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Polygon: SteamDevDays show plan for Valve-owned future, Microsoft should be terrified

A

alexandros

Banned
A good piece by Polygon, some very interesting points.

Steam Dev Days, taking place Jan. 15-16 in Seattle, isn't open to the press. There will be no interviews given, and it's unlikely that there will be video or archives of the content shown. It's an off-the-record event where AMD, Intel, Nvidia, Oculus, Unity and yes, Valve itself will give talks and create bridges between the distribution service, the hardware and software that will drive Steam Machines, and the people who make the games that we play on the platform.
Click to expand...

Microsoft has nothing to fear today, but the idea that Valve, AMD, Nvidia and Intel are getting together with developers to push for a future without Windows should scare the living hell out of them as they peer into the future. Valve and Microsoft both want to own your living room, but the Xbox One is often a clunky, awkward device that tries to force you into Microsoft's ecosystem while limiting your media options. There is plenty of room for disruption.
Click to expand...

Much more at the link, be sure to read the whole thing.

http://www.polygon.com/2014/1/14/5307584/steam-dev-days-valve-owned-future-plan
 
T

Tobor

Member
Microsoft needs to be forcibly removed from PC gaming. It will benefit the entire industry.

Thanks for doing what needs to be done, Valve.
 
L

LCGeek

formerly sane
MS has nothing to be terrified of yet....

I love what valve is trying to do but it is that and just like windows and direct x it will take something similar like valve to disrupt MS out of this. I love what linux offers gamers but valve isn't exploiting it yet and it will take time to do so as well.
 
L

Lasthope106

Member
I don't think Valve wants MS to fail. From the talks I've heard Gabe give, Valve is worried about the direction MS took with Windows 8. Going deeper into that direction is where Steam machines and SteamOS comes into play. It is insurance for Valve to keep the pc an open platform. But at the end of the day, Valve wants their games in as many devices as possible, including Windows. Gabe has stated that many times.
 
S

Stallion Free

Cock Encumbered
Tobor said:
Microsoft needs to be forcibly removed from PC gaming. It will benefit the entire industry.

Thanks for doing what needs to be done, Valve.
Click to expand...
I really love how they did their best to ruin a whole set of games that won't be updated when GFWL is killed off in a couple months. I guess they weren't happy with us being able to enjoy games no matter how old they were and decided to give us a taste of console generations.
 
D

Dibbz

Member
alexandros said:
Microsoft has nothing to fear today, but the idea that Valve, AMD, Nvidia and Intel are getting together with developers to push for a future without Windows should scare the living hell out of them as they peer into the future. Valve and Microsoft both want to own your living room, but the Xbox One is often a clunky, awkward device that tries to force you into Microsoft's ecosystem while limiting your media options. There is plenty of room for disruption.
Click to expand...

Falls right in line with their review of the console. Wait, no it doesn't. Amazing.

Polygon Xbox One Review said:
The Xbox One is an impressive marriage of software and hardware that raises the bar in terms of what we expect from a living-room machine. Looking forward more than it looks back, the Xbox One feels like it's from the future.

http://www.polygon.com/a/xbox-one-review#conclusion
Click to expand...
 
J

Jack cw

Member
Man, polygon gets really annoying. They switch their opinions like underwear and contradict themselves way too often.
 
entremet

entremet

Member
Tobor said:
Microsoft needs to be forcibly removed from PC gaming. It will benefit the entire industry.

Thanks for doing what needs to be done, Valve.
Click to expand...

It's weird with their legacy that the totally just ignored the platform. Very strange.
 
H

Hasney

Member
I think every year has been hailed as the "Year of Linux on the desktop" since about 2002. Would be interesting to see what kind of boost to Linux there is 2 years with Valve pushing it more aggressively, but I'm not going to hold my breath.
 
C

Captain Tuttle

Member
Kerouac'd said:
I'm not a fan of Polygon, but everyone that works there doesn't (and shouldn't) have the exact same opinion on everything. I'd rather see a diverse collection of opinions rather than everyone following a "company stance."
Click to expand...

Seriously. Since when is fanboyism in gaming journalism desired?
 
G

Gestault

Member
I still haven't heard a reason SteamOS would offer a fundamental improvement in any particular area at the OS level. Like, simply having a different company at the reigns of an OS isn't a compelling reason for transition, particularly when one has limited experience in the area and hasn't demonstrated anything that's an advantage to consumers. So far we haven't even seen anything approaching even comparable features or compatibility (despite being built on well-established linux framework).

I recognize that the article is talking as much about a gaming future as it is a computing one, but the fundamental issue in game design of having multiple hardware capacities/configurations and how difficult it can be to market a game to an audience that doesn't know if their system with the same name can run it at an acceptable level.

My fear is that there will be massive investment into creating an OS not quite as functional as OSX/Windows but with no real advantages, and a cluster of very different, higher-priced machines trying to be home consoles with none of the advantages of streamlined functionality.

I'm interested to see where this goes, and I'd love to see points spelling out how they plan to avoid this.
 
A

ashecitism

Member
read this yesterday, found this part a bit extreme:

Valve, AMD, Nvidia and Intel are getting together with developers to push for a future without Windows should scare the living hell out of them as they peer into the future.
Click to expand...

they definitely aren't pushing for a future without Windows, this isn't a ganging up or whatever, they're just like to keep their options open for the future
 
S

Somnid

Member
THEaaron said:
Tell me more about establishing a closed ecosystem because closed ecosystems are evil.
Click to expand...

Yeah I never got this. At least I think that's what people are trying to bring up with regards to Windows. If it's Metro UI then I don't really see how SteamOS is any better as they use the same paradigm.
 
K

Kocolino67

Member
To be terrified you need at first some self-awareness. And a corporation is by default no single human being with such ability.
 
R

RadarScope1

Member
I had no idea Ben Kuchera was writing for Polygon now. That site collects well known writers like Pokemon. I liked him at Ars, though I never read Penny Arcade because, well, it's PA.

Valve being all secretive, eh? Just being Valve I guess. Really hope Linux ports take off because I want to get into PC gaming and would like to do it via a Steam Machine.
 
S

Shinta

Banned
Gestault said:
I still haven't heard a reason SteamOS would offer a fundamental improvement in any particular area at the OS level. Like, simply having a different company at the reigns of an OS isn't a compelling reason for transition, particularly when one has limited experience in the area and hasn't demonstrated anything that's an advantage to consumers. So far we haven't even seen anything approaching even comparable features or compatibility (despite being built on well-established linux framework).

I recognize that the article is talking as much about a gaming future as it is a computing one, but the fundamental issue in game design of having multiple hardware capacities/configurations and how difficult it can be to market a game to an audience that doesn't know if their system with the same name can run it at an acceptable level.

My fear is that there will be massive investment into creating an OS not quite as functional as OSX/Windows but with no real advantages, and a cluster of very different, higher-priced machines trying to be home consoles with none of the advantages of streamlined functionality.

I'm interested to see where this goes, and I'd love to see points spelling out how they plan to avoid this.
Click to expand...

I think you're totally right. I think they're banking on their "advantages" being evident when MS moves further into a new model that has new disadvantages.

It all seems like a bet based entirely on what they think another company may or may not do.
 
poppabk

poppabk

Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
Ethan18 said:
Why do they need to be removed? Isn't it better to have options?
Click to expand...
Because the direction people fear they are going is to lock down windows ala iOS, and at that point any store running on Windows (ie steam) will be forced to give MS a cut.
 
Sorcerer

Sorcerer

Member
Gestault said:
I still haven't heard a reason SteamOS would offer a fundamental improvement in any particular area at the OS level. Like, simply having a different company at the reigns of an OS isn't a compelling reason for transition, particularly when one has limited experience in the area and hasn't demonstrated anything that's an advantage to consumers. So far we haven't even seen anything approaching even comparable features or compatibility (despite being built on well-established linux framework).

I recognize that the article is talking as much about a gaming future as it is a computing one, but the fundamental issue in game design of having multiple hardware capacities/configurations and how difficult it can be to market a game to an audience that doesn't know if their system with the same name can run it at an acceptable level.

My fear is that there will be massive investment into creating an OS not quite as functional as OSX/Windows but with no real advantages, and a cluster of very different, higher-priced machines trying to be home consoles with none of the advantages of streamlined functionality.

I'm interested to see where this goes, and I'd love to see points spelling out how they plan to avoid this.
Click to expand...

Steam OS could be a very big deal in the long term. But it would probably take a decade to even think about competing with windows/ms on that level.

Starting with games is a good way to start. You get people hooked with games and start with adoption that way.

Software devs take notice of the number of machines on the market and bring other applications to the platform.

In the long term you could end up with a very good Os for all needs with mass adoption.
 
L

Lunar15

Member
I do think it's funny that the man who was a lead project manager on several major windows OS launches is now moving in the same direction once again.
 
S

SteveWinwood

Member
Gestault said:
I still haven't heard a reason SteamOS would offer a fundamental improvement in any particular area at the OS level.
Click to expand...

Well if you want any old reason:

Valve claims that it has "achieved significant performance increases in graphics processing" through SteamOS.
Click to expand...

We'll see if they achieve it in the future as the os continues though.

Shinta said:
I think you're totally right. I think they're banking on their "advantages" being evident when MS moves further into a new model that has new disadvantages.

It all seems like a bet based entirely on what they think another company may or may not do.
Click to expand...

It's a bet made to keep them safe no matter what a different company does.
 
D

Dibbz

Member
Interfectum said:
I don't think Kooch worked for Polygon when they reviewed Xbone.
Click to expand...

alexandros said:
Different people have different opinions, I don't find it strange at all.
Click to expand...

3rdamention said:
I thought the exact same thing, but notice who wrote this story, and who did the Xbox One review..................................
Click to expand...

Sorry but there is no opinion in the quotes I pulled. It's either clunky and awkward or it isn't. It's is not subjective.
 
Sorcerer

Sorcerer

Member
Lunar15 said:
I do think it's funny that the man who was a lead project manager on several major windows OS launches is now moving in the same direction once again.
Click to expand...

That might be the beauty of it. Gabe knows the in and outs of OS launches. He knows what he hates about them and he has been very vocal about it.

He might be the one to do things differently and improve the experience in a positive way.
 
J

jelly

Member
Hasney said:
I think every year has been hailed as the "Year of Linux on the desktop" since about 2002. Would be interesting to see what kind of boost to Linux there is 2 years with Valve pushing it more aggressively, but I'm not going to hold my breath.
Click to expand...

Gaming is about the only thing that will propel desktop Linux adoption and gather proper support from manufactures.

For Windows, gaming is a major reason for their success. Microsoft should be worried if Linux gaming takes off with Steam OS.

If Microsoft isn't completely clueless again, they will start to take PC gaming seriously once more and not an Xbox side project.
 
X

Xis

Member
Kysen said:
*Microsoft laughs*, Valve has a looooooooong way to go before MS even flinches in the desktop space.
Click to expand...

Microsoft may be king of the desktop, but it is a shrinking kingdom. Smartphones and tablets are making it increasingly irrelevant. On too of that, these Steam boxes aren't even aiming for the desktop, but for the living room.
 
batman2million

batman2million

Member
I don't see how MS should be terrified. Steam machine still has a lot to prove compared how well the Xbox brand has done. Windows OS is way too mainstream to be replaced by anything else.
 
G

Gestault

Member
Sorcerer said:
Steam OS could be a very big deal in the long term. But it would probably take a decade to even think about competing with windows/ms on that level.

Starting with games is a good way to start. You get people hooked with games and start with adoption that way.

Software devs take notice of the number of machines on the market and bring other applications to the platform.

In the long term you could end up with a very good Os for all needs with mass adoption.
Click to expand...

Ok, I would say that's fair enough, but since SteamOS can't run most major releases, wouldn't that run against their favor? This is what I'm trying to understand: It has fewer features than existing operating systems, it has less customization, it can only run a fraction of the games, there are no plans to make games exclusive to it, and in terms of the livingroom implementation it'll have challenges from trying to recreate a console environment with a wide variety of hardware AND still appeal to the things PC-centric gamers have described as being important to them.

You're saying it could be a big deal in the long-term, and while that's possible, do you have one single way that they've described as a basis for being able to do that? What is a shortcoming of OSX/Windows that SteamOS has said they will handle better, aside from the name of the company behind it?
 
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