There's been talk of Valve coming with its own gaming PC/Console that will hook up to your TV but run PC hardware. It has now been revealed that the "Steam Box", as it's called, will run Linux. So if you get this, you've got a PC that runs Linux, has Steam to download games, and connects to your TV to play games in your living room.
I definitely like the idea of having a dedicated gaming PC in my living room attached to my TV. It would give many of the advantages of console gaming but still allow a lot more freedom as to what you run on it. While that last point remains to be seen for the Steam Box, I also worry about it running Linux. How many AAA blockbuster games are available for Linux? Not a whole lot I guess.
Valve's Steam Box
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Don Carlos
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- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Re: Valve's Steam Box
Not a lot at the moment, but then it is becoming more popular with the likes of the Humble Bundles showing up just how many people use it and a lot more kickstarters hitting target as a result of Linux support being added.
It is an exciting prospect and one which I think will build up steam (zing!) over time, just like Steam itself.
Then they will be going up against the Onya box, amongst others I think?
But if you already have a Steam account and you can grab all your pre-bought games and use them on this box they are on to a winner straight away.
It is an exciting prospect and one which I think will build up steam (zing!) over time, just like Steam itself.
Then they will be going up against the Onya box, amongst others I think?
But if you already have a Steam account and you can grab all your pre-bought games and use them on this box they are on to a winner straight away.
Re: Valve's Steam Box
They're already halfway there with the whole Big Picture thing, navigating Steam by a controller. And there's always something like Wine for Windows games, or can they even do that legally?
[quote="YourGrandpa"]I'm satisfied with voicing my opinion and moving on.[/quote]
Re: Valve's Steam Box
Not sure what the advantages of the Steam box would be over custom building your own PC and installing Steam on there. Is it just a convenience thing for people who can't be bothered to assemble their own hardware or is there something else to it?
Re: Valve's Steam Box
It's just to make getting and playing Steam games more convenient. There are no other advantages to the consumer, it's just to make more money for Valve. There won't be better games, better graphics, better sound or any other shit that hardware can bring.
Re: Valve's Steam Box
I can't see myself actually buying this thing over a Windows PC. If all it can do is play the undoubtedly tiny Steam library of games that actually run on Linux, why the fuck would anyone adopt this model? Hell, even if Linux ran every Steam game, would there be any advantage on using a Steambox over a PC hooked up to the tv? I suppose there might be a cost benefit? Even then, whatever. We're talking pocket change in the grand scheme of things.
Last edited by Mogul on Mon Jan 07, 2013 8:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
This line only remake is total rubbish I've ever seen!!! Fuck off!!! --CZghost
Re: Valve's Steam Box
I think we are the wrong demographic for Steambox, almost all of us own a gaming PC of some sort which negates the usefulness of such a device. However, this can be widely successful for console noobs who don't want to invest in a full gaming PC. Steam's advantage over traditional consoles is the storefront, as many of us can attest, their sales tend to be followed up with large credit card bills. Traditional store sales are never as appealing.
Linux (and Mac) is only a much smaller market than Windows only because that's what developers and publishers currently invest in, because it has a larger user base. That may no longer be the case going forward. The actual porting of many games isn't all that hard assuming the developer is willing to pour a little investment and manpower into the process. IIRC, TTimo was a one man team for porting many id Software games to Linux and he was only doing the ports as a side project among his many other duties.
Regardless, more competition from Steam into the console/Linux gaming markets is a good thing any way you look at it. I'm all for more innovation, open platforms, and PC gaming. The gaming industry been locked into the current generation of console hardware for much too long that it has completely stagnated progress.
Linux (and Mac) is only a much smaller market than Windows only because that's what developers and publishers currently invest in, because it has a larger user base. That may no longer be the case going forward. The actual porting of many games isn't all that hard assuming the developer is willing to pour a little investment and manpower into the process. IIRC, TTimo was a one man team for porting many id Software games to Linux and he was only doing the ports as a side project among his many other duties.
Regardless, more competition from Steam into the console/Linux gaming markets is a good thing any way you look at it. I'm all for more innovation, open platforms, and PC gaming. The gaming industry been locked into the current generation of console hardware for much too long that it has completely stagnated progress.
[size=85][url=http://gtkradiant.com]GtkRadiant[/url] | [url=http://q3map2.robotrenegade.com]Q3Map2[/url] | [url=http://q3map2.robotrenegade.com/docs/shader_manual/]Shader Manual[/url][/size]
Re: Valve's Steam Box
You may be right in that this could be an incentive for devs to port their games to Linux, but for the Steam Box to even make a significant impact there, it needs to be succesful.
I think your assessment of the target demographic isn't entirely correct. I think this thing is mostly appealing (on paper) to those who already have an appreciation for Steam and Valve. It's those names that pique our interest. Otherwise it would be dismissed as yet another 2nd rate gaming device (I wonder how nVidia's project Shield will fare). Why would the casual gamer buy this instead of an XBox 360 or PS3 or even a next gen console? Especially if the Steam Box won't run most AAA titles because it's Linux based (at first this will be the case, chicken/egg problem).
As for the ease of porting from Windows to Linux, I am not an expert in that area, but maybe id Software titles were relatively easy to port because of the architecture of their games (thinking of Q3's QVM system or Q1's QuakeC). Also, id always used OpenGL, I guess porting a DirectX game takes more effort.
I think your assessment of the target demographic isn't entirely correct. I think this thing is mostly appealing (on paper) to those who already have an appreciation for Steam and Valve. It's those names that pique our interest. Otherwise it would be dismissed as yet another 2nd rate gaming device (I wonder how nVidia's project Shield will fare). Why would the casual gamer buy this instead of an XBox 360 or PS3 or even a next gen console? Especially if the Steam Box won't run most AAA titles because it's Linux based (at first this will be the case, chicken/egg problem).
As for the ease of porting from Windows to Linux, I am not an expert in that area, but maybe id Software titles were relatively easy to port because of the architecture of their games (thinking of Q3's QVM system or Q1's QuakeC). Also, id always used OpenGL, I guess porting a DirectX game takes more effort.
Re: Valve's Steam Box
I'm seriously considering skipping the entire "next gen" console cycle and instead build my own living room pc with Steam Big Screen as the main game interface.
With the specs of the new xbox and Playstation as they are (a bit of a disappointment IMO) I reckon a custom build PC can be had for about the same as both consoles combined. And with the money-saver that is the Steam sales it's probably cheaper in the long run.
With the specs of the new xbox and Playstation as they are (a bit of a disappointment IMO) I reckon a custom build PC can be had for about the same as both consoles combined. And with the money-saver that is the Steam sales it's probably cheaper in the long run.
Why wait ? 
The only thing I'm missing is a decent racer like Forza or GT, most of everything else is available for Windows anyway and those that aren't are usually exclusive titles so there's a chance you won't have that console, unless you're a hog and/or whore.
I read Valve said they were taking on Xbox and Sony ?, which is a pretty tall order due to the tiny library of games in the 1st place which, has killed off major console manufacturers in the past ?. I know they're hoping the devs will start porting their games to Linux but the system needs to be popular enough in the 1st place and it's not like Valve has a ton of new or upcoming titles, not even sure Half Life 3 could help it ?. If by some miracle they do take up the task then by the time the major studios start making decent games for it - it'll already be an outdated piece of shit and, which ever way you look at it, your better off grabbing a computer, with linux maybe... or not, which kinda brings the idea of how pointless it really is ?
It'll need to be cheap as fuck, it's a nice idea to try and make Linux more popular, but why would it work ?, Apple couldn't even attract enough attention to start porting games to their shiney pieces of shit ?
Valve are obviously not stupid or amateurs, so something they're not telling us
, or something I'm missing ?
The only thing I'm missing is a decent racer like Forza or GT, most of everything else is available for Windows anyway and those that aren't are usually exclusive titles so there's a chance you won't have that console, unless you're a hog and/or whore.
I read Valve said they were taking on Xbox and Sony ?, which is a pretty tall order due to the tiny library of games in the 1st place which, has killed off major console manufacturers in the past ?. I know they're hoping the devs will start porting their games to Linux but the system needs to be popular enough in the 1st place and it's not like Valve has a ton of new or upcoming titles, not even sure Half Life 3 could help it ?. If by some miracle they do take up the task then by the time the major studios start making decent games for it - it'll already be an outdated piece of shit and, which ever way you look at it, your better off grabbing a computer, with linux maybe... or not, which kinda brings the idea of how pointless it really is ?
It'll need to be cheap as fuck, it's a nice idea to try and make Linux more popular, but why would it work ?, Apple couldn't even attract enough attention to start porting games to their shiney pieces of shit ?
Valve are obviously not stupid or amateurs, so something they're not telling us
, or something I'm missing ?[color=red] . : [/color][size=85] You knows you knows [/size]
Re: Valve's Steam Box
Aye and big hugs to Valve for taking the moral high ground, be cool to see them carve an opening in the market like the x-box did, they already have us as an initial fanbase. Just can't see why the console gamer would be attracted to this with such a small catalogue and, if it doesn't bring in their money, devs won't bother.
Nothing stopping them from having words with these studios to try and prop the console, no doubt theyre well connected but I havn't seen any studios mentioning their interest in developing for Linux ?
Nothing stopping them from having words with these studios to try and prop the console, no doubt theyre well connected but I havn't seen any studios mentioning their interest in developing for Linux ?
[color=red] . : [/color][size=85] You knows you knows [/size]
Re: Valve's Steam Box
I thought it was pitted against the big boys :/, even if it's flipped around to the casual gamer who's scared of a PC, it's still not much of an incentive when compared to his console options :/, it's not like it has a catalogue of all PC games unless they hope they go indie ?, no big shiney adverts or IGN throwing a rating in their face.
Like I said it'll need to be cheap as fuck, like the appstore on phones, which would be pretty interesting, but these consoles would no doubt be accompanied by it's Sony or MS counterpart like the Wii always was, which would be a good stepping stone but means Valve would have to sell at a huge loss on their consoles or be inferior in its hardware and won't really be a serious platform until the next generation of consoles after if they decide to keep at it ?, this is also assuming Valve has managed to convince the public that the steam store is a big enough incentive to buy on top of their proper console (I'm not even gonna entertain the idea of Valve selling consoles at a loss
).
Like I said it'll need to be cheap as fuck, like the appstore on phones, which would be pretty interesting, but these consoles would no doubt be accompanied by it's Sony or MS counterpart like the Wii always was, which would be a good stepping stone but means Valve would have to sell at a huge loss on their consoles or be inferior in its hardware and won't really be a serious platform until the next generation of consoles after if they decide to keep at it ?, this is also assuming Valve has managed to convince the public that the steam store is a big enough incentive to buy on top of their proper console (I'm not even gonna entertain the idea of Valve selling consoles at a loss
).[color=red] . : [/color][size=85] You knows you knows [/size]
Re: Valve's Steam Box
It's too confusing trying to read anything losCHUNK writes, I think he has absolutely no idea how to use punctuation. 
I think there is a fairly large advantage to being able to ship a game crossplatform, particularly seeing the increased market share of Macs and Unix based mobile devices (iOS and Android), it's only a matter of time before this growing marketshare of non-Microsoft/Sony gaming platforms hit mainstream. If the game is developed with this in mind, it doesn't require that much to build it with crossplatform capabilities. Even engines like Unreal which are very heavily DirectX reliant can be ported, Ryan Gordon single-handedly wrote a port of Unreal Tournament 3 for both Mac and Linux.
I think the days of console specific exclusives are becoming more rare with the next iteration of consoles. Developers are starting to take notice of the often draconian limitations imposed by Microsoft and Sony. While they'll continue to develop for those consoles, I think many will start to do what Valve is doing and exploring other alternative platforms.
I think there is a fairly large advantage to being able to ship a game crossplatform, particularly seeing the increased market share of Macs and Unix based mobile devices (iOS and Android), it's only a matter of time before this growing marketshare of non-Microsoft/Sony gaming platforms hit mainstream. If the game is developed with this in mind, it doesn't require that much to build it with crossplatform capabilities. Even engines like Unreal which are very heavily DirectX reliant can be ported, Ryan Gordon single-handedly wrote a port of Unreal Tournament 3 for both Mac and Linux.
I think the days of console specific exclusives are becoming more rare with the next iteration of consoles. Developers are starting to take notice of the often draconian limitations imposed by Microsoft and Sony. While they'll continue to develop for those consoles, I think many will start to do what Valve is doing and exploring other alternative platforms.
[size=85][url=http://gtkradiant.com]GtkRadiant[/url] | [url=http://q3map2.robotrenegade.com]Q3Map2[/url] | [url=http://q3map2.robotrenegade.com/docs/shader_manual/]Shader Manual[/url][/size]
Re: Valve's Steam Box
1st up - Fuck u
2ndly - I can't see much of a change on the horizon ?, Linux isn't new or spectacular and I havn't heard studios or devs mentioning the shitbox even tho they've already got chubbies over the next generations from Sony and MS ?, devs need to back it basically and they're not, yet.
Bet you didn't understand that either ?, motherfucker
2ndly - I can't see much of a change on the horizon ?, Linux isn't new or spectacular and I havn't heard studios or devs mentioning the shitbox even tho they've already got chubbies over the next generations from Sony and MS ?, devs need to back it basically and they're not, yet.
Bet you didn't understand that either ?, motherfucker
[color=red] . : [/color][size=85] You knows you knows [/size]
Re: Valve's Steam Box
?, , , , , , ?, , , , , ,
WTF?!
WTF?!
Re: Valve's Steam Box
you, forgot, the, homo
[color=red] . : [/color][size=85] You knows you knows [/size]
Re: Valve's Steam Box
Is there a ?, button on your keyboard, chunk?
[quote="YourGrandpa"]I'm satisfied with voicing my opinion and moving on.[/quote]
Re: Valve's Steam Box
I was told, if you did it enough times, it would turn into the upside down one ?
[color=red] . : [/color][size=85] You knows you knows [/size]
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Don Carlos
- Posts: 17509
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Re: Valve's Steam Box
Anyway, this will be a massive win for Vavle. You heard it here first.
Re: Valve's Steam Box
Well, here it is:
[lvlshot]http://cdn0.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus ... _960.0.jpg[/lvlshot]
And as you can see, it's called "Piston" instead of Steam Box. It is modularly set up, so you can buy upgrades for the CPU or the RAM. Price isn't announced yet, but don't be surprised if this thing will set you back a grand. It's based on a device called the X7A, which goes for $999.
More info/pics here:
http://www.polygon.com/2013/1/7/3849284 ... am-box-xi3
[lvlshot]http://cdn3.sbnation.com/entry_photo_im ... 9_epic.jpg[/lvlshot]
[lvlshot]http://cdn0.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus ... _960.0.jpg[/lvlshot]
And as you can see, it's called "Piston" instead of Steam Box. It is modularly set up, so you can buy upgrades for the CPU or the RAM. Price isn't announced yet, but don't be surprised if this thing will set you back a grand. It's based on a device called the X7A, which goes for $999.
More info/pics here:
http://www.polygon.com/2013/1/7/3849284 ... am-box-xi3
[lvlshot]http://cdn3.sbnation.com/entry_photo_im ... 9_epic.jpg[/lvlshot]
Last edited by Eraser on Tue Jan 08, 2013 3:38 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Don Carlos
- Posts: 17509
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Re: Valve's Steam Box
Pisstin 
Looks a nice bit of kit actually
Looks a nice bit of kit actually
Re: Valve's Steam Box
That's pretty small for a gaming PC. How's that going to run FPS games coming out in 2013, I wonder?
[quote="YourGrandpa"]I'm satisfied with voicing my opinion and moving on.[/quote]
Re: Valve's Steam Box
I'm still not sure what to think of this.
[size=85][color=#0080BF]io chiamo pinguini![/color][/size]
Re: Valve's Steam Box
They don't mention a GPU but:
The X3A will be the company’s budget modular PC, which will run a 1.65GHz dual-core processor and boast 4GB of RAM with at least 32GB of SSD storage (up to 1TB). If Xi3 meets their funding goals, the X3A is expected to ship this January for a price starting at $499. The company’s more-powerful model, the X7A, will feature up to a 3.2GHz quad-core processor with 4GB-8GB of RAM and at least 64GB of SSD storage (up to 1TB as well). This model is expected to ship in February for a starting price of $1,100.