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Steam Machine unboxing
- Thread starter fluffydelusions
- Start date
I really have no idea how that is in any way rational. On a Steam Machine, you don't need to pay monthly for online games, and you have some of the cheapest game prices around, with access to great value in both Steam sales and other distribution methods such as humble bundles.
As for the rest of your points, Valve themselves state that they aren't really targeting "mainstream" purchasers with Steam Machines in the near future. By 2015, the standard pace of hardware advancement will have made sure that many manufacturers they can offer good performance vis-a-vis the consoles at a very competitive price point.
Finally, a large number of your points read similar to what people have been saying about Android phones compared to the iPhone: the availability of many models was supposed to confuse customers, and the ecosystem apparently suffers from extreme drawbacks due to "fragmentation". Well, Android market share is now above 80%.
MutonCommander
Banned
Exactly! I understand that the console mindset is quite entrenched but there are so many baseless assumptions that it's borderline ridiculous! Consumers are not as dumb as we sometimes think and the Steam Machine proposition is quite simple: it's a box that plays games, as powerful as you want it to be.
For me it's a fantastic option. I love Valve and PC but I don't know how to set up my own machine. I'll buy a Steam Machine for its simplicity and its form factor and I'll use it as my main living room machine with native and streamed titles. What more would a console offer me? Nothing but limitations and online subscriptions. No thanks!
TF2 with Steam Controller
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftNIgjK9tO8
didn´t watch so no idea if it sucks or not. Will know it in 8minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftNIgjK9tO8
didn´t watch so no idea if it sucks or not. Will know it in 8minutes
This is a little disingenuous. Android marketshare is 80% but that is not how the app and software profitability share has panned out.
Further to the point, consoles will be getting their shrinks in for 2015, the consoles will likely always be cheaper till very late in the cycle, with a bigger selection of major exclusive franchises.
Valve does not have the financial firepower to compete in the console business. That is the real crux of the matter. The machines themselves will be sold at a profit, this implicit reliance on hardware margin will put them at a significant cost disadvantage vs the razored console model.
I view steam machines as a threat to the PC market - you will encounter an element of cannibalisation in that market as a result of this.
lifeexpectancy
Member
I for one never made those types of claims about Android because I saw its one biggest advantage versus iOS - the lack of a proprietary ecosystem that refuses to 'talk' to other ecosystems. You could say that I'm making a similar mistake with consoles, after all Xbox Live doesn't 'talk' to PS+, and neither of them 'talks' to whatever Nintendo has... nor do they 'talk' to PC gamers online. However, it's an apples to oranges comparison that shouldn't even be made, because you cannot compare the gaming sphere to the cell phone sphere. (I go into this more below)
Regarding paying for online play: I've gamed on PC before, and I don't mind paying $4-5 a month for online play on consoles because the overall experience is better and more consistent. I've played on PCs going back to the days of zmuds, through the first formative years of MMORPGs, online shooters, racing games, etc and to this day I would not sacrifice the online gaming environment that my console affords me for the 'free' online gaming environment of PCs.
The ONLY thing I see Steam OS really having as a competitive point in its favor is the pricing of digital distribution games. But as we saw up to and through the XB1/PS4 launch, the market at large is just NOT ready for digital distro as the go-to for game distribution in the way that PC gamers (and more specifically Valve/Steam users) are.
Sure, by 2015 they should be offer Steam Machines with power equal to or greater than PS4 and XB1 consoles at a competitive price point, but by then the PS4 and XB1 will be established enough that it won't have an impact. People teetering on the fence will likely buy whatever the majority of their friends have, which will be either a PS4 or an XB1.
And once again I have to go back to the point of fragmentation. You're comparing it to the cell phone battle and the 'fragmentation' in Android phones due to the variety of devices and configurations available, but that is not an apt comparison. You can't compare apples to oranges. Cell phones' primary purposes these days are still making phone calls and texting. Yes, they have web browsers. Yes, they play touch screen games. But by and large they are still first and primarily purchased as communications devices, and in that sense having a vast array of different products that are really only primarily similar in which OS they run (Android vs iOS vs Windows Phone) doesn't have nearly the impact that it does/will in the video game space.
There are over a hundred million console gamers that buy consoles due to their ease of use and simplicity. Most of us have zero interest in having multiple variants of our hardware. We want to know that the product we buy a year at launch is going to be the same product games are being designed for 3-4 years later. I don't want to buy a Steam Machine in 2015 knowing that there is every likelihood that a game released in 2019 is not going to run very well on my rig, forcing me to purchase a new one or upgrade my existing one.
I know some folks are hoping that this console generation is shorter, but I personally feel that the 7-8 year generation that the 360and PS3 had was fantastic. The value dollar for dollar if you don't care about bleeding edge graphics was insane (barring RRoD of course). So long as they offer us stable hardware that doesn't break, I'll be perfectly content if the XB1/PS4 generation lasts 10 years, because it means 10 years of knowing that every game released on my console is going to run just fine because it was made with that hardware in mind, not a hardware iteration that's going to come out 5 years after I made my purchase.
You say yourself that Steam isn't targetting the mainstream now. If that's the case, when do they think they'll be taretting the mainstream, if ever? When PS5 and XB2 are on the horizon? Because by then in order to 'beat' the 8th generation consoles' performance, they are not necessarily going to be competing at a very competitive price point, especially since console manufacturers are historically willing to take a loss on hardware to get it into the home, and Steam Machine manufacturers will likely not be willing to take that same loss because they aren't going to be collecting royalties on games.
I stand by my assessment that Steam Machines will likely remain a product for already existing PC gamers that choose to buy them over building their own rigs. That's just fine and there is a market for that. I do not think that even in 2, 3, 4 years' time Steam Machines will be a competitor in any other gaming market space other than that, certainly not as a direct competitor to consoles.
Steam Machines aren't supposed to be consoles.
They're supposed to be repurposes PCs to bring some of the advantages of consoles to the PC. So you have the advantage of a PC and many of the usability and stability advantages of the consoles. Price is something I don't think it'll ever be able to compete on, but that's alright. If it attracts enthusiasts from the console side, that'll be enough - it'll have done its job in growing the Steam ecosystem.
I don't think Valve realistically expects it'll be as impactful as a mainstream games console, at least not in the foreseeable future.
They're supposed to be repurposes PCs to bring some of the advantages of consoles to the PC. So you have the advantage of a PC and many of the usability and stability advantages of the consoles. Price is something I don't think it'll ever be able to compete on, but that's alright. If it attracts enthusiasts from the console side, that'll be enough - it'll have done its job in growing the Steam ecosystem.
I don't think Valve realistically expects it'll be as impactful as a mainstream games console, at least not in the foreseeable future.
Hating on the controller because a few idiots posted derpy videos is ridiculous. The guy jumps into team fortress 2 and films his first match? Come on! Practice for a hot minute first, genius.
I cannot wait to get my hands on one. I wish I had signed up for this beta lottery, i would have given proper non-suckass feedback.
I cannot wait to get my hands on one. I wish I had signed up for this beta lottery, i would have given proper non-suckass feedback.
Just give it a bit of time. That battle is over.
This would have been a significant point last gen. This gen, if the console manufacturers are making any losses on hardware at all, they are tiny in comparison. You are no longer getting much more than you pay for (as was the case with 360 and PS3 at release).
This is one significant change in the console business model which makes it easier for new competitors to arise.
I'm unsure of how a PC can threaten the PC market. Unless you mean the market for pre-built Windows gaming PCs. If so, I agree, but so what.
Fair Trial
Member
Can't wait to buy one of these (maybe orange-green coloured bitfenix prodigy style).
Does the prototype have aluminium case?
Does the prototype have aluminium case?
Fair Trial
Member
Dat eye.
Sexy.
Sexy.
That is so sexy it's not even funny.
Which configuration did you get?
cebri.one
Member
They probably run louder too.
Is this the start to a standardisation of PC gaming?
I'm actually really excited about the steam machine and what its going to change. For one I'm fed up of having a massive ugly box with shit loads of fans to play games at high quality. If steam box means I can have a unit under the TV which will offer 1080p/60fps solid with high I/Q i'm all for it. 4k is still a while away and I'm sure this if flexible in that regard.
It will be interesting to see how hardware manufacturers respond to this. M-ITX to become even more popular and feature rich than ATX? Nvidia/AMD put more thought into the design and cooling ability into their cards to appeal to the steam machine up-grader?
It opens up a whole new ball game with regards to hardware.
Imagine a situation when games and their ability to play at set resolution/fps could be set.
Teir one 1080p/60fps+ everything max
Teir two 1080p/60fps everything high
Teir three 720p/60fps
etc....
A lot of people are not bother to build a nice high end PC or even have the understanding to do so, so this opens up things for that section of the market if valve can nail down the OS and get the support.
Hell look at the situation with the PS4/XBONE. they are pc's with games that crash (BF4)
And DAT steam library ;-)
I'm actually really excited about the steam machine and what its going to change. For one I'm fed up of having a massive ugly box with shit loads of fans to play games at high quality. If steam box means I can have a unit under the TV which will offer 1080p/60fps solid with high I/Q i'm all for it. 4k is still a while away and I'm sure this if flexible in that regard.
It will be interesting to see how hardware manufacturers respond to this. M-ITX to become even more popular and feature rich than ATX? Nvidia/AMD put more thought into the design and cooling ability into their cards to appeal to the steam machine up-grader?
It opens up a whole new ball game with regards to hardware.
Imagine a situation when games and their ability to play at set resolution/fps could be set.
Teir one 1080p/60fps+ everything max
Teir two 1080p/60fps everything high
Teir three 720p/60fps
etc....
A lot of people are not bother to build a nice high end PC or even have the understanding to do so, so this opens up things for that section of the market if valve can nail down the OS and get the support.
Hell look at the situation with the PS4/XBONE. they are pc's with games that crash (BF4)
And DAT steam library ;-)
Biggest difference is that the cooler in Xbone looks like $10 cooling solution where as this one is probably ~$100.
BF4 is a broken game, crashes more on my PC.
Phat Michael
Banned
defn gonna buy one. Cant wait to get back into PC gaming. This thing is perfect for someone like me who doesnt want to dick around with settings and everything else.
I don't dispute that, my point was it brings the console closer towards the PC in that regard.
Even now, you don't need loads of fans or a "massive ugly box" to play games at high quality. There is such a huge variety of SFF cases out there that I'm sure everyone can find one they don't consider ugly. And with modern PC components you don't need "shit loads of fans" unless you are heavily overclocking.
Still, if nothing else the various Steam machines will raise awareness about what has been possible for a while now.
MutonCommander
Banned
Man these pictures made me so jelly! It's like you can feel the PC elitism exude from every hole of the machine, as if it is saying "pack it up consoles, the big boys are here"
So you're the guy I'm constantly told doesn't exist. Nice to meet you!
Steam machine prototype
Xbox One
Xbox one has allot of empty space, probably to keep things cool.
while the Steambox uses a pretty ingenious 3d printed component to keep each component cool without needing allot of empty space for airflow
edit:
Here is a shot of the 3d printed part that controls the airflow
I still consider the likes of the bitfenix prodigy and majority of the silverstone SSF case still to big and ugly to look nice in a home entertainment setup. The steam machine is just a prototype, imagine what it might look like after all the input from the testers.
I would not be able to currently find a case the size of the steam machine and the hardware it can (potentially) house at the moment without some heavy modification. hell a titan and an SFX power supple in that box is quite a feat.
Don't get me wrong, I understand people still love the customisation and modding of a PC. I have a 2500k at 4.7 with 2 GTX660's in sli but i know i will be moving to a steam box just for the fact its hella small with so much power that i could play my 100+ games and 1080P/60fps with excellent I/Q on my TV and not have this Big PC Setup to contend with.
Bar playing games on it all i do is browse the net, and the odd encode of a movie. If i could move that to the TV and get some ultra low powered NUC that i can slap on the back of my monitor to browse and manage some photos i will be happy
Phat Michael
Banned
Haha well I work full time and am not tech minded enough to build my own pc and mess around with things that Def will go wrong.
I had a decent gaming pc a few years ago but it has aged now. The idea of this console is fantastic for a busy dude like me so I can play pc from my couch on my surround sound system. My current desktop Setup doesn't allow that.
Thats great. Apparently valve will have a solution so that games will automatically run at the best quality/performance based on what's in your system. They haven't been clear about it yet but info may surface on Jan 6th, should make PC gaming much easier
ashecitism
Member
Saw this in the Steam thread, figured reposting it for those not visiting that thread
So this showed up while I was running a non-steam game through BPM
Organized achievements
Steam controller dialogue
Rebinding screen
Community bindings
MutonCommander
Banned
Very cool, lots of options there.
NotoriousPUG
Member
Really can't wait for these ton start coming out. I love playing games on PC, but I don't really know enough to build a good PC at a reasonable price.
Labombadog
Member
The guy handling the camera in the second video was really fascinated about the Geforce GTX lit logo. Haha. The case is a lot smaller than I expected, the front interface of the case is really cool and modern looking. I am very excited about the Steam Machines, and its future for the market. Next year is going to be an interesting year for Valve, Sony, MS, and Nintendo.
SteveWinwood
Member
Of course it will be.
Phat Michael
Banned
So I assume if I have a steam account with a couple of games on it that if I buy this machine I can log in and it'll download my games for me?
Assuming they work on SteamOS (or Windows if you're dual booting) yes. Also I can't believe I only found this out the other day, you can remotely download or update games via the steam app on your phone, even buy new games on a sale and set the order everything downloads as long as the device is also logged into steam!
Yep.
OH! That's great, completely forgot about crowd-sourced controller bindings and firmware!
Theres a 90 degree power connector that then extends to the power supply which is actually at the front of the case with an extender reaching to the rear end for kettle cable connection. The miniITX mobo leaves a lot of room at the front.
PSU vents to the right, CPU vents upward, and graphics card is channelled out of the rear (I think you are best with rear exhaust cards
More footage of novel control methods used in TF2.
It's pretty silly to judge the controller's efficiency by a video of someone playing Heavy, a class well known for its low mechanical skill floor. I could play Heavy with an Atari 2600 joystick. :U
It's pretty silly to judge the controller's efficiency by a video of someone playing Heavy, a class well known for its low mechanical skill floor. I could play Heavy with an Atari 2600 joystick. :U
The cables are removed in that picture right?