Desura, is more aptly described as an innovative application (for Linux) for digital distribution of indie games through its proprietary DesuraNET software. Backed by the same Aussie company, which supports ModDB, IndieDB, Desura is building a unified platform for all independent games, to be well supported with patches, mods, addons and anything else users or community contributes.
Why Desura is very important to indie games
There is a certain order of importance to the games, which Desura supports. Considering the thousands of wonderful, exciting and innovative games that independent gamers develop, discovering every one of them and using them is becoming a uphill task for most gamers.
So a single platform consolidating all these games and offering them to gamers on a platter not only bodes good to the gaming community but has a significant importance to developers as well.
The Desura software actually comes with tools and function features, developed specifically for gaming specialists to –
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First provide them with exceptional and robust features to do what they do best, create the game, rather than wasting time on nitty-gritty
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Second, it also provides a massive community of developers who can will provide the feedback to take the games to the next level
The independence and neutrality of the sponsors, but a tight community-dependent development makes Desura a very important platform for linux developers as well.
Desura Game Platform launches Beta
Linux-based games developed by independent developers are a plenty where some are exemplary, some do require the backing of the community and Desura is very significantly offering that support.
With the just release thin-client Beta, Desura is inviting 50 only developers into the loop, to test, smoothen out the bugs and bring in stability. As the core testing is completed, Desura will then be available for download.
The Sept 22nd new build has fixes by the loads and if you want to look at them do this-
At desura directory “./desura -f”
This will compel client to update and you will be able to see the changes.
Some of issues Desura Beta addresses
Since the linux client uses wxWidgets, toolkit GTK+, some of the known issues include-
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GDK_IS_WINDOW assertion in some systems is leading to lot of console outpout
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Exiting the client occasionally leads to a crash
Community feedback so far
Most die-hard gamers and the community have begun to use the beta version (though only for browsing and buying but not for gaming) opine that for beta build, it works excellent.
Some have tested it on the Gnome 3,Linux Mint11, KDE 4.7, Kubuntu 11.04, AMD64 as well as the Openbox and find no big bugs perhaps for the occasional login box mess-up in KDE. ‘Save Login’ is another issue, which tester will love resolving.
Desura Beta post testing will not only go on to become and awesome game-store ( perhaps take on Steam and co.) but offer developers faster, better and greater performance tools for greater Linux-based games
Watch out gaming world-Linux Games are here soon, fully loaded on Desura!
