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Valve engineer confirms Linux-based Steambox for 2013, could appear at GDC or E3

Radec

Member
Way to justify your argument.

It's not going to be some Ubuntu desktop. It will be Big Picture mode running on a Linux kernel and the games using an OpenGL derivative. Kind of like the PS3 (which uses Linux for the XMB).

Crazy how many people think because it's not windows it's already a piece of shit.

...and more competition the better in my eyes.

Because you are overestimating Linux or the platform way too early. It doesnt matter if the PS3 runs linux, devs will make games to it even if it is running OSX. Why? because there are already millions of potential buyers.

Crazy how many of you are already jizzing just because Valve/Steam and even Linux is in it.

But w/e, ill enjoy the tears when this bombs. If not, ill enjoy playing on this too.
 

Xater

Member
Sad to see people already negatively commenting on it because the OS will be based on Linux. What the hell...

I like the idea and I would very much like to own such a box, but I just don't see every dev jumping onto the Linux train.
 

Exuro

Member
There are few GFWL titles, even fewer of which are Microsoft-published and thus will never see anything other than a GFWL/XBOX release.

Valve has to promote and sell enough of these devices to make a linux version attractive to the publishers. If anybody can do it it is probably Valve.
Well I know I have quite a few gfwl games in my steam account. All I was saying was games with these types of drm wouldn't be able to be ported over.

It'll be interesting to see what they do in terms of promoting it. Exclusive tf2 hats!

EDIT: I wonder if this is what that hardware sign up thing was about(or possibly a controller.)
 

JaseC

gave away the keys to the kingdom.
1)What the point? Why would anyone buy this thing when the entire library is already available on Windows/Consoles?

2) Does Valve have the man power to distribute this product in multiple regions around the world?

I like Valve but I don't see how this will works in any possible way.
I don't think the idea is to compete with The Big Three at that level but instead assume Valve will partner with at least one PC manufacturer to make the Steambox a made-to-order product using typical PC hardware; you won't see it lining the shelves of your local EB Games.

My take is that the Steambox is basically Valve's answer to Alienware's X51, minus the Microsoft middle-man. It's not a new platform that the company needs to support via exclusivity; that's Steam itself.
 

BigTnaples

Todd Howard's Secret GAF Account
Yeah the linux thing throws me.


I mean if they are making a console like the PS4 and 720 that will run its own exclusives and not the steam backlogs people already have, then what ace in the hole do they have to make it worthwhile? Half-Life 3 is a great start, but even it can't do it alone. Especially since it would be on PC as well.


I mean, me, with near 200 Steam games and a High end PC. (also all consoles) What incentive do I have to buy this thing?

Then there is someone who doesn't have steam or a gaming PC, but they see Steambox, what is the incentive for them to go with Steambox over 720 and PS4? Unless it is vastly more powerful.


I just dont see where this is going. As excited as I was about the idea of a Steambox, it being linux really hampers it IMO. Yeah that's normal for Playstation because they are consoles and always have been. Getting into the console market new, without some sort of ace in the hole only means death IMO.
 

lefantome

Member
Using Linux they can tailor the OS to be an optimised Gaming Os, not like android or Windows.

The existing games will be ported on that Linux version, during they years. Not every linux distro which could become a nightmare.
It has already happened with Mac. Most engines already supports OpenGL and SteamBox could be an interesting market.

Anyway don't forget that when you will buy a game on steambox you will have it also on windows. They won't transfer games like Nintendo.
 

Des0lar

will learn eventually
What if Valve has developed some secret dark magic that makes porting games to Linux easy as pie?
 

Swifty

Member
Sad to see people already negatively commenting on it because the OS will be based on Linux. What the hell...
I think it's a valid concern. Steam has an enormous library of Windows based games it can leverage. Creating a brand new platform negates that.

Valve could be pursuing a strategy that won't necessitate the need for such a large library but you have to admit that the risk is still there. I don't think people are necessarily poo pooing on Linux but people are definitely concerned about keeping their existing library and what other customers will think of that.
 
Like I mentioned earlier, I'll be very relieved if crossplatform play is commonly pushed on this box. The only thing that makes me nervous is the fact that Steam is now a very important aspect of the PC gaming community at this point and if Valve pulls some portion of the audience to this new machine while others remain on PC, it could end up having a very negative impact on both platforms, unless both groups can in most cases play together.
 

benny_a

extra source of jiggaflops
Sad to see people already negatively commenting on it because the OS will be based on Linux. What the hell...
Because it running Linux means it won't run Windows, which is the primary platform that Steam is currently running on and every game on the service is compatible with.

So unless Valve came up with a silver bullet to make every Windows game compatible with Linux, it will have a very small library at launch.
 
I mean, me, with near 200 Steam games and a High end PC. (also all consoles) What incentive do I have to buy this thing?

Then there is someone who doesn't have steam or a gaming PC, but they see Steambox, what is the incentive for them to go with Steambox over 720 and PS4? Unless it is vastly more powerful.

I just dont see where this is going.
Same here, don't know why they're bothering with this really.
 

Woo-Fu

Banned
It kind of has to be Linux. It can't be Windows because of what Microsoft would do to them sooner or later.
 
If it uses Linux, isn't that going to limit what games can run on it significantly? Guess we will see but my hype is a bit diminished now.

If it uses Linux, there is a pretty good chance that you will be able to reformat the harddrive and install Windows on this thing if you really want to. There's certainly nothing wrong with Linux, you can still run a lot of windows games through Wine. But unfortunately, of you want a platform to play steam games on, Windows is still the best way to go....
 

JaseC

gave away the keys to the kingdom.
Good point but what about the discrepancy between linux and directx ?

Are they going to bother with the Steambox ?

That's the million dollar question. Obviously Valve's own stuff will be OpenGL-based and will work just fine on Linux, but the matter of third parties, namely the likes of the large multinational publishers, is nothing but a big unknown at the moment. Valve has to prove that porting to Linux is relatively painless and, more to the point, worth the investment, however slight it may be.
 

harSon

Banned
If Valve makes the transition away from Windows more than likely more companies might join them. Imagine if Half Life 3 is Linux only.

They'll find themselves hurting financially if they constrain themselves to such a limited install base.
 

Massa

Member
Then it will probably fail. We don't need another fucking console.

I would very much like to see a console that used Steam's practices for continued updates and support, distribution and sales rather than the archaic shit we can expect from Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft. That is the entire point of this box.
 

angelfly

Member
Linux is my main OS but I can understand why some people are upset. Valve games are a small portion of the Steam library so not having access to about 95% of what's currently on Steam is a big negative. Aside from some of the indies there isn't much. It's the same situation with the OSX version.

That said if they're treating it like a new platform then I'm sure they've already got some deals in the works and content coming going forward in the future. The big publishers may also already be porting games like AC3 but are working with Valve to release it once the SteamBox launches.
 
Yeah, I really want to see how this works in terms of power and whatnot. The pc tech department moves quickly, so it will be interesting to see how it's handled.
 

Bumhead

Banned
Depends how many studio's are prepared to re-engine their Steam games for Linux support, I guess? We had that news story only a couple of weeks ago about THQ working a lot with Linux, which ties in pretty nicely with this. If even THQ are doing it (who you have to assume have pressing issues elsewhere right now) then I don't think it's a huge stretch to imagine other publishers with content on Steam are doing the same thing behind the scenes.

I don't think anyone who already owns a good gaming PC has any reason to show concern for this either. My interpretation of this entire idea is a simplified system and a one box solution to break down the barrier to all those people who would be interested in PC gaming yet have absolutely no desire to ever build their own rigs. PC gaming for the people who never game any further beyond the £300 box they walk into Gamestop every 5 or 6 years to buy. It's potentially a lucrative move for Valve.

I just built a new PC (like, literally finished it about 4 hours ago) but I'm excited to see what Valve have got planned this year hardware wise, be it the Steambox, controller hardware or both.
 

Shion

Member
I mean, me, with near 200 Steam games and a High end PC. (also all consoles) What incentive do I have to buy this thing?
Steam Box is Valve's way of trying to get traditional console gamers migrate over to Steam.

Its primary target audience is console exclusive gamers, not PC gamers.
 

ekim

Member
Way to justify your argument.

It's not going to be some Ubuntu desktop. It will be Big Picture mode running on a Linux kernel and the games using an OpenGL derivative. Kind of like the PS3 (which uses Linux for the XMB).

Crazy how many people think because it's not windows it's already a piece of shit.

...and more competition the better in my eyes.

Basically this. everyone should read that before stating things they don't buy it with linux.
 

benny_a

extra source of jiggaflops
Like every other hardware platform ever released.
Then they should not call it a Steambox because if it can't play the vast majority of games you currently buy on Steam, what's the point?

Yet another console created by a very small hardware team from a company that has no experience doing retail business. Sounds like a winner.
 

Xellos

Member
Sounds pretty awesome to me. Will be an uphill battle getting all these developers to move their content to Linux, but it will be worth in the long run. Really hope they can pull this off.
 

Omikaru

Member
Why does anyone think this would replace their PC? Which begs the question: why is backwards compatibility with the current Steam library that important? If you want to play your Windows games, play them on Windows.

The biggest problem for Valve going forward is getting developers to make Linux versions of their upcoming games. Whether it plays any game available in your Steam library right now is moot; it'll be the games which come out post-release that will determine this system's success or failure.
 
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