Valve Reveals SteamOS

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james.sponge

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So the two remaining announcements are steambox and game sharing feature they've talked about? yay? I guess...
 

lacktheknack

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Sgt. Sykes said:
Really, how is GNU (which Linux is basically part of), i.e. the idea and implementation of free software, compatible with closed-source, DRM-ridden, propriate spyware bullshit that is Steam and Steamworks?

Sigh.

Couldn't they just throw some support at Wine? They won't get the respect of Linux people this way.
They're not trying to impress Linux users, they're trying to impress PC/console crossover-ers.
 

Tanakh

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Daverson said:
I call all Unix-y OS "Linux", because I'm an ass like that. =p

You can bet your arse valve'll port this over to PC. When you think about it, it'd be pretty foolish not to.
I really hope so, personally i have no intention of buying a steambox but might use steamOS on my PC if it offer even the slightest advantage over windows. But... I don't think this will make Linux based OS more popular among the general public, for one PCs are reducing it's market share, but mainly because I don't see steamOS being a general use OS (like Ubuntu or Windows) but a very niche OS (more akin to a console OS).

But what do I know, might be wrong.
 

mad825

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Maxtro said:
If game performance is better on the SteamOS than Windows then I'm all for it.
I would...If it was worth it. Most native Linux games would struggle to tax my PC, including nearly all Valve games and the demos which used the SDK Source 2013.

Besides, they've still got a lot to explain before I even care. If it's going to look like Win 8, Valve can fuck right off.
 

Ticklefist

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Need more details obviously but not everything I want to play is on Steam. Not every good deal is on Steam. I just broke out of my ridiculous 5 year long "I'll only buy it if it registers on Steam" trance and I don't plan on falling back into it ever again.
 

Ticklefist

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And yeah, we're talking about Valve. The company that found a way to monetize profile customization by introducing trading cards.

PROFILE CUSTOMIZATION.
 

Tanakh

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lacktheknack said:
They're not trying to impress Linux users, they're trying to impress PC/console crossover-ers.
As a Linux user I am impressed, most of us are if you bother to read more techy oriented sites like this article http://games.slashdot.org/story/13/09/23/177246/valve-announces-linux-based-steamos (yeah, yeah, slashdot being mainstream nowdays, whatever). But I get what you say, there are hardcore GNU purist that will take an affront, good thing no one cares about that and they will just throw a fit on a dark corner of the internet.
 

miker00lz

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So this is why Gaben has been saying Linux will be the future of gaming. Whether or not that pans out remains to be seen. Doesn't seem likely when you still need a Windows machine on your network to run your huge backlog of existing games to stream over the network. Are they also putting effort into polishing wine's Direct3D support? This will be necessary if Linux is to ever truly take over. That's going to be quite a bit of work. There are so many bugs in it, both major and minor. Very few major Windows games on wine are a totally smooth experience right now.
 

Hagi

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Still unconvinced.

And will remain so until I see a strategy on how they're going to deal with DirectX.

Most PC games are still being build based on that instead of OpenGL ( and other APIs for sound, input etc. ). Older games are for a very large part build on DirectX. And DirectX is fully owned by Microsoft and only available on Windows.

I don't really see the use for an OS that's only going to be able to stream the vast majority of games because it itself doesn't have the supporting libraries to run them.

Are they going to do a push in the games industry at large for OpenGL along with OpenAL for sound and something else for Input? Maybe SDL instead? Are they going to make a deal with Microsoft to get some form of DirectX running on SteamOS?

Until I know whether or not SteamOS is going to be able to play all the games I own that require DirectX and, if not, if Valve's going to ensure that no future PC game ever is going to use DirectX SteamOS will just be a second choice that technical people install as a dual-boot. Why use an OS that can only run OpenGL games when there's an OS that runs both OpenGL and DirectX games?

There are enough great games I'm missing out on already due to exclusive status to the consoles. I don't want to massively increase that list by adding games using DirectX on top of it.
 

webkilla

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So - it'll be a box that'll let you play console games via your PC, on your TV.

Not a bad idea - it might be like an Ouya that actually sort of works as intended.

I doubt I'll get one any time soon - seeing as the closest thing I have to TV is my PC, but I can tell that this could very much allow console game manufacturers to to develop for a single platform (PC) which would allow them to constantly scale the hardware requirements, completely abolishing the idea of "console hardware generations"
 

lacktheknack

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Tanakh said:
lacktheknack said:
They're not trying to impress Linux users, they're trying to impress PC/console crossover-ers.
As a Linux user I am impressed, most of us are if you bother to read more techy oriented sites like this article http://games.slashdot.org/story/13/09/23/177246/valve-announces-linux-based-steamos (yeah, yeah, slashdot being mainstream nowdays, whatever). But I get what you say, there are hardcore GNU purist that will take an affront, good thing no one cares about that and they will just throw a fit on a dark corner of the internet.
I can't wait to hear Richard Stallman's response to this! I can hear the weeping and voodoo-stabbing already! :D
 

lacktheknack

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webkilla said:
So - it'll be a box that'll let you play console games via your PC, on your TV.

Not a bad idea - it might be like an Ouya that actually sort of works as intended.

I doubt I'll get one any time soon - seeing as the closest thing I have to TV is my PC, but I can tell that this could very much allow console game manufacturers to to develop for a single platform (PC) which would allow them to constantly scale the hardware requirements, completely abolishing the idea of "console hardware generations"
No, there's no box. It's an OS, like Windows.
 

Riotguards

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not sure if i got this right but is this supposed to be a new and improved linux operating system for those who don't want to learn linux

or is it trying simply trying to imitate a console of some kind

either way it looks quite interesting, wouldn't replace my current OS but that's only because i spent 50 quid for windows 8 -.-
 

Jadak

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At first I was thinking this was kind of lame, and it really is. Not really any point, it won't replace the Windows PC for those who desire one yet those are the games it's dealing with. And it won't replace the current living room gaming consoles as those are different games. It's too much of an extra expense to merit getting an extra machine, so.. pointless.

But then I got to thinking. With the rumours of a 'Steam Box', could we be about to see a gaming pc from Steam with the same model as the consoles?

As with the PS3,360 and upcoming gen, will Steam sell it's box at a loss? Will it rely on SteamOS integration and a practical monopoly on PC digital game sales to make up for it?

In other words, with the SteamOS / SteamBox combo, will we be seeing what may be the first cheap, manufacturer subsidized high-end gaming PC on the market? If that is where they're going with this it could be an amazing development for PC gaming.

Although , they should stop throwing Linux around as if it's a buzzword, it just makes non-nerds nervous when they need to be doing the opposite, selling it on the Steam integration and simplicity of getting games and drawing in the traditionally non-PC folk.
 

iniudan

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Nocturnus said:
The only thing I have to ask is... why? The console can't really stand alone, considering its Linux library is bare bones to say the least. So, in order to play any games worth their salt, it will require a running a high end gaming PC somewhere else in the house running Windows or MacOS.

Then, on top of that, you'll have to have another piece of gaming hardware sitting in the living room.

At that point, what's the lure? Why strip your PC Of all the other features that you'd want/need just for this OS? Why not just run Steam on said Living Room rig in Big Picture Mode running Windows?

It seems like reinventing the wheel, and unnecessarily. A great idea hampered by the fact that it's relying on a complicated home-network setup to function with everything on Steam's Library. Either that, or you get stuck with the limited Linux-based stuff.
And you are making a mistake right here, yes you would still need proper gaming hardware for the steam server, the but streaming client, could actually be pretty much be anything with a screen or that connect into a screen, if the streaming client software is release under free license. Basically you would just need a smart TV or an Apple TV box for example to connect to a Windows steam server. SteamOS is just Linux solution for HTPC (and possibly desktop, either through official and unofficial support, it mostly just a matter of knowing if Valve will support desktop software through official package repository, has I am certain someone will create package to make steamOS into a desktop OS, if they don't provide official support)
 

lacktheknack

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Riotguards said:
not sure if i got this right but is this supposed to be a new and improved linux operating system for those who don't want to learn linux

or is it trying simply trying to imitate a console of some kind

either way it looks quite interesting, wouldn't replace my current OS but that's only because i spent 50 quid for windows 8 -.-
The second one. Linux distros already have the "User Friendly" scale covered (Ubuntu for n00bs, ARCH for masochists, and everything in between).
 

Adam Jensen_v1legacy

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GabeN is a fuckin' deity. This sounds really good. Open source gaming OS. What's not to like...in theory. Now let's see about that Half-Life 3 announcement.
 

SinisterGehe

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shrekfan246 said:
Andy Chalk said:
In other words, in case there was any question, this all but guarantees that an announcement of a Steam box - the "SteamOS machine," as Valve puts it - will follow soon.
That's kinda what I figure is going to happen as well, but who knows. All I know is that the announcement confused me greatly, because those vague, jargon-y promises pretty quickly make my eyes glaze over in boredom.

Also, I can't take credit for this, but "SteamOS" should totally be called "GladOS" instead.

[sub][sub]Hurr hurr, Andy Shandy, I'm in the threads, stealing your jokes![/sub][/sub]
I think the steam box should give all notifications as Glados.... Like when you boot to desktop "Oh it is you... again..."


I think I need to dual boot my Gaming laptop also. I said to myself- nei! I promised that I will never go linux until I need to (Because my expensive applications for work aren't supported or support any form of linux).
Also the idea of using command line to find things took my taste away. (I know they have desktops but all the linux freaks say that the command line is better)
But if this turns out well and 80% of steam games work on it then I will go for it properly on gaming laptop and just get myself a better and newer workhorse.
 

Doom972

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The in-home streaming sounds great (if works as advertised). I tried to set something similar myself, but without much success. If Steam will finally allow me to do this, it'll change the way I play games.