GameOver40.com

Recently, I had a chance to play with an OLPC, the new “One Laptop Per Child” laptop and I was
thoroughly impressed with the hardware. Along with the Asus Eee PC, the Intel Classmate PC, and
rumors of a Acer product along these lines, the market of low cost linux-based laptops is really heating up.
Will this be the catalyst to make Linux a viable platform for gaming?

Linux has always been a solid platform for emulators, but not so hot for original games. With cheap, durable
laptops in the hands of many younger gamers, it seems like a good market for games. While the OLPC is targeted
in developing nations, some of them will end up in the hands of kids with deep pockets, and the Eee PC seem like
the perfect product for K-12 and college age students with it’s portability.

The downside for me as a parent is that there isn’t any educational titles available, so while I’m in the market for a durable laptop for my two younger kids, it’s hard to consider the current generation of linux laptops. My kids love to play games like Dora The Explorer on our current old laptop, so it’s a hard sell to get them to make the switch until publishers take notice and start releasing Linux titles.

A big question for publishers is piracy; can you create a Linux title that people will pay for as opposed to torrent? I personally think so, but I think it’s a challenge that many publishers won’t pursue.

Tags: Business //