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[tokyostomp]

So it's Linux with a Steam skin?

Pretty much this, likely a few integrated features.

 

[Robert J. Sullivan]

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.

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.

Thanks !

 

[Interfectum]

This part is funny because it is true.

Don't get me wrong I am hoping this is announced in the really short term so I can cancel my PS4 order but Valve will have a whole lot of control. Let's hope Gabe plays nice

Can't be worse than MS.

 

[Kenneth]

Gross

 

[yami4ct]

Does this mean, theoretically, Valve could release Steam apps for the next gen consoles that allow Steam games to be streamed over the network and played via said consoles controller?

Because I would like that.

Why would console manufacturers let them do that? Makes no sense to incentivize people buying games you don't get a cut of.

 

[FranXico]

Yes! This is truly huge. If Valve pulls this, it could mean the end of Windows lock-down on PC gamers.

 

[InvaderZimmer]

this is not the phone market or tablet market where you are reinventing the wheel(touch screen). This is the PC market which Microsoft has a strangle hold on, if Apple with all its money and resources can't make it past 5% what do you think Valve can do??

I think you are assuming a lot about Apple, just because they have money and resources doesn't mean they know how to use it. Hence why their stock plummeted from 700ish to the low to high 400s.

 

[Deleted member 10571]

I don't think Valve expects everyone to switch over immediately or toss their Windows machines into the garbage, but eventually you'll upgrade and get a new PC and for me, I don't want anything to do with Windows 8 and W7 will eventually go unsupported and become too old to use so why not use an OS that is made for gaming (assuming it's mature enough by then)?

Short term I think many people will just dual boot to try it out.

Huh, I guess you're right. Still baffling to me, I'll just wait to see how it goes. Next announcements will me tomorrow and the day after that right?

 

[Tacitus_]

They made it so you couldn't play Half-Life 2 without Steam when it launched. if Valve is serious about SteamOS I could see this as a possibility.

Steam was a DRM service and a patcher back then. It was annoying as hell since it was so congested and buggy as all hell, but it wasn't a new OS.

 

[Louis Cyphre]

I'm so fucking confused by this. What's the difference between this and big picture? Are they just saying they're going to have support for future hardware like Blu Ray players? What the hell

Big Picture mode was the first step to educate gamers that they can indeed play PC games on a couch with a controller just like a console. Now with SteamOS it will allow the user to stream Steam games to your TV with a SteamOS machine. Valve is likely going to sell these for sub-$100. They are also getting into music and video.

Does it cost developers to use the Windows licence when releasing PC games? If so going with Linux will bypass that.

With SteamOS, “openness” means that the hardware industry can iterate in the living room at a much faster pace than they’ve been able to. Content creators can connect directly to their customers. Users can alter or replace any part of the software or hardware they want. Gamers are empowered to join in the creation of the games they love.

Bypassing the big guys will be beneficial to gamers.

 

[kingslunk]

Gross

Man what? Thats all the input you have? Just gross?

 

[TheGreyHulk]

please support the PS4 controller w/ touch pad. please do...that would be the best controller for couch gaming if they did this.

 

[Felix Lighter]

But as a consumer, I will be beholden to Valve instead, while losing my old Windows library. What's the benefit?

I'm starting to think this isn't for PC gamers at all.

You stick with Windows, you stick with Steam. They aren't going to be making money on hardware, they aren't going to be making money on the OS. Steam will exist on Windows as long as it makes sense, which as far as I'm concerned is as long as MS doesn't make it impractical.

I don't know why so many people think Valve is going to chop off their nose to spite their face. I don't think they expect Windows Steam users to jump on immediately and I would be shocked if they made any super aggressive moves like HL3 exclusive to SteamOS.

 

[Keyouta]

Less support for W8 is a good thing... aren't PC gamers worldwide being "screwed" by being forced to upgrade to W8? What is the difference?

Who's being forced to upgrade?

I'm using Windows 8, by the way, and steam runs fine. Why would they kill the destop environment?

 

[cyberheater]

...And the SteamOS avatar is mine....

 

[JetBlackPanda]

Going forward can steam require that all steam games be compatible with SteamOS?

 

[Darryl]

You can't put together a pc with similar specs to a ps4 with an attractive case for 400 bucks. Maybe in a few years it will be the case, but right now at the beginning of the next gen, consoles with custom components sold at a loss will always be a better value. The games thing is true, but then you also lose out on the used games market on the steambox, so thats a wash.

It doesn't matter about being on spec parity, though.

 

[lightning2k3]

The entire market is getting faster and smaller and using less power, and Moores Law doesn't show any signs of slowing.

In 5 years time, a PC the size of a couple of DVD cases stacked on top of each other with a maximum target output resolution of 1080p (your TV) is going to be able to pump out simply phenomenal image quality.

Yes, in 5 years. I feel like the steambox would be a much better value proposition if it was launched mid console generation. With the current launch time, its going to be inevitably compared to the next gen consoles, which could give the steambox a bad reputation. Plus, given that it offers no value add now, why would people adopt it? And if people don't adopt it, why would devs develop for the system? Again, I am not against the idea, I just feel like its poorly timed. However, there are still two announcements to go and valve might pull something surprising.

 

[jhmtehgamr20xx]

But what does this mean for Steambox?

Either way, it's an interesting development.

 

[pixlexic]

You guys think valve is just putting this out with out talking to publishers and developers?

That would be crazy.

 

[Orayn]

But what does this mean for Steambox?

Either way, it's an interesting development.

This is the OS that the SteamBox runs on.

 

[Klyka]

Gamers are empowered to join in the creation of the games they love.[/I]

Ugh, even more Kickstarters and shitty indie games

 

[Kenneth]

Man what? Thats all the input you have? Just gross?

Idk. Was expecting something completely different

 

[Number45]

Yes! This is truly huge. If Valve pulls this, it could mean the end of Windows lock-down on PC gamers.

Probably a pipe dream, but I'd love it if Blizzard were to develop for the platform.

 

[Jackl]

If it draws the PC monopoly away from MS/DirectX the more I'll be happy.

Long as the OS: A. Performs well. B. Attractive. C. Customizable

None of this Walled-garden bullshit Valve. I came to PC gaming to get away from closed console ecosystems. Don't send me back.

 

[-tetsuo-]

They made it so you couldn't play Half-Life 2 without Steam when it launched. if Valve is serious about SteamOS I could see this as a possibility.

That was a client you installed on your windows machine. Not an OS you have to dual boot into that messes up access to the rest of your games.

 

[vasametropolis]

There's a difference between "Requires a program" and "Requires another OS".

Of course, but I think they have the balls to try it. Call me crazy, but I think the chances of this happening are greater than a coin toss.

 

[Mugatu]

Huh, I guess you're right. Still baffling to me, I'll just wait to see how it goes. Next announcements will me tomorrow and the day after that right?

Yeah, I think we just need more info and Valve loves teasing this sort of stuff.

I could be wrong but they usually have a pretty good, balanced and well thought out larger plan that this will fit into.

I think the next announcement is in 2 days, the countdown says 45 hours left.

My guess is that will be the Steambox since the picture shows a little box housing the first O which is the OS.

I wonder what the second O is? Maybe they bought Onlive quietly?

 

[Prophet Steve]

Which for the forseeable future is like 98% of games. And I still would need to have a second machine if I want to do some doc sheets, Adobe work, 3d modeling, etc anyway.

If Valve is so keen on making us all into content creators, why separate the machines?

They are trying to increase the library, it takes time and a lot of other things. There is a decent library already available if you do not look at what is not there.

And do not see this as a normal PC but as a gaming console that is easily connected to your tv. May not be useful for you, but for many people it is.

And not every gamer on Steam has to be a content creator.

 

[todahawk]

Gross

What's the frequency?

 

[fertygo]

I wouldn't use this but we all gamer should hope this can make pc gaming gain independence over windows eventually, that's how I see it. God bless Valve

 

[pixlexic]

Ugh, even more Kickstarters and shitty indie games

Yes those shitty mods for skyrim and gta.. That lead to shitty games like dota.

 

[Elfforkusu]

Antonio Banderas gif for a new generation

mother of god

 

[cdkee]

If they can figure out how to get KB+M accuracy in a controller, some new radical idea, this could be big.

 

[JetBlackPanda]

Idk. Was expecting something completely different

well this is 1 announcement out of 3

 

[Felix Lighter]

Going forward can steam require that all steam games be compatible with SteamOS?

They could but I don't expect them to. They stay away from mandates like that. I do expect them to prominently highlight those games that do,though.

 

[Raide]

Huh. What an interesting move. I wonder if they will be using Windows specific drivers or are they going to expect component manufacturers to make a SteamOS version?

I like the idea of a game focused OS but having to boot between a real OS and a game one could get annoying. Basically its like what consoles currently have but on the PC. Certainly a strange direction for PC gaming to head into but it makes perfect sense.

 

[Branduil]

Of course, but I think they have the balls to try it. Call me crazy, but I think the chances of this happening are greater than a coin toss.

I think they have the brains not to.

 

[Orayn]

If they can figure out how to get KB+M accuracy in a controller, some new radical idea, this could be big.

Trackball instead of right stick isn't new, but it would be a big improvement.

 

[Of All Trades]

Do you think Blizzard / EA / Ubisoft et al are - as corporations - 100% happy and loyal to being "on a micorsoft platform" that they would never consider putting a client anywhere else, even on a proven 'gaming only' open source platform with a userbase of n million?

I think they're happier being on a platform where they control their own storefront and don't have to give a cut to anyone to release their games on it.

 

[Klyka]

Yes those shitty mods for skyrim and gta.. That lead to shitty games like dota.

I think my post didn't mention any mods at all.

 

[cyberheater]

I wonder when we will start seeing a demo of this?

 

[Grief.exe]

Fixed up the timing a bit, made it smoother

 

[WolvenOne]

Okay, lets play "What it'll take for SteamOS to reach 25 million users."

For consoles, this is the magic number at which it becomes difficult for developers to ignore a platform. So lets pretend that for SteamOS/SteamBox, the same general number holds true.

So, what, Left 4 Dead 3, exclusive and free2play?

Portal 3? Half Life 3?

What would it take?

 

[Future PhaZe]

From their webpage:

In SteamOS, we have achieved significant performance increases in graphics processing, and we’re now targeting audio performance and reductions in input latency at the operating system level. Game developers are already taking advantage of these gains as they target SteamOS for their new releases.

That sounds promising enough to keep an eye out for, if nothing else. You know how a lot of people complained about the choppiness in The Witcher 2 even at 60fps? Maybe in SteamOS they are able to remove that uneven delay between frames that makes it stutter in so many games. Just for lower input latency and performance increases alone though, that's not bad.

Reminds me of the "power of the cloud".

I'd be shocked if noticable performance boosts happened for those with high end hardware. I might expect improvement for those with mid-tier systems or lower, but this isn't going to remove my SLI stutter or anything significant like that.

 

[FranXico]

But what does this mean for Steambox?

Either way, it's an interesting development.

Steambox is whichever box you install SteamOS to. People will have the option to build their own "console" with an OS designed primarily to run games.

 

[njean777]

Really want a 100$ streambox with this os, I do not want a console, Sony has that covered give me a streambox so I can actually use my PC on my big screen without having to build another machine.

Okay, lets play "What it'll take for SteamOS to reach 25 million users."

For consoles, this is the magic number at which it becomes difficult for developers to ignore a platform. So lets pretend that for SteamOS/SteamBox, the same general number holds true.

So, what, Left 4 Dead 3, exclusive and free2play?

Portal 3? Half Life 3?

What would it take?

It would take exclusives period. But idk how that would play out, I dont think they will make people move from windows to steamOS on their main pc.

 

[Kenneth]

What's the frequency?

First person on a forum to make the joke towards me

 

[xPaw]

Marlamin wrote a summary on SteamOS, Linux and what services could be hooked to Steam in future: http://steamdb.info/blog/25/

 

[yami4ct]

I wouldn't use this but we all gamer should hope this can make pc gaming gain independence over windows eventually, that's how I see it. God bless Valve

Unless Valve is willing to let 3rd party marketplaces and easy side-loading of apps on SteamOS, I'd rather have a microsoft overlord. A SteamOS based future just sounds like console gaming with variable specs.