As we mentioned before, Games Kernel is going to focus on a different Linux Gaming topic every few weeks. This fortnight we’re going to be looking at MMORPGs, that’s Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games.

During this period we’ll be discussing the range of games that are available under Linux, the issues surrounding non-native MMORPGs, the Linux community in online games as well as providing some native games reviews. As ever, we welcome guest posts and suggestions, feel free to contact us or leave a comment below.

The Poll

Our new poll is up, and this time we’re asking you about your online gaming preferences. Have you played MMORPGs before, and do you have any favourites to recommend? Please vote below, and share your thoughts in a comment.

Photo by mysza831

Games Kernel has now been around for a few weeks, and I hope you’ve gathered a taste of what the site is about. The post concludes our series of introduction posts, both to Linux gaming and to ourselves, and we’ll be back with a new topic tomorrow.

Round Up

If you missed some of the series, here’s a reminder of what we covered:

1. We started things off with an introduction to our site.
2. We looked at native Linux gaming and what’s available.
3. We discussed playing Windows games in our guide to Wine and Cedega.
4. We considered the future of Linux gaming and the availability of commercial games.
5. and we saw our first three Friday Reviews.

Remember you can keep track of our posts by subscribing to our RSS feed.

Poll Results

Our first poll asked you: “What One Improvement Would You Make To Linux Gaming?”. The results showed that 44% of you would like to see more commercial games available for Linux, whilst one third would like to see more or higher quality native games. Just 11% of voters would like to see higher compatibility with Windows games.

Personally, my vote would go to having more commercial games available for Linux. I think the operating system being taken seriously by more games developers will help more users make the switch to using Linux on the desktop - though perhaps more desktop Linux users are required before developers will take us seriously. In the end though, I don’t mind paying money for games, I’d just like more high quality releases for Linux.

Thank you

Thanks to everyone who has supported the site so far, by submitting posts to StumbleUpon or Digg, by commenting and by linking to us. Every little action helps us to grow. We hope everyone will continue to participate in the Games Kernel community and share their opinions in future.

Thanks also to the owners of the photography used on the site. Todays photo was taken by KellyB.

Who are we?

Games Kernel is a community oriented blog looking at every aspect of gaming under Linux, but focusing wherever possible on free, open source software. This includes game reviews, news and tutorials and general discussion. We hope to provide content to interest current Linux gamers and help them find new, exciting games, as well as demonstrating to newer users and potential Linux converts that there is a thriving Linux gaming community.

When Do We Post?

Every Friday will feature a review of a different native Linux game. This will be supplemented by series of themed posts - for example over the next few weeks we hope to look at topics like online gaming, hardware and emulation. You can keep up with what’s going on by subscribing to our RSS feed or by signing up to receive email updates.

This week will provide an introduction to gaming under Linux, looking at Wine and Cedega as well as native gaming, and considering whether Linux can really provide an alternative to paying for MS Windows for a serious gamer.

Who Writes The Blog?

Currently the blog has only one regular contributor (that’s me - Hazel Mckendrick) however guest posts and reviews are always welcome. If you’re interested in providing content for the blog, contact me to find out more.

Penguin photo by keela84