Thoughts on Valve's Upcoming" Steam Machine"

[knave]

Valve has announced Steam OS and now Hardware boxes "Steam Machines" What do you think?

I think that it is a preparatory move. Most PC gamers are not going to get rid of their high end rigs to get a Steam flavored box. but if it is available when todays gamers need to upgrade then the Steam Machine might be an appealing option. I guess that Valve wants the hardware to be user upgradable. 

It might be fun to play some of my steam library like a console. I can already hoop up my laptop and use a wireless controller...Really I think that it will work out for them if the media player and cross over applications are there.

I might have to put aside my Ouya if there is a Steambox that also worked seamlessly with my network as well as Netflix, HBO-GO and all the others. Not to mention my Whole Steam Library.

Time will tell.

[SavannahLion]

Valve has been planning a Steam branded PC for long time. When they announced this last time it was more of a licensing thing. Valve wanted companies to manufacturer and market the PC while Valve reaped the profits without lifting a finger. Typical for that fat ass Gabe. Point is, they were and probably still are, nothing more than b4anded PCs. People figured out in a hurry that comparable and compatible PCs could be had for cheaper.

Is that the case again? I don't know. Valve is run via Cabal so it's full of ideas but I can count the number of actual finished products directly produced by Valve on one hand.

I would wait until there is an actual finished product then wait six months to see if Valve will actually make the effort to iron the kinks out. Last I checked, Valve still have't fixed the bugs from those that are stuck with Beta.

[nordemoniac]

Steam OS is just around the corner as well. This might give the possibility for a bunch of creative builds, as you can have a server/client system.

The server is taking care of graphics, and the clients can be cheap simple machines which are streaming the I/O from the server.

I wonder if it will be possible to have multiple clients logged in at the same time...

[ppv]

for now you cannot have two pc logins at a same time, but maybe that will change. They only have to prevent two copies of one game from being played at the same time.

[nordemoniac]

Well, I would like to be able to buy a multiplayer game, run it on the server, and play on multiple clients. That would be awesome! Just think of the possibilites with nanocades etc, where you could have 2-3 clients agains each other.

[SavannahLion]

Well, I would like to be able to buy a multiplayer game, run it on the server, and play on multiple clients. That would be awesome! Just think of the possibilites with nanocades etc, where you could have 2-3 clients agains each other.

Methinks you're missing the gist of DRM and the entire Steam thing. You can certainly do something like that on Steam, just be prepared to pay for your two or three clients.

Valve has never had a problem with people downloading and running dedicated servers. But Steam has always been about content control or DRM right from its inception. Valve ditching Sierra as a publisher because of some random reason or another is just something Valve fed to the masses to make Gabe appear less evil.

[Howard_Casto]

The steam box is worthless.  It's twice as expensive as a pc for half the horsepower... at least the model that steam is building in house. 

It's a pc... buy a pc and be happy.  Video cards have hdmi out built in these days so this is another one of those worthless products that doesn't need to exist.  That touchpad controller they released pretty much tells me they have no business in the hardware end of the industry.

[SavannahLion]

They fired Hardware guru Jeri so that tells you everything you need to know.

If some of you can't quite grasp that then this is a good reference http://www.develop-online.net/news/44746/Valves-perfect-hiring-hierarchy-has-hidden-management-clique-like-High-School

 

[knave]

I have yet to see any specs from Valve for the Steam Machine. (Steambox was a better name IMHO)

As a piece of hardware I could go either way...Odds are they will be overpriced compared to what you can build yourself and then just install steam OS. But there is a chance, small chance though it may be that The hardware will be just enough of that such a box really needs and be reasonably priced enough to make it worthwhile...

...naw what am I smoking...It is a nice dream though.

I do like the idea of being able to share games...Between my friends and I we each have plenty of goods games we can pass around so others can try them out.

[shiori1425]

I think the OS and Steam PC are both going to flop.  Outside of having second screen to play my steam games on somewhere else in the house (which doesn't need to happen) neither have a use. I have no interest in either.  I play steam in Big Picture mode on my kick ass PC that's hooked up to a 55" in my bedroom, no need to move my steam games elsewhere.

The Steam Controller (Steamroller) is going to be awesome in my opinion.  I'm also a bit biased because I love playing my games on PC but hate using a mouse/keyboard to do it. If the steamroller lets me play my old Hack 'n' Slash without a m/k then I'm definitely behind that. It's not for everyone but it is for me.

[Howard_Casto]

Kotaku has been covering value's steam box since it's inception.  All reports, while not giving an exact dollar amount, point to "crazy expensive"

shiori1425:

Let me introduce you to the 360 controller.  It plugs straight into any pc and allows you to play mouse/keyboard games with a joystick... only it uses proper thumbsticks so it's actually usable. 

[SavannahLion]

I see that controller as falling into the same category as a touch screen, not necessarily like a thumbstick.

And that is exactly where I think it's going to barf.

If you look at the "Smart" phone market, you'll see the problem. You have, for the first time in an absurdly long time. a entirely different HID with 100% product penetration. So developers given free reign with such an interface do what? Try to emulate a joypad and button or keypad or whatever. Some get the idea (Angry Birds) most are still ---smurfing--- clueless (SEGA).

Valve's Owl has no chance of having that kind of penetration. Their only hope is if the developers "catch on" to the possibilities and write software that take full advantage of it, not just emulate an existing control scheme Otherwise such a controller is just going to end up as another forgotten piece of ---smurfy--- hardware.

According to some, was it mentioned here? Vslve is claiming this Owl will be fully hackable. I can't really tell if it's because Valve is clued into the hacker culture or hedging their bets and hoping enough non-Steam people will pick this up to make the venture worthwhile.

[DaveMMR]

I have yet to see any specs from Valve for the Steam Machine. (Steambox was a better name IMHO)

Agreed. When I hear "Steam Machine" I think of a carpet cleaner. Not even trying to be funny, that's literally what pops into my mind when I hear it.

[SavannahLion]

I have yet to see any specs from Valve for the Steam Machine. (Steambox was a better name IMHO)

Agreed. When I hear "Steam Machine" I think of a carpet cleaner. Not even trying to be funny, that's literally what pops into my mind when I hear it.

Better than a Sybian I suppose.

[SavannahLion]

Oh yeah, don't Google that at work.

[shiori1425]

shiori1425:

Let me introduce you to the 360 controller.  It plugs straight into any pc and allows you to play mouse/keyboard games with a joystick... only it uses proper thumbsticks so it's actually usable. 

I already use the 360 controller, got the wireless USB setup and I love it.  The thing is not all their games support the 360 controller.  I've transitioned to only playing controller supported games now.  The reason I want the steamroller is because it will be supported by all steam games with it's legacy mode that acts as a mouse+keyboard.  I would love to through in some old ass games like Nox and Total Annihilation and play then with a controller.  This is, of course, if it works well.  That's what I'm hoping for anyway.

[knave]

I am holding out judgment on the controller, I think market wise it will not get much penetration but as a piece of tech, if (and that's a big if) the feedback from the touch surfaces gives you enough to accurately control a game without looking and re-positioning your fingers it might be cool.

I also use the Xbox 360 wireless controller with my laptop and it works great for the games that support controllers. I initially set it up for driving and platform games I don't think any kind of controller will replace the Keyboard and mouse for me. I just can't aim properly with a gamepad in any kind of 3D shooter. Why would I play Boarderlands 2 with a handicap when I can use a mouse and Keyboard and kick butt?

Gamepad works well for scrolling shooters though.

A few of my gamer buddies think the Steam hardware will be really competitively priced and are on board to get one when they come out.

[Alistair Keith]

I think the only benefit is that people who aren't too computer literate can hook it up to their TV easily.