Origin PC CEO: Steam Machines "Pretty Much Dead"

I'm actually arguing "This is how it's been done now show me something better." I just don't know how better is being able to less that what I can do now.

But most reasonable people recognize that nobody pops out of a vagina as a fully-formed adult. Everything has to start somewhere. And the idea that all 8000 games -- 90% of which you would classify as 10-year old crappy 2d indie side-scrollers -- are going to be ported to Linux is just fantasy.

Valve is trying to build something better for the future of PC gaming, which is based on an open platform. It's not going to happen on day one but people who care about PC gaming should be supporting the effort, even if they have doubts about it's ability to succeed long-term.

You, however, are completely against it. And the reason you're against it is because you're personally offended that Valve didn't choose Windows as the base of its OS. But your issue is ultimately not with Valve but Microsoft. When Microsoft joins the 20th century and decides to build their OS around open technologies like Apple and almost all other companies have done, say a BSD or Linux or even open their own stuff, then their system can be used in versatile ways by third-parties. Until then, Windows fails to meet the most important of Valve's criteria for this effort: it's not open.

And [H] people shouldn't be satisfied with anything other than open platforms and open standards if they want to push the industry forward.
 
I'm actually arguing "This is how it's been done now show me something better." I just don't know how better is being able to less that what I can do now.

Seriously? I've already stated this before.

Name 1 game system that launched with ALL of it's glorified games with it on LAUNCH day. Name 1. Just one is all that I ask.

Then again you don't have to bother. Because it takes months and years for new consoles to gain a large, worthwhile library. Why do you think the Steam Box would be any different? The only difference is the LARGE catalog of titles that will be available at launch that are older generation games that most if not nearly all console gamers have NEVER played. Thus those games would be new to them.

They haven't bought a PC w/ Windows to play those games at this point. So it's safe to assume they wont unless it's console priced, on a store shelf somewhere and they can plug it in and it works.
 
Name 1 game system that launched with ALL of it's glorified games with it on LAUNCH day. Name 1. Just one is all that I ask.

No matter how you try to dress this up, it boils down to

Windows vs Linux as your PC gaming OS.

Only fringe Windows haters are going to choose Linux.

By the time this ships they won't even be able to cash in on Window 8 hate anymore. Windows 10 looks like it will be changing pretty much everything that people hated in Windows 8, and bringing in DX12 with much more efficient design.
 
No matter how you try to dress this up, it boils down to

Windows vs Linux as your PC gaming OS.

Only fringe Windows haters are going to choose Linux.

By the time this ships they won't even be able to cash in on Window 8 hate anymore. Windows 10 looks like it will be changing pretty much everything that people hated in Windows 8, and bringing in DX12 with much more efficient design.

Personally I prefer gaming in Windows, but Linux is getting better at it all the time. Seeing that it is tiresome to reboot to Windows every time I want to play a game, I am happy when well made titles become available for Linux.
 
Zarathustra[H];1041348671 said:
Personally I prefer gaming in Windows, but Linux is getting better at it all the time. Seeing that it is tiresome to reboot to Windows every time I want to play a game, I am happy when well made titles become available for Linux.

And you serve as a perfect example of their potential market. Someone already desktop running Linux. A market about 1% the size of desktop Windows.
 
No matter how you try to dress this up, it boils down to

Windows vs Linux as your PC gaming OS.

Only fringe Windows haters are going to choose Linux.

By the time this ships they won't even be able to cash in on Window 8 hate anymore. Windows 10 looks like it will be changing pretty much everything that people hated in Windows 8, and bringing in DX12 with much more efficient design.

Wrong.

People just want to be able to play the games they want. They do not care what operating system it is on. Regardless if it's one of the UI/OS of a console, Android on a phone, iOS on Apple's phone or Windows.

The only people who will care what operating system it's running at the people this isn't going to be targeted towards.

Those people either already own a Windows based gaming machine or have no desire to game on a "PC" platform anyway.
 
I'm actually arguing "This is how it's been done now show me something better." I just don't know how better is being able to less that what I can do now.

You seem awfully nervous whenever SteamOS/Steam Machines gets mentioned around here. Hell, you beat me to the first reply 99% of the time. If its such a non-factor, I do have to wonder why you even concern yourself? "Surely it will fail" if the games offering is so pitiful and "Windows has moar gaymez". Yes?

I'll tell you what could make SteamOS better - the long game. Sure, it may not launch with as many games as Windows, but looking forward, the idea of a platform (SteamOS) supported by a company that actually gives a shit about PC gaming (Valve), is much more promising and enticing than a platform (Windows) that the platform holder (Microsoft) doesn't give a shit about because Xbox-Xbox-Xbox.
 
No matter how you try to dress this up, it boils down to

Windows vs Linux as your PC gaming OS.

Only fringe Windows haters are going to choose Linux.

By the time this ships they won't even be able to cash in on Window 8 hate anymore. Windows 10 looks like it will be changing pretty much everything that people hated in Windows 8, and bringing in DX12 with much more efficient design.

And no matter how you try to box it into a silly Windows vs Linux fight, the removal of the Windows tax from a bill of materials for a SteamOS based gaming PC means the more modest prefab offerings will be able to hit the magical console pricepoints ($400) while exceeding Xbone/PS4 performance. That's the bigger picture.

Also, "hate" is just a childish word for a disagreement. Seriously, get a grip.
 
Wrong.

People just want to be able to play the games they want..

And they will get them all on Windows, and a tiny fraction on Linux.

Thus you have to have some counter reason to choose the platform with a fraction of the games, instead of the platform with all of them.
 
And they will get them all on Windows, and a tiny fraction on Linux.

Thus you have to have some counter reason to choose the platform with a fraction of the games, instead of the platform with all of them.

It has little to do with Windows vs Linux. Why can't you people see this?
 
It has little to do with Windows vs Linux. Why can't you people see this?


You are talking about choosing between two different operating systems, on they same generic PC HW, to play games.

So it is ALL about that OS choice. Windows or Linux.
 
It's about getting the hardware in the living room. PC hardware at that.
 
But most reasonable people recognize that nobody pops out of a vagina as a fully-formed adult. Everything has to start somewhere. And the idea that all 8000 games -- 90% of which you would classify as 10-year old crappy 2d indie side-scrollers -- are going to be ported to Linux is just fantasy.

But Linux is a fully formed adult. I was running Linux on desktops in 1998.

You, however, are completely against it. And the reason you're against it is because you're personally offended that Valve didn't choose Windows as the base of its OS.

Yeah, I am kind of offended that a SteamBox with SteamOS won't run thousands of dollars of games that I bought in Steam. Of course Valve has said many times that you can just install Windows.
 
Yeah, I am kind of offended that a SteamBox with SteamOS won't run thousands of dollars of games that I bought in Steam. Of course Valve has said many times that you can just install Windows.

Thousands of dollars? Ever heard of the Winter and Summer Sales? Anyway, you bought those games because you already own a Windows Gaming Machine. Why would you buy a Steam Box? Why are you even considering buying a Steam Box?
 
Windows is preferred today, but that doesn't mean the status quo can't change, and that we shouldn't want to change. Maybe five years from now Linux will be the better gaming platform?

We should be preferring open systems where you can tailor the system to your needs, and where you're free to configure it however you want (lower latency, etc.), and where the graphics library is an open standard that can be updated without having to wait for a single disinterested party. Look at what open systems like Linux have done in the server, HPC, embedded and mobile markets. They've completely pushed those spaces forward at a rapid pace. Why do we not want this happening in gaming also?

People are basically saying, "This is how it currently is, so there's no sense trying to change it." That mentality is totally foreign to me. Nothing would ever progress if we lived that way. Here Valve is trying to ransom the living room for PC and open-platform gaming, and PC gamers are complaining because the OS is Linux? Really? Like long-term that's some kind of deal-breaker?

I do not say that you should run out and buy a Steam Machine, but why not at least support the goals of the effort and encourage it, rather than being a crepe-hanger?
 
But Linux is a fully formed adult. I was running Linux on desktops in 1998.

Pay attention here, we're talking about SteamOS and a Linux-based gaming console. The thing hasn't even been released yet and you're complaining about it not having any games.
 
Wonder how upset he was when Android was first launched and they hardly had any apps on it, but the Apple Store was loaded with Apps! Oh but wait, Linux has been around since 1998! Why don't we have Apps NOW!
 
Wonder how upset he was when Android was first launched and they hardly had any apps on it, but the Apple Store was loaded with Apps! Oh but wait, Linux has been around since 1998! Why don't we have Apps NOW!

Android will never have any apps! Nobody will ever by Android! It's Linux!
 
The key problem with applying the console method of slow buildup of a catalog being applied to a PC is that PC hardware OEMs aren't willing to lose money off every SteamBox/SteamOS they sell. There's really not much room for profit for those PC hardware OEMs to make money off the SteamBox/SteamOS. Therefore they have to sell by volume in order to gain a substantial profit. If there aren't a decent size library of launch games that are actually huge draws, then those PC OEMs won't be selling that many SteamBoxes. Remember that many companies had custom-made SteamBox designs and so the R&D and marketing costs need to be recouped.

The Xbox had Halo, DOA 3, Project Gotham Racing, and to a lesser extent Oddworld and all those sports games to really draw people to the Xbox. Half Life 3 would certainly be a huge draw. But then one game isn't quite enough to really kick the door in. Nor has Valve shown or said if they've giving money to AAA game developers to develop launch titles or just titles in general for the SteamOS.

Yes some of the older games on steam are new to console gamers. But that doesn't mean that said games will actually draw in console gamers. If you look up the list of SteamOS + Linux compatible games that also have controller support (meaning Xbox 360 controller support), there's really not that many games on that list that will draw in the console gamer who plays Gears of War, Destiny, Call of Duty, GTA V, Halo, etc that don't already exist on the consoles. Yes yes Valve is working on a controller but Valve has been way too secretive about what's going on with the controller. The early feedback on the Valve controller wasn't very good though.

Yes Android was a huge success. But remember the key aspects of why Android became a success and note that they won't necessarily be applicable to the SteamBox. Off the op of my head:
1) How many PC OEMs can reasonably stand to lose money while momentum for the SteamBox/SteamOS builds up?
2) How much cheaper are good SteamBoxes compared to a PS4 or a Xbox One?
3) How much money is Valve giving to game developers or manufacturers?
4) How many PC OEMs really want to compete directly against Sony or Microsoft?
5) How many PC OEMs are spending money developing and maintaining their own OSes?
 
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PC OEMs do not have to build their own versions of a Steam Box. Valve will do their own, but giving the open source nature of SteamOS it opens the doors allowing ANYONE to build a SteamOS. Not just OEMs. You or I could build one.

Danny, imagine building a gaming rig without having to deal with the ~$100 Microsoft Windows Key.

1.Valve will sell their own SteamBox thus eliminating the need for them to sell them at a loss.
2. We don't know. An official price of the Steam Box, as far as I know has not been established.
3. Go build a ~$400 - $500 gaming rig and compare it to the PS4/XBO. Remember we don't need that $100 devoted to an operating system, nor will you need[/] a monitor, keyboard, mouse or speakers as part of that budget.
4.Valve is competing directly with them. Anyone who sells a "gaming PC" is competing with them already. They can just be labeled as a "Steam Box" now and sold arguably at a slightly lower cost. (I realize a Windows Key to big name OEMs are probably relatively cheap.)
5.Valve is, those PC OEMs wouldn't need to. However, I can see them doing what they (Phone OEMs) do on Android phones with customized UI and in house apps/programs for their product. Many do this with Windows as it is.
 
Valve NEEDs PC OEMs to build their own versions of a Steam Box in order to increase market share. That was one of the main reasons why Android has become a huge success today: Numerous manufacturers adopted Android and helped it gain the massive market share Android has now over Apple.

As I've said earlier in this thread,:
However, from a cost to benefit analysis, the fact that I have access to greater numbers of PC games once I buy that Windows key justifies that $100. That $100 also gets me greater performance as well since driver and driver performance on Linux is still lagging behind Windows. That $100 also gets me a more flexibile multi-media experience that, at worst, is equal to what we're seeing with the PS4 and Xbox One. $100 also means that I don't have to give up on games that I actually still play several years after release.

That's the case right now. It may not be the case in four years from now but no one has a crystal ball here.

As for my points, you missed what I getting at when I talked about the key aspects of Android success and why they won't be applicable to the Steambox.
1) No. Again, as noted earlier, in order to gain market share, Valve needs as many PC OEMs as possible to get in on the SteamBox. Android and Google did exactly that. Otherwise, they'll end being in a similar case to the Microsoft Windows phones.

2) One of the reasons why Android was adopted as because it was free. Therefore it allowed smartphone manufacturers to release smartphones at a lower price compared to the Applie iPhone. The SteamBox doesn't have that same level of advantage as consoles in general are sold at a loss with software licensing being used to recoup the costs. PC OEMs aren't going to be seeing a dime from SteamOS adoption. So they need to make profit off the sale of the hardware itself.

3) That doesn't answer my question. In order for developers to get on board with developing for the SteamOS, they're going to need financial incentives to do so. IN order for PC OEMs to get onboard with the idea that they may lose money on their own Steamboxes will require financial incentives.

4) But rather than sell a gaming PC, now said PC OEMs are going to be directly in Sony and Microsoft's backyard with the Steambox. Nor do many PC OEMs have the same marketing budget as Sony and Microsft. They're going to be looking to Valve for that.

5) Missed what I was getting at here: Before Android launched, numerous cell phone and smartphone manufacturers had to develop their own OSes, some of which costed quite a bit of money yet were more or less poor. With the launch of Android, that freed up development money and lowered costs of each phone. Not quite the case here with the Steambox: Outside of basic skins, most OEMs don't do all that much to the copy of Windows they get. As you noted, they also get Windows at a significantly lower cost. So PC OEMs really aren't going to be saving that much money selling a Steambox.
 
Right, but with the case of Android those OEM's needed a way to get their hardware in the hands of users who needed a smart phone.

Valve is targeting people who want/need an entertainment system in their living room. With more and more people cutting cords and going digital with everything Valve is banking on people wanting more powerful hardware with more freedom in their livingrooms.

Sure the Roku, Chromecast, etc.. are plenty for people today, but so was the old flip phone from the 90s.
 
That's the problem: Valve hasn't fully demonstrated that the SteamOS can be a better entertainment system than the PS4 or Xbox One for the averaqe consumer/console gamer. Not to mention that right now, the PS4 and Xbox One's graphics capabilities are well above what you can get from a $400 PC with a Xbox 360 controller. In order for what you're saying to occur (more powerful hardware with more freedom), a few things needs to happen:
1) A massive breakthrough in performance optimization for Linux
2) Widespread and easy adoption of APIs that allows PC game developers to get closer to the GPU
3) Time. Over time, the hardware inside a PS4 and Xbox one would be outdated. Probably another 2-3 years.
 
Thousands of dollars? Ever heard of the Winter and Summer Sales? Anyway, you bought those games because you already own a Windows Gaming Machine. Why would you buy a Steam Box? Why are you even considering buying a Steam Box?

I've been buying from Steam since almost Day One. So yeah, thousands of dollars even with the sales. And of course there'd be no point in me or anyone else with tons of Steam purchased software with existing hardware to buy a SteamBox of any kind.

Which again goes to my point. Maybe there is this crowd that is just dying to play old PC games on their TVs.
 
Not to mention that right now, the PS4 and Xbox One's graphics capabilities are well above what you can get from a $400 PC with a Xbox 360 controller.

No offense but that's already been debunked a thousand times. Assuming there's no windows license cost of course, which a SteamOS based system assumes. And going forward, PC hardware will continue to become more powerful at the same $400 pricepoint while ps4/bone remain static and fall further behind. I realize there are other factors like ecosystem and exclusives and inertia that current consoles have going but those are separate challenges to the performance question. No, performance isnt everything, but its most of it.

Taking a step back for a moment, I'm still kind of amazed how so many people are downright angry and bitter about what amounts to little more than one more way to play games. I dont mean this forum but comment sections on blogs out there whenever Steam on something other than Windows comes up. And I'm not even talking about the knuckleheads that own Microsoft stock and naysay on that basis.

1) The democratization of PC gaming, and 2) The "Android-ification" of the living room entertainment box/console are going to happen - not a question of if, but when. If its not Valve it'll be someome else. The only question for now is does Valve still intend to put enough money and resources into checking both of those boxes with SteamOS/Steambox and "push the boulder up and over the hill" required to break into an entrenched market. I suppose we won't know more until GDC in March
 
No offense but that's already been debunked a thousand times. Assuming there's no windows license cost of course, which a SteamOS based system assumes. And going forward, PC hardware will continue to become more powerful at the same $400 pricepoint while ps4/bone remain static and fall further behind. I realize there are other factors like ecosystem and exclusives and inertia that current consoles have going but those are separate challenges to the performance question. No, performance isnt everything, but its most of it.
I pretty much posted exactly what you said in two posts above yours. ;)
Taking a step back for a moment, I'm still kind of amazed how so many people are downright angry and bitter about what amounts to little more than one more way to play games. I dont mean this forum but comment sections on blogs out there whenever Steam on something other than Windows comes up. And I'm not even talking about the knuckleheads that own Microsoft stock and naysay on that basis.
Because there's such a thing as too much optimism, dude. In addition, the lack of visible progress as well as Valve's relatively closed lips in regards to any news about the SteamBox or SteamOS or Valve controller is going to engineer a lot of negative reactions from some. Finally, there's way too many people who are fully supporting the SteamBox idea without real clue about the hurdles, difficulties, and actual reality of a Steambox.

So you can't expect everyone to worship the Steambox idea when there are plenty of valid reasons not to.

1) The democratization of PC gaming, and 2) The "Android-ification" of the living room entertainment box/console are going to happen - not a question of if, but when. If its not Valve it'll be someome else. The only question for now is does Valve still intend to put enough money and resources into checking both of those boxes with SteamOS/Steambox and "push the boulder up and over the hill" required to break into an entrenched market. I suppose we won't know more until GDC in March
The future is never certain, man. Who really foresaw that Android would take up a huge market share of the smartphone market? Who really foresaw the rise of freemium games? Who really foresaw that the iPhone would be a major game-changer? How could Microsoft not see that touch interface wasn't going to take off? etc.

But let's think about this: What other company can legitimately have the same level of success (if not greater than) as Valve does at pushing through a SteamBox? What other gaming store are people buying from now? If we think about this, whoever pushes the "Android-ification" of the gaming console would have to be an existing online game service with an established customer base.
 
I've been buying from Steam since almost Day One. So yeah, thousands of dollars even with the sales. And of course there'd be no point in me or anyone else with tons of Steam purchased software with existing hardware to buy a SteamBox of any kind.

Which again goes to my point. Maybe there is this crowd that is just dying to play old PC games on their TVs.

Like I mentioned once already.

The Steam Box isn't really targeted towards you nor I. In fact, it's probably not targeted towards majority of the members on this forum. Most all of us have a gaming capable PC that probably run Windows with large Steam libraries already.

This is targeted towards the "console" gamer that wants to play PC games, but can't afford a proper gaming rig, doesn't know how to make them or knows virtually nothing about them. Most gamers want a plug and play solution to gaming. They don't think the PC has that ability for whatever reason. I know a lot of people who think PC gaming is a complicated mess and wouldn't bother with it.
 
Like I mentioned once already.

So you have conceded that it can't compete with gaming PCs so claim it competes against standard gaming consoles. So when competing against game consoles.

So how many Hundreds of Millions is Valve going to spend on advertising. How many millions are they going to spend on AAA exclusives?

The Consoles will likely be $350 by GDC. How does a $400 Steambox with negligible AAA games library, negligible advertising, negligible exclusives compete for anyone's dollar?
 
Then what is the reason?

For me, the reason has always been the same. That 7 liter enclosure. Having a box the size of a console with full speed computer hardware inside. I could care less about steam's controller. I can make it work with Windows and a cordless Xbox controller.
 
For me, the reason has always been the same. That 7 liter enclosure. Having a box the size of a console with full speed computer hardware inside. I could care less about steam's controller. I can make it work with Windows and a cordless Xbox controller.

So, it's a Windows box in a small enclosure? I thought the Steam machines are also about the Steam OS?
 
So, it's a Windows box in a small enclosure? I thought the Steam machines are also about the Steam OS?

It may be for some, it wasn't for me. The only thing i was ever looking forward to from valve was the release of the CAD drawings for the prototype enclosure.
 
So, it's a Windows box in a small enclosure? I thought the Steam machines are also about the Steam OS?

The SteamOS itself is overhyped.

Essentially, it's just a debian based linux distribution that boots straight to Steam Big Picture Mode. You can mod it to get desktop functionality, etc., but for all intents and purposes it is a Linux based "Big Picture Mode" OS.

Easy to use, but somewhat console like in its limitations.
 
Zarathustra[H];1041349765 said:
The SteamOS itself is overhyped.

Essentially, it's just a debian based linux distribution that boots straight to Steam Big Picture Mode. You can mod it to get desktop functionality, etc., but for all intents and purposes it is a Linux based "Big Picture Mode" OS.

Easy to use, but somewhat console like in its limitations.

Console focused OS is exactly what its being designed to be, not a desktop replacement. So im not sure how its 'overhyped' on that basis or what your point even is.

Its targeting Xbox and Playstation's space in the living room, not gaming PCs sitting desks.
 
Its targeting Xbox and Playstation's space in the living room, not gaming PCs sitting desks.

You really think it can compete with PS4/XB1? Microsoft spent and lost Billions to break into the market. You need to spend hundreds of millions on advertisement and exclusives to make a dent.

Somehow I don't think Valve will do that.
 
So you have conceded that it can't compete with gaming PCs so claim it competes against standard gaming consoles. So when competing against game consoles.

Bit of a straw man there. Ask yourself this question - what sense would it make for Valve to compete in a segment (Windows PC gaming) it already has firmly locked up? People keep trying to frame this as a black-and-white, all-or-nothing "Valve wants to kill Windows gaming" melodrama, when they're really just trying to branch out from it. And they've already stated that they're not going to artificially limit development of Windows versions of their games simply to try to bolster SteamOS, or create "SteamOS exclusives". Couldn't say the same for Microsoft - who has not only killed off their own titles from Windows versions, but outright paid other developers off to keep titles off of Windows or keep it Xbox-exclusive for an amount of time.
 
You really think it can compete with PS4/XB1? Microsoft spent and lost Billions to break into the market. You need to spend hundreds of millions on advertisement and exclusives to make a dent.

Somehow I don't think Valve will do that.

Spending hundreds of millions on advertising is one approach. Doesn't always work out - MS blew hundreds of millions advertising Surface RT tablets for example - total disaster. Anyway how's that approach working out for the Xbox One, by the way? The Xbox as a whole still hasn't paid for itself, it's still in the red overall and has been a money pit for the company overall. As for Steamboxes competing with PS4/XB1, not from day one they won't, no. But everything points to Valve intending to play the long game. Just like Steam started as a slow burn while naysayers kicked and screamed that it would never go anywhere, if Valve executes right on SteamOS, they won't necessarily need to "spend millions on advertising".. because:

- A console with "Steam sale" pricepoints
- A console without impenetrable walls around its ecosystem ("sideloading" possible and encouraged)
- A console that supports third party key resellers
- A console that plays mods
- A console whose hardware and software that can be modified and upgraded (but doesn't have to be)
- A console capable of 4K gaming
- A console that will remain backward-compatible across hardware generations

Again, I'm not sure why some people have so much angst about it. At the end of the day it'll just be one more way to play games.
 
- A console with "Steam sale" pricepoints

For what titles? I don't think there will be any rush to put AAA titles on a low price, low market share platform.

As far as expandable etc... That is BS, if you are aiming for the average Joe, console players, expandable HW won't be a selling point. They would already be on Windows gaming PCs if that is what they wanted. Similar goes for 4K gaming. It will take an expensive beast of a machine for 4K gaming. I don't think anyone wants to spending $1000 on a dedicated gaming console.

As a console it will be expensive, have no mindshare, no market share, and negligible AAA titles.
 
Again, I'm not sure why some people have so much angst about it. At the end of the day it'll just be one more way to play games.
Are you actually trying to understand why?
 
- A console with "Steam sale" pricepoints
- A console without impenetrable walls around its ecosystem ("sideloading" possible and encouraged)
- A console that supports third party key resellers
- A console that plays mods
- A console whose hardware and software that can be modified and upgraded (but doesn't have to be)
- A console capable of 4K gaming
- A console that will remain backward-compatible across hardware generations

So, somehow a Linux machine would attract gamers not interested in messing around with Windows, which is one of the reasons they migrated to PS4 / Xbox One / Nintendo, but despite this they apparently like side loading, possibly upgrading their hardware even.

This new platform is also capable of attracting large OEMs that would put together these low cost machines that is capable of 4K gaming which at the moment requires a top of the line GPU costing 500+ dollars, but somehow is cheaper in Steam machines because low cost machines. Lastly the new platform also attracts game studios to add another format in addition to PS4, Xbox One, Windows PC. All this with minimal marketing.
 
Steam straight up without worrying about the backend. I don't care of it's running on AppleOS or even Windows 95. If it's pretty much an upgradeable console with Steam Sale pricing I can see how it could fare well.

Except no one wants an upgradable console. A good portion of console gamers don't want to upgrade to the current gen. The upgradable Steam Box "consoles" are just PCs with shitty cases. In which case, we can do that already, but use Windows. Which allows us to use non-Steam games, a much wider range of peripherals, and do a hell of a lot more than Valve will ever offer.

The gimmicky controller will work great for controller based games. But for traditional PC only genres (like RTS, flight sims, ect.) it is pretty much worthless. Which means the Steam Box is limited to console like games only; unless you use a keyboard and mouse. Which kills the whole "making PC games more accessible" argument. If you're going to plug all the extra peripherals in you're not making it any simpler.

Steam Box was, and likely always will be, a niche for a few Valve fans or PC enthusiasts who want to play around with a variety of machines. Unless Valve locks down the console while offering incentives for Xbox/PS fans to switch over (this includes getting exclusive titles like Halo) it won't go anywhere.

An interesting take would be a console like the Xbox/PS, but with the option to run dedicated servers, downloading (limited) user created content, Steam sales and probably being digital only. Of course, with upgradable HDD/SSD slots. I can see that taking off as a serious competitor to the traditional consoles.
 
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