Valve announces SteamOS
- Thread starter PartTimeWarrior
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FiveMinuteHero
Member
I really can't see devs making two versions of each game (Windows+SteamOS)
Fushichou187
Member
Trogdor1123
Member
Will yo ube able stream movies and what not from a windows machine to a Linux based machine like this? Over a home network I mean. I do that at home with my HTPC but if i could start to stream my steam stuff as well i would be ecstatic.
Great for a device connected to TV. (Roku etc) I don't see myself installing this over anything I currently own (latptop, desktop). Reminds me of Google launching their own OS.... I guess we will see how well it takes off.
I sure as hell hope you can get something better than the xbox/ps4 for twice the price.
I sure as hell hope you can get something better than the xbox/ps4 for twice the price.
JetBlackPanda
Member
no.
You will need hardware to play games like always. You wont need windows. This OS will also allow you to stream your windows games from steam to a separate steam box.
does that make sense?
Chairmanchuck
Member
No. It says inhouse-streaming. You turn on your pc and can then use the "SteamOS machine", thats connected to your PC to play the Games in the living-room. Like Wireless-HDMI.
I agree. Is there a reason why everyone keeps specifically singling out Sony here as a likely candidate? Samsung, Google, HTC, LG, and others all seem like more immediately likely partners to me, if Valve is interested in working with large partners like that.
Well, SteamOS is free and open while Windows is $100. They have to make incentives. Maybe not timed exclusivity but what if performance was better because of less overhead?
elementalsin
Member
I didn't say anything like that, but it sounds like someone touched your buttons a little too much there thunder.
Not that I was commenting/talking about the android at all, but since you seem to think I was and brought it up... The android platform is far from a failure, but IS a fragmented mess with all the billions of manufacture differences, updates that work on this device but not this one, and UI layers and nonsense.... So now that I actually did comment on android, what the fuck are you talking about? Where is the 'doomed to failure' for android (or what I was actually talking about, which was steamOS)? Confusing/fragmenting is not equal to doom and failure. Take that linux/steam/android/whatever hat off for a bit, calm down and quit blindly lashing out at anyone not championing your favorite brand.
But if it happened, could it still use the streaming capabilities?
Freeman
Banned
That would be such a waste. Games are the only thing I need from windows.
I guess the PS4 already lost than since it also doesn't use directX.
It will quickly become larger and more powerful than millions of console users consoles.
You guys are focusing on it replacing windows and not seeing the big picture.
Visualante2
Member
Real GAF HeroesPeople are surprised by this?
Today we pay homage to the not surprised guy
No matter what the thread discussion is
you're there posting about your own lack of surprise and how surprising it is that others are surprised by this news
Tune in next week for another episode of Real GAF Heroes
If you're talking F2P stuff like DOTA/LoL, then yes. Most of Steam's library of games work great on gamepads. The types of games people would want on their TV would all work perfectly.
While I'm very skeptical about SteamOS and the SteamBox, the controller I'm very excited about. No one has done anything interesting (that I like) with controllers since Sony stuck a second stick on one forever ago.
maabus1999
Member
As I mentioned earlier, if Valve actually included an option that was OnLive or Gaiki in nature, then they may get a larger adoption rate of already non-Steam users to try it out, especially if the smallest Steambox was cheap (say Vita TV level). It would be a risky move though.
Chairmanchuck
Member
Of course the performance will be better. Thats why Gabe wanted to push something like that for 3-4 years.
The only problem will be getting devs to change or port Games for Linux.
People don't talk about negative side-effects. And I agree with you 100%. If this fragments the PC market, PC gaming will die. Or worse, become consoles. That just adds another investment for gamers. I don't want to have to own a gaming PC + steambox PC + Sony console + MS console + Nintendo console (not that I'd own all of those, but still). That's some huge market fragmentation there. And I'm not even talking about how the hell developers would approach that.
Yes I can see this as great competition for PS4 and X1.
What's overhead ? (serious question D
Basically, when you are running windows, it's doing a bunch of stuff to maintain OS functions, and there will be a bunch of programs running in the memory that aren't related to the game you are playing right this second. I think the principle is that by creating their own OS they can ensure that all of the computers resources are put towards running the game at hand and not for doing auxiliary tasks like iTunes sweeping your music folder for new files or whatever.
KaiserBecks
Member
eot
Banned
What's overhead ? (serious question D
All the translation and management layers that lie between the game code and the actual instructions being performed on the hardware. Drivers, OS kernel etc.
Wiktor
Member
Somehow doubt that. FPSes, console ports and indie action games consist of "most of Steam's library"
This would be a software issue, not an architectural one (well, we need details on how they stream but generally it should work).
No. What.
A lot of console and mobile development already uses OpenGL or variants thereof (offhand, there's all of the Sony and Nintendo platforms, as well as Android and iOS). This is probably a non-issue.
Audio and input are both bigger concerns on Linux, and from the press release it sounds like those are the main focus for Valve right now.
maabus1999
Member
uhh no?
They don't work, or exist, at all.
SkeletonJelly
Neo Member
This has the possibility of shaking up the gaming industry like android shook up the mobile industry. In a few years we'd be probably be seeing someone like samsung selling cheap consoles with SteamOS in them
Calm Killer
In all media, only true fans who consume every book, film, game, or pog collection deserve to know what's going on.
I guess it could be more streamlined.....but that isn't really an issue. I mean I run XBMC on my HTPC now and steam on it is simply steam. So the only difference is I don't have to worry about a Windows license. That isn't really a big deal for me. It could be for other people I guess. So the main focus is for it to be a linux box. I still say the window library is far superior. I will wait to see more.
I sure as hell can't unless it's more powerful than either the PS4 or Xbone.
MrNyarlathotep
Banned
I'm going to assume all of the people in this thread posting variants on "Here is what the market currently looks like, why would anyone bother doing anything different to that because the current status quo will never ever change for any reason" don't invest in the stock market and aren't senior enough at whatever jobs they do to have to be aware of SWOT analyses.
Let me break it down for you;
- Right now Windows has a kung-fu death grip monopoly on the PC gaming industry. If anything happens to dethrone MS, or if MS make any changes themselves to adversely affect gaming (and why would they? It's not like they have some gaming specific hardware they want to push), and company whose primary source of operations is PC gaming is fucked.
- Right now there is reluctance from embedded customers to switch platforms, due to their amassed libraries and reluctance to give that all away (for more of this, watch this holiday seasons NPDs)
- Right now Linux in particular and Open Source in general find it hard to appeal to content producers to put their software onto, as the market is perceived as 'niche', 'fragmented' and 'freeloaders'. A lot of marketing money has been spent to help foster this perception ("Get the facts!").
Here's what SteamOS brings to the table;
- A mature and well respected digital store front with a loyal customer base (why would Amazon sell their own apps on their own store? There's already a Google store on Android!). Why is this important? Because it provides a service that allows people who want to buy content a trusted way to buy that content.
This is good for both consumers and producers; consumers know if their machine can run SteamOS, it can run the 'app' they buy from the SteamOS 'appstore'.
Producers know products they sell on the 'SteamOS appstore' are piracy free, and can also see how many users the SteamOS appstore has to estimate potential sales in advance. Or indeed the value of porting costs of a product already available elsewhere.
- A method of accessing prior content; this is obviously a stop-gap solution, but it solves the whole "why would I buy a steambox if I already have a Pc and loads of games" question, until software and hardware solutions which don't yet exist do.
- Independence from Windows at a company level; the biggest factor by far. With this, Valve are no longer entirely entwined in the fate of MS and whatever it is they're choosing to do with regards to Pc gaming this month.
This independence is also there for others who might not be as super-peachy-keen on Windows as some of you are to join in on.
Let me break it down for you;
- Right now Windows has a kung-fu death grip monopoly on the PC gaming industry. If anything happens to dethrone MS, or if MS make any changes themselves to adversely affect gaming (and why would they? It's not like they have some gaming specific hardware they want to push), and company whose primary source of operations is PC gaming is fucked.
- Right now there is reluctance from embedded customers to switch platforms, due to their amassed libraries and reluctance to give that all away (for more of this, watch this holiday seasons NPDs)
- Right now Linux in particular and Open Source in general find it hard to appeal to content producers to put their software onto, as the market is perceived as 'niche', 'fragmented' and 'freeloaders'. A lot of marketing money has been spent to help foster this perception ("Get the facts!").
Here's what SteamOS brings to the table;
- A mature and well respected digital store front with a loyal customer base (why would Amazon sell their own apps on their own store? There's already a Google store on Android!). Why is this important? Because it provides a service that allows people who want to buy content a trusted way to buy that content.
This is good for both consumers and producers; consumers know if their machine can run SteamOS, it can run the 'app' they buy from the SteamOS 'appstore'.
Producers know products they sell on the 'SteamOS appstore' are piracy free, and can also see how many users the SteamOS appstore has to estimate potential sales in advance. Or indeed the value of porting costs of a product already available elsewhere.
- A method of accessing prior content; this is obviously a stop-gap solution, but it solves the whole "why would I buy a steambox if I already have a Pc and loads of games" question, until software and hardware solutions which don't yet exist do.
- Independence from Windows at a company level; the biggest factor by far. With this, Valve are no longer entirely entwined in the fate of MS and whatever it is they're choosing to do with regards to Pc gaming this month.
This independence is also there for others who might not be as super-peachy-keen on Windows as some of you are to join in on.
D
Deleted member 22576
Unconfirmed Member
Eh, there is steam on ps3 and the touchpad in the dualshock4.
elementalsin
Member
The point a lot of people are making with the streaming is you either end up buying a cheap box to stream, or end up buying another mid to high end PC to play them natively. The price of admission seems like it could be a major problem.
Wiktor
Member
Origin just supports the social features, accounts. You can't buy games through it on consoles.
What percentage of the PC market do you seriously believe is dedicated just to gaming where they would dump the entire OS and game developers would do the same?
walking fiend
Member
Not really; the hardware and software [the games] should be optimized for this type of functionality at the same time.
maabus1999
Member
Uhh yeah they do? Uplay does right? Probably be more "in-depth" next gen too I would imagine. Or do I not understand your response
What if Steam just released their version of the Nvidia Shield? Think about it, a controller and a receiver that plugged into the back of the TV. That receive works much like CromeCast, PS4/Vita connectivity, or hell, they could create something more dedicated much like the Wii U to gamepad functionality.
Just a thought, I feel like the dedicated hardware idea would fracture an already small (and recovering) segment of gaming.
Just a thought, I feel like the dedicated hardware idea would fracture an already small (and recovering) segment of gaming.
Can't see myself installing this any time soon. Maybe if Valve started making their games exclusive for it. I don't think they'll do that though, the backlash would be enormous.
But if SteamOS somehow manages to become the next big thing in PC gaming I guess I'll dual-boot.
But if SteamOS somehow manages to become the next big thing in PC gaming I guess I'll dual-boot.
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