Tobias BernardJan 11, 2023
Like seriously, who uses all of these?
Show threadTobias BernardJan 11, 2023
It really feels like there's twice as many emulators as actual games...
Show threadailepetJan 11, 2023
@tbernard I keep thinking that at some point, we should consider splitting "Apps" and "Games" in their own listings, like the Google Play Store already does
Show threadTobias Bernard

@hellpe Well the problem is, these aren't even really games, they're super nerdy apps that are literally useless unless you know how to pirate retro games.

But yes, I agree that they're way too prominent on Flathub at the moment.

Jan 11, 2023 at 9:31pmWeb
Show threadleimonJan 11, 2023
@tbernard @hellpe Seems to me that there should just be a category for Emulation. Because their use isn't even exclusively for gaming. Flathub also hosts Bottles (see, https://flathub.org/apps/details/com.usebottles.bottles) Which is a really nice way to somewhat sandbox and use Windows applications under Linux.
Flathub—An app store and build service for Linux

Find and install hundreds of apps and games for Linux. Enjoy GIMP, GNU Octave, Spotify, Steam and many more!

Show threadMaksym Hazevych Jan 11, 2023
@tbernard @hellpe I'll disagree on that one. While they are usually ugly and hacky, that never stopped anyone interested in retro games, and there's quite a bunch of people who are.
Show threadailepetJan 11, 2023

@delight_aug @tbernard I did discover retro gaming through these (indeed super nerdy) apps myself, however I agree with Tobias that the way they're featured among all other games makes for a bad user experience on an app store such as Flathub.

(for those curious about these emulators, I can suggest you this historical perspective: https://www.vice.com/en/article/9a48z3/the-story-of-nesticle-the-ambitious-emulator-that-redefined-retro-gaming)

The Story of NESticle, the Ambitious Emulator That Redefined Retro Gaming

The product of a talented programmer who designed a hit shareware game while he was still in high school, NESticle was so good that everyone looked past the fact its name was basically a dick joke.

Show threadre:fi.64 Jan 12, 2023
@tbernard
@hellpe
It's...not really that nerdy, I know tons of people who are not super-in-tune with the tech world and use emulators. Sure the UX usually isn't great, but people usually just follow YT videos on how to use them