ArmA Operation Flashpoint for Linux

Linux has proven itself over the years as a realiable solution for servers which power the internet, as well as the servers where we play our games online. But recently, it has made lots of advancements in the one area it was always considered inferior to windows: the desktop. Specifically to gaming, both GPU makers Nvidia and ATI have improved native 3D support on the linux platform thru open sourced drivers as a result of their release of thousands of pages of documentation about the specifications on their latest generation GPUs.

There are many reasons why BiStudio would benefit from allowing their games to be ported to the Linux platform. A wider audience for their games being one of them. Bohemian Interactive's in-house technology, the "Real Virtuality" engine, would greatly benefit from being ported to another platform like the Linux system. It would add a competitive edge to their technology, which powers both computer games and military simulators, by adding portability to its feature list. It would free the game from a dependence on DirectX specific API calls, and thus becoming more appealing to sectors such as government which usually are very budget conscious.

Regarding the games themselves, ArmA and Operation FlashPoint are unique games with very dedicated fanbases, most of which are also techsawvy. And added nativelinux compatibility would potentially generate second sales from those users. As for newcomers to the Bohemian Interactive Studio games, there is a growing market for Linux gaming. Most important, it's an untapped market. No one has landed on it yet. It's up for grabs. There's a demand for quality titles from those who are finding themselves using such easy to use, general public linux distributions like Ubuntu Linux, which is shipped in several computers sold by Dell.

Bohemian Interactive Studios doesn't have anything to lose and everything to gain from allowing their games to be ported to Linux. They would not need to actually do the grunt work in porting the games themselves. I speak on behalf of a company called Linux Game Publishing, which specializes in both making as well as porting games to the Linux platform. They have worked on such games as Sacred Gold, Caster, and Jets N Guns. They would do the porting work, as well as the customer support on the linux platform.

I hope someone at Bohemian Interactive Studios reads this, and takes into consideration the points raised here.