Intrinsic Alchemy for Linux Released [LWN.net]

Intrinsic Graphics, Inc. has announced the availability of Intrinsic Alchemy for Linux. "Based on research and development over the past year, the Linux version of Alchemy moves game development to the next generation and continues to broaden the platforms available to game developers. With Alchemy for Linux, developers have even more opportunity to prototype games for emerging platforms."

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One (more) for the road

Posted Feb 23, 2003 0:20 UTC (Sun) by leonbrooks (guest, #1494) [Link]

Blender's game publisher will be along shortly, too.

What would really make a difference is a few of the common Windows-bedazzled application houses to scramble aboard, late, but nevertheless on the bandwagon. Think in terms of Adobe, AutoDesk, Macromedia, Corel.

It's not that Linux is dying for lack of the apps they would bring, but that people currently using those apps would then face a near-zero learning curve in upgrading to Linux.

Large players like IBM have committed to joining the Linux parade, but this hasn't extended to, for example, Lotus Office, which they own. They've got the macro picture right, but some important micro details have made no obvious progress. Having a handful of desktop applications ported might be the leader that brings down the serious lightning for Linux.

In passing, it's worth noting that a port away from Windows is also a port towards Mac OS X (as Fink demonstrates).

Except that Trey's word on the subject will probably be "over my dead and cooling body", it would also reopen questions on MS-Office and Internet Exploder for Linux.

On the downside, the pressure is now seriously on OSS for big desktop apps (and KDE, for example, seems to be on the way to delivering many key answers, to say nothing of OpenOffice.org's sterling (and yes, big) contribution), and a rush of proprietary apps would take a lot of wind out of these sails.