Steam Machines - PC for the lounge

twisty on 10/1/2014 at 11:22

I'm more interested in the possibility of streaming games to the living room from my study. I've got no interest in lugging my box into the living room just to play games, particularly as most of my games are more suitable for the man cave than the family area. Here's to hoping that some interesting hardware alternatives come to fruition.

Yakoob on 13/1/2014 at 03:41

A (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-01-11-valve-plays-the-long-game-again) very interesting article/analysis from Eurogame. Key quotes:

Quote:

Steam users will be unimpressed by an operating system that doesn't work with 90% of the Steam library?

Quote:

SteamOS is just a layer on top of Linux, which is free and open source, so surely any existing games could then be liberated to live on outside SteamOS with minor modifications.

Quote:

Valve is thinking in decades, not console generations. 10 years ago, Steam had one game: Half-Life 2. Today it's the only platform that matters. SteamOS has 300 games, including Valve's own, and they will still work in 10 years' ... it will be a gradual process.

Quote:

Valve's goal with these things is to protect the openness of the PC as a gaming platform.

Makes sense, overall, and in-line with what Valve's always been about. Though I'd go a step further and say it's not just PC-gaming, but liberating gaming as a whole (from exclusives, OSes, closed boxes etc.)

Phatose on 14/1/2014 at 06:01

Their goal has nothing to do with protecting the openness of the pc platform, and everything to do with making themselves the gatekeeper of that platform and any other they can get. "Liberated" to live outside SteamOS ain't the same as "liberated" to live outside Steam.

As overlords go, Valve is about as benevolent as we'll ever get, but let's not pretend like they're fighting for the openness of anything. They're just fighting to make sure they're the ones in control.

Red_Breast on 19/1/2014 at 23:17

I've been using Debian for about 7 years now.
I've always had the impression of Valve that, as well as understanding that to do things right it takes longer, they also put that into practice. I'm sure many companies understand that you get a better product (usually) the more you put into it. They just don't practice it.
When I heard about Valve's interest in Linux I thought great. At the same time I was surprised they were speaking about it at such an early stage. I'm trying to remember now if the first info about Linux and Valve was leaked. Maybe video of the first game (Left For Dead 2?) running under Ubuntu with good frame rates was too much to contain for Gabe?

With the recent news of Steam Machines I was intrigued by the controller. I'd like to try one. The whole thing I don't understand is will there be one 'official' supplier of these controllers. There's been a lot of talk about who Valve are going against in the market. I don't think they are too worried about that. But I do think an official supplier of these controllers would be good to sort out and right at the start. I know there have been a few good gamepads for the PC but usually if you want a gamepad for your PC you buy a Xbox 360 or PS3 pad. In some cases it will be because a Xbox360/PS3 gamepad is already to hand. But I think Valve could move into an area with their controller where after a few years it will be a given that if you want a gamepad for your PC then a Steam controller is the best option.

By the by PigLick. You said
"Ignoring all the "but you can hook yer pc up to the large screen tv" shit, cos who can be bothered with that."

I do hate quoting people without putting the source. But I couldn't resist this. I can't recall where I read it. Might of been a magazine rather than online.
I think it was a piece about Valve from 6 or 7 years ago I'd say in which Gabe said that he has his computer hooked up to his large flat panel in his office.
Not in the typical setting of a home I grant you.

I also have my Windows box connected to my 37" flat panel. I only use it for games. If anybody wants to watch TV they can if I'm not using the computer or they can go in the back room with the old CRT. They know it makes sense!

TTK12G3 on 19/1/2014 at 23:35

Quote Posted by Phatose

Before Eva comes in and calls you a mental patient, could you elaborate?

I can see how Valve would want to safeguard their own power and assets, but it would only be wise for them to move away from a potentially hostile platform like Windows. Why not simply mask an existing platform with their own brand?

SubJeff on 20/1/2014 at 00:11

I don't think that's about as clear as it gets.

Yakoob on 20/1/2014 at 05:42

Quote Posted by Red_Breast

I've always had the impression of Valve that, as well as understanding that to do things right it takes longer, they also put that into practice. I'm sure many companies understand that you get a better product (usually) the more you put into it.

And here's where I would disagree - in my experience, good enough often really is good enough, and getting stable finished product out is better than spending twice the time jus to polish that last 10%. Ever hear the mantra "a good finished product is better than an amazing unfinished one?"

Secondly, I've learnd you really won't know half your problems until your product really is out and you get feedback on it, and again Valve reflects that in case of Steam. It was released in a half-assed state and fixed gradually over time, based on the feedback from the community. "Taking longer" to release a product can in fact lead to a big waste of time and energy on things that aren't as crucial, because you may not realize what really is.

Lastly, despite being a fan and supporter of Valve, from what I read on the company, I get a feeling them "taking longer" has more to do with poor management/lack of leadership/lack of focus rather than merely putting more effort in.

Red_Breast on 20/1/2014 at 11:02

--Yakoob
I agree with everything you said thinking about it.
I think that bit of mine you quoted might of been the general view about 10 years ago. I have been out of the loop with regards to game and software distribution for some years.
One of the earliest betas I can recall was Halo 2 for Xbox. Bungie apparently learnt lots more than they could with internal testing of the game I remember reading.

When Half-Life 2 first came out for PC I purchased the game on the day of release. I didn't have any problems authenticating it with Steam's servers but I know many people did. The little place where I live had moved on from 56k narrowband and I had a USB broadband modem at the time. I think the speed was 512kbit. Just about broadband.
That was my only experience with Steam until last year. I had a lot of trouble logging-in. I finally managed to find an old notebook with my sign-in details and they still worked after 9 years of zero activity.
Speaking of Halo 2 I think it came out around the same week as Half-Life 2 here in the UK.

Ostriig on 21/1/2014 at 16:56

(http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-01-21-alienware-our-steam-machines-cant-be-upgraded) Alienware says their steamboxes won't be upgradeable. But hey, when you do buy a whole new one, you'll still have access to your whole games library, you guys! Hahaha, fuck off.

Seriously, I don't get at this point. At first I expected Valve to try to push some sort of standardization. Something like - instead of listing the usual System Requirements on their store page, the game would just list that it needs at least a 2014 Steambox to run. I thought they'd try to win customers and developers over by packaging and streamlining platform requirements into some sort of standards.

But no, looks like they're letting system builders put together whatever they want. Fair enough, maybe they just wanna hype up their new games-only OS as a whole alternate gaming platform as opposed to just an alternative operating system.

Then Alienware's decides that if they can't have this one big advantage of consoles over your usual Windows gaming rig, might as well have one of the major downsides. Well done. I suppose that if they manage to market it to the "right" people they'll be making a steady yearly cash flow. It'd be like their own little FIFA.

june gloom on 21/1/2014 at 23:09

Looks like I'll be buying another brand.