14 DAY TRIAL // The Desura distribution platform for PC, Mac, and Linux games has been purchased by Bad Juju Games, a middleware developer, from its previous owner, Linden Lab.
The name Linden Lab might be familiar to some of the users and gamers out there. It's the studio that makes the social simulation MMO Second Life, a game that has been losing its user base slowly. The purchase of Desura didn't make any sense for Linden Lab and it's not really a safe bet for Bad Juju Games, which also doesn't have anything in common with the distribution service.
Maybe the company is looking to expand its business into game distribution, but they have some real competition out there and they won't be able to do anything with the current ecosystem. The Desura client is behind the times and no real progress has been made with it.
Is this a fresh start for Desura?
Desura was a service with a lot promise. It gave users Linux games long before Steam became a reality on this platform, and for a short time, it really looked like it could provide some serious competition. Instead, the distribution service faded out from the public eye and only a small part of the gaming community still used it on a regular basis. That might change pretty soon.
"Linden Lab has begun an ambitious project to create the next generation of virtual worlds, while continuing to improve Second Life(r), and grow Blocksworld(r). Transitioning Desura to Bad Juju Game ship enables the company to enhance the focus of its resources on these priorities, while ensuring that spirit of Desura's original vision lives on and game developers and players on the platform continue to be well served," write the guys from Bad Juju Games.
By the looks of it, Desura might be getting an overhaul in the next few months and users should really see a major difference. At least this is what’s expected of Bad Juju Games, if they follow through with all the promises.
"The dedicated Gamers choosing to make their purchases from Desura can expect rather significant overhauls in the Desura experience, major price savings, rewards, an expanded game title catalog and a fully native cross-platform game management client application that Desura has been lacking," also says Bad Juju Games in the announcement regarding the purchase.
It remains to be seen how Desura will change, but with a little persistence, Bad Juju Games can really make a difference.