Valve to Release Own Console-Like PC for the Living Room

That concept stretches itself to iOS, Android, and even Ubuntu. In fact, think about the Xbox OS and Playstation as well. Are they inherently different than the tablet/smartphone OSes? Not really. Perhaps a bit more locked down and specialized, but as far as UI is concerned they're roughly equivalent. Very big, very touch friendly and they're made to be incredibly simple and intuitive to interact with. Thus it isn't a matter of you pounding your chest here over Windows 8 (which sucks donkeyballs and the market has thus far voted a resounding "No") but rather a whole host of OSes that have attempted this and succeeded in rolling it out to consumers.

Docking has been quite big with laptops for a while now, businesses in particular. We both know ThinkPads really well, and we're also well aware of the choices that companies like HP, Dell and Lenovo have been offering business/enterprise users in that respect for a period of years now. Docking your tablet is going to be a natural transition for these people so I really don't see why it should be different elsewhere given the docking aspect would essentially be the same just fill a different role: gaming in this case.

Consoles won't be replaced tomorrow and that's not what I'm implying. There's still a huge market for underpowered crappy consoles. Just take a gander at the recent Xbox and Nintendo sales figures and you'll see that. But what about the next 2-3 years? I highly doubt that fixed form factors and dedicated niche devices are going to be selling at such huge volume when you can buy a portable all-purpose device with the same CPU and GPU throughput that requires only added peripherals to achieve the same task just as naturally.
 
4saken said:
What purpose does will this device really server over a xbox 720 or ps4, standard htpc, etc?
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That's uncertain. I'm not certain what niche the Steam Box is intended to fill, but I have my doubts that there is strong profitability in whatever niche that could be.
 
4saken said:
The real question is, why? I see it being a niche product that some hardcore techies will have to have it, but who really wants to buy a device(console) to just play source games and humble bundle indie crap on their tv? What purpose does will this device really server over a xbox 720 or ps4, standard htpc, etc?
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That was one of my thoughts as well. I'm not convinced the market is there for a Valve console/PC and if the market isn't there, developers aren't going to develop for it.
nOrVow said:
and it's a horrible tablet OS. :D
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It's better than W7 and that's all that matters to someone who doesn't know anything outside of MS :p
 
heatlesssun said:
Wow dude, you really know how to just make shit up and lie. I wasn't the one that bought up a convergence tablet that you hook controllers and keyboards and mice to.
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Listen here Mister Fredrick, I was 100% agreeing with this post of yours:

heatlesssun said:
Sure, a bunch of $2 games and free stuff on a touch screen. That's not exactly what console and PC gaming is about though. I'm not saying that mobile gaming is important and growing, but it really does look to be a higher-volume, lower cost and production quality, touch oriented experience compared to consoles and PCs.
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When I said this:

SkribbelKat said:
+1

I totally agree with this. Since consumer electronics are almost exclusively used for entertainment and, like you said, touch-based gaming on a mobile device or tablet pretty much is a low-budget suckfest, they should get rid of touch devices altogether and we should all be playing games behind a desktop PC or while sitting like a buncha zombies on a sofa with a controller for our console in our sweaty paws.
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And nothing in it is made up or a lie except maybe the part about sweaty paws since most people don't have paws...they have hands. Sheesh...you try to be supportive of someone's obsession and they totally flip out...
 
SkribbelKat said:
Listen here Mister Fredrick, I was 100% agreeing with this post of yours:



When I said this:



And nothing in it is made up or a lie except maybe the part about sweaty paws since most people don't have paws...they have hands. Sheesh...you try to be supportive of someone's obsession and they totally flip out...
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You're not swinging your nuts hard enough bro
 
wonderfield said:
That's uncertain. I'm not certain what niche the Steam Box is intended to fill, but I have my doubts that there is strong profitability in whatever niche that could be.
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I think this is more of an option for buyers of OEM machines.

Little Bobby goes to Best Buy with his daddy. He's looking for a gaming PC, or at least one that's capable of respectable gaming. Even today, most OEM machines characteristically skimp on the GPU and overspend on the CPU. You usually get a very lopsided system that's too heavy on one end and not enough power on the other.

A Steam box would likely still retain PC functionality -- assuming they're targeting at HTPC/PC, and judging by Gabe's statements they are -- you'd get a more gaming oriented console/PC/HTPC thing running Linux.

The obvious drawbacks here would be that it's not user customizable and in that way resembles a console (or any Apple product), and lacks the typical Windows applications that they're used to. As a gaming and HTPC device, though, it would suit quite well.

Steam aren't going to pull the plug on Steam for PC, but rather they're just adding another option for PC and console gamers. For the DIY crowd here it may seem pointless, and it certainly is, but for the majority of people who don't put together their own systems it's potentially a more appealing product.
 
nOrVow said:
Except that Windows 8 doesn't work efficiently with mice and keyboards, it's an inconsistent mish-mashing experience, and it's a horrible tablet OS. :D
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nOrVow said:
But you started your Windows 8/M$ nut swinging.
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I only pointed out an issue with convergence that's pointed out by Windows 8 opponents all of the time. How many people have ever done anything like what pelo mentioned? Take a tablet, hook it up to a big screen, keyboard, mouse and controller and play a high-end PC/console game. How many tablets even support something like this?
 
nOrVow said:
You're not swinging your nuts hard enough bro
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I promise that on my next grocery shopping trip, I'll buy a huge sac(k) of walnuts and swing them around in the parking like while I pretend to be a ninja (which I learned from Assassin's Creed or Thief...or was it Myst?) which will be completely amazing. Then, after I accidentally hit my car with them and go back inside to buy another bag, I'll go home and attempt to make a pecan pie.
 
SkribbelKat said:
I promise that on my next grocery shopping trip, I'll buy a huge sac(k) of walnuts and swing them around in the parking like while I pretend to be a ninja (which I learned from Assassin's Creed or Thief...or was it Myst?) which will be completely amazing. Then, after I accidentally hit my car with them and go back inside to buy another bag, I'll go home and attempt to make a pecan pie.
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parking like? parking lot! :)
 
heatlesssun said:
I only pointed out an issue with convergence that's pointed out by Windows 8 opponents all of the time. How many people have ever done anything like what pelo mentioned? Take a tablet, hook it up to a big screen, keyboard, mouse and controller and play a high-end PC/console game. How many tablets even support something like this?
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Ubuntu for Android
 
pelo said:
I'm sure you've heard of XBMC (cross platform) or Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, or billion other Linux-based OSes you interact with on a daily basis, whether it be your phone, car, router, vending machine, or lifelike sex-mannequin-bot. The point is that Steam/Valve have the option of tweaking it to their heart's content or going with an ready and mature distro.
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You're not grasping the basic concept that there are no good Linux distros for HTPC/gaming functionality, and yes they have the option of reinventing the wheel, but why would you?

There's a great operating system already out there that rocks for HTPC and gaming use, its called Windows, and they have a monopoly on the market already (~90%) so games and software are going to be designed for it anyway.

This is like knocking down a wall to put a crappy door on hinges, when right next to it you have a nice glass motion sensing door already up and running with a ton of people using it daily and familiar with it.
 
SkribbelKat said:
And nothing in it is made up or a lie except maybe the part about sweaty paws since most people don't have paws...they have hands. Sheesh...you try to be supportive of someone's obsession and they totally flip out...
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I didn't bring up the idea of a convergence tablet and at the moment only one OS actually supports the idea of convergence tablets and even when I pointed of the issues with the concept you point fingers at me.
 
heatlesssun said:
I didn't bring up the idea of a convergence tablet and at the moment only one OS actually supports the idea of convergence tablets and even when I pointed of the issues with the concept you point fingers at me.
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Well, you said that tablets have crappy games on them and that playing games is much better on a desktop or console. I agreed with you. I don't think I even mentioned converging or transforming or dinner rolls until this post. What does that have to do with lame $2 games on tablets?
 
SkribbelKat said:
I promise that on my next grocery shopping trip, I'll buy a huge sac(k) of walnuts and swing them around in the parking [lot] while I pretend to be a ninja (which I learned from Assassin's Creed or Thief...or was it Myst?)
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Thief. It's called a 'blackjack'.
 
Stiletto said:
FTFY
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its to late, the thread is already ruined


nobody was safe... not even the cats...
xwqxd.jpg
 
heatlesssun said:
So does anyone here have Ubuntu for Android setup on a tablet, hooked it up to a TV, keyboard, mouse and game controller and actually played a high end PC/console game on it?
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Well, Android is currently ARM only (although an x86 port is in development) so no "high-end" games, but regardless the functionality exist within a non-Windows OS/tablet, w/e. I don't know what a "high-end" PC/Console game is, you're going to have to be a little more specific there. :p

I'm sure super meat boy or something would work, that's a "high end" game.










i keed
 
Ducman69, you and rudy are missing a key point here:

Steam and other big game studios were very upset with MS for opening up their Metro store that now directly competes with their own distribution systems. In order to bypass the 20% MS tax, they're now looking at offering competing ecosystems and hardware.

Your solution to their problem is that they go back to Microsoft because that somehow makes more sense.

say w0t?

Valve has already stated that porting over their games to Linux was an easy process. Given the fact that most game studios are going to be working on openGL for a lot of their games anway (see tablets/smartphones) it just makes sense to go Linux and develop in such a way that your games are platform and OS agnostic.
 
Lol last time i was here i was just talking about the merrits of programming as a developer between opengl and direct3d, along with how vendors support each. Then talked a bit about how poorly vendors support linux which is treated as a 3rd world country pretty much. Nice to see this thread is now back to where it belongs. Flaming and posting .gif's and img macros
 
Semantics said:
Lol last time i was here i was just talking about the merrits of programming as a developer between opengl and direct3d, along with how vendors support each. Then talked a bit about how poorly vendors support linux which is treated as a 3rd world country pretty much. Nice to see this thread is now back to where it belongs. Flaming and posting .gif's and img macros
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it always happens in derailments, its a christmas tradition
tumblr_mdpysxNVOd1rk91mro1_500.jpg
 
Well, that's cool guys, you keep playing with your whiffle ball well I keep playing with my football. (I am speaking of your android and ipads, not the Valve box which could be interesting.)
 
ManofGod said:
...I keep playing with my football.
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Does that mean you're gonna put on some plastic that makes you look buff and then slap other fat guys on the butt over and over again, justifying it by saying that you're only touching them there because that's the only place they will feel your gesture of kindness? :D
 
pelo said:
Ducman69, you and rudy are missing a key point here:

Steam and other big game studios were very upset with MS for opening up their Metro store that now directly competes with their own distribution systems.
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That's a VERY good point considering that users are all restricted to installing applications from the metro store. Oh wait, no they aren't.

But hey man, have fun on your locked down hardly functional linux box, cuz fully functional HTPCs are overrated. Definitely going to wait in line outside the store for that launch, lol!
 
Ducman69 said:
That's a VERY good point considering that users are all restricted to installing applications from the metro store. Oh wait, no they aren't.

But hey man, have fun on your locked down hardly functional linux box, cuz fully functional HTPCs are overrated. Definitely going to wait in line outside the store for that launch, lol!
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Linux is locked down? :confused: I'm pretty sure that insane Stallman guy would like to speak with you.
 
SkribbelKat said:
Linux is locked down? :confused: I'm pretty sure that insane Stallman guy would like to speak with you.
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This is pretty usual when speaking with people who have never used Linux. It's sort of the way heatless feels about Win8
 
SO yeah, what do you guys think: Is this a good idea or bad idea, and why? How do you think this will affect the rest of us real PC users.
 
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