SteamOS announced.

[Κracus]

Uh yeah ok. Great contribution to this discussion btw.

[scared?]

[bitWISE]

First bit of good news out of this SteamOS crap: nvidia is finally willing to work with the linux community on their open source drivers.

http://arstechnica.com/information-tech ... ce-driver/

[seremtan]

Gabe: "the trouble with Windows 8 is, it's pushing the desktop OS toward a closed platform, and that's bad. that's why we've developed SteamOS which is, uh, a, um, closed platform... LOOK AT THE SHINY SHINY"

[GONNAFISTYA]

Yes, an open platform is indeed just like a closed platform in the same way that absence of belief in religion is a religion in of itself.

Seriously man...what's with the bitterness lately? Or just bored?

[MKJ]

Steam Machine. Not quite the same ring to it as SteamBox.

[Pext]

closed platform

am i missing something? how can an open source OS be a closed platform?

[Κracus]

If it's under the GNU then you can technically take the product and modify it to make it closed then license that product and sell it as a closed product even though it's core OS is free and open.

Essentially the concept under GNU is for the software to be free to do with as you please which includes using it for commercial purposes.

[bitWISE]

Valve has specifically said they are releasing the source. They pretty much have to if they want to enter the Linux community with any success (see nvidia).

[Κracus]

Sure but that won't be any different than id releasing the code for Q3. You still have to pay for it.

[Eraser]

Sure but that won't be any different than id releasing the code for Q3. You still have to pay for it.

free != open

and by extension:

paying != closed

Having said that, Valve releasing the sourcecode doesn't necessarily mean it's entirely open either. The deal is: at this point we can't say much about the openness of the system, especially not since "open" is so poorly defined in this particular discussion.

[Κracus]

True, I'm guessing they'll want devs to have access to it though.

[obsidian]

Sure but that won't be any different than id releasing the code for Q3. You still have to pay for it.

To be clear, id Software released the source code under GPL. You can use it as you like as long as you abide by the same GPL license, meaning if you make changes and distribute or sell your game, you need to make your source code available under GPL as well. The reason why you still need to buy a copy of Q3 if you want to play it is because the game assets (textures, models, sounds, etc.) are still very much copyrighted. You also pay for the "support" of having a precompiled binary executable instead of a bunch of source code which you have to compile yourself.





SteamOS may be based on Linux, but I don't see any verbatim mentions that they will be open source at all (at least not on their site, perhaps they mentioned it specifically on an interview somewhere else). I'm sure they may release parts of it, but there is no mention of it being entirely an open source project. From the website:

With SteamOS, “openness” means that the hardware industry can iterate in the living room at a much faster pace than they’ve been able to... SteamOS will be available soon as a free download for users and as a freely licensable operating system for manufacturers.

"Openness", in quotes, and not 'open source', can mean just about anything. It just means that valve will be collaborating with hardware vendors as much as they can to leverage performance benefits. There is no mention of what they will do with the source code at all. My guess is that they'll provide huge hunks of code available to hardware vendors and game developers. I doubt that they will stick the whole source on GitHub or anything similar for public use and forks.

[GONNAFISTYA]

So much nerd.

[Plan B]

Yeah, isn't it nice how everyone gets to spout their opinion.
Can I get my fucking game on already.

[Κracus]

Sure but that won't be any different than id releasing the code for Q3. You still have to pay for it.

To be clear, id Software released the source code under GPL. You can use it as you like as long as you abide by the same GPL license, meaning if you make changes and distribute or sell your game, you need to make your source code available under GPL as well. The reason why you still need to buy a copy of Q3 if you want to play it is because the game assets (textures, models, sounds, etc.) are still very much copyrighted. You also pay for the "support" of having a precompiled binary executable instead of a bunch of source code which you have to compile yourself.





SteamOS may be based on Linux, but I don't see any verbatim mentions that they will be open source at all (at least not on their site, perhaps they mentioned it specifically on an interview somewhere else). I'm sure they may release parts of it, but there is no mention of it being entirely an open source project. From the website:

With SteamOS, “openness” means that the hardware industry can iterate in the living room at a much faster pace than they’ve been able to... SteamOS will be available soon as a free download for users and as a freely licensable operating system for manufacturers.

"Openness", in quotes, and not 'open source', can mean just about anything. It just means that valve will be collaborating with hardware vendors as much as they can to leverage performance benefits. There is no mention of what they will do with the source code at all. My guess is that they'll provide huge hunks of code available to hardware vendors and game developers. I doubt that they will stick the whole source on GitHub or anything similar for public use and forks.

I wonder if they'll require a licensing fee for dev's to make games for the SteamOS? Kinda like Q3 licenses the engine, or at least used to, not sure what's going on these days.

[Pext]

SteamOS may be based on Linux, but I don't see any verbatim mentions that they will be open source at all ~

http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/SteamMachines/

Can I download the OS to try it out?
You will be able to download it (including the source code, if you're into that) but not yet.

[Plan B]

Can I get my fucking game on already.

like you haven't wanked thrice today already

Thrice, hehe. Thou jest.
Thine comment alone led me to wank twoscore and more, for inane and irrelevant comments excite me so.

[Don Carlos]

Steam Machine. Not quite the same ring to it as SteamBox.

Sounds better, I think

http://www.joystiq.com/2013/09/25/steam-box-exists/

[Don Carlos]

Also announcement 3 will be the controller, no doubt.

[GONNAFISTYA]

Nah...announcement 3 will be an announcement about the announcement of the next announcement which will be announced when it's announced during the announcement.

[Κracus]

They're gonna release Half Life 3 on Steam Machine.

[Pext]

Nah...announcement 3 will be an announcement about the announcement of the next announcement which will be announced when it's announced during the announcement.

announception

... we allready had that joke a few months back, right?

[bitWISE]

I wonder if they'll require a licensing fee for dev's to make games for the SteamOS? Kinda like Q3 licenses the engine, or at least used to, not sure what's going on these days.

That would be silly. If anything they will be offering AAA studios massive incentives to make the effort of developing for a smaller audience worth while. I wouldn't be surprised by some strong counter piracy elements in SteamOS.

[GONNAFISTYA]

Nah...announcement 3 will be an announcement about the announcement of the next announcement which will be announced when it's announced during the announcement.

announception

... we allready had that joke a few months back, right?

Dunno...but I like the title you came up with. Let's fuck.