Big companies and Linux games


2014-05-05 (updated 2017-09-27)
Just a rather useless list of big companies directly or indirectly involved or have been involved with Linux gaming (including reluctantly and unbeknownst to the company). It fascinates me that a vast number of small/independent developers spend major percentages of their company's funds on a single platform that's still perceived as a valueless market by companies with the resources to dominate this market by spending such a small percentage of their funds as to possibly go unnoticed. In other words, the majority companies currently are the minority in this platform. These companies are "big" based solely on my best guess on the resources they have at their disposal; including cash value, past industry collaborations, number of games, number of hit games, and/or a history of staying in business for many years. Feel free to suggest additions and removals.
2K Games (details)
Accolade (details)
Activision (details)
Atari (details, and the game console) This is Infogrames' alias, not the real Atari which is dead and gone.
Big Fish Games (details)
BioWare (details)
Black Isle Studios (details)
Blizzard (details)
Buena Vista (details)
Capcom (details)
Cartoon Network Games⁑ (details, by group)
Codemasters (details)
Disney (details)
Electronic Arts (details)
Firaxis Games (details)
GT Interactive (details)
IBM⁑ (details)
id Software (details)
Infocom (details)
Infogrames (details)
Interplay Entertainment (details)
Konami (details)
(by group)
LucasArts (Now owned by Disney, see above also) (details)
Maxis (details)
Microsoft (details)
Midway Games (details)
Ocean(details)
Namco Bandai Games⁑ (details)
Paradox Interactive⁑ (details)
Renegade Software⁑ (details)
Revolution Software (details)
SEGA (details)
Sierra (details)
Sony Computer Entertainment (details)
SNK (details)
Square Enix (details)
Take-Two Interactive (details)
Taito (details)
Team17 (details)
THQ (details)
U.S. Army (details)
Ubisoft (details)
Valve⁑ (details)
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment⁂ (details)
Zenimax (details)

Indirectly:
Marvel by group (details)
Nintendo (no Intel hardware Linux games yet, But they made an NES emulator for Linux on ARM and published 38 games) *

⁂ Time-Warner seems to take a paranoid-schizophrenic actions concerning Linux. Refusing to support platforms without the DRM they like (even when the platform does have their preferred DRMs) yet occasionally releasing products for platforms without any consideration for DRM, the value of the product, or the likelihood of illegal copies detrimental to profits. And, announcing games for Linux only to later refuse to publish them.
⁑ While some companies are dipping their toes, experimenting and such, These companies are committed to the idea that their is a Linux gaming market and have plans to make use of it.
* Nintendo
developed a Linux emulator for the NES Classic which is a Linux box with an ARM CPU and ARM GPU. They have published Linux games in they same way as Atari has; except for it being for specialized hardware instead of IBM-compatible. Nintendo developers have expressed their reasons for utilising as much Open Source software as they can for their networking solutions (in recent years). They have only named Linux as their server OS of choice. All 3DS and Wii-U applications that connect to a Nintendo network are connecting to a Linux server by Nintendo or to AWS (which is also run on Linux servers). Nintendo's StreetPass relay points/Nintendo Zones run on Linux (they actually used to run on a modified Nintendo DS). Historically, Nintendo has been very wary about releasing games for systems other than their own, so native Linux games are unlikely for that reason. But there are 100 Nintendo employees compiling code daily for this game company. They have made Linux software for public use. Somehow I doubt there will be 0 of them making at least one game. Basing future Linux consoles on Linux and having native Linux gamed seems inevitable for the company

2014-05-06 (updated 2014-05-28)
re: Big companies and Linux games
a vast number of small/independent developers spend major percentages of their company's funds on a single platform that's still perceived as a valueless market by companies with the resources to dominate this market

Probably because the small devs tend to favor getting as much sales as possible and tend to use premade tools that already allow it very well (such as the ever so popular Unity engine and SDL before it) while for bigger companies it tends to be larger foray (engine porting and platform support from previously console and Windows oriented engine).

Edit: that all said in other words: big companies view supporting extra platforms as massive expenditure in money spent in support and tech while smaller devs tend to not see it as such.

2015-12-05 (updated 2016-10-05)
From the beginning of "Linux support", Valve only variously suggested "Debian" and "Ubuntu" support (to customers). They have always only guaranteed "SteamOS" support (to customers). Devs are not distro restricted but when they say "SteamOS" and/or "Steam Controller", then the must fully support them (saying these things makes the developer accountable to Valve, they therefore become a defacto priority over other distros and hardware. If a dev says "wiimote" and "CentOS", for examples, they are only accountable to their customers). This is wise and best for everyone. Debian, Ubuntu, Gentoo, Arch, and users of whatever else are free to run the game themselves and Windows users have no cause to whine (to Valve) about the game not working on anything except SteamOS. Companies on Steam are free to support and offer downloads for any distro (Ubuntu compatibility is still in the policy, but no longer enforced), but they don't get a SteamOS circle of confusion icon without full SteamOS and at least "partial Steam Controller" compatibility (as defined by Valve). The only flaw here, is companies with non-SteamOS Linux games don't get the circle of confusion icon to show for it. They still show up in Linux searches and they can still show Linux specs.