Steam Box

[BenSkywalker]

..

 

[nature1ders]

Serves Microsoft right for trying to go closed source and setup insane restrictions on their App store. Hopefully Steam moves over to linux and abandons Windows 9 entirely (may be forced out anyway). Then when people stop buying their crap for games they can scratch their heads and me like "huh, why sales down now? We got rid of the evil Steam."

 

[smackababy]

Serves Microsoft right for trying to go closed source and setup insane restrictions on their App store. Hopefully Steam moves over to linux and abandons Windows 9 entirely (may be forced out anyway). Then when people stop buying their crap for games they can scratch their heads and me like "huh, why sales down now? We got rid of the evil Steam."

Except you are going to have to convince developers that developing for Direct X wouldn't be profitable. Has Linux marketshare eclipsed the 3% mark yet? OpenGL isn't what most PC developers care about.

And that will be the Achilles' Heel of the SteamBox. It is a great idea, however, Valve not pleading and giving MS like $500 million to let them have the DX and D3D APIs is a big downfall. If they can convince them, having every PC game released be available on their console would be a major selling point.

Console gamer buy based on friends and exclusives for the most part. Linux / Mac don't have any exclusives I can think of. Valve themselves don't develop much anymore. Sure, the SteamBox will have the Maddens and the CoDs, but nobody will care about that.

Also, will the online component interact with the PC version such as multiplayer and chat? That would be great. I know MS and Sony won't allow them to integrate with their online players.

 

[BenSkywalker]

..

 

[tviceman]

This won't be a subsidized device like the normal consoles,

Has Valve flat out said there won't be any subsidizing at all? Is including free games and/or a loaded steam wallet account with $50 not considered subsidizing? I have no doubt Valve will do what they can to add incentives to buying this device.

My own speculation - I think that machine is going to be using custom components that are either all on one main board (CPU, GPU, and system ram and vram will all be embedded separately onto motherboard) OR the components will not work in regular build desktop PC's due to slight adjustments to connection sizes or component sizes themselves (kind of like what Apple does with some of their internal components like RAM). Insofar as what I expect it to have - Valve and Nvidia have publicly worked together on bringing Linux performance up-to-snuff, so I making a safe prediction that it will have an Nvidia GPU (specifically, I think it will have the successor to GK106, a la GK116) and will also be powered by one of Intel's lesser expensive quad core processors.

 

[tviceman]

Also here is a good read with some answers, and some information that raises more questions: http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/8/3852144/gabe-newell-interview-steam-box-future-of-gaming

Do you envision a Steam Box connecting to other screens outside the living room?

The Steam Box will also be a server. Any PC can serve multiple monitors, so over time, the next-generation (post-Kepler) you can have one GPU that’s serving up eight simultaneous game calls. So you could have one PC and eight televisions and eight controllers and everybody getting great performance out of it. We’re used to having one monitor, or two monitors — now we’re saying let's expand that a little bit.

Next generation Nvidia cards will all supposedly support virtualization, whereas currently only GK110 supports it.

 

[BoberFett]

Sounds like it will be a mess of an environment and will simply end up being a crappy low end PC environment with all of the same driver and incompatibility problems that PC gaming has now.

 

[tdawg]

Serves Microsoft right for trying to go closed source and setup insane restrictions on their App store. Hopefully Steam moves over to linux and abandons Windows 9 entirely (may be forced out anyway). Then when people stop buying their crap for games they can scratch their heads and me like "huh, why sales down now? We got rid of the evil Steam."

Huh? I have no trouble buying games off Steam or Origin or Amazon on Windows 8. The app store is not killing Steam.

Anyway, I'd love one of those Xi3 modular machines, but not at $1000 for one that can handle gaming.

 

[tviceman]

Sounds like it will be a mess of an environment and will simply end up being a crappy low end PC environment with all of the same driver and incompatibility problems that PC gaming has now.

I think what will happen is that 6-9 months after Valve comes out with their own hardware everyone else who isn't marketing a high end steam-device will quit selling their hardware, not because all other hardware will suck (which may or may not be true), but because no one in the market for a steam console will want to buy one unless it's made by Valve.

 

[tviceman]

Huh? I have no trouble buying games off Steam or Origin or Amazon on Windows 8. The app store is not killing Steam.

The app store and Windows 8 in general is the start of pushing third-party digital outlets into the background (or completely out altogether). Have to switch away from what Microsoft is pushing as the native UI to operate steam, and steam games cannot be installed to tiles. It's out-of-sight, out-of-mind, and eventually after the next windows iteration (or two), it may not be there at all (desktop interface).

If you were Valve, wouldn't you want to have contingent plans to exist and continue to grow that isn't dependent upon your major competitor's OS?

 

[purbeast0]

this just sounds like it is going to be a gaming pc for the living room that will be made by different manufactures so there will be different hardware.

reminds me of the 3do as far as hardware goes.

 

[dagamer34]

The app store and Windows 8 in general is the start of pushing third-party digital outlets into the background (or completely out altogether). Have to switch away from what Microsoft is pushing as the native UI to operate steam, and steam games cannot be installed to tiles. It's out-of-sight, out-of-mind, and eventually after the next windows iteration (or two), it may not be there at all (desktop interface).

If you were Valve, wouldn't you want to have contingent plans to exist and continue to grow that isn't dependent upon your major competitor's OS?

The desktop interface is going away? Come on now. I think we can all agree that such a notion is FUD. Even the commandline still exists in Windows today.

And I think "pushing digital outlets into the background" would require them to be in the foreground first. It's not as if Steam was pre-installed on systems before and isn't anymore. Your use of Steam on a Windows 8 system is absolutely no different than it is on Windows 7. @_@

I'm not against the idea of a SteamBox, but it simply is not going to change how console games have been distributed for the last 25 years as I don't see off-the-shelf PC parts being cheaper and better performing than developers working with a subsidized console with custom silicon.

 

[tokie]

Except you are going to have to convince developers that developing for Direct X wouldn't be profitable. Has Linux marketshare eclipsed the 3% mark yet? OpenGL isn't what most PC developers care about.

And that will be the Achilles' Heel of the SteamBox. It is a great idea, however, Valve not pleading and giving MS like $500 million to let them have the DX and D3D APIs is a big downfall. If they can convince them, having every PC game released be available on their console would be a major selling point.

Console gamer buy based on friends and exclusives for the most part. Linux / Mac don't have any exclusives I can think of. Valve themselves don't develop much anymore. Sure, the SteamBox will have the Maddens and the CoDs, but nobody will care about that.

Also, will the online component interact with the PC version such as multiplayer and chat? That would be great. I know MS and Sony won't allow them to integrate with their online players.

Developers care about money.

If Microsoft has the only store on Windows then to get access to those users developers need to pay whatever MS wants as a % cut from App Store sales.

If MS is demanding a 50% cut but Steam only 30% then why wouldn't you develop for Steam to make sure MS doesn't bend you over the table?

 

[oivoodsio]

Unless steambox magically begins to actually support controllers like an Xbox and not like a PC then it doesnt matter if it has flying purple D*ldo's as an input device. Aim assist on Xbox/ps3 w/ controllers is a must, try to play BF3 on pc w/ a controller then try it on xbox. You will be wildly out of control on pc, so being that the steambox is just a jacked up HTPC its a waste of money and will not catch on when you can build a better PC cheaper and use big picture+controllers. This is just a crap device like the razer tablet, its unique cool amazing @ a live show, but the same critics ranting about the crap said the VITA was a flop, seems to be doing fine.

 

[oivoodsio]

Except you are going to have to convince developers that developing for Direct X wouldn't be profitable. Has Linux marketshare eclipsed the 3% mark yet? OpenGL isn't what most PC developers care about.

And that will be the Achilles' Heel of the SteamBox. It is a great idea, however, Valve not pleading and giving MS like $500 million to let them have the DX and D3D APIs is a big downfall. If they can convince them, having every PC game released be available on their console would be a major selling point.

Console gamer buy based on friends and exclusives for the most part. Linux / Mac don't have any exclusives I can think of. Valve themselves don't develop much anymore. Sure, the SteamBox will have the Maddens and the CoDs, but nobody will care about that.

Also, will the online component interact with the PC version such as multiplayer and chat? That would be great. I know MS and Sony won't allow them to integrate with their online players.

The steambox is NOT and will NOT be a console, it is just an HTPC nothing more nothing less. You will only be playing on steam as you do now, which is why it will not catch on, people who know of and use steam have gaming PC's of much better caliber(usually) and console gamers are like "Steam? Valve? The shitty company that created the orange box?" Remember HL TF2 CS etc flopped on every console everytime, in actuallity CS was crap its not even remotely playable anymore and if u compare console games of the time they were better. The only thing steam has left is VAC, which is crap even by sony's standards everyone knows how to bypass VAC even if you don't cheat. This should just be brushed away as a stupid invention like a special spatula made to get that last little bit of mayonaise out of the jar.

 

[blurredvision]

Serves Microsoft right for trying to go closed source and setup insane restrictions on their App store. Hopefully Steam moves over to linux and abandons Windows 9 entirely (may be forced out anyway). Then when people stop buying their crap for games they can scratch their heads and me like "huh, why sales down now? We got rid of the evil Steam."

Microsoft's App Store is just like the other app stores out there, closed. Developers are still 100% free to create games just like they always have for the normal desktop.

You're drinking the Gabe kool-aid hardcore, acting like there's absolutely no other option on W8 for games. Lots of us have been using W8 for months without so much as seeing the metro screen for more than 5 seconds. Get a clue.

 

[RedRooster]

Without an optical drive, what incentive will Joe Blow have to switch from a proven Sony or MS console? People don't want seperate machines to play games and watch their DVD/Blu-rays and watch Netflix.

 

[BenSkywalker]

..

 

[purbeast0]

Without an optical drive, what incentive will Joe Blow have to switch from a proven Sony or MS console? People don't want seperate machines to play games and watch their DVD/Blu-rays and watch Netflix.

no optical drive? what about the millions of people in the middle of the country who don't even have broadband?

if this is really just a watered down htpc to play pc games in your living room, it won't even be competing with sony and ms next gen.

 

[Fingolfin269]

What was in the op? Not sure why everything has been edited out?

 

[Skel]

What was in the op? Not sure why everything has been edited out?

It appears the OP has taken his posts and gone home.. He even pulled them from the Live Vs PSN thread....

 

[mmntech]

The app store and Windows 8 in general is the start of pushing third-party digital outlets into the background (or completely out altogether).

The walled garden certainly is an alluring concept, especially given its "success" on iOS. It imposes tight control of content distribution. It eliminates piracy and improves security at the expense of freedom of choice. Most apps on Cydia are legit but interfere with Apple's tight control of the platform. They reserve the right to arbitrarily decide what goes in the store, and don't want any other stores on their platform. Microsoft has done the same thing with Windows RT. Testing the waters. I don't know if it will come to desktops but it's a distinct possibility. This is what Mr. Newell is worried about.

As for the Steam Box itself, I'm going to reserve my judgement until specs are finalized and I see it in action. I do like that Valve is putting their chips down on Linux. It could turn out to be a very nice gaming platform. The biggest problem, as has always been the problem with Linux, is getting hardware manufacturers on board. nVidia and AMD's drivers for the OS aren't good, to say the least.

 

[JackBurton]

WTH happened to the original post?

 

[Sulaco]

WTH happened to the original post?

Or...all of "BenSkywalker's" posts for that matter...?

Who goes back and deletes all their posts days after...?

 

[clok1966]

The walled garden certainly is an alluring concept, especially given its "success" on iOS. It imposes tight control of content distribution. It eliminates piracy and improves security at the expense of freedom of choice.

um.. no.. on the Piracy part.. correct on the rest..

enjoy Apple telling you what you can and cant do.. The security part is awesome.. and that is where it should be done.. Apple has became the morality police.. and that is so wrong on so many levels I cant see how they have not been shut down. And please don't make this PORN and apple (porn is a whole other ball game).. I'm talking about regular old apps.. The (love this example) plain old "fart" app that makes funny noises.. APPLE has allowed some, not allowed others.. and several devs have taken to the web with the stories.. they are not stealing ideas, not stealing code, NO REASON for crapple, err apple to say no.. other then it just "wants to"

Apple just wants control.. keeping apps virus free I like, keeping copyrights and devs rights I like, deciding what I can and cant buy.. I don't like. I wont own and use any of there stuff.. anymore.. (i owned a Iphone.. that was never a good phone (mostly due to AT&T) but cool toy, and do Own a Ipad that my 1/3rd priced Android tablet does (almost) everything better on.. ) its really to bad Apple wont allow a USB port and Card slot.. and the ability for me to CHOSE my apps.. they make an ALMOST great product.. they own most of the market, but are slowly letting the competitors in the door with asshat design decisions and horrible control ideas.. the same apple that made such a stir with its 1984 ads... who is big brother now?