Valve May Be Entering the Console Market with "Steam Box"

[WMDogma]

Valve May Be Entering the Console Market with "Steam Box"

[img_inline src="http://cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/library/deriv/84/84691.png"]
New evidence suggests Valve's developing a high-tech console to compete with the current generation of consoles.

A new rumor circulating about Valve's next big project may disappoint those eager for news on Half-Life 3. According to an article posted over the weekend at The Verge, Valve has apparently been developing hardware and software for a potential gaming/PC console, and demoed a hand-built prototype of the supposed "Steam Box" at the 2012 International CES this past January.

Potentially aimed at taking on Apple TV and the current generation of gaming consoles, the rumored Steam Box includes some impressive gaming hardware, with 8 gigs of RAM, a Core i7 CPU and a high-end NVIDIA graphics card. It's been suggested that Alienware may have had a hand in its development, and that its Alienware X51 [http://www.dell.com/us/p/alienware-x51/pd] computer was designed around an early version of Valve's new console.

The Steam Box will come with a proprietary controller that may include biometric sensors (like the ones Valve uses when play testing its games) along with customizable components that allow users to reconfigure the controller based on what game or application they're using. Valve filed a patent on such a design last year [http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20110105231#b].

Another rumor floating around is that Valve isn't intending to build and launch this console on its own, and may be looking for partners to help get its console off the ground. Additionally, the Steam Box will also support Valve's "Big Picture" [http://www.steampowered.com/steamworks/thebigpicture.php] mode, an upcoming feature that gives users access to Steam via the "biggest screen in the house," a.k.a. their television.

Valve might reveal more information on its Steam Box this week at the E3 [http://www.gdconf.com/].

Source: The Verge [http://www.theverge.com/2012/3/2/2840932/exclusive-valve-steam-box-gaming-console]

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[gigastar]

Well if its Valve we will probably see it a year later than thier planned launch day.

However, all of my Steam games on a console? For some games this rings of a great thing.

 

[Fappy]

So... assuming it runs Steam as its software does that mean that it would be able to run the entire Steam library on the console? That would be pretty awesome. Hopefully Steam's soft-DRM would be rendered softer on a console considering it is much easier for them to control things through hardware.

 

[hazabaza1]

I have high expectations that this is going to be one hot box.

Yeah, it'll be positively steamy.
OT: I'll wait and see. Controller looks kind of awkward.

 

[ciancon]

8 gigs of RAM, Core i7 CPU, high-end NVIDIA graphics card, Alienware!
My eyebrows can't get any higher!

Now let's see the price.....

 

[ThePS1Fan]

Inb4 EA launches Origin Box.
OT: I really hope this doesn't suck. A console with complete digital distribution integrated using Steam's service sounds great.

 

[Superasil]

So it's basically a glorified PC? I don't see the point in it myself, but to each their own i guess.

On a side note, i can't wait till the name Gabecube catches on.

 

[StriderShinryu]

Hopefully this is true if for no reason other than the required clash of the PC Master Race and the Valve Fanboy Army, particularly given such a large overlap between the two. I can almost smell the coming hypocrisy from here.

 

[ph0b0s123]

So it's basically a glorified PC? I don't see the point in it myself, but to each their own i guess.

On a side note, i can't wait till the name Gabecube catches on.

An off the shelf PC you know will play all the games off Steam. Depending on price it could take the uncertainty out of buying. Just don't like the forced controller idea though. That is to consoly for me.

If the userbase gets big enough, devs can optimise games for specifically that hardware. Steam games can have a Steam box setting mode where devs have checked the game will keep a good FPS on.

PC power with the lack of confusion and ease of use of consoles. Could be a winner, depending on price.

 

[JokerboyJordan]

So it's basically a glorified PC? I don't see the point in it myself, but to each their own i guess.

Don't say that or else you'll call down the swarms of elitists, who'll tell you that's all a console is anyway.

 

[Yopaz]

OK, so this sounds great and all, but most of the biggest Valve fans happen to be PC users so I'm not sure if this will be successful or not. I am on the fence, but I will probably get around to it just to get easier access to my Steam games on a TV.

 

[ResonanceGames]

So it's basically a glorified PC? I don't see the point in it myself, but to each their own i guess.

On a side note, i can't wait till the name Gabecube catches on.

It doesn't sound like it's aimed at people who already have a gaming PC with wires running to their TV and wireless gamepads. This isn't for enthusiasts who know how to build a PC and keep it up to date (unless they're lazy, like me).

I think Valve is trying to combine the modularity and superior catalog of PC gaming with the ease of use and hardware standardization (which will be awesome for developers) of the console market.

So to say it's just a PC would probably right from a hardware standpoint, but in terms of what the product is actually trying to accomplish, I suspect there's a world of difference.

A pre-built PC with standard hardware, automatically updating drivers, and a UI designed for a television isn't really a PC from a consumer standpoint. Nor is it a console. It's kind of new type of living room product.

 

[ph0b0s123]

So it's basically a glorified PC? I don't see the point in it myself, but to each their own i guess.

Don't say that or else you'll call down the swarms of elitists, who'll tell you that's all a console is anyway.

No, they would not say 'glorified' PC but a decrepit 6 year old PC, I imagine.

 

[Doom972]

Doesn't sound much stronger than my current PC, except maybe for the Graphics card which is a bit old on my side.
A machine that is guaranteed to run everything Steam has to offer is compelling, but I don't understand how do they plan to accomplish that without the machine becoming outdated like a regular PC.
Also, as good as it sounds, with future EA games being available only on Origin and certain Steam games not being available in my zone through Steam (but do through retail), I'm not sure I'm willing to buy a machine only for Steam games.

I'm very curious about what's going to become of this.

 

[JokerboyJordan]

So it's basically a glorified PC? I don't see the point in it myself, but to each their own i guess.

Don't say that or else you'll call down the swarms of elitists, who'll tell you that's all a console is anyway.

No, they would not say 'glorified' PC but a 6 year old one....

Could not resist.

Sigh... I knew that would happen

 

[ph0b0s123]

Doesn't sound much stronger than my current PC, except maybe for the Graphics card which is a bit old on my side.
A machine that is guaranteed to run everything Steam has to offer is compelling, but I don't understand how do they plan to accomplish that without the machine becoming outdated like a regular PC.
Also, as good as it sounds, with future EA games being available only on Origin and certain Steam games not being available in my zone through Steam (but do through retail), I'm not sure I'm willing to buy a machine only for Steam games.

I'm very curious about what's going to become of this.

"Doesn't sound much stronger than my current PC"

I imagine you are not the type of customer they are looking at. They are after console users who might be interested in PC gaming, but are put of by the complication of it all, from their POV.

 

[ph0b0s123]

So it's basically a glorified PC? I don't see the point in it myself, but to each their own i guess.

Don't say that or else you'll call down the swarms of elitists, who'll tell you that's all a console is anyway.

No, they would not say 'glorified' PC but a 6 year old one....

Could not resist.

Sigh... I knew that would happen

Happy to oblige...

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Did anyone happen to see a Steam Box around here? No?

I believe its opening line-up is Half Life 3 as well...