With the rising popularity of Linux and continuous development in areas which were considered Microsoft Windows' forte, there are fewer reasons to stick to Windows in the current technological and financial climates. More often than not, there is that one killer application which forces people to run Windows. Some examples include 3D modeling software like AutoCAD or 3DS Max, graphics software like Adobe Creative Suite or most games which require DirectX.
Fortunately for Linux users, lots of improvements have been seen in this area. There are multiple solutions available today, both free and paid, which allow you to run Windows applications reliably in Linux. With applications, there are solutions for using a Linux counter part, i.e. Blender for 3D modeling or OpenOffice instead of Microsoft Office. But when it comes to games, there's no real solution. And with game budgets touching millions of dollars, there's no chance of a similar game being made for free in Linux. And since Linux market share is still in single digits, almost all gaming companies find it a waste of their time to port games to the Linux platform. But there is a solution!
