Aquaria and Linux

[palu]

Are there exact questions you want answered other than I'm too busy to do a Linux port right now?

Hello again,
sorry for the lag in replying (i was busy finishing up work for my university obligations). Here are the particular questions (from above posts) that i'd still like answers to (in no particular order and possibly reworded for greater (hopefully) clarity):

1. Would you be open to allowing someone other than you (Alec/Bit-Blot) do the linux port?
Example potential porters:

• Ryan C. Gordon or another professional porter
  (Ryan has "indie-friendly" pricing which could be covered in a number of ways without dipping into Bit-Blot's pockets)
• Linux Game Publishing
  (they negotiate any royalties and/or upfront payments to Bit-Blot for the rights to the port and then produce and sell boxed versions)
• Community member(s)
  (ported for free by someone who has the time to do so.)

2. Would you consider offering the Windows versions of Aquaria to linux users at a discounted price?
(Discounted price because we'd be forced to run it through WINE. Doing so would also allow the purchase to be identified as a linux sale.)

3. Would you consider offering linux users a refund or other guarantee that the Windows version would work under WINE?

[beemer]

I haven't bugged Alec about this for awhile, but honestly, why not negotiate with someone to do a port?  Apart from a small amount of time to negotiate, you really don't have to do anything.  The Linux community would jump at the chance to beta test a Linux version of Aquaria.  Look at World Of Goo - the moment that was playable, we got on, worked with the porter and the Linux version of WoG came out just fine (just like the win version - he even did the things we didn't like just to make it exactly the same )

So really, Linux users gain a port of a frickin' great game and you gain some profit on every unit sold (still got my money ready for 2+ copies here).


All that being said, I'm sorry to hear your last six months haven't been good for you in the life department.   Hopefully things are looking up for you or will soon.

Beemer

[rettichschnidi]

I'd also really like to get answers for those questions:

Are there exact questions you want answered other than I'm too busy to do a Linux port right now?

Hello again,
sorry for the lag in replying (i was busy finishing up work for my university obligations). Here are the particular questions (from above posts) that i'd still like answers to (in no particular order and possibly reworded for greater (hopefully) clarity):

1. Would you be open to allowing someone other than you (Alec/Bit-Blot) do the linux port?
Example potential porters:

• Ryan C. Gordon or another professional porter
  (Ryan has "indie-friendly" pricing which could be covered in a number of ways without dipping into Bit-Blot's pockets)
• Linux Game Publishing
  (they negotiate any royalties and/or upfront payments to Bit-Blot for the rights to the port and then produce and sell boxed versions)
• Community member(s)
  (ported for free by someone who has the time to do so.)

2. Would you consider offering the Windows versions of Aquaria to linux users at a discounted price?
(Discounted price because we'd be forced to run it through WINE. Doing so would also allow the purchase to be identified as a linux sale.)

3. Would you consider offering linux users a refund or other guarantee that the Windows version would work under WINE?

[Alec]

If there is someone out there who really wants to port my messy code.....? I kinda doubt it.

[rettichschnidi]

If there is someone out there who really wants to port my messy code.....? I kinda doubt it.

Wow, that was a fast answer, thanks. Unfortunately I'm not sure how to understand it.

 Does your answer means that you doubt that someone wants to port your code? Or does it mean that you doubt that you would allow this person to port it?

[Alec]

If we could find someone trustworthy I'd be more open to it.

I still think parts of my code are really messy and I might not remember how they work.

Anyways, I'd be open to it if I could be an observer in the process - I'm curious how that stuff works and I'd appreciate the chance to learn from it.

I think there's still some barriers - I wouldn't want to release the source publicly, so it'd have to be a build from .o files or something.

[palu]

If we could find someone trustworthy I'd be more open to it.

Would Frank Earl meet your metric for trustworthiness?
He is a professional game porter (working for Linux Game Publishing), the person responsible for bringing Caster to Linux, and is actively looking for additional games to port.

[Alec]

Something may be happening with this... but no promises yet.

[Alec]

Hrm, what could this be...

[rettichschnidi]

Just wanna say: Thank you, I'll definitely buy this game when it comes out.

[Hoodlum]

Woo! Just made an account to say thanks
I've been looking at Aquaria for a while now and I'll definitely buy it when the port comes out 
I'll make sure to spread the word.

Maybe i'm being overly ambitious  but if sales go well would it be reasonable to assume there would be a possibility of future projects also being considered suitable for porting? (ala introversion software?)

Edit:
If you're interested you could probably get some free publicity talking to the guys at www.linuxformat.com the magazine sells very well. Similar to PC Format.

[storma]

I didn't know about this game until now, when I read about it on Pharonix. Thought I would say thanks too.
Put me down as purchasing a copy for the missus. 

[Xiagan]

I'd buy a linux version too. :3

[multani]

Woo-ooo  This is great news!

Count me in too to buy the Linux port!

[mimox]

Great news! I really hope this port will be released, I will surely buy it!