Valve Hiring For Help With Hardware

[Vigormortis]

I'm wondering if most people are even reading the news post, let alone the job posting.

Why is the topic of a "Steam Box" even still coming up? The job posting mentions nothing on working on crafting a new gaming platform. It talks about envisioning and inventing a new method of interaction for games(software).

Seems fairly obvious to me that the "house that Gaben built" wants to design and produce a peripheral gaming device. Most likely one that takes advantage of the biometric-feedback technology they've been testing with in-house.

This, personally, is more exciting to me than some PC-console hybrid.

captcha: watch out

Hmm...a warning of ill omen or cautious excitement?

 

[klaynexas3]

it's very clearly a new smart phone, built with it's own steam and games specifically for it. so basically it'll be the indie section of steam on a phone, with a few badly put together knock offs of computer games

 

[Jiffex]

A console designed like a companion cube. Millions will be sold.

 

[gigastar]

Whatever Valve has in the works to put out something like this it must be significant in some way.

Maybe E3 shall reveal all.

 

[Pinkamena]

HALF-LIFE 2 EPISODE 3: A STEAM BOX EXCLUSIVE.

"Get the steam box for 1500$! Bundle deal, get Steam Box with Half Life 3 for 2500$!"

 

[TheMann]

HALF-LIFE 2 EPISODE 3: A STEAM BOX EXCLUSIVE.

Okay, that would be a dick move. Of course, I doubt Valve, with its PC-friendly reputation, would consider that, assuming they plan to get into the console market at all. This seems like rumors on top of rumors at best. Valve also heavily supports the mod community which consoles don't do, although I suppose that could change provided they don't use proprietary encoding like the current gen, but then it would just be a gaming PC.

I don't think they would make a console, they might be working on a specialty pc kind of thing though.

I'd be more inclined to believe this if anything at all.

This sounds to me like Valve is wanting to explore the methods of interaction with the game - whether by controls or visuals. I wouldn't read too much into it.

This seems like the most plausible explanation, but we'll just have to wait see what they're cooking up.

 

[ResonanceGames]

HALF-LIFE 2 EPISODE 3: A STEAM BOX EXCLUSIVE.

Okay, that would be a dick move. Of course, I doubt Valve, with its PC-friendly reputation, would consider that, assuming they plan to get into the console market at all. This seems like rumors on top of rumors at best. Valve also heavily supports the mod community which consoles don't do, although I suppose that could change provided they don't use proprietary encoding like the current gen, but then it would just be a gaming PC.

I don't think they would make a console, they might be working on a specialty pc kind of thing though.

I'd be more inclined to believe this if anything at all.

This sounds to me like Valve is wanting to explore the methods of interaction with the game - whether by controls or visuals. I wouldn't read too much into it.

This seems like the most plausible explanation, but we'll just have to wait see what they're cooking up.

Wait no longer, good sir, for all has been revealed. And by the famous Michael Abrash, no less!

http://blogs.valvesoftware.com/abrash/

 

[Evil Smurf]

You know what would be cool? A way for console peasants to play with the PC master race via the Internet

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

You know what would be cool? A way for console peasants to play with the PC master race via the Internet

That's already possible... it just isn't done.

The 3 major issues are:

1 - the console network owners don't like PCs getting anywhere near their walled gardens as they see it as a security risk.

2 - different game types favour different control schemes... less of an issue these days, at least for games that favour controllers... but try a game type that favours kb+m and you're going to get very lopsided gameplay without massive handicaps.

3 - probably the most important one, to be done properly the game has to be designed from the ground up as multi-platform not 'one main platform and we'll port everything else'... that results in shit we see like PS3 framerate chokes, sloppy PC control implementation and so on.

 

[hooksashands]

I don't think they would make a console, they might be working on a specialty pc kind of thing though.

Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo release platforms = consoles!

Valve releases same mass-assembled platform = "specialty PC"?

 

[eternal-chaplain]

Aye, my initial thoughts upon reading this were of that other project they've got going on- Steam on the TV n' all.

 

[lacktheknack]

Ah, gawrsh drattit. I'm entering an Electronics Engineering course this year. I won't be ready for two years.

 

[Nohra]

Sounds more like they're trying to develop peripherals for PCs and consoles.

 

[RA92]

Wait no longer, good sir, for all has been revealed. And by the famous Michael Abrash, no less!

http://blogs.valvesoftware.com/abrash/

Thanks for that link, that was a great read.

 

[dr_huch]

I got alot of hardware in my face, does that count? I really want to work at valve..

 

[snagli]

So, will it be... Steam Powered?

 

[Lord_Gremlin]

Maybe it's Valve brand PC? Well, and games will come out with mark "guaranteed to run at maximum settings at 60 FPS on Valve PC 1.1.

 

[theheroofaction]

Whatever it is, we can expect to see it in the late 2020s.

 

[plainlake]

Well they got alot of statistics to find out what the average gaming PCs are. I have always hoped that some sort of PC/console hybrid would be available so that the console peasants could gently be introduced to the possibilities with PC. And I have sold my soul to Gabe a long time ago so I dont believe they will do anything bad, EVER!And if they do, my worldview will be shattered.