Ryan C. Gordon
Encyclopedia
Ryan C. Gordon is a former Loki Software
employee who is now responsible for icculus.org, which hosts many Loki Software projects as well as several new projects created by himself and others. Gordon's site hosts projects with the code from such commercial games as Duke Nukem 3D
, Shadow Warrior
, Quake III Arena
and many other free and open source projects for multiple platforms.
Gordon has also created ports of proprietary software products to the Linux
and Mac OS X
platforms. These include being hired to port the Unreal Tournament
series, some of the Serious Sam series
, the Postal series
, Devastation and Prey
. He has also been involved in porting several non-gaming products such as Google Earth
. Some, such as Candy Cruncher and Postal 2
, have been published by Linux Game Publishing
.
Gordon is also a founding member of the BareBones Theatre Group in Charlotte, North Carolina.
where he currently resides. In the summer of 1999 Loki Software
ran a contest called "Loki Hack" at the Atlanta Linux Showcase, with the goal of improving the Linux port of Civilization: Call To Power
. Ryan decided to give it a try, driving the four hour trip from his home to Atlanta. Loki was impressed with his work and decided to offer him a job. Ryan quickly rose to prominence at Loki, working as a developer on the game ports of Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns
, Quake III Arena
, and Eric's Ultimate Solitaire
, as well as being the lead developer for Descent 3 and Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.²
. In 2000 he also wrote several articles for the online Linux news and information website Linux.com
. Around this time he founded icculus.org, made to provide hosting for various free and open source projects, and would later be used to support and continue some of Loki's free software projects and tools.
The upcoming closure of Loki forced him to seek outside employment. A friend offered him a job at his cybercafe, and he was forced to move in with his parents. Desperate to escape working a cash register for a living, he found the e-mail
address of an artist working for the developer Croteam
. They had recently released the first of their highly successfully Serious Sam
series, and Ryan asked if they would be interested in him building a Linux port. They agreed, and the ports first beta was released on December 5, 2002. From there he gained other contracts such as being hired to port Devastation and Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
for Linux and America's Army
for Linux and Mac OS X. He was also contracted by Epic Games
to port their Unreal Tournament 2003
title to Linux
and Mac OS X
, with the port being included with the packaged Windows
version. This business relationship continued with the release of Unreal Tournament 2004
.
Upon learning about the release of Postal 2
, Ryan decided to contact the developer behind it wondering if they would be interested in him making a port for Linux and Mac OS X. Loki had previously ported the original Postal game to Linux, and he was interested in keeping the franchise compatible. Running With Scissors
agreed, and the finished port was shipped on February 14, 2005, with Linux Game Publishing
handling the publishing for the Linux version. Soon after he was contracted to make a Linux port for the Wolfire Games
title Lugaru
. Around this time he was also contracted to build a Linux client for the online virtual world Second Life
. Google
later contracted him to make a native Linux port for their Google Earth
application, with Linux functionality becoming available starting with the version 4 beta.
In 2007 he was contracted to port Unreal Tournament 3 for both Linux
and Mac OS X
. The Linux game server was released on December 18, 2007, but work was eventually abandoned on the Linux client for reasons which remain undisclosed. In October 2008 he made a surprise announcement that he had been working on a Linux
client for the first-person shooter
game Prey
, after previously porting the game's Linux server in 2006. The finished port was released on December 7, 2008. On October 23, 2009 he announced his plans to make a universal binary
system similar to the one used on Mac OS X
for Linux systems called FatELF. The project generated considerable controversy, with several Linux Kernel
developers decrying the effort. Ryan announced that the project was on hold in early November, later stating that he would be willing to work on it again if he receives help from an interested party.
Around this time he also ported Aquaria
to Linux for Bit Blot. On January 3, 2010 he became engaged to his girlfriend
Carrie. On May 11, 2010 he and Wolfire Games
released the source code of his code branch of Lugaru
under the GNU General Public License
. He was also involved with the source code release of Aquaria
; both having been shipped as part of the Humble Indie Bundle
. He is currently porting Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45
to Mac OS X
, and may potentially port it to Linux if Steam ever releases a Linux client. Ryan also recently generated some controversy for his talk at the 2010 SouthEast LinuxFest titled "Anatomy of a Failure", where he criticized some aspects of the Kernel development process. He also recently ported Braid
to both Linux
and Mac OS X
to allow it to be part of the second Humble Indie Bundle
, as well as porting the games Cogs
and Hammerfight for later bundles. As part of this he ported the "Haaf's Game Engine" to Linux
and Mac OS X
, and released his port under a free software license. He also ported Frozen Synapse
to Linux to be included as the primary part of the Frozen Synapse Bundle.
and GNU Savannah
. Gordon is often involved in the projects hosted on his site but not universally. The site hosts port or enhancement projects for games such as Aliens versus Predator, Jump 'n Bump
, DONKEY.BAS, Duke Nukem 3D
, Shadow Warrior
, Freespace 2
, Descent 2, Black Shades
, Ken's Labyrinth
, Rise of the Triad
, Wolfenstein 3D
, Heretic, Hexen
, cooperative Rune, Quake II
, the Build engine
, Unreal
(as an Unreal Tournament
mod) and the Chzo Mythos
. The site also hosts free software projects such as Neverball
, ioquake3 and related projects, an attempted Visual Basic
re-implementation, OpenAL
for Mac OS X
, and a Yahoo! Messenger
client. It is also the host of the freeware CodeRED: Alien Arena
project and has hosted code from the developers Blazing Games, Piga Software, Wolfire Games
, and Bit Blot.
The following is a list of all the games and software that Ryan Gordon has been involved in porting. It does not mention his game server ports.
Loki Software
Loki Software, Inc. was a software firm based in Tustin, California, United States, that ported several video games from Microsoft Windows to Linux...
employee who is now responsible for icculus.org, which hosts many Loki Software projects as well as several new projects created by himself and others. Gordon's site hosts projects with the code from such commercial games as Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and published by GT Interactive Software. The full version was released for the PC . It is a sequel to the platform games Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II published by Apogee...
, Shadow Warrior
Shadow Warrior
Shadow Warrior, often known by its initials SW, is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and released on May 13, 1997 by GT Interactive. Shadow Warrior was developed using Ken Silverman's Build engine and improved on 3D Realms' previous Build engine game, Duke Nukem 3D...
, Quake III Arena
Quake III Arena
Quake III Arena , is a multiplayer first-person shooter video game released on December 2, 1999. The game was developed by id Software and featured music composed by Sonic Mayhem and Front Line Assembly...
and many other free and open source projects for multiple platforms.
Gordon has also created ports of proprietary software products to the Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
and Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
platforms. These include being hired to port the Unreal Tournament
Unreal Tournament
Unreal Tournament is a futuristic first-person shooter video game co-developed by Epic Games and Digital Extremes. It was published in 1999 by GT Interactive. Retrospectively, the game has also been referred to as UT99 or UT Classic to differentiate it from its numbered sequels...
series, some of the Serious Sam series
Serious Sam
Serious Sam is the first game in the Serious Sam series. It is a first-person shooter created by the Croatian development house Croteam...
, the Postal series
Postal (video game series)
Postal is a computer game franchise developed by Running With Scissors known for its excessive violence and controversial content. Each game is set in a different genre, Postal is isometric, Postal² is a first-person shooter and Postal III will be a third-person shooter...
, Devastation and Prey
Prey (video game)
Prey is a first-person shooter video game developed by Human Head Studios , and published by 2K Games. The Xbox 360 version was ported by Venom Games. The game was initially released in North America and Europe on 11 July 2006...
. He has also been involved in porting several non-gaming products such as Google Earth
Google Earth
Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a Central Intelligence Agency funded company acquired by Google in 2004 . It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite...
. Some, such as Candy Cruncher and Postal 2
Postal 2
Postal 2 is a first-person shooter video game by Running with Scissors, and it is the sequel to the 1997 game Postal. Both are intentionally highly controversial due to high levels of violence and stereotyping. Unlike its predecessor, Postal 2 is played completely in first-person based on the...
, have been published by Linux Game Publishing
Linux Game Publishing
Linux Game Publishing is a software company based in Nottingham in England. It ports, publishes and sells video games running on Linux operating systems. As well as porting games, LGP also sponsors the development of Grapple, a free software network library for games...
.
Gordon is also a founding member of the BareBones Theatre Group in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Biography
Ryan grew up just outside of Philadelphia, going to college in Charlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
where he currently resides. In the summer of 1999 Loki Software
Loki Software
Loki Software, Inc. was a software firm based in Tustin, California, United States, that ported several video games from Microsoft Windows to Linux...
ran a contest called "Loki Hack" at the Atlanta Linux Showcase, with the goal of improving the Linux port of Civilization: Call To Power
Civilization: Call to Power
Civilization: Call to Power is a PC turn-based strategy game developed by Activision as a successor to the extremely successful Civilization computer game by Sid Meier. It was ported to Linux by Loki Software....
. Ryan decided to give it a try, driving the four hour trip from his home to Atlanta. Loki was impressed with his work and decided to offer him a job. Ryan quickly rose to prominence at Loki, working as a developer on the game ports of Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns
Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns
Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns is the first game of the real-time strategy series Kohan, developed by TimeGate Studios. It was published for Windows by Strategy First, and ported to Linux by Loki Software, both in 2001. With a high fantasy setting, the game follows immortal beings named Kohan...
, Quake III Arena
Quake III Arena
Quake III Arena , is a multiplayer first-person shooter video game released on December 2, 1999. The game was developed by id Software and featured music composed by Sonic Mayhem and Front Line Assembly...
, and Eric's Ultimate Solitaire
Eric's Ultimate Solitaire
Eric's Ultimate Solitaire is a commercial solitaire game developed by Delta Tao Software for the Macintosh. The game was later ported to Linux by Loki Software....
, as well as being the lead developer for Descent 3 and Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.²
Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.²
Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.² is a third-person shooter video game made by Ritual Entertainment in 2000. A sequel to the Heavy Metal 2000 animated movie, the game stars Julie in her quest to save her home planet of Eden from GITH, an ancient entity seeking to conquer the universe...
. In 2000 he also wrote several articles for the online Linux news and information website Linux.com
Linux.com
Linux.com is the name of a website owned by the Linux Foundation. The site is currently a central source for Linux information, software, documentation and answers across the server, desktop/netbook, mobile, and embedded areas. Linux.com offers free Linux tutorials, news and blogs, discussion...
. Around this time he founded icculus.org, made to provide hosting for various free and open source projects, and would later be used to support and continue some of Loki's free software projects and tools.
The upcoming closure of Loki forced him to seek outside employment. A friend offered him a job at his cybercafe, and he was forced to move in with his parents. Desperate to escape working a cash register for a living, he found the e-mail
E-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
address of an artist working for the developer Croteam
Croteam
Croteam is a video game developer established in Zagreb, Croatia in 1993, initially as a "garage games" company. They only had six employees and four contractors for the development of Serious Sam in 2001.-Company history:...
. They had recently released the first of their highly successfully Serious Sam
Serious Sam
Serious Sam is the first game in the Serious Sam series. It is a first-person shooter created by the Croatian development house Croteam...
series, and Ryan asked if they would be interested in him building a Linux port. They agreed, and the ports first beta was released on December 5, 2002. From there he gained other contracts such as being hired to port Devastation and Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 2015, Inc. and created by Steven Spielberg. It is the 3rd installment of the Medal of Honor series...
for Linux and America's Army
America's Army
America's Army is a series of video games and other media developed by the United States Army and released as a global public relations initiative to help with recruitment. America's Army was conceived by Colonel Casey Wardynski and is managed by the U.S...
for Linux and Mac OS X. He was also contracted by Epic Games
Epic Games
Epic Games, Inc., also known as Epic and formerly Epic MegaGames, is an American video game development company based in Cary, North Carolina. Its most recent success has been the Gears of War series of games, although it is also known for its Unreal Engine technology. It is the parent company of...
to port their Unreal Tournament 2003
Unreal Tournament 2003
Unreal Tournament 2003 or UT2003 is a first-person shooter video game designed mainly for multiplayer gaming. The game is part of the Unreal franchise's series of games, and is a sequel to Unreal Tournament ....
title to Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
and Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, with the port being included with the packaged Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
version. This business relationship continued with the release of Unreal Tournament 2004
Unreal Tournament 2004
Unreal Tournament 2004, also known as UT2K4 and UT2004, is a futuristic first-person shooter computer game developed by Epic Games and Digital Extremes...
.
Upon learning about the release of Postal 2
Postal 2
Postal 2 is a first-person shooter video game by Running with Scissors, and it is the sequel to the 1997 game Postal. Both are intentionally highly controversial due to high levels of violence and stereotyping. Unlike its predecessor, Postal 2 is played completely in first-person based on the...
, Ryan decided to contact the developer behind it wondering if they would be interested in him making a port for Linux and Mac OS X. Loki had previously ported the original Postal game to Linux, and he was interested in keeping the franchise compatible. Running With Scissors
Running With Scissors, Inc.
Running with Scissors, Inc. is an American computer game developer based in Arizona. Their best-known title, Postal, was publicly decried by Senator Joe Lieberman and other critics due to its extreme violence....
agreed, and the finished port was shipped on February 14, 2005, with Linux Game Publishing
Linux Game Publishing
Linux Game Publishing is a software company based in Nottingham in England. It ports, publishes and sells video games running on Linux operating systems. As well as porting games, LGP also sponsors the development of Grapple, a free software network library for games...
handling the publishing for the Linux version. Soon after he was contracted to make a Linux port for the Wolfire Games
Wolfire Games
Wolfire Games is an independent video game development company founded by David Rosen. Wolfire Games develops video games for Mac OS, Windows, and Linux.- History :...
title Lugaru
Lugaru
Lugaru: The Rabbit's Foot is the first commercial video game created by Wolfire Games. It is a cross-platform, 3D action game for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and GNU/Linux. It features Turner, an anthropomorphic rabbit with curiously well-developed combat skills.Lugaru was made almost solely by...
. Around this time he was also contracted to build a Linux client for the online virtual world Second Life
Second Life
Second Life is an online virtual world developed by Linden Lab. It was launched on June 23, 2003. A number of free client programs, or Viewers, enable Second Life users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars...
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
later contracted him to make a native Linux port for their Google Earth
Google Earth
Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a Central Intelligence Agency funded company acquired by Google in 2004 . It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite...
application, with Linux functionality becoming available starting with the version 4 beta.
In 2007 he was contracted to port Unreal Tournament 3 for both Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
and Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
. The Linux game server was released on December 18, 2007, but work was eventually abandoned on the Linux client for reasons which remain undisclosed. In October 2008 he made a surprise announcement that he had been working on a Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
client for the first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
game Prey
Prey (video game)
Prey is a first-person shooter video game developed by Human Head Studios , and published by 2K Games. The Xbox 360 version was ported by Venom Games. The game was initially released in North America and Europe on 11 July 2006...
, after previously porting the game's Linux server in 2006. The finished port was released on December 7, 2008. On October 23, 2009 he announced his plans to make a universal binary
Universal binary
A universal binary is, in Apple parlance, an executable file or application bundle that runs natively on either PowerPC or Intel-manufactured IA-32 or Intel 64-based Macintosh computers; it is an implementation of the concept more generally known as a fat binary.With the release of Mac OS X Snow...
system similar to the one used on Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
for Linux systems called FatELF. The project generated considerable controversy, with several Linux Kernel
Linux kernel
The Linux kernel is an operating system kernel used by the Linux family of Unix-like operating systems. It is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software....
developers decrying the effort. Ryan announced that the project was on hold in early November, later stating that he would be willing to work on it again if he receives help from an interested party.
Around this time he also ported Aquaria
Aquaria (video game)
Aquaria is a 2D sidescrolling action-adventure computer game designed by Alec Holowka and Derek Yu, who together form the independent game company Bit Blot, which developed and originally published the game. After more than two years of development, the game was released in 2007 for Windows...
to Linux for Bit Blot. On January 3, 2010 he became engaged to his girlfriend
Girlfriend
Girlfriend is a term that can refer to either a female partner in a non-marital romantic relationship or a female non-romantic friend that is closer than other friends....
Carrie. On May 11, 2010 he and Wolfire Games
Wolfire Games
Wolfire Games is an independent video game development company founded by David Rosen. Wolfire Games develops video games for Mac OS, Windows, and Linux.- History :...
released the source code of his code branch of Lugaru
Lugaru
Lugaru: The Rabbit's Foot is the first commercial video game created by Wolfire Games. It is a cross-platform, 3D action game for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and GNU/Linux. It features Turner, an anthropomorphic rabbit with curiously well-developed combat skills.Lugaru was made almost solely by...
under the GNU General Public License
GNU General Public License
The GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
. He was also involved with the source code release of Aquaria
Aquaria (video game)
Aquaria is a 2D sidescrolling action-adventure computer game designed by Alec Holowka and Derek Yu, who together form the independent game company Bit Blot, which developed and originally published the game. After more than two years of development, the game was released in 2007 for Windows...
; both having been shipped as part of the Humble Indie Bundle
Humble Indie Bundle
The Humble Indie Bundles or Humble Bundles are a series of game bundles, that are sold and distributed online at a price determined by the purchaser. The games are multi-platform, DRM-free, and independently developed, and buyers can set the revenue split between the developers, charities and...
. He is currently porting Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45
Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45
Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 is a tactical first-person shooter computer game based on its predecessor Red Orchestra Mod. After winning the Make Something Unreal contest, the team behind the original Red Orchestra started the game studio Tripwire Interactive...
to Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, and may potentially port it to Linux if Steam ever releases a Linux client. Ryan also recently generated some controversy for his talk at the 2010 SouthEast LinuxFest titled "Anatomy of a Failure", where he criticized some aspects of the Kernel development process. He also recently ported Braid
Braid (video game)
Braid is a platform and puzzle video game developed by independent software developer Jonathan Blow. The game was released on August 6, 2008 for the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade service. A Microsoft Windows version was released on April 10, 2009. Hothead Games ported and released the game to Mac OS...
to both Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
and Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
to allow it to be part of the second Humble Indie Bundle
Humble Indie Bundle
The Humble Indie Bundles or Humble Bundles are a series of game bundles, that are sold and distributed online at a price determined by the purchaser. The games are multi-platform, DRM-free, and independently developed, and buyers can set the revenue split between the developers, charities and...
, as well as porting the games Cogs
Cogs (video game)
-Gameplay:Cogs is built on a number of puzzles that mimic sliding block puzzles. Each level, representing some three-dimensional object, has various objectives, but generally involve moving tiles to connect sets of gears, piping, and other physical elements to make that object behave in a specific...
and Hammerfight for later bundles. As part of this he ported the "Haaf's Game Engine" to Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
and Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, and released his port under a free software license. He also ported Frozen Synapse
Frozen Synapse
-External links:****...
to Linux to be included as the primary part of the Frozen Synapse Bundle.
icculus.org
icculus.org is Ryan C. Gordon's personal website and a project incubator not unlike Sourceforge.netSourceForge.net
SourceForge is a web-based source code repository. It acts as a centralized location for software developers to control and manage open source software development. The website runs a version of SourceForge Enterprise Edition, forked from the last open-source version available...
and GNU Savannah
GNU Savannah
GNU Savannah is a project of the Free Software Foundation initiated by Loïc Dachary, which serves as a collaborative software development management system for Free Software projects. Savannah currently offers CVS, GNU arch, Subversion, Git, Mercurial, Bazaar, mailing list, web hosting, file...
. Gordon is often involved in the projects hosted on his site but not universally. The site hosts port or enhancement projects for games such as Aliens versus Predator, Jump 'n Bump
Jump 'n Bump
Jump 'n Bump is a 1998 freeware MS-DOS platform video game, written in C and Assembly language by Brainchild Design. The source code was released in 1999, and the game has since been ported to a number of other operating systems, with the release of a SDL version.The graphics were made with Deluxe...
, DONKEY.BAS, Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and published by GT Interactive Software. The full version was released for the PC . It is a sequel to the platform games Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II published by Apogee...
, Shadow Warrior
Shadow Warrior
Shadow Warrior, often known by its initials SW, is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and released on May 13, 1997 by GT Interactive. Shadow Warrior was developed using Ken Silverman's Build engine and improved on 3D Realms' previous Build engine game, Duke Nukem 3D...
, Freespace 2
FreeSpace 2
FreeSpace 2 is a 1999 space combat simulation computer game developed by Volition, Inc. as the sequel to Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War. It was completed ahead of schedule in less than a year, and released to great critical acclaim...
, Descent 2, Black Shades
Black Shades
Black Shades is a video game developed by Wolfire Games, originally released on Mac OS and Microsoft Windows. The player controls a psychic bodyguard who is tasked with protecting a VIP from a horde of zombies, snipers and other assorted would-be assassins. The was one of the winners of the...
, Ken's Labyrinth
Ken's Labyrinth
Ken's Labyrinth is a first-person shooter DOS game, released in 1993 by Epic Megagames . It was mostly coded by Ken Silverman, who went on to design the Build engine that was used for rendering a first-person viewpoint in Apogee Software's Duke Nukem 3D...
, Rise of the Triad
Rise of the Triad
Rise of the Triad: Dark War is a first-person shooter video game that was first released on February 17, 1995 and developed by Apogee Software . The members of the development team involved referred to themselves as "The Developers of Incredible Power"...
, Wolfenstein 3D
Wolfenstein 3D
Wolfenstein 3D is a video game that is generally regarded by critics and gaming journalists as having both popularized the first-person shooter genre on the PC and created the basic archetype upon which all subsequent games of the same genre would be built. It was created by id Software and...
, Heretic, Hexen
Hexen
Hexen is a first-person shooter video game developed by Raven Software, published by id Software, and distributed by GT Interactive beginning on September 30, 1995. It is the sequel to 1994's Heretic, and the second game in the Serpent Riders series...
, cooperative Rune, Quake II
Quake II
Quake II, released on December 9, 1997, is a first-person shooter computer game developed by Id Software and distributed by Activision. It is not a sequel to Quake; it merely uses the name of the former game due to Id's difficulties in coming up with alternative names.The soundtrack for Quake II...
, the Build engine
Build engine
The Build engine is a first-person shooter engine created by Ken Silverman for 3D Realms. Like the Doom engine, the Build engine represents its world on a two-dimensional grid using closed 2D shapes called sectors, and uses simple flat objects called sprites to populate the world geometry with...
, Unreal
Unreal
Unreal is a first-person shooter video game developed by Epic MegaGames and Digital Extremes and published by GT Interactive in May 1998...
(as an Unreal Tournament
Unreal Tournament
Unreal Tournament is a futuristic first-person shooter video game co-developed by Epic Games and Digital Extremes. It was published in 1999 by GT Interactive. Retrospectively, the game has also been referred to as UT99 or UT Classic to differentiate it from its numbered sequels...
mod) and the Chzo Mythos
Chzo Mythos
The Chzo Mythos is the collective title given to a series of four amateur adventure games created by Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw using the Adventure Game Studio development tool. The games are, in order of release and intended play-order, 5 Days a Stranger, 7 Days a Skeptic, Trilby's Notes and 6 Days a...
. The site also hosts free software projects such as Neverball
Neverball
Neverball is a 3D platform game similar to Super Monkey Ball. It is currently available for Windows platforms, Mac OS X, Linux, FreeBSD, Dreamcast, AmigaOS 4, iOS and Maemo...
, ioquake3 and related projects, an attempted Visual Basic
Visual Basic
Visual Basic is the third-generation event-driven programming language and integrated development environment from Microsoft for its COM programming model...
re-implementation, OpenAL
OpenAL
OpenAL is a cross-platform audio API. It is designed for efficient rendering of multichannel three dimensional positional audio. Its API style and conventions deliberately resemble those of OpenGL.- History :...
for Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, and a Yahoo! Messenger
Yahoo! Messenger
Yahoo! Messenger is an advertisement-supported instant messaging client and associated protocol provided by Yahoo!...
client. It is also the host of the freeware CodeRED: Alien Arena
CodeRED: Alien Arena
Alien Arena is a free, stand-alone first-person shooter computer game based on source code released by id Software. Begun by COR Entertainment in 2004, the game combines a 1950s-era sci-fi atmosphere with gameplay similar to the Quake, Doom, and Unreal Tournament series...
project and has hosted code from the developers Blazing Games, Piga Software, Wolfire Games
Wolfire Games
Wolfire Games is an independent video game development company founded by David Rosen. Wolfire Games develops video games for Mac OS, Windows, and Linux.- History :...
, and Bit Blot.
Ported titles
Contracted
- Frozen SynapseFrozen Synapse-External links:****...
(Linux) - CogsCogs (video game)-Gameplay:Cogs is built on a number of puzzles that mimic sliding block puzzles. Each level, representing some three-dimensional object, has various objectives, but generally involve moving tiles to connect sets of gears, piping, and other physical elements to make that object behave in a specific...
(Linux) - Hammerfight (Linux and Mac OS X)
- BraidBraid (video game)Braid is a platform and puzzle video game developed by independent software developer Jonathan Blow. The game was released on August 6, 2008 for the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade service. A Microsoft Windows version was released on April 10, 2009. Hothead Games ported and released the game to Mac OS...
(Linux and Mac OS X) - Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 is a tactical first-person shooter computer game based on its predecessor Red Orchestra Mod. After winning the Make Something Unreal contest, the team behind the original Red Orchestra started the game studio Tripwire Interactive...
(Mac OS X) - AquariaAquaria (video game)Aquaria is a 2D sidescrolling action-adventure computer game designed by Alec Holowka and Derek Yu, who together form the independent game company Bit Blot, which developed and originally published the game. After more than two years of development, the game was released in 2007 for Windows...
(Linux and Mac OS X) - PreyPrey (video game)Prey is a first-person shooter video game developed by Human Head Studios , and published by 2K Games. The Xbox 360 version was ported by Venom Games. The game was initially released in North America and Europe on 11 July 2006...
(Linux) - Google EarthGoogle EarthGoogle Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a Central Intelligence Agency funded company acquired by Google in 2004 . It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite...
(Linux) - Unreal Tournament 2004Unreal Tournament 2004Unreal Tournament 2004, also known as UT2K4 and UT2004, is a futuristic first-person shooter computer game developed by Epic Games and Digital Extremes...
(Linux, Mac OS X, and Win64) - Unreal Tournament 2003Unreal Tournament 2003Unreal Tournament 2003 or UT2003 is a first-person shooter video game designed mainly for multiplayer gaming. The game is part of the Unreal franchise's series of games, and is a sequel to Unreal Tournament ....
(Linux and Mac OS X) - FaçadeFaçade (interactive story)Façade is an artificial-intelligence-based interactive story created by Michael Mateas and Andrew Stern. It was the winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2006 Slamdance Independent Games Festival and has been exhibited at several international art shows...
(Mac OS X) - Shrek 2 (Mac OS X)
- Spider-Man 2 (Mac OS X)
- America's ArmyAmerica's ArmyAmerica's Army is a series of video games and other media developed by the United States Army and released as a global public relations initiative to help with recruitment. America's Army was conceived by Colonel Casey Wardynski and is managed by the U.S...
(Linux and Mac OS X) - ShadowOps: Red Mercury (Win64)
- Postal 2Postal 2Postal 2 is a first-person shooter video game by Running with Scissors, and it is the sequel to the 1997 game Postal. Both are intentionally highly controversial due to high levels of violence and stereotyping. Unlike its predecessor, Postal 2 is played completely in first-person based on the...
(Linux and Mac OS X) - Second LifeSecond LifeSecond Life is an online virtual world developed by Linden Lab. It was launched on June 23, 2003. A number of free client programs, or Viewers, enable Second Life users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars...
(Linux) - Unrealty (Mac OS)
- Candy Cruncher (Linux, BeOS, and Mac OS)
- Feeding Frenzy (Mac OS X)
- Iggle Pop (Mac OS X)
- Pizza FrenzyPizza FrenzyPizza Frenzy is an arcade-style pizza delivery game written by Sprout Games and published by PopCap Games. A trial Windows version of the game can be downloaded and played for an hour, with full capabilities unlockable for a fee.- Gameplay :...
(Mac OS X) - Candy Crisis (Mac OS X)
- IMVU client (Mac OS X)
- Ricochet: Lost Worlds (Mac OS X)
- Big Kahuna ReefBig Kahuna ReefBig Kahuna Reef is a puzzle game that was created by Reflexive Entertainment. Released in 2004 on the PC, it became the first of a series of Big Kahuna titles. The look of the game is that of ocean scenes, exotic fish and tiki heads. It is a match-making casual game that involves breaking boxes in...
(Mac OS X) - RocketBowlRocketBowlRocketBowl is a sports game developed by LargeAnimal and published by GarageGames, released November 4, 2004 for Windows. The game features a retro-futuristic 1950's theme...
(Mac OS X). - LugaruLugaruLugaru: The Rabbit's Foot is the first commercial video game created by Wolfire Games. It is a cross-platform, 3D action game for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and GNU/Linux. It features Turner, an anthropomorphic rabbit with curiously well-developed combat skills.Lugaru was made almost solely by...
(Linux) - Cars: Radiator Springs AdventuresCars: Radiator Springs AdventuresCars: Radiator Springs Adventures is a computer game collection based on the Walt Disney Pictures Pixar film Cars. It is intended for the early childhood market....
(Mac OS X) - Facade (Mac OS X)
- Hidden Mysteries Civil War (Mac OS X)
- Magic Match Adventures (Mac OS X)
- Go-Go Gourmet 2 (Mac OS X)
- Go-Go Gourmet (Mac OS X)
Loki Software
- Kohan: Immortal SovereignsKohan: Immortal SovereignsKohan: Immortal Sovereigns is the first game of the real-time strategy series Kohan, developed by TimeGate Studios. It was published for Windows by Strategy First, and ported to Linux by Loki Software, both in 2001. With a high fantasy setting, the game follows immortal beings named Kohan...
(Linux) - Quake III ArenaQuake III ArenaQuake III Arena , is a multiplayer first-person shooter video game released on December 2, 1999. The game was developed by id Software and featured music composed by Sonic Mayhem and Front Line Assembly...
(Linux) - Eric's Ultimate SolitaireEric's Ultimate SolitaireEric's Ultimate Solitaire is a commercial solitaire game developed by Delta Tao Software for the Macintosh. The game was later ported to Linux by Loki Software....
(Linux) - Descent 3 (Linux)
- Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.²Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.²Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.² is a third-person shooter video game made by Ritual Entertainment in 2000. A sequel to the Heavy Metal 2000 animated movie, the game stars Julie in her quest to save her home planet of Eden from GITH, an ancient entity seeking to conquer the universe...
(Linux)
Unfinished Ports (Beta)
- Medal of Honor: Allied AssaultMedal of Honor: Allied AssaultMedal of Honor: Allied Assault is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 2015, Inc. and created by Steven Spielberg. It is the 3rd installment of the Medal of Honor series...
(Linux) - Devastation (Linux)
- Serious Sam: The Second EncounterSerious SamSerious Sam is the first game in the Serious Sam series. It is a first-person shooter created by the Croatian development house Croteam...
(Linux) - Serious Sam: The First EncounterSerious SamSerious Sam is the first game in the Serious Sam series. It is a first-person shooter created by the Croatian development house Croteam...
(Linux)
See also
- Loki SoftwareLoki SoftwareLoki Software, Inc. was a software firm based in Tustin, California, United States, that ported several video games from Microsoft Windows to Linux...
- Michael SimmsMichael Simms (software developer)Michael Simms is the creator of the Tux Games website and the founder of Linux Game Publishing.- Biography :Simms began using Linux when he was at university in 1992. From 2000 — 2001 he worked at Wcities as Lead product architect....
- Timothee BessetTimothee BessetTimothee Besset is a software programmer currently employed by id Software who is most well known for creating and supporting Linux, as well as some Macintosh, ports of id Software's products. He has been involved with the game ports of various id properties over the past ten years, starting with...
- loki installers for linux gamersLoki installers for linux gamerslinux installers for linux gamers is a website that supplies and builds game installers for Linux using the Loki and Mojo setup tools....
External links
- icculus.org — hosts many Loki projects, as well as other Linux and open source gaming resources.
- Ryan C. Gordon's homepage
- Ryan C. Gordon on Twitter
- Ryan C. Gordon on the Libregamewiki
- Ryan Gordon profile at zoominfo
- 2009 interview with Icculus (hardware.no)
- 2007 interview with Icculus (LinuxGames)
- 2005 Interview with Icculus (Phoronix)
- 2004 Interview with Icculus (Inside Mac Games)