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Valve announces SteamOS
- Thread starter PartTimeWarrior
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That shows a total misunderstanding about the software engineering process behind this.
You cannot just re-skin a linux desktop manager and feel linux-compliant. They are working hand by hand with kernel devs, driver devs (nvidia, ati), SDL devs, etc... They not only improved those systems, but are also creating new tools for linux development, which will probably need time to get to a mature state (as it always happens with software).
They have been working on this since a long time ago. And this is very big news. Bigger than new consoles generation imho. And don't worry, consoles won't disappear. It will *just* give us (consumers) alternatives. In fact, nobody will force you to use SteamOS, you are already able to use Steam on a windows box plugged to a TV to use and abuse Big Picture mode.
I may be a fanboy, I may be hyped, but this is big as it favours competition. Competition only leads to improvement, not stagnant products.
angular graphics
Banned
Uh.. SteamOS IS Linux.
360 gamepad works on Ubuntu.
360 gamepad will work on the Ubuntu fork that is likely SteamOS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tXpPtqCKmI
SteamOS is the extension of the idea behind Big Picture Mode to an OS. Here is what Valve says about BPM: http://store.steampowered.com/bigpicture/setup
360 gamepad support will be there day 1. They have been recommending it as a good choice of a controller for a while.
I don't even understand that, so I won't try to refute.
The Cowboy
Member
iceatcs
Junior Member
It was very nightmare, never try again with my old time on Ubuntu. I will go for HID mode. Good enough.
Not a good start something like that. It need to have real official support.
Plug n play is an amazing thing in the earth. Hopefully that what Valve aiming.
Do I need to have Linux if want SteamOS?
fluffydelusions
Member
It is amazing what this company has done for Linux in terms of games.I used Linux exclusively from 1999-2009 for everything. It was a barren wasteland in terms of gaming. People had to rely on things like wine and hope it would work. Gaming was always one of my biggest issues with Linux and valve is fixing that.
hooijdonk17
Member
It worked with Half Life 2 (Windows -> Steam [which was a truly utter piece of shit at the time])
The negative effects of installing an OS to an USB pen drive? Sorry, can't see them.
Note: maybe the bootable from USB option isn't there day one, but there's no way it won't have that option shortly after.
hooijdonk17
Member
When they control the OS they control the terms that their platform has to live by. Valve has seen through Microsoft's Windows 8 plan (correctly, IMO) and they know they are being pushed out of the Windows ecosystem to make comfortable room for the XBL Marketplace. They actually have a LOT of incentive to push the Free OS, their Platform might even depend on it in the long run.
They need Riot games and Blizzard far more than they need EA at this point.
angular graphics
Banned
Valve's Greg Coomer: the idea of an Android streaming app sounds good.
https://twitter.com/gregcoomer
https://twitter.com/gregcoomer
oneils
Member
I'm thinking the same way. I think by broadening the market they are trying to broaden it to gaming enthusiasts that are on other platforms (consoles). The thing is, these console only gamers probably don't have the hardware to support what is essentially a PC gaming platform.
How do you get hardware into their hands? How do you make it inexpensive? I guess this is why lots of us are thinking that a hardware announcement will be made.
Will this mean extra performance or less GPU usage for future games when using the same game on the same hardware on different OS's?
Thanks
Sentenza
Member
Well, WOAH, what a brilliant intuition.
A hardware announcement is essentially the single reason for this OS to exist, from Valve's viewpoint.
Why are you asking clarifications about a list of completely made-up "facts"?
Not that there aren't some reasonable guesses in it, by the way.
Prophet Steve
Member
You are looking at this the wrong way. Yes it worked, it will also work if they make things exclusive for the SteamOS, but there is no point in doing so.
So, where does Valve makes most of the money? By selling their games and even more so, Steam. They cannot get money from SteamOS, since the licensing will be free. Most likely they also will get relatively little, if any, revenue of hardware, especially since they also allow other companies to compete with steamboxes.
With SteamOS they can get more people to Steam by attracting an audience that wants an easy way to play PC games on their TV. They do not want to attract the audience that uses Steam already on Windows, Mac or Linux. Why should they? That will not net them more money. It might even net them less money since those consumers have less to spend then.
They already get their share of the money of those people, so there is no point in getting games exclusive to SteamOS instead of just exclusive for Steam.
hooijdonk17
Member
I disagree, there is a very valid point in doing so: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=83449929&postcount=2980
They needn't stop supportin Steam on Windows; they can actually milk that cow for cash while doing their best to shift the userbase to an OS they control. They would lose nothing by making HL3 SteamOS exclusive, actually. I'm sure Half Life 3 revenue would mean nothing to Valve considering their incredible distribution profit margin.
As much of a waste as spending hundreds of dollars to buy a second device to do things that the other device already is capable of? I have my separate media PC and my gaming PC hooked up to the living room TV but many people don't have that luxury.
Reading those truthfacts posted earlier makes it sound like Steam OS can also act as an addition to Windows with options to reboot into the Steam OS and stuff like that.
This makes it sound way better than thinking of it as a completely independent OS (which it still is but I like the way it could be integrated in Windows).
That's exactly what it means.
How legit are these? I mean, it's not clear if this is wishful thinking or if you're actually onto something.
efyu_lemonardo
May I have a cookie?
After sleeping on it, this seems like a sensible thing for Valve to do. Especially since they're also branching out into the area of productivity applications, and not just games.
Dinosaur Tamer
Member
I thought the truthfacts post was supposed to be a joke. Is there a source for this or why do you guys keep citing his "facts"?
hooijdonk17
Member
Someone has to start the GAF -> Internet -> GAF cycle..
Considering truthfacts are associated to CBOAT, they certainly aren't a synonym to "mywishlist.odt" in my mind.
Most seem reasonable, but I wouldn't expect, say, Source 2 SDK staying on Linux.angular graphics
Banned
HELL YES! We should support the shit out of this. New life breathing into my hardware!
I wonder if this will scale linearly. i.e. BF3 currently uses at 80-98% of my GTX 680 varying between 45-100 FPS. With steamOS that would be cut in half? I mean really? I'd be looking at locked 60FPS easily at 50-60% GPU usage if this scales linearly!
Do it devs!!!!
oneils
Member
?
I don't think you read my post correctly. Never said I was brilliant. Now kindly fuck off.
yep, can't wait for the official Gog client
But as I said in the part you conveniently left out, there's no net gain for Valve acting pre-emptively and alienating users of Steam Windows in the process when Microsoft's antics with store exclusivity, assuming they get worse, would eventually drive Valve's Windows-based userbase to another flavour of Steam, anyway.
I expect Valve to push Steam Linux, sure, but those assuming it will begin to play favourites (in terms of how the platform is treated at the customer level -- i.e. games/discounts/etc. exclusive to Steam Linux) are barking up the wrong tree, I think.
illustri0us
Banned
ehhhh, i dont agree
riot and blizzard gamers, the ones who strictly play them type of games and nothing else... they already using steam so this os is an automatic no brainer transition for them (although i think its only a matter of time before activision/blizzard announce their own origin type distribution)
where steam need to penetrate and make noise is in the comfy couch market... they gonna launch a new controller, they going into the movies market, these people want EA and ubisoft games, at the moment all steam os is giving is a system that will play less games than ps4, xbox one and pc. they will have indie games and the hope of half life 3 but lets be honest... they are not system sellers
Prophet Steve
Member
Besides the revenue also an incredible blow to their reputation, which Valve is a bit more careful with than many other companies.
If they want people to move away from Windows they need to compete with Windows. Which is a huge task compared to what they are doing now. And the benefit of having own control over the platform is not worth it. Microsoft has not been pushing Valve away at all, not even with Windows 8. Even if Microsoft says that will not want the desktop anymore and it will not be allowed Steam can as easy conform to the new standards. Which would be to make a Steam app or something.
I see no sign at all that Microsoft wants to push out Valve with the XBL marketplace, and I doubt they would get away with something like that.
You are acting like every software developer would need its own OS purely so it has control over everything, it does not work like that.
I can see the reasons for both parties. On the one side Valve does need the EA, Ubisoft, Activision stuff if they want people to replace their PS4, Xbox One or whatever. But there is also the group that wants to try the other PC-exclusive games and you do need those if you want an incentive for people to buy the thing at all. Without the mainstream stuff people may buy it as an addition to their current console, but without the high profile PC stuff people with other consoles have no incentive at all, unless the hardware and software is really great or something for the price.
The Cowboy
Member
I just don't see that happening at all, it'd be great if it did - but I just can't seem SteamOs gaining that much. I'd say it would be much more likely to be 45 to 100 FPS on Windows to 48 to 105 FPS on SteamOS (random numbers I know, my point is the gain would likely be much smaller).
AdmiralPain
Banned
Maybe this is why we haven't heard anything about a wrapper or emulator for Windows games, obviously Valve wants to encourage native versions and not half measures.
Prophet Steve
Member
Even a wrapper of emulator would always be somewhat of a half measured approach. I like this streaming method more since it is more reliable and guaranteed to work with every game.
derExperte
Member
I think they're just protecting their own future. I think Gabe believes the future of Steam on Windows may be limited, so just in case, he's investing a significant amount of time and money into making Linux a viable platform, not only for Steam, but for gaming in general. I recall him saying it's gaming that drives the adaptation of new things faster than anything else, and I'm proof that he's right. I've never used Linux before, but you bet I'll be trying out SteamOS.
So if the first circle is the SteamOS, the second circle is a box around the OS - has to be the SteamBox, right?
So what's the third button, which looks like SteamOS + SteamOS? Some sort of multisystem-based announcement?
I think this is obvious. It's Valve's business plan.
1: Release SteamOS
2: ?
3: Profit
childplease
Banned
Ya hoping for the same. If it can cover porn browsing, regular website browsing and simple tasks that would cover 95 percent of my computer usage.
angular graphics
Banned
Games and porn man. Games and porn.
So if the first circle is the SteamOS, the second circle is a box around the OS - has to be the SteamBox, right?
So what's the third button, which looks like SteamOS + SteamOS? Some sort of multisystem-based announcement?
3'rd one might be Steam Family Sharing.
childplease
Banned
!!!!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!
The Cowboy
Member
Why would it be that?, we already know about that and its even mentioned on the 1st reveal.
I don't see why - if you have a competent gaming windows PC - you'd install steam OS at all. Wouldn't valve make the main steam client equivalent in terms of functionality? i.e. family accounts, sharing, video/music streaming/apps, big picture mode, streaming etc
I would expect to have the same experience whether I have a steambox in the lounge, or a windows PC running steam in my spare room
Vestal
Gold Member
first they would lose a lot of fucking money. Probably not from the Gaf audience but from a lot of people who would simply not give up a full fledge OS for a gaming OS. A lot of the current user base would probably be fucking pissed because they are fragmenting PC gaming, something that has taken years to get to the stability in compatibility we have today.
I think that's going to be their plan. I mean they've already started putting productivity software on Steam like budget, music creation, art stuff, etc. It'll be games-oriented at first for sure, but I could see it growing into the total package down the road.
A Serious Man
Member
Family sharing is one of the bullet points in the SteamOS announcement. Why would they announce it twice?
nephilimdj
Member
Riot games are owned by tencent, I think would rather push the offical linux made by Chinese government then this.
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