maniac-kun
Member
The best part of a console steambox is: Welcome to basic feature that every pc has and that consoles never had before: backwards compatibility forever!
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Valve engineer confirms Linux-based Steambox for 2013, could appear at GDC or E3
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AHA-Lambda
Member
Both Trials games and Ms Splosion Man are coming to PC.
Since several games don't fully support big picture mode due to using launchers or external config utilities, games would need some degree of porting to be SteamBox-compatible anyway.
Also, with Linux they can have full control over the drivers and everything else. It's basically a x86 console.
Also, with Linux they can have full control over the drivers and everything else. It's basically a x86 console.
Pie and Beans
Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
The irony being right off the bat it doesn't have backwards compatibility to all those Steam games. Fantastic selling point, "Yer still gonna need that PC for those other games though. So keep that around. Just like you would that old console. Hmmm."
Uh, OSX and iOS are pretty popular, and that's based off of BSD...
And again, the problem isn't that they could pick hardware that BSD would work with, it's just that they aren't very concerned with hardware to begin with. They are interested in cultivating a software platform. See this post: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=46090365&postcount=621
Baconsammy
Banned
To Steam?
MrNyarlathotep
Banned
Trials began on PC.
Lumines is also available on Steam.
So, uh, Shadow Complex it is then :s
EDIT:
Why wouldn't they? That's where PC games sell.
diffusionx
Gold Member
In one reply you talk about the huge library, and in another you say they don't need that huge library.
If it starts with an empty library, I don't really have any interest in it, considering I can just load up Steam on my PC. Maybe I'm not the target audience, but, weirdly, I am part of the target audience for PS4 and 720. Is Valve really going to do this and signal to their big fans that this isn't for them?
AHA-Lambda
Member
Trials certainly is at least.
Dust: AET is the only other notable one I can think of =/
Captain Tuttle
Member
Yeah but those are to get people in the store, the sales themselves are not the most profitable things for the retailers which is what I was referring to.
Anyway, I hope this works out for them but I just don't see a large enough market for it. I just don't see it getting enough mass appeal to take on the big 3. I'm primarily a console gamer but my gut right now is telling me that I'd rather get a good PC than a Steambox. Half Life 3 and Team Fortress 3 isn't enough for me.
That being said, a good disruptive force in a marketplace is always a positive and at the very least it will make the other manufacturers, developers and producers sit up and take notice. The industry could use a good shakeup.
I get the feeling that the list of Linux-compatible games on Steam will expand significantly between now and the actual release of the box. It won't be all-encompassing, no, but getting a good number of big, popular titles would go a long way. They could also throw in a "no promises, use at your own risk" wrapper (like WINE) for everything else.
Shadowhaxor
Member
I think a lot of people are missing the point here and are setting themselves up for a disappointment. From Gaben himself, he stated that if gamers are looking at the Steambox to be their "PC in the Living Room" then they are incorrect.
"Well certainly our hardware will be a very controlled environment," he said. "If you want more flexibility, you can always buy a more general purpose PC. For people who want a more turnkey solution, that's what some people are really gonna want for their living room.
So this is likely going borrow from what we have on the PC now but likely it will be a completely different beast.
"Well certainly our hardware will be a very controlled environment," he said. "If you want more flexibility, you can always buy a more general purpose PC. For people who want a more turnkey solution, that's what some people are really gonna want for their living room.
So this is likely going borrow from what we have on the PC now but likely it will be a completely different beast.
Baconsammy
Banned
Lumines on Steam/PC is garbage. Missing modes and severely lacking in skins, which is the reason one buys Lumines.
Forever like a dozen years but not much more without a lot of work?
It's something, indeed, but many of those who tried to play a 90s game know that it can REALLY be complex to make it run, even with the "compatibility options" in Windows... Probably because it was badly implemented but still.
Besides, in a couple of year, a x86 game using VGA or VESA will heavily rely on emulators to run on a modern machine...
maniac-kun
Member
Well theres still the option that they use wine for the rest that has gamepad support if a Linux port does not exist.
maniac-kun
Member
The emulator allready exists: its called dosbox. And used with steam releases like xcom etc.
Baconsammy
Banned
Unless it's really cheap, and really powerful, what's the advantage of it over that Alienware console/PC that can run Steam and any other game on PC? Not being combative, just wondering why I'd choose something that's limited straight out of the box over something with no limitations (other than the capabilities of the components).
Pachterballs
Banned
This
Sentenza
Member
Does it make any difference?
It's there. It either works or there's a way to make it work anyway.
Because computers frighten some people.
i was responding to two completely different people saying completely different things. my messages aren't conflicting. try reading into context some.
they have a very large amount of goodwill even from people who don't use their platform. the target is those people.
1) Based off, but still not actually BSD. It's like saying BSD is Unix.
And that's nowhere near as popular as Linux as whole...
Anyway, by popular, I really meant people who use the kernel. So, in your example, you have just listed one "user". I don't mean end-users (because, clearly, kernels are pretty much invisible to end-users anyway.)
Keep in mind, I'm discussing particularly the "commercially viable" part of what you said... I was stating why license doesn't really matter in this case. So, I was saying that needing to modify the kernel was unlikely.
graywolf323
Member
I don't have a good feeling about this given how few games on Steam will be linux compatible
Baconsammy
Banned
Those people wont buy a box that purports to run PC games then. They'll buy from Nintendo/Sony/Microsoft like they're doing now.
MrNyarlathotep
Banned
I don't own it, but looking at reviews it seems to be the exact same game as on XBLA but without leaderboards or multiplayer.
Why would you choose a console (aka limited) over a pc (aside from exclusive games)?
The answer is your answer.
maniac-kun
Member
Valve wouldnt have done this before speaking to publishers.
AuthenticM
Member
What if the Source Engine's successor can run on Linux or has built-in tools greatly aiding in porting games from Windows to Linux ? How great would that be ? Maybe a lot of developpers would adopt the engine and make their games also run on Linux if the Steambox proves to be popular. Valve would essentially be using either the engine or the Steambox as a trojan horse to force an explosion in popularity for Linux.
KungFucius
King Snowflake
I have a gaming PC in my living room, so the box is redundant. However their other hardware has me excited. I am looking forward to it.
That's a common misconception, neither OSX nor iOS are based on BSD. The XNU kernel is the bastard child of the outdated Mach 2.5 kernel and the equally ancient 4.3BSD kernel, with some FreeBSD code added in later.
There's a reason Linux is a lot more common than BSD, and it has little to do with the license.
I don't think the Steambox is going to be a traditional console in any way whatsoever and it certainly won't be aiming to challenge the dominance of the big three, initially at least. I suspect the initial launch will be small scale and to demand, testing out the waters rather than setting sail on the console ocean.
I think you misunderstood me (probably my fault, sorry)
What I was saying is that circa 2002-2008, OpenGL was in pretty bad shape for gaming, and DirectX is more than a graphic API. Most developers have used it, know it well. Getting rid of DirectX has a cost for many of them, and they'll be willing to pay this cost if they can regain it by selling more games.
If it was a matter of a couple of hours of work, there would be more than two dozen games on Linux Steam now. In fact, there would have even been more Linux or MacOS games in the last decade.
If gamers still buy Windows, I'm not sure they'll fight to develop for the minority of players that chosed Linux. I don't say the lack of tools is the problem, or even compatible middleware.
diffusionx
Gold Member
Source already runs on Linux, so it's a given that Source 2 will. Thing is, Source isn't very popular with third parties. Maybe if it takes UE's position but that's a tough fight.
Yup. Can't have PC gaming without Windows.
SapientWolf
Trucker Sexologist
I think they're doing more with the Steambox than just releasing a PC that can play Steam games. Probably something closer to a closed box console.
Who says they'll market it as a PC? It hasn't even been properly revealed yet. Even then, the original Xbox was basically a PC in a box, people still bought that, because it ran its own games and was marketed as a games console. Depending on how Valve wants to market the thing, this may be no different. It runs "its own games" (ie Linux ones, but the end user, unless they've read up on it, won't know that, they'll just seem them as "Steambox games"), and Valve may well manage to convince developers to release some exclusive games for the platform as well, which would make it appear even more like a separate console.
Captain Tuttle
Member
What're the chances of the hardware being very easily upgradable, like just slide in a new cart with a upgraded video card? That would shake things up I'd think.
MrNyarlathotep
Banned
Giving it away free like they do with Steamworks makes that fight a bit easier, especially if it has the same easy to use toolchains and development pipelines that UE does.
Baconsammy
Banned
It's not. PC version is essentially Lumines 2 with all multiplayer removed. Lumines Live (with addons, granted) is so much more. Ditto for Lumines Supernova on PSN. PC version appears to be a pretty half-assed quickie port, which wouldn't surprise me from Q?.
Stripper13
Member
This. I just don't see Valve spending the dollars necessary to compete with Microsoft and Sony on a global scale. I'm very interested in a steam box, but I'm not sure they're foolish enough to risk the money.
Doubt their ambition is that low. A strong part of Steam has been cheap games. I'm sure they want to broaden the audience. And maybe if they are really crazy they will expand steam to movies, music etc.
graywolf323
Member
talking to publishers doesn't help with all the games that use Direct X, honestly I fear this is Steam flushing money down the drain that could be better used elsewhere
like actually improving the client which it's just ridiculous how buggy it still is, or how about making more Half-Life games?
or even better spend money on customer service and hire a team to test games and let the community suggest them instead of whatever the hell they're attempting with Greenlight
diffusionx
Gold Member
My point still stands, what chance does this thing have if they can't get their big fans on board?
I mean, MS and Sony fans are ready to line up for the PS4 and 720 today. MS and Sny have to work to get them not to buy it. With this, a lot of us here are big Steam users and pretty much everyone is like, "not for me."
Shrennin
Didn't get the memo regarding the 14th Amendment
I don't know whether or not this actually happened, but I imagine everyone was skeptical of Microsoft entering the console space as well. I know that the big three didn't believe in Steam either when Valve was just starting it up and was looking for help in establishing it (I believe they pitched the idea to Microsoft, Sony, and maybe Nintendo).
I trust Valve because they make good decisions for themselves and for the customer. I think if anyone will be able to create another type of console then it would be Valve. Still, I don't think the market can handle 4 or more console manufacturers. Whether or not Valve will succeed, it will be interesting to see what happens either way. I hope they do succeed though.
I trust Valve because they make good decisions for themselves and for the customer. I think if anyone will be able to create another type of console then it would be Valve. Still, I don't think the market can handle 4 or more console manufacturers. Whether or not Valve will succeed, it will be interesting to see what happens either way. I hope they do succeed though.
And why would that be? Too many people are seeing this from the point of what's available for Linux on Steam right now and going from there. Android is based off Linux, there are plenty of games for that. The situations aren't comparable, what I'm trying to say is that it's a new platform - it will be closed and controlled by Valve. They may well be able to attract developer support for it and have devs develop exclusive Steambox games, or at least Steambox versions of multiplatform titles. The OS doesn't matter. If devs develop games for it, who cares what OS it runs?
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