Microsoft Studios Exec Cautions Valve on Launching Hardware
- Thread starter Timothy Chang
- Start date
How "colossally stupid" are we talking? Keeping in mind that theese are the same people who insist that GfWL is a good thing for gamers, who keep running the overpriced piece of fetid shit we refer to as Xbox Live and choke inde developers who want to release a patch for thier game on the XBLA.GloatingSwine said:
Alot of theese PC manufacturers support direct delivery.Foolproof said:
I suppose PC speciality stores would stock them too. I mean, no reason not to.
And then theres always Amazon, whom will jump at every opportunity to draw buisness from retail stores.
Don't listen to them, Valve.
The console market (Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo) for the past 3 generations has been so focused on one-upping each other that there has been little innovation for years. Valve has the unique opportunity to go into the market with the goal to make consoles better rather than just trying to sell slightly better than Sony or Microsoft.
I can't find the exact quote anywhere but Gabe Newell hit it right on the nose. [I'm paraphrasing] "If you make something that's great, people will adopt it no problem. But if you make something that sucks, no amount of money spent on marketing is going to change that, and nobody will buy it."
The console market (Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo) for the past 3 generations has been so focused on one-upping each other that there has been little innovation for years. Valve has the unique opportunity to go into the market with the goal to make consoles better rather than just trying to sell slightly better than Sony or Microsoft.
I can't find the exact quote anywhere but Gabe Newell hit it right on the nose. [I'm paraphrasing] "If you make something that's great, people will adopt it no problem. But if you make something that sucks, no amount of money spent on marketing is going to change that, and nobody will buy it."
Walmart, Best Buy, Costco, and anyone else who deals in electronics but whose business model does not revolve around software sales. More importantly online retailers like Amazon would be more than happy to distribute this hardware. In fact, the only people who would not want to sell this are dedicated game stores, and you don't need the blessing of Gamestop to succeed in the video game business.Foolproof said:
Valve is uniquely suited to enter the hardware business. They are a highly trusted company, which will help greatly with initial sales. They have more than enough money to make this a reality. They have an excellent track record of innovation, And they have an amazing track record for third party support on their own distribution platform.
As far as the statements of Phil Harrison, they seem to me like a calculated attempt to erode public confidence in Valves ability to enter the market. A very old and reliable business practice. The only problem is that the vast majority of the interested public trusts Valve a hell of lot more than Microsoft. It ends up making Microsoft look bad, like it is afraid of the competition.
Valve would have a tough time creating a successful console. A $500+ console running a variant of a OS that isn't majorly supported is a tough sell. Especially since anyone could then just take the specs and build their own for cheaper and cut out the middle man.
To make it a success valve would have to lock something down, or offer some innovation IE VR tech or the like. making a linux PC putting it in a cute tiny form factor with some sort of gaming overlay on the OS isn't enough. Plus the overhead for the manufacturing, support staff, marketing, distribution would deeply cut into any profit from this.
There will be a market for it but it should be pretty niche, probably already overlapping with existing customers. Sneakypenguin makes note on this day, in 2 years there will still not be a steambox in any mainstream retail outlet and if it comes to light it will remain a niche product.
To make it a success valve would have to lock something down, or offer some innovation IE VR tech or the like. making a linux PC putting it in a cute tiny form factor with some sort of gaming overlay on the OS isn't enough. Plus the overhead for the manufacturing, support staff, marketing, distribution would deeply cut into any profit from this.
There will be a market for it but it should be pretty niche, probably already overlapping with existing customers. Sneakypenguin makes note on this day, in 2 years there will still not be a steambox in any mainstream retail outlet and if it comes to light it will remain a niche product.
Something everyone here seems to not realize is that, if you add up everyone you know and consider a "gamer", and add that number to all the ones on these threads and forums in all the gamer websites, you'll still only see the tip of the iceburg regarding the "tens or hundreds of millions of units" that need to be shipped.
The Valve community adores valve, sure, but a lot of us have perfectly good pc's. I don't need another platform for this. Do you?
Valve has a good consumer base, and they therefore have a chance. I don't think that Microsoft is kidding when they say it helps to have deep pockets. Imagine another company trying to combat Apple's iPad. They'd have to be able to afford losing millions. Bill Gates can afford it. Can Valve? I hope so.
Finally, this statement doesn't actually sound mean-spirited to me. "Any new entrant, without being specific to any company or brand or product, to the games industry is ultimately a good thing, because it helps validate, grow and enhance consumer excitement and consumer interest in our category." What he means is, having a bigger potential consumer base is better than having a smaller guaranteed one. A lot of people here will get involved in the console wars, hoping that Wii loses interest, hoping the PS3 gains no traction, hoping the Xbox gets tired, hoping the WiiU bombs, and everyone who wishes for the failure of a video game participant is unable to see the bigger picture.
I don't think Microsoft wants Valve to fail. They'd probably have a different attitude towards an Apple combatant.
The Valve community adores valve, sure, but a lot of us have perfectly good pc's. I don't need another platform for this. Do you?
Valve has a good consumer base, and they therefore have a chance. I don't think that Microsoft is kidding when they say it helps to have deep pockets. Imagine another company trying to combat Apple's iPad. They'd have to be able to afford losing millions. Bill Gates can afford it. Can Valve? I hope so.
Finally, this statement doesn't actually sound mean-spirited to me. "Any new entrant, without being specific to any company or brand or product, to the games industry is ultimately a good thing, because it helps validate, grow and enhance consumer excitement and consumer interest in our category." What he means is, having a bigger potential consumer base is better than having a smaller guaranteed one. A lot of people here will get involved in the console wars, hoping that Wii loses interest, hoping the PS3 gains no traction, hoping the Xbox gets tired, hoping the WiiU bombs, and everyone who wishes for the failure of a video game participant is unable to see the bigger picture.
I don't think Microsoft wants Valve to fail. They'd probably have a different attitude towards an Apple combatant.
Be sure to think over hard before you launch a DOUBLE competitor to our products.
Yeah M$, I don't think Valve is lying awake at night thinking about how they are going to beat out your 7 year old toaster oven. Just be honest and admit you are afraid it might be a big hit and Windows will finally be a thing of the past.
Yeah M$, I don't think Valve is lying awake at night thinking about how they are going to beat out your 7 year old toaster oven. Just be honest and admit you are afraid it might be a big hit and Windows will finally be a thing of the past.
Yeah, this is less of Microsoft being scared of competition for Xbox and more of Microsoft being scared shitless of Linux coming to the mainstream more and more. Without Windows sales, Microsoft dies. Hard.
Four words. Games. For. Windows. Live. Once you sort out that syphilitic tumour upon the face of PC gaming, then you can hand out advice, Microsoft.
Til then, maybe take a few tips from Valve. From what I've heard they're planning an open hardware platform, made by a variety of manufacturers, in a variety of forms to suit the function of the user. Then their gonna tie the whole thing together with Steam and robert is your mothers brother. So to speak.
Captcha: Knock on wood
Not required captcha, but it can't hurt I guess.
Til then, maybe take a few tips from Valve. From what I've heard they're planning an open hardware platform, made by a variety of manufacturers, in a variety of forms to suit the function of the user. Then their gonna tie the whole thing together with Steam and robert is your mothers brother. So to speak.
Captcha: Knock on wood
Not required captcha, but it can't hurt I guess.
I am not trying to call you out on this, I am genuinely interested in finding out more but can you provide sources. Sources for more than one Country in particular. Because I had to really wonder why people would choose to buy consoles from game specialist retailers at all, never mind the online Vs brick and mortar debate. The deals they offer are generally the worst, the prices are consistently higher and they dress up crappy bundle deals by including rubbish and cheap 3rd party accessories with the games noone really wants. Other retailers, whether its online or brick and mortar have far better deals far more frequently. It is pretty bad when I can walk into a supermarket, buy some eggs and some bread and grab an Xbox or a PS3 for less money than in Gamestation or Game.Foolproof said: