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[Mavromatis]

Let me just state that I am a PC gamer and doesn't own any consoles so my knowledge is based on what I read on internet and hear from friends.

I noticed, both on NeoGAF and other forums, that many people uses their consoles mostly for their Extra features.

• The number one reason I read is using it as a HTPC, or Home Theater PC. Many people either use it to play discs containing movies, streaming/playing from another PC, NAS, or a HDD or streaming from internet using Hulu/Netflix or some other. Even the now much used media center software XBMC started as Xbox Media Center; PS3 Media Server is a popular DLNA compliant server. And all these software, anectodes and every streaming website racing to make theirs compatible with consoles implies that that is a feature that many want.
• The second reason I perceive is the homebrew community and maybe the old classics emulated back as downloadables. I don't have much experience with this area on consoles myself but if it is anything similar to Handhelds homebrew can breathe life back again to a console collecting dust. And classics are always popular with gamers especially when you catch them on their nostalgic times.
• I'll add indie games as a third reason, I know that I excluded Games on the title but the downloadable indie games appear to have a different appeal. Their cheapish prices probably push them to impulse buying and the same price somehow lowers the expectations about the game too. So most of the times they come as great games.

These were the reasons for existing console models, but if the assumptions are correct, Steam will try a somewhat different road and resemble current PCs a bit more and this enables them to have some more features.

• In comparison playing movies, displaying pictures, playing music, briefly the HTPC tasks are somewhat easier on PCs mostly because you store them in your PC to begin with but also it has a wide range of support. And I assume that Steam can play on that function and somehow implement a HTPC system like XBMC to Steam Big Picture Mode itself.
• As the second item, indie games are already a point Steam tries to excel with Greenlight. And the whole model of Steam is based on buying downloadable content. But I think they can push this one a bit further too. With all system under Steam's control developers can post demos on Steam Cloud via Greenlight and the user can run them in a sandboxed system disabling most of Steam's worries. As for emulated games, since an emulator nearly for all existing systems exist for any platform Steam can add more emulated games to their catalogue to boost their number.
• Homebrew is the most tricky part of these features since nearly all console manufacturer put homebrew on the same basket with piracy. Yet the PC, and especially Linux itself, if they are using it, is based on homebrew Steam/Valve need to form a good balance on this matter. I assume the existing Workshop was a step to test this capability but if they continue to add mod support for non-Workshop games, Steam will still have the higher ground on mod issues.

In short, I see Big Picture Mode, Greenlight and Workshop as testing grounds for these Extra features on a possible console. I know this forum have lots of console user and I believe there will be a lot more potential feature revealed on this thread. Unless it gets buried under a pile of other threads.

 

[Isaccard]

PC does all the features I need and more; consoles are pretty limited in this scope

 

[kswiston]

Honestly, I have a hard time seeing the Steambox taking much ground from consoles, and my PC (which is already hooked up to my HD TV) already does everything you mentioned with less restrictions.

Steambox could provide consumers who don't want to build their own rigs with an affordable all-in-one mid-range product that functions well as a gaming and home theatre platform. Looking at BestBuy (instead of somewhere like NewEgg), this is a PC niche that hasn't been fully realized yet. You choices are either a bunch of weak i3s/A8s with integrated graphics/low end videocard that are meant for word processing and internet tasks or more powerful "Gaming" PCs that are priced between $1000-1500. If Valve can get the Steambox out there for ~$500, I think it could be an attractive intermediary.

The main benefits of the Steambox over a Windows PC will presumably be the fact that it features standardized hardware (and therefore automatic driver updates). I can't really think of anything it will offer over standard PCs (besides the controller, which will receive fanmade drivers to regular PCs within a month). I highly doubt that Valve will alienate its current 50M Steam subscribers by withholding Steam App features for a piece of hardware that might not even sell.

 

[-COOLIO-]

Phone/tablet integration

 

[Cerebral Assassin]

I would assume one of the main advantages (to console gamers) of the steambox over a PC would be the lack of a need to mess around with settings/drivers.

 

[Mavromatis]

Phone/tablet integration

They can add this, Steam is already promoting the phone app.

 

[Stumpokapow]

I don't expect we'd see anything from a Steambox that we wouldn't see from Steam running on an actual computer, just like we don't see much from Chromium OS than we don't see from Chrome. There'll obviously be some extra configuration panels as required for the basic operation of the system, but I wouldn't expect that Valve is suddenly going to do an OS suite.

 

[Mavromatis]

I don't expect we'd see anything from a Steambox that we wouldn't see from Steam running on an actual computer, just like we don't see much from Chromium OS than we don't see from Chrome. There'll obviously be some extra configuration panels as required for the basic operation of the system, but I wouldn't expect that Valve is suddenly going to do an OS suite.

Well, they need to offer some extras to at least promote the machine. I believe streaming videos will be added. Recent changes to Steam media player, the trial with the Indie Game Movie, point to that. And the race to be "the" machine plugged at your TV requires video playing capabilities. Big Picture Mode can house a movie library quite easily. But this is pure speculation and probably those points are as solid as the ones that make people scream "Half Life 3 confirmed".

Spoiler

I found the real pic thing creepy and can't recognize who is who anymore. Apparently I never learned the names but just avatars.

 

[Forsaken82]

The only thing that would be of interest to me (if I was a console only gamer at least) is a box that plays every game in the steam catalog and shares in the daily, weekly and seasonal deals that the PC Steam sees. That is all it truly needs in my opinion. Oh yeah... and all Valve distributed titles exclusive to PC/Steam Box to steal sales from the competition.

But I am not a console only gamer, i am more of a PC gamer than anything anyways, and I wouldn't be buying a steam box over a new PC anyways