Valve working on 'Steam Box' gaming console with hardware partners, could announce at GDC

Exclusive: Valve working on 'Steam Box' gaming console with hardware partners, could announce at GDC | The Verge

 

Some of my thoughts/questions on this..

1. If its going to be steam powered and allow other distribution services like origin on it, is it safe to assume that this is basically just a standardized small windows pc..? Or is it a new platform all together and steam is going to go about distributing games on that platform?

2. If it is a windows PC and its specs are going to be close to that of the alienware x51, then isnt that a bad thing? If this gains mass adoption, then game devs will try and simplify the visuals in order to get them running smooth on this mediocre powered system..

well thats really all for now.. kinda surprising news.. valve going into hardware. Lets see how this develops..(if its even true at all)

What i would really love to see out of this is a xbox720/ps4 equivalent console(i.e. no windows, no apis) with mouse and keyboard input.

 

Gah. I don't even know what to say, except... THIS BETTER NOT DELAY HALF-LIFE 3!!!

There off my chest.

Really Gabe? Is this really necessary? Everyone already has a PC. Why try to be a console too? I don't like it one bit.

 

Oh yea. I almost forgot about that...

This really scary thought just creeped into my head and some of you will hate me for even thinking it.. but... what if they make HL3 exclusive to this "platform"..?? They wouldn't.. would they?
I mean if it was Activision or EA, I could see that happening, but not valve..

 

This better not bring down the evolution of graphics enhancements that desktops are used to. Implementing a fixed 3-4 year life cycle will put some serious crimps in cutting edge graphics development... IMO, anyway.

 

Could it be possible for Valve to single-handed revive PC gaming with steam and then kill it again with this box...

 

Build a smallish PC and attach a Xbox 360 controller to it = Steam Box?

 

99.99% of games already run smooth at 1080p on mediocre PCs.

 

Great only 4 different console systems

 

A next gen console sold with Half Life 3 sounds like a goldmine. I can expect this of Valve.

 

Provided there aren't any exclusives on it, and it's fairly non proprietary, then they have my blessing.
Most modern games can facilitate controllers, so it shouldn't be too hard. If they still give you the option of M+K then that would be awesome too. The logical thing I can see would be to simply have a windows based console, so you can play all your other steam titles, and so that it makes it easy for developers to put their code over. The logic would be that if they already have a PC game, then it should't need much beyond adding support for a controller (and possibly some form of matchmaking, to make sure M+K don't troll too many people). I wouldn't even be too bothered if it's just a cut down version of windows, with little more than a simple interface like media centre. If you had a full blown version of windows on it then I can see it confusing people less in the know when it comes to gaming.

 

Not sure if I like this. Games are a primary driver for the development of new graphics hardware. If they consolize the PC and with Steam being the juggernaut of PC games distribution, it will stagnate hardware development. Why build new hardware when Valve will set the standard for all games every 4-5 years.

 

It sounds as if Valve is talking about their own operating system, although it might just boil down to a 10-foot user interface, like XBMC or MythTV.

STEAMWORKS - The Big Picture

Either way, the Windows 8 Metro GUI is going to be a problem for PC Gamers, and I can see a major opening to any company that can offer a better third party desktop environment, or even a better operating system. I really can't imagine the gaming community embracing Windows 8 in its current form, much in the same way that enterprise users are going to the be very reluctant to move on from Window 7 due to the Metro controversy. If the big conversation in corporate IT is whether it's a good time to start considering OS X/iOS due to the shortcoming of Windows 8, the PC gaming community is just as likely to be looking beyond Windows as well.

If Microsoft loses the PC gaming segment with Windows 8, and also loses the console market with the next generation XBOX, the consequences will be dire. Here's hoping that Valve can come up with an industry leading solution.

 

Yeah me too. Frankly, I could careless about this Steam Box but they better not delay HL3

 

That's what I'm thinking. Nothing new, just more standardization....

 

I think you will be able to turn off Metro UI no problem with Windows 8. At least you better be able to use a conventional start menu. It's ok for touch screens, but a nightmare for mouse interface. Why wouldn't MS just make a separate limited OS for tablets than trying to incorporate everything in a single OS?

In any case, that's OT.

I guess if Valve decides to make front end for a TV type setup and you can either use the "Steam Box" or any PC of your choosing, that's not a big deal. Coming up with a better PC controller would be great, especially one that has better response than a typical controller with switchable components would be great actually.

 

so basically a small gaming desktop with a steam logo on it?

the gamepad perhaps? of course i'm a mouse and keyboard person....




put it in a case like this...



nintendo + steam lol

 

I would be fine with Valve creating a compact HTPC for gaming as long as it doesn't turn out to be the reference for PC hardware (i.e. negatively impact graphics development).

 

I think it would be cool. A small PC with standard hardware. It would allow game developers to make a more polished and optimized product and allow hardware company's to provide more highly optimized drivers because of limited hardware.

Instead of buying an expensive console every few years users could purchase steam approved upgrades as needed and still maintain compatability.

For the whole idea to work steam has to provide game save sync across all of a users devices.

 

With an external power supply, such as the big 330 watt "brick" that comes with the X51, it should be possible to replace proprietary consoles with standard x86, M-ITX desktop hardware in a form factor similar to the current consoles. Valve has the right idea. If Intel is concerned about the future of the x86 desktop, they should get on the bandwagon with Valve.

I personally think that the ATX form factor motherboard has stuck around too long and there isn't any practical reason why M-ITX can't go mainstream, even for Gaming PCs, assuming of course, that power supplies become external.

 

Something like this would be pretty awesome. If they do go this way then things could get interesting since alienware would probably try and get a hand.

New! Alienware X51 Desktop ? High-Performance Gaming Computer | Dell UK



For comparison

 

If it results in a even one or two fewer console exclusive titles then I'm all for this.

Valve is not attempting to make a new console platform that would drive game development. They are simply offering a small form factor PC, possibly with alternative UI, which seems to be more of an effort to make console gamers feel comfortable making the switch to PC.

Even if the hardware is "mediocre," it's still going to be lightyears ahead of console hardware, which is what currently drives game development.

Owners of expensive gaming desktops are still going to be able use their hardware to run games like Witcher 2 at 5760x1080, etc. For the rest of us who game on our laptops or existing "mediocre" desktops, the only potential change this could bring about is perhaps a slightly higher ratio of PC gamers, hopefully resulting in less console exclusives.

 

Some more info on this..
Is This a Photo of Valve's Rumored Console, Or At Least a Prototype?

 

Interesting - Greg Coomer tweets "What I'm Working On..." with a link to an article titled "Valve vs. Apple"

 

I'm just going to say this...I trust Valve to do something awesome if they are working on something like this. Now I am going back to waiting for HL3

 

They need to make these modular and upgrade-able with some added HTPC function. If they do I will definitely pick one up, even if it may seem redundant with my other machines.

 

Funny you mention that. I was watching that old Show "Seaquest DSV" on Netflix and they just had a "L33t Hax0r" episode and they were talking about how Apple Bought MS. (This show was in 1993, but set in 2019)

 

For all intents and purposes, the Xbox is just a proprietary PC. They use desktop CPU and GPUs.. Though, soldered on the board.. and considerably dated.. but still.

This isnt the first time a company has tried this before. The Infineon Phantom comes to mind;



And there have been other attempts at this.

The best thing Valve can do is offer Steam as a stand-alone App that runs on a WinPE type environment. All current Steam Content IS window dependent.. There is no way they can get away with making their own OS, IMO. Developers are already spending a fortune to support MS and Sony, and often overlook Nintendo to port to.. same with the PC. Adding a 5th platform would be a nightmare. It just has to be Windows Based.

Although Valve is a leader in online content delivery, and they have a great platform, making a jump like this to a console player could make things difficult for everyone involved. Complicated even. MS is going to have XBOX game compatibility included in windows 8.. Perhaps that is a big driver for Steam to go all in on something like this?

 

Actually, the current Xbox is still PowerPC based, not x86.

Back in 2004, people had a hard time getting around the idea of downloading games without an actual hard copy. Valve popularized that concept.

What sort of licensing agreement could Valve get on WinPE 4.0 when the intended platform would compete with Microsoft's own upcoming Xbox replacement? I wouldn't look to Microsoft on this one, not when two product lines, namely Windows 8 and the upcoming new XBox, would both be competing with the Steam x86 console platform.

I think that Steam is big enough in the gaming world to force the issue of another platform. After all, the burden of porting games to a Steam specific platform falls on developers. I personally think that Linux, BSD or Apple's Darwin could form the basis of a viable platform. A lot depends on whether or not Intel is involved with Valve on the concept of an x86 console. Intel should be very interested in the idea of an x86 console

But the most important thing is that Valve is talking x86.

 

Wait, what?

Is that confirmed? Will the textures and models scale up for PCs?

So finally I can play RDR and Dark Souls?

 

No, unfortunately you cant. It was rumored early on that they were building some sort of xbox emu into windows 8 but sadly that's not the case.

The extent of windows 8 xbox functionality is limited to browsing your profile,achievements,etc and launching your games on the xbox360. It also functions as a rudimentary remote.
video - http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/29/a-tour-of-windows-8s-xbox-360-integration-as-hosted-by-engadge/

What would be really cool is if they built in some sort of display mirroring(like the wii U) with kb+mouse support..

 

I would like to see evidence of the Xbox game compatibility too. Seems highly unlikely since next gen Xbox is supposedly a PowerPC CPU not x86/x64 architecture.

edit: wups I see this was already discussed.

 

xbox CPU uses tricore multi-threded PowerPC architecture. so no, it's not a gimped PC! at least not %100

 

My gut says they are going WinPC with this, just something that is custom designed to eliminate the added cost of expansion ports typically found in desktop PCs yet decent in overall power to make PC gaming affordable for the masses, yet not in anyway be some kind of exclusive device that shuts out Steam users with other computers. I don't see Valve throwing the PC world under the bus by making some kind of typical game console. A Valve branded/certified PC makes more sense. Perhaps the graphics will even be built into the motherboard a la small laptops with dedicated graphics. Though I can see them going the X51 type route.

Something with:

Core i5/i7 Quad
AMD Radeon 7770 1 GB GDDR5
8 GB DDR3-1600
Decent size HDD connected via SATA
Build in WiFi adapter
External PSU (250W should be enough)
Video Outs: HDMI, VGA
Audio Outs: HDMI, Optical, Array of 3.5mm plugs
Peripheral ports: Ethernet, USB 3.0 x4 (2 in front, 2 in back)
Windows 7 64 bit OS, with Steam integrated into the shell.

Includes: Gamepad, Keyboard & Mouse,

With the right partners, it could be done for $400-500. It would be very console like in set up and appearance, yet still a fully functional PC but lacking all the extra expansion bays, and isn't upgradeable. They could still go the X51 route and make a machine that uses completely industry standard interfaces, turning the graphics 90 degrees, but still going for a no frills customized motherboard with two RAM slots to lower it's manufacturing costs, and of course simplified I/O.

 

Yes, judging by Greg Coomer's tweets, he's working on a regular old small form factor x86-64 PC, he's certainly not designing some brand new type of console with its own architecture. I believe that would be prohibitively expensive and way beyond the scope of what they are attempting.

 

I really doubt that a system based on an AMD 7700 mobile chip and a current intel quad core i5+ could hit the $400-500 price point as a system. That's certainly at least a stretch by my imagination.

 

So they're making an overpriced gaming rig and selling it to people who can't get enough of anything with the Steam/Valve label?

 

Sounds like Apple marketing at work!

 

I concur. I will stick with my Win PE statement.. If they go PE, they can have their own front end and Developers wont have to code for another platform. Standard windows stuff.. And the cost would be considerable lower.

An A6 / 7750 Box with a large hard drive, small form factor and a set of USB controllers could sell for $399 like hotcakes to the masses, and run most titles at 1080p just fine.

Reail for it is cheap, A6 - $80, MB - $50, 7750 - $110, HD - $60, Case/PS - $50, RAM $25 = $375.. and thats just retail.. Im sure they could get a deal to lower their costs to $200-$250.