Microsoft VP Marc Whitten Isn't Worried About Steam Machines

[Something Amyss]

Skyrim on consoles sold better on 360 than PS3.
If Steambox is capable of playing Skyrim at an equal level as the 360, BUT also includes the capability of mods. 360 loses.

Pretty big assumption that the people who are buying Skyrim on the 360 are going to know about, desire and install mods.

Be careful there, fella. You know what they say about famous last words.

As last words go, this is fairly reasonable stuff.

Saying there's room on the market for both isn't exactly fighting words.

Except episodic gaming, that didn't work out as planned.

They're still playing the long game. Episode 3 will come out in 32 years.

 

[Dire Trout]

I have to admit, I'm not quite as optimistic about the Steam Boxes as I used to be (and yes, I'm still calling them Steam Boxes, just because "Steam Machines" sounds clunky and awkward).

When the announcement first broke, I somehow got the idea that Gabe was like, "Hey, console people! Want to play PC games? Don't know anything about building PCs? Don't care enough to learn? Get one of these! Forget all the numbers and technical jargon--we've got a little box, a medium box and a big box, and the only difference is how much money you want to spend." And I immediately went, "I'll take a medium, please." And that was all I needed. Because every six months, I'll get the urge to buy a gaming rig, I'll look at a website for ten minutes, my eyes will glaze over as I try to work out which numbers mean what, and then I'll give up and head back to my nice simple console.

Now the boxes are finally here, and there's like two dozen of the fucking things. And when I try to figure out what the difference is, it's all, "Well, this one has an i9-9285M gigadrive with seven thousand teraflops of GPS," and my eyes glaze over again, because it's just like PC shopping. Look, I'm not trying to get a goddamn electronics degree here--all I want, all I care about, is to get a thing that plays games. That's it.

The point is, I thought the whole concept of the Steam Box was that it'd make this simpler. If it's not going to, then I can't see many people like me bothering with it.

 

[FalloutJack]

Snip

Microsoft thinks there's enough room in the biz? Yeah right. That smile is so fake, that assurance so made up.

 

[Baresark]

Why should they be? Let's be honest with ourselves, who are the Steam Machines aimed at? PC Gamers know they can get a comparable computer for cheaper. The prices vary wildly, but the cheapest only matches the PS4, it doesn't beat it. Future titles are going to be limited in that most Triple A developers are not going to be Linux compatible.

I hate to say it, but they kind of hurt themselves by not agreeing on limited hardware configurations. The whole point was to make a box that a layman could play PC games on, but all of that is out the window at his point.

I am hopeful for these, but as it stands, I don't currently need or care about owning one. I own a gaming PC.

 

[vagabondwillsmile]

Despite my excitement and curiosity at what Valve could bring to the table, I'm at a loss as to what their strategy is. The biggest problem that I see is that there are simply too many Steam Machines. The greatest advantage to consoles has always been that it's a box dedicated to gaming (this is becoming more and more debatable) and all the boxes from your developer of choice are essentially the same. Get the game and play it without fiddling with settings or upgrading parts, etc., etc..

To the average consumer, this will look just as daunting as pc gaming. And looking at some of the specs on the different models, there are some that may as well be a gaming pc, but all are limited only to gaming. It's more complicated and less convenient than its console competitors, and has infinitely less functionality than a pc. Unless I'm missing something.

They should narrow it down to three models (at the absolute most). A low-end around $500 with better specs and performance than the Xbox (the iBuyPower looks like really good bang for the buck), a mid range around $700 that can compete with current basic gaming rigs, and a high-end of around $1000 that can match some solid gaming rigs.

I just see Mr. or Ms. Average Consumer Person looking at all the models (that's another thing - there is nothing uniform in the appearance), and all the prices and just putting his/her hands on his/her head in frustration. But then maybe that isn't the target consumer for this product. If not though, who is? Pc gamers that would not be daunted by any of this may well already be gaming on machines that would outperform the Steam Machine model in a comparable price range.

That said though, Valve is a very savvy enterprise. I'm sure they know things I don't (even if I do think having 13 different models from as many manufacturers with as many different prices is silly and possibly alienating to members of two major potential markets). Microsoft execs have a history now of scoffing at the ideas and products of competitors, down-playing them in interviews, laughing a them at conferences, and generally looking down their noses at them only to be proven very, very wrong. I guess we will all see as the release plays out.

 

[Dragonbums]

I'm not worried about the Steam machine either.

For a device that PC asshats praised as being the thing that finally gets console turd slingers into PC gaming, a majority of the steam machines are not only priced $1k or higher, but they don't even put the specs in laymans terms so that even someone as stupid as me will figure out.


I looked at the specs for all those machines, and I still haven't a damn heck what the hell half those words mean, how powerful they are, and why should I even bother when my laptop can give me the same experience, and then some.

 

[Scars Unseen]

If Steam Boxes become a thing, and every PC game ends up targeting SteamOS... Well, SteamOS is based on Linux so suddenly Linux would actually become a good option for gamers.

If Linux PCs become a viable gaming platform, then there's one less reason to use Windows (and many other reasons to use Windows are moving to web-based services or have free cross-platform alternatives). So Microsoft should fear Steam Machines, and not just for the fate of the XBone.

I think this is a bit of a dream fantasy at the moment. Steam OS isn't a platform designed for say, doing the office presentation on. I'd suggest it might make a good dual boot, but I have a dual boot system (this message was written on a mac os with windows available on the other side) but dual booting is a pain in the arse to be convenient.

If Steam's long term goal is to take on microsoft os (I don't think it is) it'll need to be convenient. I think it's doing what it sees as the future, your games are available everywhere. Do what you want, when you want sir etc.

Well the thing about that is that SteamOS is basically just a stripped down version of Linux, so SteamOS itself doesn't have to be a general OS for Linux as a whole to benefit from its success. If Steam Machines become a major market competitor and attract a lot of developers(which basically would indicate a shift from DirectX to OpenGL), then Linux in general becomes a better platform for gaming in turn.

Should Microsoft be worried? Depends on how well Valve markets this thing. But losing DirectX dominance in the PC market itself would be a pretty major blow, so I wouldn't not be worried...

 

[Insideout Ink Demon]

final verdict: if the new generation comes up dry for most of this year (by say, making the mistake of dogpiling christmas, AGAIN), the pc's advantage of the seemingly eternal game library and range of affordable games is gonna hammer them hard

the success of the new games is basically the only thing standing between them and failure

Except you can't play very many games on steamOS. There is no money in other publishers porting their back catalogue to Linux if you have already bought the game on steam.

yeah thats whats holding me back. I'd gladly drop Windos, but i dont want to lose my back catalog

 

[Scars Unseen]

I'm not worried about the Steam machine either.

For a device that PC asshats praised as being the thing that finally gets console turd slingers into PC gaming, a majority of the steam machines are not only priced $1k or higher, but they don't even put the specs in laymans terms so that even someone as stupid as me will figure out.


I looked at the specs for all those machines, and I still haven't a damn heck what the hell half those words mean, how powerful they are, and why should I even bother when my laptop can give me the same experience, and then some.

It may be worth noting that we're talking about prototype machines that have only just been introduced at CES a few days ago. Actual market products will of course have proper spec sheets. Additionally, Steam Machines themselves are merely a convenient vehicle; it's SteamOS's success that Valve cares about, and that can be installed on any PC(including your laptop). Finally, the existence of pricey versions of the concept don't negate the existence of the cheaper ones(which start at a more competitive $500). There are televisions that are priced over $10,000, but that hasn't discouraged me from purchasing one in the sub-thousand price range.

In the end, it will all come down to marketing and support.

Scars Unseen: PC asshat and occasional console turd monkey

 

[Dragonbums]

I'm not worried about the Steam machine either.

For a device that PC asshats praised as being the thing that finally gets console turd slingers into PC gaming, a majority of the steam machines are not only priced $1k or higher, but they don't even put the specs in laymans terms so that even someone as stupid as me will figure out.


I looked at the specs for all those machines, and I still haven't a damn heck what the hell half those words mean, how powerful they are, and why should I even bother when my laptop can give me the same experience, and then some.

It may be worth noting that we're talking about prototype machines that have only just been introduced at CES a few days ago. Actual market products will of course have proper spec sheets. Additionally, Steam Machines themselves are merely a convenient vehicle; it's SteamOS's success that Valve cares about, and that can be installed on any PC(including your laptop). Finally, the existence of pricey versions of the concept don't negate the existence of the cheaper ones(which start at a more competitive $500). There are televisions that are priced over $10,000, but that hasn't discouraged me from purchasing one in the sub-thousand price range.

In the end, it will all come down to marketing and support.

Scars Unseen: PC asshat and occasional console turd monkey

Their marketing ploy as of right now is that it's to bring console gamers to the PC. Right now, as a console gamer, I don't see what's the point in getting this when it's priced equal to the most expensive console this generation, didn't simplify specs for the common console gamer (yet alone the average consumer) and isn't something I can do already on my laptop via Steam.
Steam OS already feels redundant to me. It does what, play Steam games? I mean...isn't that what computers can do in general? But I guess for those who really care- Linux is the draw for the OS.

 

[RicoADF]

If Steam Boxes become a thing, and every PC game ends up targeting SteamOS... Well, SteamOS is based on Linux so suddenly Linux would actually become a good option for gamers.

If Linux PCs become a viable gaming platform, then there's one less reason to use Windows (and many other reasons to use Windows are moving to web-based services or have free cross-platform alternatives). So Microsoft should fear Steam Machines, and not just for the fate of the XBone.

Honestly that's the one thing holding Windows on my PC, gaming. If steam os succeeds and its backlog of games are updated to work on Linux, well lets just say Microsoft will only exist in my house in the form of my 360 I rarely play.

 

[Scars Unseen]

I'm not worried about the Steam machine either.

For a device that PC asshats praised as being the thing that finally gets console turd slingers into PC gaming, a majority of the steam machines are not only priced $1k or higher, but they don't even put the specs in laymans terms so that even someone as stupid as me will figure out.


I looked at the specs for all those machines, and I still haven't a damn heck what the hell half those words mean, how powerful they are, and why should I even bother when my laptop can give me the same experience, and then some.

It may be worth noting that we're talking about prototype machines that have only just been introduced at CES a few days ago. Actual market products will of course have proper spec sheets. Additionally, Steam Machines themselves are merely a convenient vehicle; it's SteamOS's success that Valve cares about, and that can be installed on any PC(including your laptop). Finally, the existence of pricey versions of the concept don't negate the existence of the cheaper ones(which start at a more competitive $500). There are televisions that are priced over $10,000, but that hasn't discouraged me from purchasing one in the sub-thousand price range.

In the end, it will all come down to marketing and support.

Scars Unseen: PC asshat and occasional console turd monkey

Their marketing ploy as of right now is that it's to bring console gamers to the PC. Right now, as a console gamer, I don't see what's the point in getting this when it's priced equal to the most expensive console this generation, didn't simplify specs for the common console gamer (yet alone the average consumer) and isn't something I can do already on my laptop via Steam.
Steam OS already feels redundant to me. It does what, play Steam games? I mean...isn't that what computers can do in general? But I guess for those who really care- Linux is the draw for the OS.

I didn't say marketing ploy; I said marketing. Spending money to get the device's existence into the awareness of people who don't go to gaming sites and debate the validity of a Linux-based gaming OS. Valve would love for you and I to switch to SteamOS for gaming, but any actual marketing will likely disregard us in favor of the general populace, who collectively have more money that we do. If Valve can do that successfully, and if they can gather more developer support, then SteamOS will succeed. If they cannot, then it will (at least in the short term)fail.

Of course, the best thing Valve has going for them is time. Since their only true horse in the race is the OS itself, and because they already have a giant cash cow called Steam to support them, Valve really can just sit back and let this build momentum slowly, and eventually even a $500 Steam Machine will outclass the new generation of consoles. If this first generation of Steam Machines fail, it's really the hardware manufacturers that fail, not Valve.

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

""When you get into that living room environment, you don't want to spend any of your brain cells doing anything but being entertained. I don't want to work on it; I don't want to feel like I have to know how it works. I would like to be blowing things up now, or watching a thing now."

After the game installs.

After the patch downloads.

After the console firmware updates.

After I log in to my account.

After I wave at the Kinect to get it to recognize my fat stupid face.

Anything else?

 

[unstabLized]

But the living room is a different sort of environment, one that eliminates a lot of advantages the PC holds over consoles. "When you get into that living room environment, you don't want to spend any of your brain cells doing anything but being entertained. I don't want to work on it; I don't want to feel like I have to know how it works. I would like to be blowing things up now, or watching a thing now. That's the fundamental thing that you want to do,"

OH WAIT, except consoles don't even fucking do that these days, now do they, Mr. Whitten? Noooo, its not "I want to blow things up now", it's "I want to blow things up now, but wait.. Oh first I have to download the game.. Than the patch.. Then log in.. Than console update.." Yeah no. A console isn't plug and play anymore, and anyone who says it is is talking out of their ass. Also, I hope Steam Machines do really well in the long run so this guy can eat his words and shove it down his throat. I'm not a PC elitist, I'm just upset at what consoles have become. My last console was the PS2, and if things are progressing the way they are with consoles, it's going to stay that way.

 

[Something Amyss]

Microsoft thinks there's enough room in the biz? Yeah right. That smile is so fake, that assurance so made up.

We're not talking mind reading here. You were predicting "last words," and as last words, these are fairly tame. It's absurd to think that words these mild are some sort of major deal.

You can argue what their intent is all you want, but that doesn't make for last words, especially not memorable ones.

Why should they be?

Because a bunch of people want them to be, want Valve to be right, want the Steam Machine to be more than what it appears to be: a niche line of largely boutique PCs in a declining market. They want Valve's idea to dominate here, and so Microsoft should be trembling in their boots. Or loafers. They seem more like the loafer type.

One thing I've come to take as standard on the internet: What you want is more powerful than the facts. Like when Microsoft was going to fail even after the Xbone became the One-eighty.

 

[Areloch]

in a declining market.

Um? Are you referring to niche PCs, or PCs in general?

Anyway, I've always read Steam Machines as Gamer-Oriented prebuilts. Prebuilt machines, up until now, were always geared towards people that didn't want to bother, or know how to, build their own. They were build as general-purpose multimedia machines. People bought them because it was easier than doing it yourself and it accomplished the goal you had.

If your goal is 'I want to play PC games' but are limited by the time, effort or knowledge you can devote to getting started, dropping $500-$1k for a certified gaming machine that will let you play whatever PC games you want will sound like an amazing deal to quite a lot of people. Especially since most prebuilt computers cost that ballpark if you just walk into a Best Buy or whatever. If you have a $500-$1k workstation computer at Best Buy and a $500-$1k gaming computer that's confirmed and spec'd as a gaming computer specifically - and your goal is gaming, it makes it real easy to decide what to do.

If you already know how to do your own builds, it won't be so relevant.

 

[FalloutJack]

Booga

Yeesh, you make one comment in regards to saying something that will blow up in your face, and people jump all over ya. Let it go. It's an expression and it amuses me to say so.

 

[Roander]

""When you get into that living room environment, you don't want to spend any of your brain cells doing anything but being entertained. I don't want to work on it; I don't want to feel like I have to know how it works. I would like to be blowing things up now, or watching a thing now."

After the game installs.

After the patch downloads.

After the console firmware updates.

After I log in to my account.

After I wave at the Kinect to get it to recognize my fat stupid face.

Anything else?

You forgot reading and agreeing to the updated terms of service, which you can scroll through at a convenient 2 lines per second; and for some reason agreeing is as simple as clicking a button but if you want to opt out of a clause you'll have to do so in writing sent via physical mail.

Edit: The universe has a sense of humor: when I tried to post this I was asked to read and agree to the Escapists updated forum code of conduct.

 

[sXeth]

Eh, I dislike the Xbone/MS as much as the next guy, but I don't see why they would be worried.

When Valve set out on this venture, it sounded like they were making some lower/mid tier gaming PCS with standard configs (to avoid the hurdles of settings tweaking) to compete with consoles. Presumably setup with SteamOS and some sort of pre-configuration to work with TVs and gamepads. Sound enough idea, I guess. Still behind a hurdle of getting the developers to all hop into your Linux OS, which hasn't become a norm by any means, but OK.

Now as these things are getting announced, they're all over the place in specs, so it looks like you have no advantage of auto-config. Only one or two of them is remotely price-competitive with the consoles. Topping it off, there's been no real big guns jumping in to mention their releasing games on Linux in the news, which doesn't inspire much confidence in the launch library (They'll have some older existing titles, but in the console market, thats not nearly as much of a draw as the online community might make it seem).

As sort of a final note, the larger portion of these are coming off online retailers. More people are shopping online, but a certain bulk of the "living room" market are still favoring the old brick and mortar retail.

 

[clippen05]

Yeah, because the VP of a rival company is ever going to admit to losing to their competitors, whether its true or not... Seriously, what else would he say, "Oh, that new Steambox is looking pretty good, looks like I'm going to be out of a job soon."

Slow news day?