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[jshackles]

I don't think there were any private investors: Harrington and Newell were both "Microsoft Millionaires" and used their own money to keep Valve afloat during the development of Half-Life. Presumably Valve paid back whatever Sierra/Vivendi had coughed up over the years, but I don't think there were any other fingers in the Valve pie even in the early days.

That sounds right, but contradicts what I was told about the company's history when I toured their offices. They could have been generalizing though.

But putting Christopher Walken in their games would be awesome! Maybe they should go public.

Christopher Walken: Yes. Going public: hell no.

 

[Cth]

But putting Christopher Walken in their games would be awesome! Maybe they should go public.

Reminds me of playing RIPPER back in the day.

Back in the days of reaaaaaaaaaaally bad FMV acting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mWhyhyUQmk

 

[Clawww]

only 300 machines

THANKS VALVE

 

[phaonaut]

With the announcement of the Steam machine beta, I realize I hardly have any friends on my list haha.

Could someone send me an invite to the GAF Steam group or friend invites? I just got back into PC gaming this year, so I've been missing out.

Steam ID: geebee765

Sent you a friend invite

 

[Turfster]

It's okay, guys.
We're getting the Focus bundle tomorrow.
Believe.

 

[Sinatar]

Muthe Effing Star Command!
Although would have been nice if I got it via play store for auto updates.

Star Command sucks donkey scrotum.

 

[Purkake4]

Star Command sucks donkey scrotum.

This.

 

[ashecitism]

I wonder, now that it started, shouldn't the Family Sharing Beta get its own thread?

 

[JaseC]

New Humble Bundle:
Humble Mobile Bundle 2

• Star Command
• Time Surfer
• Punch Quest
• Bloons TD5

BTA 8.27$

• Ravensword: shadowlands
• Carmageddon

No steam keys, though. (Hoped there'd be one for Carmageddon)

Bloons and Ravensword are on Greenlight, though. I'll fire off an e-mail to Stainless and ask if there are any plans to release Carmageddon on Steam (I thought it would have happened by now).

 

[RealMeat]

Christopher Walken: Yes. Going public: hell no.

All I'm saying is if it gets us Christopher Walken as a Dota announcer, I'm willing to make some sacrifices.

 

[Cth]

So 300 Steam Machines.. that's twice the number of Ouya's in use, right?

 

[The_Monk]

It's okay, guys.
We're getting the Focus bundle tomorrow.
Believe.

I'm actually really interested in that Bundle fellow GAFfer, very curious if they will be adding something else too.

 

[Twinduct]

Star Command sucks donkey scrotum.

This.

Shush, allow me to be disappointed on my own!

 

[Anustart]

Ugh, Im getting awful tearing in metro 2033

 

[Addnan]

Ugh, Im getting awful tearing in metro 2033

vsync?

 

[Lint21]

This may be a dumb question, and maybe I'm just missing the point, but I'm going to ask this anyway in the hopes that one of you in this thread can enlighten me.


Okay, so about SteamOS and the forthcoming SteamMachine...


So, I already have a gaming PC that I play my Steam games on. And so does everyone else who plays games on Steam. Occasionally I even hook it up to my 61" Toshiba HDTV to play on. So then, what exactly does this SteamOS do for us? I mean I'm not giving up Win7 by any means, is that what most of you are planning to do? What about all of the other games that aren't on Steam? Are you planning to dual boot operating systems or something? Or are most people planning on building a whole new PC just to run SteamOS on? And if you did, what would be the benefits of doing so over simply running normal Steam on Windows?

And with the SteamMachine, are people hoping it will run better than their normal gaming PC's? Is this mainly targeted towards people with old weak gaming computers, or is it expected to run better than a current "high end" PC?


I think both the SteamOS and SteamMachine are neat announcements and all, but I'm failing to see what all the hooplah is about. I'm perfectly happy with the current Steam application and gaming with how Steam now works.
Maybe I'm just not getting the big picture or something? Does it have some more profound impact for gaming on Steam down the road?

For me at least, it's not an immediate game-changer that I can see. It does, however, open up a lot of options. I have a Win7 beast hooked up to my big screen that I use for BPM and Plex. My GF and I both have laptops and our own Steam libraries. SteamOS makes the following scenarios a lot more viable:

- The next time I build a gaming rig, maybe I don't have to pay for a Windows license.
- With LAN streaming gameplay, I could build a super-cheap PC for a second room/screen, like in the bedroom or guestroom. Maybe SteamOS will be able to run on Raspberry-Pi-level hardware.
- If Microsoft continues to evolve Windows in its current direction, I have a viable alternative that won't be locked down in a walled garden fashion. I think this is Valve protecting themselves, and by extension, gamers.

With regard to the SteamBox hardware, there are a couple of obvious positives. One that everyone is probably hoping for is that this hardware might be more affordable than building from scratch, with similar performance. The second is, they are providing some sort of standardization. Perhaps the greatest thing that Steam has done for PC gaming has been to consolidate and provide standards for what was previously a highly fragmented market. If a friend is interested in PC gaming, I can now just tell them, "go install Steam and wait for the Daily Deals." If this hardware turns out decent, I could tell a friend who is interested in PC gaming, "go buy this model of SteamBox." The are lowering the barrier to entry for PC gaming with all of these announcements, and that's a net positive for the industry and gamers.

 

[phaonaut]

I wonder, now that it started, shouldn't the Family Sharing Beta get its own thread?

Seems like it deserves it. It would help to clear up some things.

 

[Mengy]

Letting alone the fact that Valve is offering so many ways of using all this stuff that anyone could find a tailored one for himself.

I think you should look on the long term.
SteamOS and Steam Machines are like "Trojan horses" to push PC gaming in another direction, while still maintaining all the backward compatibility (which is arguably one of the most important, if not the most, features of PC gaming).

Currently PCs are bound to Windows, which is a closed and proprietary system.
With SteamOS, Valve is trying to shift it to a Linux standard (while ok... Steam is still a closed and proprietary system... ), that while right now may seem like a jump in the dark, could be great for the health of "PC gaming" as a platform.

Also, it should be considered that expanding (to Android for example), opening and simplifying the possibilities of PC gaming should increase the user base, thus inevitably increasing the developers engagement to PC. More users, more games. Everybody (mainly SteamGAF) wins.

I guess I just don't understand how going from Windows to Linux is such a great thing. Microsoft bashing aside, almost everyone has Windows installed, how many actually use Linux as an OS? Will we all need either two computers or a dual boot setup very soon? Will games made to run natively in SteamOS be excluded from running in the Win client of Steam? Won't this fracture the Steam library and userbase in the near future? How is that going to be a positive thing? The great thing about Steam is having all of the games available in one interface, won't this new SteamOS disrupt one of the best aspects of using Steam in the first place?

 

[LiquidSolid]

Fix for the form not submitting: enter a state, even if you don't live in the US.

Thaaaank you! I was clicking on it time and time again but still getting the same dumb error.

 

[Copons]

I guess I just don't understand how going from Windows to Linux is such a great thing. Microsoft bashing aside, almost everyone has Windows installed, how many actually use Linux as an OS? Will we all need either two computers or a dual boot setup very soon? Will games made to run natively in SteamOS be excluded from running in the Win client of Steam? Won't this fracture the Steam library and userbase in the near future? How is that going to be a positive thing? The great thing about Steam is having all of the games available in one interface, won't this new SteamOS disrupt one of the best aspects of using Steam in the first place?

I think Lint21 answered better than me: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=83678869&postcount=6552

 

[JaseC]

That sounds right, but contradicts what I was told about the company's history when I toured their offices. They could have been generalizing though.

Ah, interesting. I'd e-mail Gabe and ask for clarification, but he's never responded to any of my e-mails. I'll just ask you when you get a job at Valve.

 

[The Grim Heaper]

why did i wake up to 10 different train simulator DLC coupons in my inventory

 

[inm8num2]

why did i wake up to 10 different train simulator DLC coupons in my inventory

It's your lucky day.

 

[knee]

There's no way to be sure until the game is on sale, but I'll mention that a coupon stacking on top of a pre-existing discount is something the publisher has to opt into; the default behaviour of coupons is that they're unable to be used at all when the item is discounted (e.g. if you have a coupon for 75% off Bad Rats but it's 50% off as part of a Weekly Deal, you can't switch to the coupon at checkout).

Gotcha-- I appreciate the info. Thanks!

 

[didamangi]

Woo.

So could you share games with anyone on your friends list or just the ones that get in the beta too?

 

[Addnan]

So could you share games with anyone on your friends list or just the ones that get in the beta too?

Probably just the ones in the beta. They need to be able to send a request, or I need to be able to physically approve a system. I have nobody to share with right now lol.

 

[derExperte]

Will games made to run natively in SteamOS be excluded from running in the Win client of Steam?

You mean no Windows version at all? That would be suicide and won't happen.

Gotcha-- I appreciate the info. Thanks!

Check the voucher, the description says if it doesn't stack.

 

[JaseC]

Gotcha-- I appreciate the info. Thanks!

As derExperte noted, I was wrong about not knowing ahead of time if a coupon will stack -- if you view one in your inventory and don't see "Can't be applied with other discounts" in the description, then you're golden.

 

[garath]

So the daily is Castlestorm. Looks kinda neat. Any impressions?

http://store.steampowered.com/app/241410/

 

[Tenrius]

Probably just the ones in the beta. They need to be able to send a request, or I need to be able to physically approve a system. I have nobody to share with right now lol.

How does the approval work?

 

[jshackles]

As derExperte noted, I was wrong about not knowing ahead of time if a coupon will stack -- if you view one in your inventory and don't see "Can't be applied with other discounts" in the description, then you're golden.

Or for better aesthetic, install Enhanced Steam. Items you have a coupon for will show on the game's page and should properly stack any eligible discounts.

 

[Mengy]

I think Lint21 answered better than me: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=83678869&postcount=6552

Thank you both, but I'm still pondering this, heh.

For me at least, it's not an immediate game-changer that I can see. It does, however, open up a lot of options. I have a Win7 beast hooked up to my big screen that I use for BPM and Plex. My GF and I both have laptops and our own Steam libraries. SteamOS makes the following scenarios a lot more viable:

- The next time I build a gaming rig, maybe I don't have to pay for a Windows license.
- With LAN streaming gameplay, I could build a super-cheap PC for a second room/screen, like in the bedroom or guestroom. Maybe SteamOS will be able to run on Raspberry-Pi-level hardware.
- If Microsoft continues to evolve Windows in its current direction, I have a viable alternative that won't be locked down in a walled garden fashion. I think this is Valve protecting themselves, and by extension, gamers.

With regard to the SteamBox hardware, there are a couple of obvious positives. One that everyone is probably hoping for is that this hardware might be more affordable than building from scratch, with similar performance. The second is, they are providing some sort of standardization. Perhaps the greatest thing that Steam has done for PC gaming has been to consolidate and provide standards for what was previously a highly fragmented market. If a friend is interested in PC gaming, I can now just tell them, "go install Steam and wait for the Daily Deals." If this hardware turns out decent, I could tell a friend who is interested in PC gaming, "go buy this model of SteamBox." The are lowering the barrier to entry for PC gaming with all of these announcements, and that's a net positive for the industry and gamers.

Yeah, I get all of that as definite pluses, but all of these good things only apply if you solely play Steam games. If you also play Minecraft, or Diablo III, or WoW (just for random examples), then you will either need to stick with the old Steam client on Windows, or dual boot, or have two gaming PC's. And while I love Steam for what it has done for PC gaming and I use it every week, I still play many non-Steam games too.

I guess having choices are better than none. And if Win9 really screws gamers then it will be nice to have SteamOS as an alternative. Maybe this will mean a lot more to me years from now than it does at this moment...

 

[fantomena]

Prepare yourselfes SteamGAF, Rogue Legacy giveaway soon!

 

[Addnan]

How does the approval work?

To approve a PC physically you can log in, go into the settings and hit approve this computer. Approve by request from a friend I don't know yet. Don't have anyone to try it with!

 

[jshackles]

Prepare yourselfes SteamGAF, Rogue Legacy giveaway soon!

If I win, can I trade it to my friend for Rage?

Spoiler

 

[Nabs]

Probably just the ones in the beta. They need to be able to send a request, or I need to be able to physically approve a system. I have nobody to share with right now lol.

I hope the next round goes out soon.

 

[sprinkles]

Ugh, Im getting awful tearing in metro 2033

Could not get rid of that when I played the game a few months ago, it was very distracting.

 

[The_Monk]

If I win, can I trade it to my friend for Rage?

Spoiler

You just stole my joke fellow GAFfer. But i's okay, we can still be friends!

 

[JaseC]

Or for better aesthetic, install Enhanced Steam. Items you have a coupon for will show on the game's page and should properly stack any eligible discounts.

No such luck for Firefox users, apparently.

Edit: As per this thread, South Park's PC delay is supposedly EU-only. Crisis averted (for some)!

 

[jshackles]

No such luck for Firefox users, apparently.

Just checked and it's working fine on my end. Do you have version 4.2 installed?

 

[JaseC]

Just checked and it's working fine on my end. Do you have version 4.2 installed?

That was the first thing I thought to check. I'll try visiting the page in your example.

Edit: No dice.

 

[fantomena]

Have fun!

I am giving away a Steam key. To enter this giveaway, send a PM to ModBot with any subject line. In the body, copy and paste the entire line below containing the key.

Rules for this Giveaway:
- If you are a lurker you are not eligible for this giveaway. You need five or more posts in either the current Steam thread or the previous one to be eligible
- This giveaway is a raffle. The winners will be selected by random draw 3 hours after the draw was created. Any games not claimed after that point will be given away first come first serve.
- If the key is already taken you will not receive a reply. Replies may take a minute or two:

Rogue Legacy -- MB-73CD052867832013

 

[jakershaker]

Some stuff:

Just quote this message and paste the quote in the thread:

I am giving away 6 Steam keys. To enter this giveaway, send a PM to ModBot with any subject line. In the body, copy and paste the entire line below that corresponds to the key you want (if you include more than one game, you will be blocked from entering).

Rules for this Giveaway:
- If you are a lurker you are not eligible for this giveaway. You need five or more posts in either the current Steam thread or the previous one to be eligible
- If you won a game from ModBot in the last day, you are not eligible for this giveaway.
- This giveaway is a raffle. The winners will be selected by random draw 3 hours after the draw was created. Any games not claimed after that point will be given away first come first serve.
- If the key is already taken you will not receive a reply. Replies may take a minute or two:

Mark of the Ninja -- MB-6D330B0879F0C2A6 - Taken by Thorgal. 1 entrants total.
Brutal Legend -- MB-AC762D9E9BB14A5C - Taken by gwynplaine. 6 entrants total.
Bastion -- MB-453F39BD5295F12E - Taken by Alessandro. 1 entrants total.
Rigonauts -- MB-644D5566F156D5C5 - Taken by Vastag. 8 entrants total.
FTL -- MB-AC7C3636CAF446E5 - Taken by ModBot - Taken by gurm3n
Limbo -- MB-847EB35CB2B4D968 - Taken by BigAT

 

[MMBosstones86]

Have fun!

nice. been on my wishlist for a while. Here's hoping!

 

[jadedcynic]

Isn't Enhanced steam like a security risk or something? its pretty fishy for program that knows how much money I spent on steam so far, and that info is probably stored somewhere too...

 

[InsertCredit]

Have fun!

Already have it. Just chiming in to say you're the best for doing this.

EDIT:

Some stuff:

So are you!

 

[Leon Belmont]

Have fun!

Thank you, good luck everyone

 

[The_Monk]

nice. been on my wishlist for a while. Here's hoping!

I agree with this good sir, thank you fantomena ! Same goes for jakershaker good luck for those who enter it.

 

[drizzle]

Isn't Enhanced steam like a security risk or something? its pretty fishy for program that knows how much money I spent on steam so far, and that info is probably stored somewhere too...

Oh no jshackles people are into (onto?) you! Run!

 

[MMBosstones86]

Isn't Enhanced steam like a security risk or something? its pretty fishy for program that knows how much money I spent on steam so far, and that info is probably stored somewhere too...

so THAT'S why Valve hasn't hired him....

get him!