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[illustri0us]

But with a Windows OS, you can still play all those Windows games that aren't on Steam. Not so on Steam OS.

steam need origin to jump in, the os wont be huge without them

 

[F!ReW!Re]

steam need origin to jump in, the os wont be huge without them

You've got to be kidding us right?

 

[TUROK]

Yeah... So? You can also already use W.I.N.E. for a lot of games not natively on Linux/Steam, if you put it like that.
And those are eventually going to become fewer and fewer over time, which is the main point we should argue about.

Of course you can, but the whole point of Steam OS is to be a streamlined, easy experience. Using WINE for it is a hassle that the target audience won't bother with.

The countless upon countless older games probably won't. Steam OS will definitely gain traction, but some people in here seem to think it'll overtake Windows in the context of a gaming platform.

 

[Eaten By A Grue]

Maybe I'm missing the point because I have a severe headache but how is Steam OS supposed to broaden the reach of Steam?

The way I see it Steam OS is targeted at people who already own a Steam capable machine but want to run a more optimized system.
I don't see Steam OS taking off in any way for a yet untapped potential target audience. If someone does not own a gaming PC then Steam OS is not going to sway those people into buying one and existing gaming PC owners surely already have Steam installed on their Windows PC and might not want to sacrifice the ability to install any software supported by Windows.

This opens a new market for revenue for other PC manufactures to get into the console market with no cost for the OS to make a console-like PC. It can be disruptive to the console market like Anroid was to the cell phone. It is all actually genius really on Gabe's part. I imagine if a company like Alienware makes x51s with Steam available it could become pretty popular to people who are not into Steam yet. Sure they cost more than a Xbox One and PS4, but you would be paying for a premium experience. It will be interesting to see if people will pay for that.

 

[KeRaSh]

I have honestly no idea of what makes you say so.

Why would someone buy a gaming PC and remove all the possibilities Windows offers for non gaming purposes and only use the gaming aspect of things? It makes the price of admission to PC gaming a lot harder to swallow in my opinion.

Same here, that's a completely arbitrary assumption.
If anything, new customers are the ones who have the less to lose from the initial supposedly "problematic" backward compatibility.

If you are interested in gaming but do not own a gaming PC, chances are you probably own a gaming console in which case again I don't see Steam OS pushing them over the edge to finally get into PC gaming. If PC gaming was an option, then my point above would apply again.

This opens a new market for revenue for other PC manufactures to get into the console market with no cost for the OS to make a console-like PC. It can be disruptive to the console market like Anroid was to the cell phone. It is all actually genius really on Gabe's part. I imagine if a company like Alienware makes x51s with Steam available it could become pretty popular to people who are not into Steam yet. Sure they cost more than a Xbox One and PS4, but you would be paying for a premium experience. It will be interesting to see if people will pay for that.

This could only become a thing if those Alienware X51s (or similar products) would be available for a cheaper price because the Windows licence is dropped from the equation. It'd be interesting if this actually happens. You are already paying a premium price for such systems and the licence might not play a huge role in their pricing schemes and if the price is too similar, people might want to stick with the OS that is capable of running already existing compatible software for non gaming purposes. I don't think people will be willing to have two separate PCs around for productivity and gaming.

I see Valve doing this not for the intention of broadening the reach of Steam, but to prepare PC Gaming for life after Windows. They and many others have more or less given up on Microsoft at this point after their intentions of turning into the new Apple is clear and they need to prepare an OS platform that'll maintain the open nature that Windows had.

That I can understand but it would take a long, long time for Microsoft to drop out of the PC gaming scene and I'm sure they'd rather make sure to keep those people around and make them happy than to alienate them further with their new iterations of Windows.

 

[The Cowboy]

You've got to be kidding us right?

You think they don't?, people can hate EA/Oriign as much as they like, but they'd be a fool to not see how popular EA games are and that having them aboard the SteamOS train would be a major help.

The person is right, they need Origin (well EA really) to jump aboard as well as the rest of the big publishers.

 

[Sentenza]

You've got to be kidding us right?

Well, not necessarily with Origin, but EA jumping on Linux as well would surely help this cause.

Right now we have Epic, Crytek and blizzard who hinted plans of future Linux support, even if they were never particularly clear about to what extent.
EA joining their ranks would make the transition a lot smoother.

What I'm hoping is for companies to be forward-thinking enough to understand that supporting Valve on this is something that everyone could take advantage of.
The risk is about those companies being "petty", so to say, and treating Valve's focus on an open source OS as "a competitor to sabotage".

 

[televator]

It's hard not to be sold on free Linux with games in mind. That's like a freaking Unicorn right there.

 

[zorlaczerohero]

It won't. SteamOS and the SteamBox are products that connect with the platform (Steam itself), not platforms in and of themselves.

Sorry but from what we have heard this isn't true. If this was the case, as it already is with the Shield then why is Gabe pushing Linux. You don't need Linux to stream to, Android, iOS, Windows, a dongle etc will do the job perfectly well. He specifically said "Linux in the living room".
From the first announcement where he says Mac and PC games can be streamed implies that Linux games won't have to be because they will be native to the Steambox.

From the announcement "In SteamOS, we have achieved significant performance increases in graphics processing" Not streaming, processing. Steambox will be a standalone machine with a Linux based OS. Whether it's actually made by Valve or is just a template for others to follow I don't know.

 

[F!ReW!Re]

Well, not necessarily with Origin, but EA jumping on Linux as well would surely help this cause.

Right now we have Epic, Crytek and blizzard who hinted plans of future Linux support, even if they were never particularly clear about to what extent.
EA joining their ranks would make the transition a lot smoother.

True they need more major publishers jumping in on SteamOS.
But I don't think allowing Origin on there would be such a good idea.
I can see Epic and Crytek joining in at a later point. I'm skeptical that Blizzard can get over themselves to even consider it tbh.

Let's wait and see what the 2 other announcements will be.

 

[Eaten By A Grue]

You think they don't?, people can hate EA/Oriign as much as they like, but they'd be a fool to not see how popular EA games are and that having them aboard the SteamOS train would be a major help.

The person is right, they need Origin (well EA really) to jump aboard as well as the rest of the big publishers.

Never underestimate the power of money. Steam selling games for Mac OS X and Linux has created new revenue streams for Valve. At this point it would be silly for EA not to start selling games on those OSes. If they let Valve capture those markets no matter how small they are now, EA may never be able to penetrate those markets in the future. It is almost like MS trying to get into the tablet market that was dominated by iOS and Android early on.

 

[illustri0us]

You think they don't?, people can hate EA/Oriign as much as they like, but they'd be a fool to not see how popular EA games are and that having them aboard the SteamOS train would be a major help.

The person is right, they need Origin (well EA really) to jump aboard as well as the rest of the big publishers.

origin
uplay

im sure activision will follow suit soon too... cod is too big for them to not


all steam os will have is half life 3... and lets be honest, its not gonna move systems


steam need to partner up asap

 

[lensoftruth]

Why would someone buy a gaming PC and remove all the possibilities Windows offers for non gaming purposes and only use the gaming aspect of things? It makes the price of admission to PC gaming a lot harder to swallow in my opinion.

Windows generally gets in the way on my gaming PC, dialogues popping up requiring keyboard and mouse input, I'd love to get rid of it.

 

[Tacitus_]

You've got to be kidding us right?

Certainly you have to be kidding? They need as much support for this as possible and EA is one of the biggest publishers.

 

[illustri0us]

True they need more major publishers jumping in on SteamOS.
But I don't think allowing Origin on there would be such a good idea.
I can see Epic and Crytek joining in at a later point. I'm skeptical that Blizzard can get over themselves to even consider it tbh.

Let's wait and see what the 2 other announcements will be.

EA will only allow their games on steam os via origin... its in their business interest

 

[The Cowboy]

origin
uplay
im sure activision will follow suit soon too... cod is too big for them to not
all steam os will have is half life 3... and lets be honest, its not gonna move systems
steam need to partner up asap

Yeah if they can get EA, Activision (not just for COD but for Blizzard), Ubi and the rest to sign onto SteamOS (be it via Steam or their own clients), then it would be a great help to push the SteamOS into more PCs.

The more big publishers Valve can get, the better chance this has to be huge in the future.

 

[Chili]

If Valve can make SteamOS and Linux gaming big in its own right, those publishers are free to release clients that are SteamOS compatible. They don't have to release games via Steam retail.

 

[illustri0us]

If Valve can make SteamOS and Linux gaming big in its own right, those publishers are free to release clients that are SteamOS compatible. They don't have to release games via Steam retail.

origin have their own achievements etc

it will get messy

 

[Coldsun]

Valve's biggest issue with SteamOS is going to be to get the end-users to drop the misconceptions that they seem to hold so dear. In the other thread about GabeN some of these are actually believed here on the gaf.

 

[JaseC]

Sorry but from what we have heard this isn't true. If this was the case, as it already is with the Shield then why is Gabe pushing Linux. You don't need Linux to stream to, Android, iOS, Windows, a dongle etc will do the job perfectly well. He specifically said "Linux in the living room".
From the first announcement where he says Mac and PC games can be streamed implies that Linux games won't have to be because they will be native to the Steambox.

From the announcement "In SteamOS, we have achieved significant performance increases in graphics processing" Not streaming, processing. Steambox will be a standalone machine with a Linux based OS. Whether it's actually made by Valve or is just a template for others to follow I don't know.

SteamOS is a product. It's being designed to knock down the common barriers associated with the software side of PC gaming.

SteamBox is a product. It's being designed to knock down the common barriers associated with the hardware side of PC gaming.

Steam for Linux, which is what Valve is actually pushing, is a flavour of the Steam platform -- but there are no net gains by treating it as an individual platform rather than an extension of an existing one.

 

[ColdBlooder]

Just to clear up some confusion. When i say timed exclusive, im talking weeks. Not month or even years.

Lets say HL3 is real. And SteamOS version launches 1,5 - 2 weeks prior to Windows version. I think some people would try SteamOS in that case. Especially since SteamOS is free.

 

[dragonelite]

It just hit me. What implications will it have on the next generation of consoles if Valve introduces the steambox in a sense another next gen console. A "console" that one day one would introduce a new audience to a gargantuan library of games, on day 1 have far more games than its competitors and at the same time could be potentially far more powerful.

Anyone else get the feeling that the steambox could shake up what we think of as console generations.

I hope the SteamBox will force microsoft and sony to at least implement backward compatibility. Why buy the game on the X1 and PS4 when the X2 or PS5 comes you can't use the software anymore. That is the beauty of pc gaming

 

[Sentenza]

Valve's biggest issue with SteamOS is going to be to get the end-users to drop the misconceptions that they seem to hold so dear. In the other thread about GabeN some of these are actually believed here on the gaf.

Sorry, but... What the hell are you talking about?
Because you are talking almost as if what you are hinting to should be obvious, but it really isn't.

 

[Seance]

So Steam OS is for comfy couch PC gamers yeah?

What's the big deal that i'm missing here? Why has this garnered so much interest so quickly?

 

[Coldsun]

Sorry, but... What the hell are you talking about?
Because you are talking almost as if what you are hinting to should be obvious, but it really isn't.

In the other thread discussing Gabe's involvement with Doom and Windows, a lot of people had some strange conceptions. Off the top of my head,

1) All software on linux must be open source, game developers wouldn't go for that
2) Linux has no good UI for ease of use
3) DirectX is a huge barrier that prevents Linux from ever being a gaming OS

 

[SparkTR]

Just to clear up some confusion. When i say timed exclusive, im talking weeks. Not month or even years.

Lets say HL3 is real. And SteamOS version launches 1,5 - 2 weeks prior to Windows version. I think some people would try SteamOS in that case. Especially since SteamOS is free.

If you're already a Steam user on PC then Valve has you where they want you. SteamOS devices are for another demographic. They don't care if you buy it via Steam Windows or SteamOS, as long as it's Steam. People have got to stop looking at this announcement like it's going to be a traditional console.

 

[Chili]

origin have their own achievements etc

it will get messy

I agree, it won't be an elegant solution. But it is EA's choice at this point. Valve are not going to moneyhat them to start supporting the Steam platform. Perhaps with a new CEO incoming they might shift track and drop Origin as in terms of features, vision and consumer support the gap between Origin and Steam continues to widen.

Though I suspect EA feel the same way about Valve as Valve do with MS. They don't want to be beholden to any distribution monopoly.

 

[robjoh]

EDIT, wrong missunderstood the poster I was answering.

 

[SparkTR]

So Steam OS is for comfy couch PC gamers yeah?

What's the big deal that i'm missing here? Why has this garnered so much interest so quickly?

The broader idea is that it's essentially going to be the Android equivalent for mid to high-end gaming devices. Different hardware venders building and marketing a variety of Steambox's, it could lead to something extremely disruptive the living room market, and at least can potentially break into lucrative developing markets where consoles largely haven't been able to.

 

[Coldsun]

EDIT, wrong of me.

That was my point, those 3 are some of the misconceptions that seem to be plaguing anything attached to linux.

 

[KeRaSh]

Windows generally gets in the way on my gaming PC, dialogues popping up requiring keyboard and mouse input, I'd love to get rid of it.

You can set Steam to automatically start in full screen big picture mode when Windows boots up, right? (I have only used it once but I'm pretty sure it's possible.)
As for the pop-ups: Never had a problems with those while gaming.

But anyways, in your case it would add convenience to the way you play games on PC but it seems you are already a PC gamer, in which case the argument that Steam OS would broaden the reach of the platform is not applicable.
If a comfortable / convenient set up is at the core of ones gaming needs, then console gaming would probably still be the better option.

 

[illustri0us]

I agree, it won't be an elegant solution. But it is EA's choice at this point. Valve are not going to moneyhat them to start supporting the Steam platform. Perhaps with a new CEO incoming they might shift track and drop Origin as in terms of features, vision and consumer support the gap between Origin and Steam continues to widen.

Though I suspect EA feel the same way about Valve as Valve do with MS. They don't want to be beholden to any distribution monopoly.

EA most likely spent millions just setting up origin, it is a successful distribution model with achievements to entice and keep customers.

Steam need EA, not the other way around, if a gamer wants to play battlefield they will uninstall/switch out steam os within seconds, even if its the greatest os to hit earth.

 

[which1spink]

Truthfacts:

• SteamOS boots in under 25 seconds on HDD, <10 on SSD.
• Is bootable from any USB drive (LiveUSB)
• Steam application(s) on selected platforms will receive a "(Re)boot to SteamOS"- and "Launch [Game] in SteamOS"-option.
• "Remote wake" SteamOS slaves aka St(r)eambox ("Launch [Game] in [Living Room]").
• SteamOS can be "embedded" within games and applications, letting 'em run in some sort of Sandbox environment. New HL/S2 project, 'nuff said. Also think dedicated servers.
• SteamOS will cut driver overhead and especially input-lag in half.
• Source 2 SDK tools may stay Linux/SteamOS only. Comes (optionally) with a "complete" open source dev package to create "proper" games with (coding IDE, debugger, 3D- and 2D- packages, you name it).
• SOS users will receive special promotion offerings, especially at launch.
• Lots of software developers and hardware vendors were contracted to ensure proper Linux/SteamOS support. Software devs may get special deals (like a reduced Valve cut) when launching Day One on SteamOS.
• "Best platform to run Oculus Rift" on.
• SOS has its own (shitty) window manager.
• Steam will stream to other devices, at some point. Android first.
• Supports standardized HID USB- and Bluetooth-devices at Launch (PS3 controller, Wiimote, you name it). No Xbox One/360 controller support (proprietary).
• Free to license for any hardware vendor. Valve's pushing OEMs since CES2012 to install SteamOS on every new computer shipped.
• Pigs fly.

You're welcome.

 

[JNT]

? How ?
This is a Linux distribution using established technology along with Valve software and design choices. Whatever works here, works in other distributions.

And most importantly, as far as Valve is concerned Steam is one platform running atop multiple different environments. If anything, SteamOS is their way of further establishing that Steam is OS-agnostic. I imagine that ideally they'd want all games to be available anywhere Steam is available.

Well, if they wanted to make exclusives, and I'm not saying that they are, they could put in artificial roadblocks into the software to prevent it from running under other distributions.

 

[News Bot]

In SteamOS, can you only play Windows versions of Steam games if you stream them to the SteamOS machine... from a separate machine? Or is it all-in-one? Confused.

 

[JaseC]

In SteamOS, can you only play Windows versions of Steam games if you stream them to the SteamOS machine... from a separate machine? Or is it all-in-one? Confused.

The former, at least for now.

Edit: WINE is an option, of course, but it won't be officially supported.

 

[zorlaczerohero]

Just to clear up some confusion. When i say timed exclusive, im talking weeks. Not month or even years.

Lets say HL3 is real. And SteamOS version launches 1,5 - 2 weeks prior to Windows version. I think some people would try SteamOS in that case. Especially since SteamOS is free.

It's a fair point, and if as Gabe says devs are getting performance gains from a Linux based OS, who wouldn't try HL3 on it?

I'm a long time PC gamer, since DOS days. I've worked with every OS out there. A streamlined gaming OS is my dream. If the Steambox releases at a comparable price and spec to the PS4 and XB1, with 190 or so games already available and a few AAA titles incoming, plus you can load up MAME, Dolphin and watch MKV's on it, who wouldn't buy it?

 

[bigmit3737]

Right now it just seems like a safety net If Mixeoaoft makes Windows a closes platform.

I'm having trouble understanding why anyone but enthusiasts would adopt this OS, unless Microsoft really messes up Windows.

 

[News Bot]

The former, at least for now.

That sucks. No real interest in it at the moment then, though I like the general idea. Sadly I doubt it will ever have the support Windows does, and I don't want to switch over only for most of the stuff I use or play to not work.

 

[RJT]

In SteamOS, can you only play Windows versions of Steam games if you stream them to the SteamOS machine... from a separate machine? Or is it all-in-one? Confused.

People here seem to be confused about what an OS is. You need need special hardware to run steamOS. You can dual boot on a PC. If you want to play the windows version of a game, just boot windows...

 

[QaaQer]

Why would someone buy a gaming PC and remove all the possibilities Windows offers for non gaming purposes and only use the gaming aspect of things?

like what?

I suppose if you only have one computing device, but many people have work computers/laptops as well as gaming pcs.

I know I want my work and gaming machines separate, + with today's tablets and low powered macbooks etc., starting up a 1000W plus machine to watch youtube, browse, read news, or watch netflix is a waste.

 

[RJT]

That sucks. No real interest in it at the moment then.

That doesn't even make sense. SteamOS is free, and you can have both Windows and SteamOS on the same machine. Why would you refuse an extra free option that would run some games better? There's literally no down side...

 

[iceatcs]

What the point if 360 pad won't work.

 

[News Bot]

That doesn't even make sense. SteamOS is free, and you can have both Windows and SteamOS on the same machine. Why would you refuse an extra free option that would run some games better? There's literally no down side...

It has more to do with the fact that my SSD is small and I don't have the money to spare for a bigger one (or more HDDs). Not that I don't like the OS itself or don't want to just dual-boot.

 

[angular graphics]

What the point if 360 pad won't work.

360 pads don't work on linux? News to me. https://www.google.com/search?btnG=1&pws=0&q=360+gamepad+linux

 

[CryptiK]

What the point if 360 pad won't work.

It will. It wont take long before someone makes it work.

 

[SparkTR]

What the point if 360 pad won't work.

Valve has their own controller they're going to push, probably.

 

[RJT]

It has more to do with the fact that my SSD is small and I don't have the money to spare for a bigger one. Totally cosmetic.

No reason not to try it though (you'll probably be able to boot from a USB drive). I can see why people are saying that Windows will remain their prime OS, but this effort needs to be supported. Over the long term, this is the only option for PC gamers, since Microsoft is clearly moving towards a closed system approach for Windows.

 

[The Cowboy]

That doesn't even make sense. SteamOS is free, and you can have both Windows and SteamOS on the same machine. Why would you refuse an extra free option that would run some games better? There's literally no down side...

Inconvenience and effort is a down side. Having to reboot for certain games and having to keep 2 operating systems updated on the same PC is a pretty big downside for me.

If the performance increases are really good on the more recent games to the point of being very noticeable (not things like 300 vs 350, but things like 30 vs 45 or 45 vs 60), then the positive effect diminishes the inconvenience for me. But as said, the increase in performance would need to be pretty noticeable for me to run 2 operating systems.

 

[iceatcs]

360 pads don't work on linux? News to me. https://www.google.com/search?btnG=1&pws=0&q=360+gamepad+linux

Because it isn't Linux. We are talking about SteamOS. They (hacker) need updated for this OS.
But what we rather to have an official support, not mods.

HID USB- and Bluetooth-devices are support day one.

Valve has their own controller they're going to push, probably.

100%, and official button logo likely too, they need somehow make some money.