> >> >>> all the extra bling and functions. Just a simple way to organise >> >> >> >>> games >> >> >> >>> which can be set as a launcher, which also supports a quick list >> >> >> >>> for >> >> >> >>> recently played games. >> >> >> >>> >> >> >> >>> How about it? Couldn't that be a great addition to the Unity >> shell? >> >> >> >>> This >> >> >> >>> would also encourage gaming on Linux platforms and hopefully >> also >> >> >> >>> developers to start providing Linux-clients. >> >> >> >>> >> >> >> >>> (Ubuntu should also try to include more games into it's >> >> >> >>> repositories >> >> >> >>> to >> >> >> >>> encourage gaming on ubuntu, games like Minecraft which is hugely >> >> >> >>> popular >> >> >> >>> should definitely be there as well as Desura) >> >> >> >>> >> >> >> >>> _______________________________________________ >> >> >> >>> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~ayatana >> >> >> >>> Post to : [email protected] >> >> >> >>> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~ayatana >> >> >> >>> More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp >> >> >> > >> >> >> > >> >> >> > _______________________________________________ >> >> >> > Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~ayatana >> >> >> > Post to : [email protected] >> >> >> > Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~ayatana >> >> >> > More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp >> >> >> >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > _______________________________________________ >> >> > Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~ayatana >> >> > Post to : [email protected] >> >> > Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~ayatana >> >> > More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp >> >> > >> >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~ayatana >> > Post to : [email protected] >> > Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~ayatana >> > More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp >> > >> > >> > > > _______________________________________________ > Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~ayatana > Post to : [email protected] > Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~ayatana > More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp > >
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