A Chat With TransGaming

Can you introduce yourself to the gentle HEXUS.net readers?

Sure. My name is Lucas Smithen, I am the Cedega Product Manager at TransGaming Technologies.

What brought you to work at TransGaming?

I have known TransGaming Technologies' founder Gavriel State for a number of years. We used to sit and talk about his ideas for starting what would become TransGaming at the diner after fencing. Each time we talked about it I would ask, "So, when you need me you are going to hire me, right?" Well sure enough a short time later the company was underway and I was doing Q.A. on The Sims for Linux.

Which games do you play under Linux yourself - with or without the help of Cedega?

Most recently I have been playing a lot of Civilization III and World of WarCraft.

Which Linux distributions cause the most headaches for your support people? Which ones Just Work&tm;? And which one do you use yourself, given the choice?

Currently I would have to say Gentoo causes the most support requests. With bleeding edge packages and a million and one different configurations in how you can use it, Gentoo has the most support requests by far. Knoppix or vanilla Debian are probably the easiest distribution to get Cedega working on.

I personally have my likes and dislikes for all distributions. SuSE is very nice and easy to use but they often use non-standard package names which can cause problems. Fedora seems to use a lot of kernel patches and I find some of their presets restrictive. If I had to make a choice and stick with it I would choose Knoppix.

How often do the games companies lend a hand - by providing source code or inside working information, to help get games running? Any particular 'Friends of TransGaming'?

The short answer: not enough. The number is growing, however. In the past, TransGaming team members had to frequently break the ice with gaming companies, educating developers and publishers about who we were and what we do. It seems the word is getting around though and in recent months we have been contacted by game developers and publishers wondering how they can help to get their games working in Cedega.

Many moons ago, a modified version of The Sims was released, with an older version of WineX; the modified game executable billed as the best way to implement the game under Linux. Have you approached or been approached by other companies, to help get tricky games running by editing the game itself?

We have been in talks (and still are) with a number of game developers and publishers about bringing new and exciting technologies to the Linux frontier. We will continue to urge gaming companies to see Linux as a viable platform for their titles and show them that the Linux community is an untapped market just waiting for their products. Some developers are already starting to recognize the significance of Linux as an emerging desktop of choice.

Has ATI's promise of sensible Linux support shown any measurable improvements from where you're sitting? Any of the major show stoppers for games such as Grand Theft Auto: Vice City fixed?

The basic promise itself is a huge improvement for all Linux users out there. Having driver support from both of the big name video card manufactures is a huge shot in the arm for the community. The ability to choose between cards allows users to select the best card for both their needs and their budgets. ATI is new to the field of Linux drivers and problems still exist with their drivers. However, TransGaming is working closely with the ATI Linux Driver team to help them pinpoint and solve issues in their drivers that are adversely affecting Linux users. Current show stoppers in GTA: Vice City and some other titles are still around but I have confidence that ATI will fix the outstanding issue.

When games begin to be released for the perpetually delayed Windows XP x64 Edition, will there be a 64 bit Cedega to follow it?

I am not sure how fast game developers are going to jump on the 64 bit bandwagon but I am sure that once they do we will be right behind them bringing the newest and hottest titles to Linux.

With the recent announce of a DirectX 9 game (Sid Meier's Pirates) running in the open-source WineHQ WINE, and the promise of further development in this area, are you concerned about Cedega's long-term future (compared to the free Free competition)?

Well I haven't tried Sid Meier's Pirates! under Wine yet but a Q and A session with the developer that got it working seems to indicate there is a ways to go yet. Copy protection, movies, installers, these are all integral parts of the gaming experience. From experience I know the novice user does not want to jump through hoops to get a game going.

All in all though I am not worried too much about competition in the marketplace. Competition simply forces us to be the best that is out there. As long as the Wine project makes headway and strives to take its place in the gaming market TransGaming is forced to ensure that Cedega is the best product we can make it.

How do you see Linux gaming developing over the next few years? Which developers would you put bets on as entering the Linux gaming market?

Gaming in Linux is going to be completely dependent on one thing: the view of the publishers to the Linux community. Currently, most game publishers do not see Linux as a valuable place to spend time and effort. TransGaming is hoping that with Linux emerging in new markets, with governments all over the world adopting Linux that the Linux home desktop will be seen as a place to put your resources for a substantial return. Who will be the developers of the new generation of Linux gaming? I would look to the European and Canadian developers. I don't believe the U.S. market will allow for developers and publishers to risk their capital on the unproven market. You will need to look at the up and comers in markets where Linux is gaining the most strength.

And any big plans for Cedega for the future? 100% DirectX 10.0 computability in Cedega 5.0?

Well my vision for Cedega is every Windows game based game working under Cedega at equivalent or better speeds with an interface usable to even the most novice of users. A lofty goal but I think a good one.

Any final words you'd like to add?

If you like playing games in Linux then support games on Linux; become a TransGaming subscriber and let your support for Linux be heard!