Steam Machine/SteamOS thread of no games or mass market appeal

[Eschaton]

Looks like a box




http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/25/5146398/ibuypower-steam-machine-499-radeon-r9-270

Valve's official Steam Machine prototype isn't cheap, but it won't be the only Steam-powered video-game console available come 2014. This morning, iBuyPower revealed a prototype of its own upcoming Steam Machine, which will go on sale for just $499 next year. For the price of an Xbox One, the computer will offer a multicore AMD CPU and a discrete AMD Radeon R9 270 graphics card — that's a $180 GPU all by itself — and come with Valve's Steam Controller as part of the package deal.

The company says the box is bigger than a PlayStation 4 but smaller than Microsoft's Xbox One, and comes standard with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a 500GB hard drive. The glossy white case also has a fully customizable light bar running down the center channel, and an integrated power supply. You won't have to find room for a power brick on your home entertainment center shelves.

Ibuypower-steam-machine-560

For the price, you won't be getting Windows, only Valve's Linux-based Steam OS, which could be an issue starting out. While Valve has quite a few games running on Linux already, and says that major game developers will be building triple-A game titles specifically for Steam OS in 2014, it's not quite the same as having the entire Windows catalog as a fallback. Still, iBuyPower says that existing Steam for Linux games should run quite well, at full 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second. We're looking forward to see just how much power iBuyPower can provide for under $500.

[Himu]

Can you replace the cpu and gpu? AMD graphics and processors. 

[Himu]

Don't tell me you like AMD.

[fistfulofmetal]

I WANT EVEN THOUGH I HAVE NO NEED

[Yulwei]

iBuyPower is a garbage company and you can bet that thing is not going to last more than 6 months.

[Smooth Groove]

Linux only?

This is basically sent to die unless Valve starts converting its titles to Linux

Are there gonna be other steam boxes that are Windows convertible?

[Howard Alan Treesong]

"existing Steam for Linux games should run quite well, at full 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second."

So ... 10-year-old Source engine games will be running at 1080p and 60fps?  :lenowned

[Pringo]

Linux only?

This is basically sent to die unless Valve starts converting its titles to Linux

Are there gonna be other steam boxes that are Windows convertible?

Aren't these Steam Machines just custom built gaming PCs? As far as I know you should be able to install Windows if you feel like it. I do agree that the success of this program seems highly dependent on Valve getting significantly better Linux support for games.

[Smooth Groove]

Why even buy a steam box if you have to install Windows 8 by yourself?  SMH

[Tasty]

Linux only?

"existing Steam for Linux games should run quite well, at full 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second."

So ... 10-year-old Source engine games will be running at 1080p and 60fps?  :lenowned

Indies.

(Still automatically a better launch line up than PS4/Xbone.)

[hampster]

How much does Windows 8 cost these days for non-students like myself (or 7 if they still sell that I guess).

My 5 year old dell desktop won't last forever :'( I was thinking about trying my hand at building a PC eventually but a ~$500 steambox wouldn't be so bad if I had a spare windows key. Does Microsoft do black friday

[Great Rumbler]

How much does Windows 8 cost these days for non-students like myself (or 7 if they still sell that I guess).

About $100.

[Smooth Groove]

Self-installing Windows 8 defeats the whole purpose of a Steam box which is to make PC gaming easy for everybody.

Gaben might as well put out a list of his recommended components. 

[headwalk]

How much does Windows 8 cost these days for non-students like myself (or 7 if they still sell that I guess).

About $100.

there are plenty of OEM codes floating around for well under half that. try http://www.reddit.com/r/softwareswap.

[Tasty]

Self-installing Windows 8 defeats the whole purpose of a Steam box which is to make PC gaming easy for everybody.

Gaben might as well put out a list of his recommended components.

I would say fewer than 5% of people who buy this will then install Windows 8 on it. Think of it like a new console. It's meant to compete with Xbone, not gaming PC's, and is priced appropriately. The performance increase is just a benefit of the Steambox model.

The launch lineup of 400 games already puts the PS4/Xbone to shame.

[Stoney Mason]

Self-installing Windows 8 defeats the whole purpose of a Steam box which is to make PC gaming easy for everybody.

Gaben might as well put out a list of his recommended components.

I would say fewer than 5% of people who buy this will then install Windows 8 on it. Think of it like a new console. It's meant to compete with Xbone, not gaming PC's, and is priced appropriately. The performance increase is just a benefit of the Steambox model.

The launch lineup of 400 games already puts the PS4/Xbone to shame.

lol. With all those great games (print screen of top selling linux games on steam) and it being linux I'm sure these steam machines are going to sell millions then!

[Smooth Groove]

That's my point.  I got nothing against Linux but there are way too many games missing from that catalog.  No way it could compete against PS4/Xbone with so many big titles missing. 

[Stoney Mason]

That's my point.  I got nothing against Linux but there are way too many games missing from that catalog.  No way it could compete against PS4/Xbone with so many big titles missing.

Surely this is what the mainstream wants!


While I'm sure Valve will make a bigger push to get bigger games on the os, let's be real about this device and what its facing.

[Tasty]

Fez
Super Meat Boy
Metro Last Light
Dota 2
Shadowrun Returns
Amnesia 2
Hotline Miami

The fuck does Xbone have? Ryse? That console ain't even BC.

[MCD]

You really are delusional.

[Rufus]

First third party box out the gate and it's already a giant fucking LED strip all around.

[cool breeze]

$500 with the controller actually isn't too bad, actually.  On its own I'm guessing the controller will probably be somewhere between $60 and $100.

First third party box out the gate and it's already a giant fucking LED strip all around.

LED strips on everything.  1980s future, here we come

although I'd expect a gabebox to be black with a white strip in the middle...

[Tasty]

Esch

[Phoenix Dark]

[Your Stalker]

why aren't sfags scared too?

[benjipwns]

This is basically sent to die unless Valve starts converting its titles to Linux

If you mean just Valve, they've already got all their games on Linux. Except maybe L4D? 2 is on there anyway so who gives a fuck.

[MCD]

You really are delusional.

its a scary time for you, I get it. 2nd place in the console race, idle position in the pc gaming space slowly getting murked, execs flipping coins about whether to sell of xbox or not. It must be hard

[Stoney Mason]

Jesus Christ. Internet please kill me.

[MCD]

grow up.

[Rufus]

...and peddle products for free.

[Huff]

grow up.

haha hes really getting to you

[Tasty]

grow up.

[Smooth Groove]

Shouldn't sfags be more scared if the main reason for buying a steam box is to play indies?

This is basically sent to die unless Valve starts converting its titles to Linux

If you mean just Valve, they've already got all their games on Linux. Except maybe L4D? 2 is on there anyway so who gives a fuck.

Not just Valve.  Where are the popular mainstream titles like Ass Creed, COD, Need  for Speed, etc.? 

Let's be real.  Ain't nobody dumb enough to spend $500 just to play slightly more advanced Android games.

[Rahxephon91]

Over 400 games no one cares about!

[MCD]

grow up.

haha hes really getting to you

his stupidity, that is.

[brob]

That design is only justifiable if that thing plays laserdiscs and/or the LED can be programmed to strobe with the music in hotline miami.

[Joe Molotov]

My Steambox is gonna be a i7-4770k and a 780ti with a long HDMI cable attached to it.

[Huff]

grow up.

haha hes really getting to you

his stupidity, that is.

[Rufus]

That design is only justifiable if that thing plays laserdiscs and/or the LED can be programmed to strobe with the music in hotline miami.

Yes. Yes please.

[Tasty]

Open OS brehs.

[Tasty]

http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/6/5281824/steam-machines-are-here-how-alienware-is-realizing-valve-console-dream

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Controller still looks goofy as heck.

[close]

[Human Snorenado]

I like trolling McD as much as the next guy brehs, but let's be real- shit isn't gonna sell to anybody with just shitty ass Linux. And no, I don't count the fandrexes of the world as people, so that statement stands.

[D3RANG3D]

It's pretty sad when Alienware has the best looking box...

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Fuck that grey alien shite.

[close]

[Tasty]

I like trolling McD as much as the next guy brehs, but let's be real- shit isn't gonna sell to anybody with just shitty ass Linux. And no, I don't count the fandrexes of the world as people, so that statement stands.

250+ games before launch. How many do PS4/Xbone have?

[Tasty]

For the record these are going to sell like shit compared to consoles but could still carve a market out compared to PC's (which are dying a flaming death thanks to Win8 anyways.) I mean fuck, even Chromebooks are eating MS's lunch.

[Human Snorenado]

I like trolling McD as much as the next guy brehs, but let's be real- shit isn't gonna sell to anybody with just shitty ass Linux. And no, I don't count the fandrexes of the world as people, so that statement stands.

250+ games before launch. How many do PS4/Xbone have?

The entire xbone playerbase of CoD:Doge is likely higher than the number of people who WANT to play all of the linux steam catalog. For reals, pull your head of your ass.

[Tasty]

See above post, yo.

[Sho Nuff]

I wonder what percentage of these machines will immediately have a Windows partition installed on them as soon as they're purchased.

[Eel O'Brian]

For the record these are going to sell like shit compared to consoles but could still carve a market out compared to PC's (which are dying a flaming death thanks to Win8 anyways.) I mean fuck, even Chromebooks are eating MS's lunch.

[Stoney Mason]

For the record these are going to sell like shit compared to consoles

Not buying it. I've been told (by some people on here) that everybody wants one of these things so I'm expecting blockbuster sales for such a mainstream gotta have product!

[Trent Dole]

Why can't I just run an HDMI to my TV from my regular machine again?

[Cerveza mas fina]

Have to agree with the cogmeister here, no one is waiting for a linuxbox outside the niche hobby crowd.

Btw these are the same people that say that gaming on a macbook with integrated graphics at 15 fps is nice.

[Stoney Mason]

At its Steam Dev Days event, Valve announced that the Steam Controller no longer has a touchscreen.

The Steam Controller is Valve's "different kind of gamepad" to be used with the upcoming line of Steam Machines. When it was originally announced, the developer stated that the controller's touchscreen, "allows an infinite number of discrete actions to be made available to the player, without requiring an infinite number of physical buttons." According to reports from Endgadget and various Twitter posts, it seems Valve has changed its mind, as now instead of a touchscreen, the Steam Controller will have a directional-pad (D-PAD) and a standard ABXY button configuration that can be remapped. No word where on the controller they'll be yet.

 
These changes were made to help with backwards compatibility issues. Additionally, Valve thought that the touchscreen distracted folks from the games they were playing as they were constantly looking at their hands instead of their TVs. In the past, Valve has said it wanted the Steam Controller to be competitively priced with other controllers. This may have been another reason they ditched the screen.

Valve also revealed that the controller will have an API that's built in to Steam API for developers. This will help them integrate the Steam Controller into their games and it will support up to 16 Steam Controllers at once.

As for connectivity, the Steam Controller will use low latency Bluetooth. For power it will use two AA batteries.

 

[cool breeze]

?

sounds better and more versatile than before (sans AA batteries).  biggest problem with it is the lack of any input prompts in-game but they can't really do anything about that.

edit: they moved the center eight buttons to a more accessible location and ditched the proposed touch screen

[Rufus]

Haha. So much for that. Any bets on the haptic touchpads going? The d-pad and face buttons need space.

This shit isn't going to be ready til next year. Steam machines are supposed to ship with them. So either they'll get delayed as well or they'll shi without a proper comfy couch control interface. Or can you use a 360 pad on Linux?

Valve don't know what the hell they're doing.

[Stoney Mason]

I think the biggest problem is that they are feverishly trying to create a solution for a problem that doesn't exist in general.

I read a lot of negative feedback on the old controller from some people at CES after the initial reports way back that the whole experience with it was amazing.

[Rufus]

There's that, too. I trust that right now, they very much want to eventually get there, if for no other reason than to wean themselves off Microsoft's tit. But the way they're going about this... I don't know. This is "early access" for hardware and I don't know if that'll work.
The manufacturers which only slapped together a pretty standard but small PC have the right idea.

[Purple Filth]

Wait so they changed the most interesting thing?

 

[Rufus]

Why the hate on the batteries? I'd rather have replacable batteries than built-in ones that have to be docked into a charging station or hooked up to the console while it's on (does the PS4 still require that, or can they charge in stand-by now?).

I didn't buy these Eneloops for nothing.

[Eel O'Brian]

Yeah, built in rechargeable batteries are convenient and all, but my otherwise perfectly fine pack-in  PS3 controller's battery life dropped considerably over time.