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[Frostburn]

So is Steambox coming in "Valvetime"?

I'm very interested in seeing what kind of specs they push for their range of systems. I've been wanting to build a HTPC that can handle current and next gen games for a while now but you always have to fight that battle of noise/thermals/performance/form-factor/price very curious to see what Valve thinks is the ideal for mid to high end gaming in a small form factor.

 

[dgrdsv]

They're making a standard and letting others build and sell h/w to that standard. That's the only way it'll ever work really. There will be no console from Valve, it just doesn't make any sense.

 

[alexandros]

There will be no console from Valve, it just doesn't make any sense.

Gabe Newell confirmed that Valve will make their own Steambox, as well as encouraging third-party offerings:

We’ll come out with our own and we’ll sell it to consumers by ourselves. That’ll be a Linux box, [and] if you want to install Windows you can. We’re not going to make it hard. This is not some locked box by any stretch of the imagination. We also think that a controller that has higher precision and lower latency is another interesting thing to have.

 

[EVIL]

They're making a standard and letting others build and sell h/w to that standard. That's the only way it'll ever work really. There will be no console from Valve, it just doesn't make any sense.

well they already confirmed they themselves are also working on their own steambox hardware to launch with that standard.

 

[Tacitus_]

Gabe Newell confirmed that Valve will make their own Steambox, as well as encouraging third-party offerings:

Nothing in that suggests that it would be a console instead of a branded PC box.

 

[Orayn]

Nothing in that suggests that it would be a console instead of a branded PC box.

Steambox toes the line between the two. It'll be a Linux-based machine with PC hardware, but like a console in terms of interface and level of user-friendliness. There's also been talk of optimizing games specifically for Steambox hardware to ensure a locked framerate, also similar to consoles.

 

[NaM]

valve is lacking a good leader to lead them into the next generation. they need their own don mattrick or bobby kotick.

quoted for size.

 

[Tacitus_]

Steambox toes the line between the two. It'll be a Linux-based machine with PC hardware, but like a console in terms of interface and level of user-friendliness. There's also been talk of optimizing games specifically for Steambox hardware to ensure a locked framerate, also similar to consoles.

From people who actually know about the project or from people jumping to conclusions? Valve's message these past days has been "multiple boxes from cheaper entry to absolute high end and from multiple manufacturers".
Not really worth it to optimize for multiple setups.

 

[MaLDo]

At this moment the valve move must be stay in contact with large game developers to find the right point of hardware that can run smoothly multiplatform developments focused on the new generation of Microsoft and Sony.

The movement to take off teacher steambox be able to play the entire catalog of steam while the message is to non-pc players must be that multiplat games they can buy for ms and sony consoles also work on standard steamboxes (sw 1313, watch dogs, nextgen COD, etc.).

At the moment that this level hardware can be sold at a price not much higher than nextgen consoles, steamboxes can gain its place in the livingroom. When people can do simple math with ( standard steambox + f2p + steam sales + cheaper multiplat AAA ) ~ (nextgen console + more expensive games).

 

[Elixist]

pretty much. usually valve releases some pr where they're thinking and talking about stuff, then it scrambled into worthless hype junk by videogame journalism and silly fan speculation.

something like this:

needs quoted again cuz teh funnies. i think that piston thing was confusing especially

when they said that they received funding from valve?

 

[EmSeta]

I, for one, am excited. Bring it on!

 

[fluffydelusions]

Steambox toes the line between the two. It'll be a Linux-based machine with PC hardware, but like a console in terms of interface and level of user-friendliness. There's also been talk of optimizing games specifically for Steambox hardware to ensure a locked framerate, also similar to consoles.

Yeah but they said they'd make it easy to install Windows on it.

 

[diffusionx]

I wish Valve handled this a bit more professionally. We are going to get months of annoying speculation because Valve dripped out information like it was Big Picture Mode or Steam Greenlight. New hardware is a whole new ballgame though. They should've handled this like Apple/Google/MS handle new hardware. It shows their inexperience.

Steambox toes the line between the two. It'll be a Linux-based machine with PC hardware, but like a console in terms of interface and level of user-friendliness. There's also been talk of optimizing games specifically for Steambox hardware to ensure a locked framerate, also similar to consoles.

Can you point to a single quote from someone who actually matters that they will optimize games and lock framerates?

 

[Interfectum]

needs quoted again cuz teh funnies. i think that piston thing was confusing especially

when they said that they received funding from valve?

The thing is, Valve probably funds quite a few small scale projects. We don't even know how much Valve gave Xi3. $250k? $1 million? $10 million?

 

[Tacitus_]

Yeah but they said they'd make it easy to install Windows on it.

You pop in an USB stick with the Windows installer on it and install it. Same as any Linux PCs if they hold true to their word and not lock it down.

 

[Ponn]

What a clusterfuck.