Tux Games
Encyclopedia
Tux Games is one of the first still active online Linux game
retailers, founded on January 1, 2000 by Michael Simms
, who would later also found Linux Game Publishing
. It was originally created in response to Simms being unable to order a version of Loki Software
's port of Civilization: Call to Power
from any British
reseller.
Tux Games, being one of the oldest retailers, is one of the few places still selling Loki Software
stock, although their availability is still of course variable. It also offers the unique service of selling Linux boxed copies of many games whose ports otherwise require the presence of a Windows
boxed version, such as with several id Software
products. Doing this has the advantage of guaranteeing it is counted as a Linux sale.
In addition to its services as a games seller, Tux Games has attempted to branch out into other areas, such as selling gaming oriented computer systems, and attempting to open a Donation Center for free software
projects. In the end neither of these appear to have been successful. Its decision of hosting old Loki Software
demos has been met with praise however.
Tux Games received many requests for sales statistics, which promted Simms to add a sales information chart to the main website. The current top five overall sellers are Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
, Tribes 2
, Return to Castle Wolfenstein
, Neverwinter Nights
, and Majesty Gold.
In recent years Tux Games has gained some competition from other similary focused retailers, such as Fun4Tux and Wupra, both retailers based in continental Europe
, as well as the Gameolith online distribution service. It has also been occasionally criticized for poor order handling.
Linux gaming
Linux gaming refers to playing or developing video games for the Linux operating systems.- Background :Linux gaming refers to all game titles that can run on Linux based operating systems. This can refer to free / open source games, which may also be commercial, that run natively on Linux, or...
retailers, founded on January 1, 2000 by Michael Simms
Michael Simms (software developer)
Michael Simms is the creator of the Tux Games website and the founder of Linux Game Publishing.- Biography :Simms began using Linux when he was at university in 1992. From 2000 — 2001 he worked at Wcities as Lead product architect....
, who would later also found Linux Game Publishing
Linux Game Publishing
Linux Game Publishing is a software company based in Nottingham in England. It ports, publishes and sells video games running on Linux operating systems. As well as porting games, LGP also sponsors the development of Grapple, a free software network library for games...
. It was originally created in response to Simms being unable to order a version of Loki Software
Loki Software
Loki Software, Inc. was a software firm based in Tustin, California, United States, that ported several video games from Microsoft Windows to Linux...
's port of Civilization: Call to Power
Civilization: Call to Power
Civilization: Call to Power is a PC turn-based strategy game developed by Activision as a successor to the extremely successful Civilization computer game by Sid Meier. It was ported to Linux by Loki Software....
from any British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
reseller.
Tux Games, being one of the oldest retailers, is one of the few places still selling Loki Software
Loki Software
Loki Software, Inc. was a software firm based in Tustin, California, United States, that ported several video games from Microsoft Windows to Linux...
stock, although their availability is still of course variable. It also offers the unique service of selling Linux boxed copies of many games whose ports otherwise require the presence of a Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
boxed version, such as with several id Software
Id Software
Id Software is an American video game development company with its headquarters in Richardson, Texas. The company was founded in 1991 by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack...
products. Doing this has the advantage of guaranteeing it is counted as a Linux sale.
In addition to its services as a games seller, Tux Games has attempted to branch out into other areas, such as selling gaming oriented computer systems, and attempting to open a Donation Center for free software
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
projects. In the end neither of these appear to have been successful. Its decision of hosting old Loki Software
Loki Software
Loki Software, Inc. was a software firm based in Tustin, California, United States, that ported several video games from Microsoft Windows to Linux...
demos has been met with praise however.
Tux Games received many requests for sales statistics, which promted Simms to add a sales information chart to the main website. The current top five overall sellers are Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri is the critically acclaimed science fiction 4X turn-based strategy video game sequel to the Civilization series. Sid Meier, designer of Civilization, and Brian Reynolds, designer of Civilization II, developed Alpha Centauri after they left MicroProse to join the newly...
, Tribes 2
Tribes 2
-Legacy:On November 20, 2002, Sierra released an update for Tribes 2. This update contained two new game types, new maps and updates to address several issues. Sierra, which is now part of Vivendi SU, licensed the franchise to Irrational Games for a third installment; Tribes: Vengeance was...
, Return to Castle Wolfenstein
Return to Castle Wolfenstein
Return to Castle Wolfenstein is a first person shooter video game published by Activision and originally released on November 19, 2001 for Microsoft Windows. It was made available on Steam on August 3, 2007. The single player game was developed by Gray Matter Interactive and Nerve Software...
, Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights , produced by BioWare and published by Infogrames , is a third-person perspective computer role-playing game that is based on third edition Dungeons & Dragons and Forgotten Realms rules. It was originally to be published by Interplay Entertainment, but the publisher's financial...
, and Majesty Gold.
In recent years Tux Games has gained some competition from other similary focused retailers, such as Fun4Tux and Wupra, both retailers based in continental Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, as well as the Gameolith online distribution service. It has also been occasionally criticized for poor order handling.