Steam Big Picture Mode

-Sn1PeR-

2[H]4U
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http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/28/steam-big-picture-mode/

This is the first mention of the elusive big picture mode that I've seen in almost a year. I honestly can't wait for this. I have a machine hooked up in the living room exclusively for games and would be happy with booting straight into a steam interface. Using a wireless keyboard/mouse works, but isn't ideal. I'm really hoping we don't have to wait until March for GDC to even see a preview.
 
That would be excellent, but my little lappy isn't high powered enough to run a resolution good enough for my TV.
:(
 
You do realize that article is almost a year old, right?

Sorry: it was mentioned here:
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/06/steam-sales-increase-100-percent-for-the-seventh-straight-year/

"Newell hasn't forgotten about Big Picture Mode, Valve's attempt to infiltrate living rooms with a top-boxy device that will offer Steam via controller navigation on "more screens throughout the house." Newell said Valve is "preparing for the launch" of Big Picture Mode, so we're guessing we can expect to see something concrete by 2015."
 
I would like to see this and think it will be really important for valve to do this. Consoles always threaten to harm the PC gaming market. And the smartest way valve or any company which cares could make sure it stays relevant in the coming years is to fight directly back.

M$ should have done this years ago but they have a conflict of interest in the xbox that has been harming PC gamers for a long time. In fact it has me so mad I am kind of hoping that google will win the phone wars and then start using their influence to push into PC gaming and desktops.

One has to ask simple questions like why doesn't my xbox controller simply act like a mouse? Why doesn't my xbox chat bad work when I attach it to a computer? The controller itself works find and drivers are automatically downloaded but it only works in applications that support it.

The other thing is steam does not need some fancy big pictrure mode. They just need a big picture skin that just increases the font size with say 2 or 3 choices. Othewise windows dpi scaling works fine, rather the proble is steam does not bother to respect dpi scaling and gives us no other options.

The fact this is so old though with no word makes you wonder when, even if it will materialize. I personally just made a skin for steam and increased the font sizes and that works for now. Returned the chatpad as it was useless.

We also need 4 controller support and more games that support split screen.
 
Valve is known as I "do whatever we want, when we want". So unlike some companies Valve could come out with an Onlive type console with the spare change in their couch. Looking for to more info on this.
 
I think it is both companies but the funny thing is it works well for both.
 
I hope they fix the "big icon" mode (or "gallery" mode, the one where it shows the gmaes as big pictures). You have to redownload the icons every single time, which takes a minute or two somtimes. Then again the next time...

One has to ask simple questions like why doesn't my xbox controller simply act like a mouse?

Kind of weird it doesn't. WIth motionjoy you can assign a PS3 controller to act like a mouse (left analog stick moves cursor). So just find something to remap it's buttons.
 
I hope they fix the "big icon" mode (or "gallery" mode, the one where it shows the gmaes as big pictures). You have to redownload the icons every single time, which takes a minute or two somtimes. Then again the next time...



Kind of weird it doesn't. WIth motionjoy you can assign a PS3 controller to act like a mouse (left analog stick moves cursor). So just find something to remap it's buttons.

Apparently you can get most of this working with custom drivers, but once again it comes down to simplicitly M$ should make an effort to make these products work as a complement to their OS. Conflicts of interest are exactly what end up killing companies. When M$ joined the console race I saw nothing but bad coming down the pipe. Now with google and apple going against them with no conflict of interest M$ has alot to lose especially since it is royally screwing up in the phone department. PS they need to fire ballmer.
 
Hopefully M$ decides to integrate the controller for desktop interaction in Windows 8. Navigating live tiles on a HTPC with a controller would be pretty slick.
 
I hope they fix the "big icon" mode (or "gallery" mode, the one where it shows the gmaes as big pictures). You have to redownload the icons every single time, which takes a minute or two somtimes. Then again the next time...



Kind of weird it doesn't. WIth motionjoy you can assign a PS3 controller to act like a mouse (left analog stick moves cursor). So just find something to remap it's buttons.

delete your appcache and see if that fixes it. you probably got some kind of stale cache files, it shouldn't be doing that.

ms doesn't want your controller to function like a mouse/keyboard, then it would be too easy for people to use gaming htpc with their tv, and they want to sell more input devices with slightly different versions of windows on consoles and media centers. why offer simple features that can do anything, when you can sell them one piece at a time?
 
The Tested.com podcast just mentioned Valve @ CES. They apparently may be doing some closed door demos of big picture mode. Hope this comes soon.

I still would love to see a way to stream your pc setup to the living room (either htpc or set top box), similar to OnLive, but local.
 
Playing PC games on a TV is living the dream. The more people that can try it, the better.
I don't think I can ever go back to anything else.
 
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