PlayOnLinux

Of the multiple approaches to running Windows software on Linux, PlayOnLinux is without a doubt the best choice for Sims 3. This is not because it’s any more “capable’ of running the program, but because PlayOnLinux provides an install script specifically for this game which makes the process FAR simpler than it would be on Cedega or Wine alone.

I recommend that you do not use the PlayOnLinux package provided by your distribution. In testing for this article, I found the pre-packaged versions to be much less functional and reliable than those provided by the PlayOnLinux website. They have up-to-date packages for nearly every major distribution available here.

Beginning Installation

When ready, click the Install button at the top of the PlayOnLinux window. You’ll be given a list of known applications, and you’ll find The Sims 3 near the bottom on the Games section. When selected, you’ll get a bit of additional information about the game and its compatibility.

For the record, I believe they are incorrect about Shop Mode not working, as I had no trouble building and furnishing a house.

When ready to begin, click Apply.

A Note About Prefixes

PlayOnLinux uses prefixes to isolate game installations. When you install a game such as The Sims, you get the equivalent of a new instance of Windows for that game. If you then install a different game such as Spore, PlayOnLinux will create a NEW instance of Windows (a new prefix) for Spore to run. This prevents your files and settings for one game from interfering with another.

Dependencies

This is where PlayOnLinux really shines for Sims 3. On plain Wine or Cedega, you’d have to manually install several packages into your prefix before you can even begin the actual Sims install. Fortunately for us, PlayOnLinux takes care of all that. Before Sims begins, you’ll be prompted to install packages such as Gecko, the Microsoft C++ Runtime Library, and Mono. Allow each of these to complete before moving forward to the next step.

You’ll be given a choice as to whether you’d like to install through the DVD or the downloaded package. Either should work with PlayOnLinux, but the remainder of this guide will be using the DVD edition.

Sims Install

When the dependencies have completed, you’ll be asked to insert your media. CD/DVD drives should be detected automatically, but if you have trouble, you can specify a location by choosing Other. Pick the drive and move to the next step.

STOP. At this point it should have launched the Sims 3 Installer from your DVD. If that didn’t happen, go back and verify that you’ve selected the proper location of your installer.

If you DID get the Sims installer, then proceed exactly as you would in Windows.

If asked about the Download Manager, I’d recommend that you not install it. While it’s possible it may work on your setup, it has caused nothing but trouble on the tests I’ve done. Game patches can be applied manually (discussed in more detail at the end of this guide).

When the Sims 3 Installer window is finished and closed, proceed to the next PlayOnLinux screen. You’ll be asked a little bit of basic information about your video card and if you’d like to create shortcuts.

Important – Before You Play

In the opening paragraph, I hinted that one of the problems with getting Sims 3 to run was because of the copy protection. In order to work around this problem you’ve got to replace the “TS3.exe” file with one that does not contain this copy protection. Unfortunately MakeTechEasier cannot provide such “cracks” or even links to them. You should have no problem obtaining more information from big brother G.

For Sims 3 to run, you’ll have to find a modified TS3.exe on your own, and use it to replace the one in your Sims 3 installation. This will likely be found in “~/.PlayOnLinux/wineprefix/TheSims3/drive_c/Program Files/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Game/Bin“.

Once that’s done, you’re ready to play!

Extra – Getting Updates

Earlier I recommended that you skip installing the EA Download Manager. This leaves us with no updates to the game, and Sims 3 is certainly not without its glitches. Fortunately PlayOnLinux has a Patches category which includes a script to install Sims 3 updates manually.

That’s it. Enjoy!

As most already know, it is possible to play some Windows games in Linux using Wine. Additionally, there are two prominent commercial spin-offs of Wine that are both designed specifically for gaming: Cedega and CrossOver Games. At one time, there was little difference between the three, other than the graphical configuration interfaces. But over time, each has developed its own feature set and, in some cases, support for Windows functionality that the others do not possess.

Wine is completely free, and most Linux distributions make it easy for users to install it. Cedega is available for $25 for a 6-month subscription. CrossOver Games sells for a one-time fee of $39.95. Wine and CrossOver Games are also available for Mac OS X. The makers of Cedega sell a similar product called Cider for Mac users.

Wine

Wine is a compatibility layer for Linux that allows users to run Windows applications. Unlike an emulator, which must also emulate hardware and the operating system, Wine accesses the Windows libraries and makes them work within Linux. This makes Wine faster than emulators and virtual machines.

There are a large number of games supported by Wine, and the project’s website hosts a substantial database of supported and unsupported games, often including details about how to get the games working.

Wine’s graphical configuration tool is called “winecfg” (Wine Configuration), and it includes tools for specifying drivers, configuring media, graphics settings, and desktop integration. By default, there is no graphical frontend for installing or running games, but there are free third-party programs that can act as frontends.

Wine runs OpenGL games very well and will also run many DirectX games. Some games require the installation of additional DirectX libraries that are readily available online. Windows .NET is not easy to install in Wine, but games that require it seem to run fairly well. Users can install many other additional packages, such as MS Core Fonts, using a handy tool called winetricks.

CrossOver Games

Developed by a company called Codeweavers, which also makes CrossOver Office, CrossOver Games is designed to be specifically for Linux gaming. Everything is controlled from a graphical interface where users can create “bottles” to hold multiple Wine configurations. This gives you with the flexibility to have drastically different configurations for your games.

CrossOver Games has a graphical installation tool for games and for additional libraries, including DirectX and .Net. All additional packages install easily, which usually makes installing games faster than with Wine. For configuration, it uses the same utility found in Wine.

Similar to Wine, CrossOver Games has a database of working titles, but the database is far from complete. Users would be better served to use Wine’s database to determine if a game will work in CrossOver.

Cedega

Developed by Transgaming, Cedega has a robust graphical interface with many features for tweaking graphics, sound, and more. It is based on an older version of Wine and has significantly deviated from Wine’s original code. In some cases, this has given it greater support for pixel shaders and other technology. In other cases, it means that some games will work in Wine but not in Cedega.

Cedega supports OpenGL and DirectX games and has added some DirectX compatibility beyond Wine and CrossOver. One significantly absent feature is .Net support. It seems to be impossible to install .Net in Cedega, making it unlikely that games requiring it will run.

Cedega’s website includes a large database of games, available to members only. In most cases, however, the database will only say if a game works or not, providing little other information about it. New games are not usually added immediately, as they often are with Wine. Users can upgrade Cedega as long as they maintain their subscriptions. After a subscription expires, the application continues to work on its own.

The Winner

Unfortunately, there is no clear winner. I have tested games in all three applications and found inconsistency across the board. A game that works in one may not work in the others. Therefore, the only way to get the maximum number of Windows games working in Linux is to have all three.

Wine’s community database has a significant advantage over the others, since it is the only way to know if a game that is not officially supported works. CrossOver has the best support for installing additional packages. Cedega’s strongest point is the graphics configuration utility and support for advanced shaders. Users can start Wine and CrossOver games from the user menu, whereas Cedega games must be started from within Cedega.

Compatibility with Windows games will never be perfect in Linux, but these three solutions all have their positive attributes, and a user who wants to play a limited number of Windows games on Linux will not be disappointed with any of them.

Playing Windows games on Linux is not really a difficult task. Most gamers are reluctant to migrate to Linux because they have this misconception that Windows games cannot be played on Linux. How wrong they are. If you are one of those avid gamers that I mentioned above, here are 4 ways that you can play Windows games on Linux.

1) Wine

The obvious way to install any Windows applications on Linux is via Wine. At the time when WineHQ released the stable 1.0 version, it has already supported more than 200 Windows games. Before you install any games on Linux, you can first check out Wine AppDB whether your game is already supported in Wine.

2) PlayOnLinux

PlayOnLinux (POL) is a python based script based on Wine code. It is a useful tool that aim to help Linux users run Windows games on Linux without having to go through the scary command line interface. The main features of POL lies in its ability to allow each application to be installed within its own wineprefix. What this means is that one can easily install/modify/remove Windows games without affecting the systems or other applications. POL is open source and has a strong community support on their POL forum. Being a python script, it is not limited to any Linux distribution. Whether you are using Ubuntu, Fedora or Gentoo, you can find installation and usage instructions on the POL site.

3) CrossOver Games

CrossOver Games is an addition to the popular CrossOver series. Unlike other CrossOver products, which are aimed primarily at office productivity applications, CrossOver Games focuses on the stability of installing Windows games on Linux (and Mac OSX). As the same as PlayOnLinux, CrossOver Games provides a click and install method that makes it simple for anyone to use. The latest version of CrossOver Games has already tested to work with more than a hundred Windows games, including the popular World of Warcraft, Half-Life2 and Counterstrike.

CrossOver Games costs $39.95

4) Cedega

Formerly known as WineX, Cedega is a proprietary software from Transgaming Technologies specifically designed for running game written for Windows under Linux. Being a proprietary product, users must subscribe to Transgaming membership to enjoy the full functionality of Cedega.

As a fork of Wine, Cedega strength lies in implement the Mircosoft DirectX API on Linux. Installation of games using Cedega is make to mimics the experience that Windows users have. You insert the disc, run setup.exe, wait for the game to finish installing and finally enjoy your game.