Valve working on 'Steam Box' console

[ResonanceGames]

This isn't a console.

This looks a lot more like an open hardware standard than a "console." Valve is trying to solve several huge problems in one fell swoop.

1.) the lack of a hardware standard, which is holding back game development significantly for the PC -- at least as much as the consoles are.

2.) the lack of an open living room experience, which is holding consoles back more than anything, including hardware specs.

3.) the lack of biometrics (which have been shown to enhance the game experience a ton in all of Valve's tests) on ANY platform.

4.) the lack of modularity in the living room. If you want a modular PC experience on your TV right now, you have to run a bunch of cable and deal with UIs that have no business being on a TV.

 

[Aircross]

Valve console = Standardized PC with Steam for people who don't know how to build computers.

I like it. It'll open up a whole new world for people who have never been exposed to PC gaming.

 

[Xpheyel]

I kind of think there is some overreaction. If it really is like the Alienware, then it's still just an x64-Windows PC in a "Console" form factor. You won't recognize the traditional console benefits or price point. And that gets rough because a lot of the Triple-A publishers charge the console tax on PC games anyway.

That being said, there are probably a couple of interesting things they could do with it that would simplify things if they're in some kind of partnership with hardware manufacturers. It might even be possible to build yourself a Steambox in a conventional tower form factor, if the Steambox qualified motherboards/GPUs are retailed. Also the broader PC/enthusiast market would be basically unchanged, unless it became really wildly popular and "PC" devs became "Steambox PC" devs.

Unless they are making their own really-a-console console. In which case, color me skeptical. So many PC games are kind of married to Windows in one way or another.

 

[Innegativeion]

They stopped being a strictly PC developer the second they brought the first Half-Life to the PS2 over a decade ago.

Granted that the game itself was still developed specifically with the PC in mind, and only later ported to a console to appeal to a broader market, as is the case with essentially every valve game ever that got a console port, and Valve's releases have always focused on the PC experience first and the consoles second, if at all,

this argument seems rather "dry twig" level flimsy.

 

[omicron1]

PC gaming for the Unwashed Masses? Bring it on!

I can't see this being anything but good for gaming as a whole. Part of PC gaming's problem is its lack of visibility to Joe Schmo - and having a PC "box" on shelves, where Joe can see it, may well make it much more popular than otherwise.

 

[Somebloke]

It may be worth making note of the superhuman extrapolation abilities, that news-starved Valve fans have developed over the years...

 

[crappingpegasus]

While I question the validity of this source, (Has anyone heard of "The Verge" before now?) it's good to see Valve sees the writing on the wall about PC gaming.

The Verge is where the engadget staff fled to before engadget went to shit, or so i have heard.

Yeah. Once AOL took over Engadget, Joystiq, TechCrunch and others they released a internal manifesto called "The AOL Way" which basically promoted page views over quality content. Many took offense to this and began to leave. The first person from Engadget was (I believe) Paul Miller, followed by the rest of the senior editing staff (including Topolsky). They eventually went to SBNation, who helped launch the Verge.

SBNation, now Vox Media, is also launching a gaming site later this year with Christopher Grant, Brian Crecente and others.

As for their track record, it's pretty good. Last night on Twitter Topolosky indicated he knew more than he could talk about at this moment, so I would imagine it goes past some hearsay from the industry.

EDIT: BTW, if you want to read the AOL Way, it leaked out... http://www.businessinsider.com/the-aol-way#-1

 

[crappingpegasus]

While I question the validity of this source, (Has anyone heard of "The Verge" before now?) it's good to see Valve sees the writing on the wall about PC gaming.

The Verge is where the engadget staff fled to before engadget went to shit, or so i have heard.

Yeah. Once AOL took over Engadget, Joystiq, TechCrunch and others they released a internal manifesto called "The AOL Way" which basically promoted page views over quality content. Many took offense to this and began to leave. The first person from Engadget was (I believe) Paul Miller, followed by the rest of the senior editing staff (including Topolsky). They eventually went to SBNation, who helped launch the Verge.

SBNation, now Vox Media, is also launching a gaming site later this year with Christopher Grant, Brian Crecente and others.

As for their track record, it's pretty good. Last night on Twitter Topolosky indicated he knew more than he could talk about at this moment, so I would imagine it goes past some hearsay from the industry.

EDIT: BTW, if you want to read the AOL Way, it leaked out... http://www.businessinsider.com/the-aol-way#-1

Thanks for that post, it helped clear up what I had heard.

No wonder those guys left, AOL sounds like it knows nothing. Surely it realises that quality content will lead to more hits?

AOL (and more specifically Arianna Huffington who was put in charge over most of this stuff) seriously ruined some great online blogs. Engadget and TechCrunch in particular. TC has lost in its last year its founder, its top writer, a slew of writers and just this last week its newest Editor and Chief. Engadget is now run by the guy who used to edit the automotive section!?

In all cases, everyone went off to do bigger and better things. Except Huffington - who still sucks and everything she does.

EDIT: But I digress.... Steam Box, am i rite...

 

[LilithSlave]

I hate this idea. I'm sorry, but the only thing Steam has going for me, is that it's on the PC. I like the selection of games on the PlayStation Network, much, much better overall. I have no interest in a console that plays Steam games when I much more conveniently have it for the PC. Completely, utterly useless for me.

The only good thing for me that this could possibly bring for me, is if console only developers gave this a chance, and it led to a PC release of a lot of console only titles. It would be especially nice if Steam did anything like what Microsoft did with the XBOX360 and tried to win over Japanese audiences with loads of Cave STGs and jRPGs. Seeing Mushihimesama and Tales of Vesperia on the PC would make me a very, very happy person. Two games of which, are my most important reasons for even owning an XBOX360. To be honest, Cave games, Nippon Ichi games, Atlus games, and Namco games, are all some of the biggest things I miss when it comes to PC gaming.

Good lord, we talk about PC gaming related topics far too much around here.

 

[gamer86]

I do not see why so many people are hating on consoles. I am one of the few who plays on both PC and consoles, so I see both sides, but some PC gamers are just such elitists its not funny. Course my primary is console, but thats because I do not have the money to upgrade every six months, thats why most game on consoles. So i think this is a great idea for those with low money.

 

[Irridium]

Seems they left out the part where Gabe says he'd rather not do it.

Here's [http://www.penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/valves-gabe-newell-talks-wearable-computers-rewarding-players-and-whether-w] the full interview, below is the snippet that news source was talking about:

Now do you see a future where Valve is actually selling hardware or do you just want to have things that could take advantage of that technology should it be popular?

Well, if we have to sell hardware we will. We have no reason to believe we're any good at it, it's more we think that we need to continue to have innovation and if the only way to get these kind of projects started is by us going and developing and selling the hardware directly then that's what we'll do. It's definitely not the first thought that crosses our mind; we'd rather hardware people that are good at manufacturing and distributing hardware do that. We think it's important enough that if that?s what we end up having to do then that's what we end up having to do.

So yeah, they're not opposed to the idea, but it seems they would rather let the people who already make the hardware do their thing.

 

[Sansha]

http://www.theverge.com/2012/3/2/2840932/exclusive-valve-steam-box-gaming-console

Recently there's been chatter that Valve ? the company behind the massively popular gaming service Steam ? has been considering getting into the hardware business. Specifically, there have been rumors that the company has been toying with the idea of creating a proper set-top console which could potentially pose a threat to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Valve co-founder Gabe Newell even recently told Penny Arcade: "Well, if we have to sell hardware we will."


---

Now personally, I don't like consoles. I haven't owned one since my Xbox and PS2 eons ago, but this is something I'll most definitely invest in. If it's got a fat hard-drive and can buy and download shit from Steam on it, I'm sold.

Its called a PC.

We dont need this. Why would we need it? PS3 is already starting to integrate steam a bit, right? Who wants another platform to relate to? What would they do that xboxes ps3s and pcs arent already doing?

Purge the inferior, weaker, out-dated creatures that, to me, are a fucking plague of the gaming industry - game disks.
Game stores and disks need to die.

 

[mad825]

3.) the lack of biometrics (which have been shown to enhance the game experience a ton in all of Valve's tests) on ANY platform.

>,>
Of course Valve would say that but the fact it only measures the player's pulse rate and galvanic skin response seems slightly gimmicky...motion controls anyone? Don't you remember the hype?


Nevertheless, how accurate are the biometrics and how do they combat external factors which could quite as easily deliver false/misleading readings?

It's a sham, you're an idiot if you think they are going to cause a revolution in gaming.

 

[Spygon]

Hasnt this rumor being doing circles for the last 7 years.I think even when counterstrike was the dominating the landscape they were rumors valve were going to make a console.

The blank are making a console rumors have been going on forever.

 

[LilithSlave]

If it gets popularity like a console then that would mean in turn more games would be coded to work on this console and in turn work for PC.

That would be the major appeal for me. More games I like and care about coming to the PC.

And I don't consider myself a PC gamer by any stretch.

 

[crappingpegasus]

I do not see why so many people are hating on consoles. I am one of the few who plays on both PC and consoles, so I see both sides, but some PC gamers are just such elitists its not funny. Course my primary is console, but thats because I do not have the money to upgrade every six months, thats why most game on consoles. So i think this is a great idea for those with low money.

this.

i don't mind PC gaming - but there is peace of mind in knowing that a one time fee guarantees me a smooth gaming experience for the next five years or so. Also, you really can't beat how simple live is for chatting and gaming with friends.

that's probably what I don't get about this whole move, sure Steam is a good platform for software, but what's it gonna offer the user in terms of accessibility? will it be standard to package a microphone with each piece of hardware like Xbox does? will you be able to have a party chat with friends? also, as an Xbox user, why is Steam's community more compelling than Xbox's where I already have a xx,xxx+ gamer score?

it just seems redundant to me.

 

[Risingblade]

Would this mean steam sales on console games?....god yes do want

 

[ResonanceGames]

3.) the lack of biometrics (which have been shown to enhance the game experience a ton in all of Valve's tests) on ANY platform.

>,>
Of course Valve would say that but the fact it only measures the player's pulse rate and galvanic skin response seems slightly gimmicky...motion controls anyone? Don't you remember the hype?

Skin galvanic response is just one of many, many biometrics experiments Valve has run. They have several employees who do pretty much nothing but biometrics work. They also have a controller that follows eye motion that apparently works beautifully and tons of other unannounced stuff.

I don't remember any "hype" about it, since at the time it was made pretty clear that they had no plans to release it, but now that all those things are potentially on the horizon, they're starting to sound pretty good.

 

[Kinokohatake]

*bangs head on keyboard*
No. No. No. No. No.
1. I think consoles are going to die out eventually. Probably soon.
2. Valve's main market are PC gamers, who have gaming PCs
3. We don't need more bloody consoles

Looks over my vast array of consoles and then at my just for work laptop. I don't think we're going anywhere anytime soon. Especially as long as we have the Modern Warfare fanatics.

 

[crappingpegasus]

Would this mean steam sales on console games?....god yes do want

I doubt anything other than PC games would be sold through the system. Anything else would be a port. Unless the programming language between the Next Box, PS4 and SteamBox are conveniently similar. Also, I doubt Microsoft would allow Steam to sell Halo or Gears over their own digital store on the Xbox.