Valve making a console...Steam press accounts mysteriously reapearing

[maxy]

According to sources, the company has been working on a hardware spec and associated software which would make up the backbone of a "Steam Box." The actual devices may be made by a variety of partners, and the software would be readily available to any company that wants to get in the game.

Apparently meetings were held during CES to demo a hand-built version of the device to potential partners. We're told that the basic specs of the Steam Box include a Core i7 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA GPU. The devices will be able to run any standard PC titles, and will also allow for rival gaming services (like EA's Origin) to be loaded up.

Part of the goal of establishing a baseline for hardware, we're told, is that it will give developers a clear lifecycle for their products, with changes possibly coming every three to four years. Additionally, there won't be a required devkit, and there will be no licensing fees to create software for the platform.

We're hearing that a wide variety of USB peripherals will be compatible with the boxes, though it will likely ship with a proprietary controller. It's possible that the controller will even allow for swappable components, meaning that it can be reconfigured depending on the type of game you're playing.

The Steam Box could be unveiled at GDC, though we're also hearing that the company may wait until E3 this year to show off what it's been working on.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/3/2/2840932/exclusive-valve-steam-box-gaming-console

[Himu]

My reaction: hahahahahhahahahahahaha what

[Eel O'Brian]

it's a brilliant idea if they can keep the price low enough, i've wondered for years why nvidia or amd hadn't done something similar regarding a branded, standardized spec box

at any rate, hopefully this means big picture mode (controller compatible steam interface) is coming soon

[maxy]

Additionally, we're told that the kind of biometrics Valve uses in game testing will somehow be incorporated into these devices. Sources of ours say that the realtime biometric feedback in games will be a sea-change for users. To put it more succinctly, the sentiment we've heard is: "You won't ever look back." These biometric devices could come in the form of a bracelet, or be part of the standard controller.

The consoles will also take advantage of Steam's "Big Picture" mode, a feature Valve touted last year at GDC, but has yet to release to the public. According to the company's press release in 2011 "With big picture mode, gaming opportunities for Steam partners and customers become possible via PCs and Macs on any TV or computer display in the house."

The most interesting piece of this puzzle may be related to that statement. According to sources, the Steam Box isn't intended to just clash with current gaming consoles. Rather, Valve wants to take Apple and its forthcoming new Apple TV products head-on. Newell has clear questions about Apple's strategy, telling the The Seattle Times "On the platform side, it's sort of ominous that the world seems to be moving away from open platforms," adding that "They build a shiny sparkling thing that attracts users and then they control people's access to those things."

[Eel O'Brian]

valve time, big picture mode coming in 2015

[Tasty]

No, they're making a HTPC.

[Eel O'Brian]

pretty much, but i think the main point is setting standardized specs, and valve might have enough clout to get most everyone on board with it

it's a good thing to bring more mainstream people into pc gaming, and doesn't appear to have much of a downside

also a good thing because you know they'll have a crazy week of ridiculous sales when (if it even exists) this thing launches

[MyNameIsMethodis]

all they ahve to do is make TF3, Portal 3 and HL3 exclusive to console only and theyre set

[maxy]

HL3 exclusive to Steam,coinciding with Steam box console release,free with every Steam box purchase....hmm

[cool breeze]

I'm more interested in the software and controllers than whatever the htpc will be.  Valve sorta partnered with Razer and its motion controller (hydra or something).  That's Wii/Move-ish for aiming.  There could always just be a standard 360 style pad.  I'm hoping they experiment with a touch pad for aiming.

[Smooth Groove]

Didn't a company try this before?  Phantom or some shit like that. 

[pilonv1]

Everyone can join the winning team now.

[Huff]

.

[Smooth Groove]

I guess it's possible if internet bandwidth is so high and fast that 1080p streaming is possible.

[Stoney Mason]

No, they're making a HTPC.

This. Just sounds like a Valve Branded PC with steam pre-installed. To be honest I don't really think it makes much sense. The people who buy PC's are already served in the current market with traditional and custom built pc's and unless this box is priced competitively with consoles I don't see it tempting any significant portion of the console market. Especially with new consoles on the horizon already.

[Smooth Groove]

It would make sense if it's cheap.  Most PCs marketed as gaming PCs are too expensive for most people. 

[pilonv1]

Wish people would stop calling it a console.

[Stoney Mason]

It would make sense if it's cheap.  Most PCs marketed as gaming PCs are too expensive for most people.

Then they are going to have to eat hardware costs to subsidize these things. It still doesn't make sense to me unless these boxes are like $300 or less or something. I know they make their money on the software but I have a hard time seeing these little boxes expanding the market in a significant way. They already have this market covered on the existing PC spec. This presumes that their is a large audience who is eagerly waiting for something in between a PC and a console. And I would argue if there is such a thing tablets have already cornered that market. On the other side if its truly just a gaming PC that costs around what other gaming PC's cost and is just branded with a Valve Logo then that's really no big deal to me. Or less of a big deal.


But that's just my initial thoughts. What do I know. Maybe the thing will sell gangbusters.

[Huff]

Wish people would stop calling it a console.

why, would would it be?

[pilonv1]

They wont be $300 or less, that's ridiculous. It will just be a standard mass produced PC.

[Huff]

They wont be $300 or less, that's ridiculous. It will just be a standard mass produced PC.

Isn't that just what a console is? A mass produced PC

[Stoney Mason]

They wont be $300 or less, that's ridiculous. It will just be a standard mass produced PC.

Isn't that just what a console is? A mass produced PC

The thing is mass produced normally means prices for the masses. But PC gaming hardware rarely is. That's why these seems more like a move to get standardization on the PC side rather than being real competition to consoles.

I mean technically there are already PC in consoles style boxes already on the market.

http://www.dell.com/us/p/alienware-x51/pd.aspx

They still cost as much as real PC's which is the true defining point. There are real inherent differences in the philosophy behind a console and a PC even though consoles are just PC's in a different box. But the real ultimate dividing line is the price. (Despite whatever absurd price the PS3 and 360 began at)

[maxy]

Consoles are not what they used to be...

This will probably be something in line with that Alienware thing,small console form factor and limited upgrade ability.
Standardized min specs have pretty big implications.I bet that games will run better on Steam-box than on some equivalent in power xyz configuration.Driver overhead in PC games is huge and even burdened by fixing legacy code bugs.There is a lots of grumble against current PC drivers today and its very clear that something needs to be done in that regard.
Standardized box with minimum overhead could do wonders.

[Stoney Mason]

whoops wrong thread

[Huff]

So would Valve's machine be a 600 dollar monstar

or a 200 dollar steam on the tv kinda thing?

[Verdigris Murder]

As long as it can fit on my desk etc.

[Verdigris Murder]

Hi Stoney, what do you think of Waking Mars?

[Stoney Mason]

Hi Stoney, what do you think of Waking Mars?

I've been busy with SSX so I haven't bought any ios games recently but I'll certainly buy it soon.

I thought Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor was excellent so I really like those dudes. 

[Huff]

Nah, their expanding PC gaming

[Stoney Mason]

If the price is right, I'd definitely buy one.

What is a "right" price though? $600, $800. What price would you pay for something like this? Serious question.

That's my problem. Maybe because I recently upgraded my PC and don't need this device I'm not getting exactly who such a product would be targeted at and why they wouldn't just buy an existing gaming PC. I know not every gamer is tech savvy enough or cares enough to build a gaming PC. But this just seems like something for somebody who already wanted a gaming PC but doesn't have the dough or desire or knowledge to build one. I'm assuming the assumption they are making is that there are tons of these people around. I just wonder if there are outside of people on messageboards or forums. The price seems to be the thing here. Depending on that its either snooze worthy news or something that actual normal people would buy.

[Smooth Groove]

$400 is possible if this thing is designed to be mass produced in large amounts.  The reason that high-end GPUs and CPUs are so expensive is because not enough people buy them.  OTOH, look at how quickly SSD prices have fallen.  Not too long ago, a 100gb SSD cost more than the fastest GPU. 

[maxy]

Somehow i think that this thing won't be too expensive.
If I can make(buy) cheap PC that does everything that expensive Steam box does,what is the point?

The real question is:

Why is Valve doing this?
Steam can be easily installed on any PC,so why bother?

[Huff]

Somehow i think that this thing won't be too expensive.
If I can make(buy) cheap PC that does everything that expensive Steam box does,what is the point?

The real question is:

Why is Valve doing this?
Steam can be easily installed on any PC,so why bother?

Exactly, what is there to gain?

Isn't hardware just there to sell software.

[Smooth Groove]

Because many gamers would jump aboard but just have no idea how to build a fast & cheap gaming PCs.  Two of my best friends are like that.  They love playing on my gaming PC and always comment on how much better the games run and look compared to PS3 and 360.  They certainly have the money for pretty good PCs but are just too lazy to build one themselves or learn how to go through the typical game configuration.  If Steam can come up with a user friendly UI and easy default controls, that would make their box really attractive for gamers like my friends. 

[maxy]

Good thing that world will end this year.Hopefully some asteroid splits Earth in half.

[cool breeze]

isn't your pc like 8 million dollars?

the valve htpc is in a place where it needs to be powerful enough to show a comparable advantage to consoles while remaining affordable.  and basing on little to no info but it's gonna be compared to both current and next gen systems. 

you're not going to be playing Battlefield 3 at 1080p 60fps maxed out.  or at all.  OriginCube exclusive!

[Stoney Mason]

and basing on little to no info but it's gonna be compared to both current and next gen systems. 

That's the other real problem to me. The Wii U and Xbox 720 are right around the corner. Probably the PS 4 too despite whatever Sony says.

[Smooth Groove]

Obviously, I'm not judging by my standards.  I know it's not normal to have 5 gpus in a PC, 4 10000 RPM HDs in a Raid-0, 500gb SSD, $200 soundcard, etc.  Most people can enjoy PC games without having that kinda gear. 

As another example, a friend absolutely loved playing TF2 on my PC.  He rented it on the 360 and absolutely hated how it felt.  I'm sure he'd jump in if someone can give him a $400 to $500 box that will setup in 5 mins just like a console and let him play TF2 the same way as most PC gamers.  I doubt he'd notice much if the settings are lower compared to my PC.  I always mess around with the settings to show him the differences but most of the time he can't even tell 2xAA from 32xAA. 

[Phoenix Dark]

Good points Smooth Groove. But I wonder about how future proof such a box will be? PC gaming is constantly raising the graphics bar, how will that play out in a typical 4-5 year console life?

[Smooth Groove]

Games require more power because devs are lazy and just make sure that games run well on high end PCs.  It's not impossible to make a new game run and look nicely on an older PC while adding features for more powerful PCs.  Quite a few games have been able to do that.  Most of the Capcom games have been able to do that really well. 

[Stoney Mason]

The thing is I'm not suggesting people like Oscar or Smooth Groove's friends don't exist. I'm just curious about truly how many of them there are. For everyone of those I can tell you I talk to tons of people who literally think graphics can't get any better than a 360 or a PS3. I mean I can show them better graphics on my PC and they often have a hard time discerning any difference or more to the point any difference that would convert them enough into being a PC gamer. I know the hardcore audience appreciates technical improvements in graphics and frame rate but I think the masses just look at something and says that looks good. And for a lot of them they'll get 720's or PS4's not so much because the new graphics will be amazing to them but because its the latest version of that thing they already enjoy and own.

So the thing is I don't think the masses will look at the graphics in a SteamBox and go holy shit I gotta get that. I think a small subset of gamers who can't afford high ends pc's will look at this as a way to get into PC gaming. Which is fine I guess. I'm just surprised manufactures think the numbers are there for this.

Now if they get some special tie in with Best Buy and they flood their stores with this thing and it costs $400 or $500 and they really hype up that this is a computer that's also a next gen console then maybe it could work. I just think its a lot of work. The real heat in the market right now is for tablets and casual gaming on low end PC's and laptops. This seems out of step with market realities to me.

And that's probably enough market analysis for me for awhile.

[maxy]

It will be future proof just like any other console.

Anything released on it will have to run nicely on non upgraded box.That means 30fps at some recommended res.

[Smooth Groove]

It's not just graphics though.  Much of the enjoyment from those friends came from gaming with KB+Mouse and playing certain games that work better on a smaller screen like tactical RPGs or RTS.  Console companies just haven't been very active in supporting KB+M or those kinda games. 

Also, mods and add-ons are still very complicated for consoles and for PC games, those latter enhancements often become even more popular than the original games.  I'm pretty sure lots of people would be interested in playing Fallout with female characters wearing lingerie or be completely nude. 

[maxy]

I agree.We all have those kinds of friends.

Full hassle free experience is what matters to them.There are two things that separate this rumored box from ordinary PC config:

1.Standardized specs
2.Proprietary controller

and they both go into hassle free direction

[Smooth Groove]

An adult edition of this box with access to streaming adult entertainment would also be pretty awesome. 

[Timber]

When I was looking for a laptop I briefly considered getting one of those Alienware things, but it felt like they required me to wear Fatal1ty brand clothing and call people n00bs all the time. If Valve can pull off a good console-PC hybrid for respectable persons such as myself, all power to them. Specs seem to be in line with what I have right now though so I'll probably pass.

[naff]

Sounds cool. I'm imagining it running some form of reduced fat Windows, streamlined for running Steam/Origin/other supported service and it's vidya instead of just being some Valve brand PC.

[Joe Molotov]

Will buy.

[archie4208]

Will buy if it comes with exclusive TF2 hats.

Fixed for me.

[Chinner]

i think this could be pretty amazing but last time i checked the bore is full of xbots so im not surprised by the lack of euphemism.

[maxy]

PC gaming is deep down in every real xbot blood.

[Eel O'Brian]

there's actually a good percentage of pc gamers here, it's just that most games nowadays are console ports so all our talk is just mingled in with the console threads

[Flannel Boy]

i think this could be pretty amazing but last time i checked the bore is full of xbots so im not surprised by the lack of euphemism.

This console is brownie batter and will toss some major salad.

Is that enough euphemism?

[Momo]

I would really go for this, Valve could take all the research and labour out of the PC upgrade cycle for me

[Smooth Groove]

there's actually a good percentage of pc gamers here, it's just that most games nowadays are console ports so all our talk is just mingled in with the console threads

I love how many supposedly dedicated PC gamers in this forum celebrate over a game being available on the PC and promptly buys it for 360 the day it's released. 

[Phoenix Dark]

there's actually a good percentage of pc gamers here, it's just that most games nowadays are console ports so all our talk is just mingled in with the console threads

I love how many supposedly dedicated PC gamers in this forum celebrate over a game being available on the PC and promptly buys it for 360 the day it's released.

Well PC gamers never forget where they came from. It's like when you see that alcohol can now be bought at your local joint with food stamps. You nod your head in approval, briefly reminisce on the less generous way things were when you were on the government dole, then pay for your Bud Light with hard earned cash

[Smooth Groove]

Or like how you only had pixelated streaming porn on the phone as a kid but now you're watching the latest Evil Angel blu-ray on your >50" HDTV?

[Phoenix Dark]

Porn in HD is too real for me :'(

[Smooth Groove]

I think the video editors do a much better job of touching up now than in the early days of HD porn.  Good looking chicks like Kayden Kross look stunning in HD. 

[Phoenix Dark]

Didn't know you supported contract girls who dodge