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It’s no secret that Valve sees Linux because the way forward for PC gaming. In fact, the corporate is building SteamOS on top of Linux. Now the sport developer has cemented its commitment to the platform by joining The Linux Foundation.
So, what does Valve joining The Linux Foundation mean for both? For Valve, it allows the corporate to have a say behind the construction of Linux. In other words, Valve will now have the ability to influence the direction that Linux heads in, including better support for games.
“Joining the Linux Foundation is among the ways Valve is investing within the advancement of Linux gaming,” said Valve’s Mike Sartain. “Through these efforts, we are hoping to contribute tools for developers building new experiences on Linux, compel hardware manufacturers to prioritize support for Linux, and ultimately deliver a chic and open platform for Linux users.”
As for Linux, it’ll now gain much more credibility among gamers. Linux hasn’t ever been all that popular among PC gamers, but that have been slowly changing today as more developers begin to build native Linux ports in their titles. As more gamers adopt Linux through SteamOS or other distributions, Linux adoption will undoubtedly rise in consequence. Gamers are already the driver behind Windows 8 adoption, and an identical situation could workout if gamers flock to Valve’s SteamOS platform.
“Our membership continues to grow as both new and mature entities embrace community development and open technologies,” said Mike Woster, chief operating officer, The Linux Foundation. “Our new members believe Linux is a strategic investment that permits their markets to conform as quickly as possible to reach long-term viability and competitiveness.”
Aside from Valve, The Linux Foundation welcomed Cloudius Systems and the HSA Foundation into its ranks today to boot. Cloudius Systems is developing an open source operating system to deal with virtualized cloud workloads while the HSA Foundation develops open-standard architecture for heterogenous parallel computing.
[Image: Steam]