Valve announces SteamOS

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Guy.brush said:
I wonder how this endeavor will stretch VALVe's resources?
Doing Steam for Windows, the storefront, their games, Source 2.0, controller hardware and now SteamOS?

300-400 employees, probably only 150 of whom would be considered true engineers.
vs. Microsoft with I dunno 10.000 engineers?
If Microsoft wakes up, sees the writing on the wall, they could easily "repair" what's broken in W8 in W9. They could include a gamer mode that shuts down unneeded processes. But I don't believe there is much to be gained in performance. When Windows idles there is probably 1% of the CPU utilized.
(I think the new consoles with their fancy MediaCenter UIs utilize way more of the GPU and CPU than Windows, up to 10%).

W7/W8 are not resource heavy at all, maybe on RAM but that is so ubiquitous with 16GB being the standard in a few years.
Drivers are mature and always up-to-date on Windows. Not sure how willing Nvidia and AMD are to invest more into Linux drivers.

Will definitely be interesting to see those claims of better performance on SteamOS.
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The Linux kernel probably has more hours of work put into it than any piece of software ever made.

The work valve is doing on SteamOS isn't comparable to the work Microsoft does with Windows, but more like the amount of work the Linux Mint team does on their Ubuntu fork.

NVidia has been serious about their linux drivers for quite some time. I wish I could say the same for AMD/ATI, but they seem to slowly be getting better.
 
Stumpokapow said:
I wonder how they'll deal with it. My prediction: They'll work behind the scenes to improve Linux performance, make it easier to port, and secure AAA ports while simultaneously deploying some sort of feature... like ... probably streaming? to be able to beam games from Windows to Linux so that you can access the rest of your library as long as you have a Windows PC running Steam.

Maybe they'll post a FAQ sometime soon that clarifies this.
Click to expand...

I agree that would seem the most likely path.
 
Grief.exe said:
Probably announceing on Friday.

Your post leads me to believe that you didn't know that Valve hardware has been known for a long time now.



That will be up to the manufacturers and not Valve.

If both the XB1 and DS4 controllers support Xinput, the current standard, then there will be no issues.
Click to expand...

I did know, just not the "when." I've been reading pretty much all of the "steam box" threads. But I took the stance "I'll believe it when I see it." Saw some articles a while back where journalists were looking at pc boxes purposed as "steam boxes."

Just was never sure if "steam box" was going to be an os, some sort of elaboration on big picture mode, or an actual dedicated machine. I guess we will know more at the end of the week. It might be all three.
 
http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/SteamOS/

Now ... within this space is an interesting thing that is said multiple times.

" Any living room machine "

Is it possible Sony could put the SteamOS into the PS4 and thus truly turn it into an all in one gaming device? If you had the PS4, you would of course have your PS4 games, and through Gaikai would have your PS3/PS2/PS1 games as well. Then, with SteamOS you would also have thousands of games via Steam right there on your living room TV as well.

I dunno, If I were Sony I would throw money at Valve like no other to get exclusive console rights to the SteamOS. We know that the PS4's OS is Linux based as well while the Xbox One OS is of course the Windows Kernel. SteamOS and PS4 would be a perfect match to bring PC and Console gaming to the living room via one device.

What do you think?
 
Grief.exe said:
ishXpnDqHhMzM.gif
Click to expand...

Is this the greatest gif of all time

Maybe
 
IAmRandom31 said:
http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/SteamOS/

Now ... within this space is an interesting thing that is said multiple times.

" Any living room machine "

Is it possible Sony could put the SteamOS into the PS4 and thus truly turn it into an all in one gaming device? If you had the PS4, you would of course have your PS4 games, and through Gaikai would have your PS3/PS2/PS1 games as well. Then, with SteamOS you would also have thousands of games via Steam right there on your living room TV as well.

I dunno, If I were Sony I would throw money at Valve like no other to get exclusive console rights to the SteamOS. We know that the PS4's OS is Linux based as well while the Xbox One OS is of course the Windows Kernel. SteamOS and PS4 would be a perfect match to bring PC and Console gaming to the living room via one device.

What do you think?
Click to expand...

No.
 
Sony would be stupid to allow Valve to stream PC games to the PS4. It would defeat the purpose of the PS4 (make gamers buy PS4 games).
 
IAmRandom31 said:
http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/SteamOS/

Now ... within this space is an interesting thing that is said multiple times.

" Any living room machine "

Is it possible Sony could put the SteamOS into the PS4 and thus truly turn it into an all in one gaming device? If you had the PS4, you would of course have your PS4 games, and through Gaikai would have your PS3/PS2/PS1 games as well. Then, with SteamOS you would also have thousands of games via Steam right there on your living room TV as well.

I dunno, If I were Sony I would throw money at Valve like no other to get exclusive console rights to the SteamOS. We know that the PS4's OS is Linux based as well while the Xbox One OS is of course the Windows Kernel. SteamOS and PS4 would be a perfect match to bring PC and Console gaming to the living room via one device.

What do you think?
Click to expand...

I can't see them working together. If anything, Sony will come out with its own PlayStation OS. I can't see that happening this generation, but it might for PS5.
 
So there aren't any Screens or a Video yet, right?

I will buy a small Steam-Box, that is (hopefully) silent for Netflix, XBMC and Indie, local MP games. Hopefully they won't be too expensive.
 
IAmRandom31 said:
" Any living room machine "

Is it possible Sony could put the SteamOS into the PS4 and thus truly turn it into an all in one gaming device? If you had the PS4, you would of course have your PS4 games, and through Gaikai would have your PS3/PS2/PS1 games as well. Then, with SteamOS you would also have thousands of games via Steam right there on your living room TV as well.
Click to expand...

Here is Sony's business model for the PS4:
- Lose money on upfront R&D
- Lose money on hardware for several years
- Eventually break even on hardware or make a very small profit
- Make money by selling their own software
- Take a cut of all software sold on their platform

Here is Sony's business model for the PS4 running SteamOS:
- Lose money on upfront R&D
- Lose money on hardware for several years
- Eventually break even on hardware or make a very small profit
- Make less money by selling their own software

Of course they could remove Steam and roll their own software. But to what end would they do so rather than running their own OS or Android or any other option? Sony would do this if it benefitted them. How do you think it is going to benefit them?
 
delirium said:
Sony would be stupid to allow Valve to stream PC games to the PS4. It would defeat the purpose of the PS4 (make gamers buy PS4 games).
Click to expand...

Never heard of Sony's first party teams I guess? You think people buy one console over another just because of third party games on that console? What makes them purchase X console vs. Y console if both play the same third party games?

People would still purchase the PS4, but not only just for console games. You would also have people buying the PS4 to utilize as a living room PC box using SteamOS. You would not only bring in your loyal Playstation fanbase who are looking for those fantastic GOTY first party titles, but would also bring in the PC gamer who for a small price will either use the PS4 as a stream device for their PC games or put SteamOS direct on the console and play your PC games on the TV via the PS4.

Come on! The opportunity is there I think.
 
TouchMyBox said:
In a world were game devs are striving to become less dependant on DirectX?
Click to expand...

Assuming they even start to develop their future games without it, which I highly doubt, are people expected to abandon all their old PC games or just stream them? That doesn't really work.
 
IAmRandom31 said:
Never heard of Sony's first party teams I guess? You think people buy one console over another just because of third party games on that console? What makes them purchase X console vs. Y console if both play the same third party games?
Click to expand...

If their games ran on SteamOS, their games wouldn't need their hardware to run, so why would someone buy a PS4 versus another SteamOS OEM, or Linux?

They get additional software sales (at a reduced margin, of course--so unless they get substantially more sales it's actually a cash-negative switch) but they can already get additional software sales today. Why isn't TLoU on PC?
 
Stumpokapow said:
I wonder how they'll deal with it. My prediction: They'll work behind the scenes to improve Linux performance, make it easier to port, and secure AAA ports while simultaneously deploying some sort of feature... like ... probably streaming? to be able to beam games from Windows to Linux so that you can access the rest of your library as long as you have a Windows PC running Steam.

Maybe they'll post a FAQ sometime soon that clarifies this.
Click to expand...

And maybe 2014 will, finally, be the Year of the Linux Desktop.

I'm just way too cynical to believe any of this. The best they do is take existing Nvidia proprietary drivers and bundle them into their distro, just like Ubuntu. Maybe some extra Steam DRM libraries on top of everything, but I don't think they are actually going to patch Linux on a kernel level.
 
TouchMyBox said:
NVidia has been serious about their linux drivers for quite some time. I wish I could say the same for AMD/ATI, but they seem to slowly be getting better.
Click to expand...

To be fair and I love amd they have been garbage on the driver side both compatibility and performance until their more recent drivers. They ignored micro stuttering and sli performance until nvidia and fcat put it out there for them and most consumers to see it wasn't a made up issue.

If anything valve putting pressure on them along with the competition they have been facing is a good way to get them to take drivers seriously. Had amd bothered with good drivers the public reception to 7XXX would've been much better considering how it performs now vs the numbers we had at it's launch. They are getting better but they still have a lot of things to add before they get up to nvidia level again in terms of features.
 
darkside31337 said:
Exactly my reaction. Seems totally pointless. Honestly can't tell whos being serious in this thread about SteamOS somehow scaring Microsoft at all.
Click to expand...

SteamOS will becoming increasingly important as developers target it in addition to Windows and OSX. I would love to have a steambox with SteamOS on it with new titles working natively on the platform. I don't need/want full performance sucking windows on a HTPC.
 
yellow submarine said:
And maybe 2014 will, finally, be the Year of the Linux Desktop.

I'm just way too cynical to believe any of this. The best they do is take existing Nvidia proprietary drivers and bundle them into their distro, just like Ubuntu. Maybe some extra Steam DRM libraries on top of everything, but I don't think they are actually going to patch Linux on a kernel level.
Click to expand...

You don't think they are working on open-source projects to make development easier or increase performance? You don't think they're working with major vendors to improve drivers?
 
MercuryLS said:
SteamOS will becoming increasingly important as developers target it in addition to Windows and OSX. I would love to have a steambox with SteamOS on it with new titles working natively on the platform. I don't need/want full performance sucking windows on a HTPC.
Click to expand...

Who says major PC titles will begin targeting it? I can't imagine anything beyond indies or small games targeting it initially. This also doesn't solve the fact that most people have huge windows exclusive libraries they're never going to want to abandon.
 
Gez said:
I don't see enough striving otherwise mostly everyone wouldn't use it. 90% of my 500 games are Windows exclusive.
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Steam Linux came out earlier this year and has since ballooned from 30 games to 300.

What do you think will happen when SteamOS is released? Valve wouldn't release something like this unless they have been talking with publishers and have specific metrics.

Stumpokapow said:
You don't think they are working on open-source projects to make development easier or increase performance? You don't think they're working with major vendors to improve drivers?
Click to expand...

This answers the above post as well. There is also strong evidence that Valve is perfecting a wrapper to simulate DX calls in OGL.
 
xyla said:
So there aren't any Screens or a Video yet, right?

I will buy a small Steam-Box, that is (hopefully) silent for Netflix, XBMC and Indie, local MP games. Hopefully they won't be too expensive.
Click to expand...

there is a rumour of a demo already in the Steam client. Don't take my word for it but I heard if you click in a spot next to the upper right corner you might access a secreat area with a demo of what the SteamOS interface could be.

Then again, it's only a rumour.
 
Grief.exe said:
Steam Linux came out earlier this year and has since ballooned from 30 games to 300.

What do you think will happen when SteamOS is released? Valve wouldn't release something like this unless they have been talking with publishers and have specific metrics.
Click to expand...

I doubt valve will keep games only for the os.
 
IAmRandom31 said:
Never heard of Sony's first party teams I guess? You think people buy one console over another just because of third party games on that console? What makes them purchase X console vs. Y console if both play the same third party games?

People would still purchase the PS4, but not only just for console games. You would also have people buying the PS4 to utilize as a living room PC box using SteamOS. You would not only bring in your loyal Playstation fanbase who are looking for those fantastic GOTY first party titles, but would also bring in the PC gamer who for a small price will either use the PS4 as a stream device for their PC games or put SteamOS direct on the console and play your PC games on the TV via the PS4.

Come on! The opportunity is there I think.
Click to expand...

You aren't thinking this all the way through. Look at Stump's breakdown for a basic analysis.

Put succinctly: Sony's entire business strategy is to lock you in to their ecosystem. Allowing SteamOS on to Playstation would quite literally represent Sony allowing a directly competing ecosystem to set up shop inside their walled garden. Why do you think Uncharted and Killzone aren't on PC?

Nothing is impossible, of course, but this is basically just wishful thinking. It's not functionally different than a Nintendo fan coming in here and saying, "Valve and Nintendo should team up it's such a great opportunity!!"
 
Valnen said:
Who says major PC titles will begin targeting it? I can't imagine anything beyond indies or small games targeting it initially. This also doesn't solve the fact that most people have huge windows exclusive libraries they're never going to want to abandon.
Click to expand...

I agree that this is a rational fear. That's why Valve should announce that they have worked with third party publishers to make sure a slate of important upcoming AAA games work on Linux (SteamOS)--to soothe that fear over the next few months before the actual lineup itself can be announced. They could make a statement like "Watch for announcements in the coming weeks about all the AAA titles coming natively to SteamOS in 2014"
 
Stumpokapow said:
If their games ran on SteamOS, their games wouldn't need their hardware to run, so why would someone buy a PS4 versus another SteamOS OEM, or Linux?

They get additional software sales (at a reduced margin, of course--so unless they get substantially more sales it's actually a cash-negative switch) but they can already get additional software sales today. Why isn't TLoU on PC?
Click to expand...

Because it is also the PS4.

The idea I have is, combining the console marketshare of the PS4 and the first party exclusives Sony can produce with the Steam PC landscape. If you combined PC/Console gaming into one device, why not buy that device? What would stop you?

How awesome would it be to turn on your PS4 and be able to play any PC game on Steam ( which is now most of them ) or any Playstation / PS4 game? It could work like this. If you already have a PC, you could use your PS4 as the main stream device for your PC to the TV ( using Sony's built in streaming hardware they will use for Vita/PS4 remote play ). If you do not have a PC, then the PS4 would run the PC games directly via its own hardware, with the proper scaling automatically done for PC games too much for the PS4 to run maxxed out directly. See what I mean?

Add to that the share functionality of the PS4 and such like that, and you get my meaning. You would also integrate tens of millions of new users into the Steam world and you would give developers even more incentive to develop for Steam/PS4 and thus for Linux/OpenGL.
 
Opiate said:
You aren't thinking this all the way through. Look at Stump's breakdown for a basic analysis.

Put succinctly: Sony's entire business strategy is to lock you in to their ecosystem. Allowing SteamOS on to Playstation would quite literally represent Sony allowing a directly competing ecosystem to set up shop inside their walled garden.

Nothing is impossible, of course, but this is basically just wishful thinking. It's not functionally different than a Nintendo fan coming in here and saying, "Valve and Nintendo should team up it's such a great opportunity!!"
Click to expand...

Pretty much . If anything, as another gaffer said, Sony will release their own PlaystationOS with their PS5.
 
Stumpokapow said:
I agree that this is a rational fear. That's why Valve should announce that they have worked with third party publishers to make sure a slate of important upcoming AAA games work on Linux (SteamOS)--to soothe that fear over the next few months before the actual lineup itself can be announced. They could make a statement like "Watch for announcements in the coming weeks about all the AAA titles coming natively to SteamOS in 2014"
Click to expand...

LOL
 
Stumpokapow said:
I agree that this is a rational fear. That's why Valve should announce that they have worked with third party publishers to make sure a slate of important upcoming AAA games work on Linux (SteamOS)--to soothe that fear over the next few months before the actual lineup itself can be announced. They could make a statement like "Watch for announcements in the coming weeks about all the AAA titles coming natively to SteamOS in 2014"
Click to expand...

That doesn't soothe my fears about my current library not being supported by the OS, nor does their streaming bullshit. Unless they can get every game on Steam natively supported by this OS I'm not really seeing why I should waste hard drive space on it.
 
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