> To settle a dispute with someone:
> 
> Would you pay for commercial software for Linux?  Ie: Say, games,
> productivity applications, etc?

The only commercial app I have bought was ApplixWare, a *nix/windows office
suite that I used on my P150 laptop.  I haven't bought any games as the only
boxen that I have that are running linux are a couple of DEC Alpha Multias and
my Laptop.

> If so, why does it seem that most linux commercial software ventures
> fail?

I don't know why they fail, but Applix seems to have ceased development of
ApplixWare altogether.