The Valve Steam Box console?

[EvilBoris]

Was it this image you saw?



Looks like that graphics card wouldn't be exchanged with a standard one.

Unless that's how they will make their money on the hardware, which won't have much margin unless you sell it at a premium.
Make all the components propritory shapes so you can only buy approved components.

I guess you can keep a tighter reign on performance and temperature doing it like that too.



The X51's on the other hand have a removable standard graphics card, but because it has a propriatry external PSU, you can't go that big with the GFX card and even if you could , it's so tight in there temperate would be a problem

[Brad]

Thing is, a $700 console (X51) is a different proposition to a ps3/360. Valve would need to at least keep it in the same ballpark! Having complete monopoly over the content would enable them to sell at a loss, just as MS and Sony have done in the past.

[EvilBoris]

Remember valve were said to be working on a Linux Version of Steam and Source engine and then denied it?

Makes you wonder if they could actually go with a custom linux build and not use the windows versions of their games, instead tinker the OpenGL mac versions across and get developers to almost treat this like another console? It would certainly allow for a more closed environment and would actually have quite a big impact on the games scene in general.

Valve must be quite aware that Macs are on the up and the selection of games could do with being bolstered, if they can enourage more triple A titles to the steambox they will get the benefit of developers going a bit further and going for Mac too and Vice versa.

[Brad]

I hadn't even thought about the Windows thing i.e. that each box would need to be running Windows. A Linux version would reduce the price by at least ?50 no?

[EvilBoris]

Thing is, a $700 console (X51) is a different proposition to a ps3/360. Valve would need to at least keep it in the same ballpark! Having complete monopoly over the content would enable them to sell at a loss, just as MS and Sony have done in the past.

Can they realisticly ever achieve the numbers require to sell at such a loss, the margins in off the shelf components are small anyway, and building something close to the spec the X51 (which can't actually run everything at 1080p/60) brings you over the ?400 mark at the very least least, which might pop most people out of their comfort zone for an unknown console.

[Brad]

It does seem a tough challenge I admit! Maybe we'll hear something this week. I don't think they need to produce a 1080p 60fps box BTW. I do think it needs to be better than current consoles though so 1080p @ 30fps might be enough. The range of games on offer is incredible, as is the wide ranging price points and the regular Steam Sales.

[Family Fry]

Its a good idea mainly down to putting a bracket around Minimum spec pcs, now they can just develop with required Steambox min spec in mind and blow the roof of max spec pc version, like they always do.
I just don't know how it would be marketed and who for especially this close to end of gen for consoles.

[EvilBoris]

Even if they went with Linux OOTB, they could rely on loads of people just installing and dual booting windows anyway.

[Neon Ignition]

To be honest, no, I don't play games on PC anymore as for me it's not a format that warrants the cash and resources required to get enjoyment out of as a gaming platform because I don't care about slightly higher res textures or framerates. It's fine to say that the main appeal of a standardised system would be useful but that's largely simply describing the consoles we already have. There aren't enough worthy PC exclusives to make it a worthwhile alternative. Plus, its standardising a system in an area in which the console market has already moved away from with the rise of wider audiences, something that hasn't happened without due reason. You have to look at who plays consoles, also who plays games on their PCs etc. Once you narrow down the games that are available only via PC and would warrant such a system there's such a niche audience left its not a worthwhile area. Frankly, the notion of the system is hilarious considering the industries and many gamers obsession about streaming set ups such as OnLive, Gaikai etc without the need for a console at all to be the next step for gaming. They could launch with HL3 as an exclusive but I think that would leave a bad taste in the fanbases mouths after having already waited all these years and then being shepherded into an unnecessary hardware purchase to play it.

Then there's the issue of said system becoming outdated. They could make it upgradable, but then that's just a PC. Maybe regular hardware updates? Nope, killed it. Maybe less regular but significant updates, oops, no that's the consoles we already have.

Now, given Valve's history it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if Valve had looked into the idea. They're the kind of company that is very receptive to different approaches for content etc and so I'd expect all these leaks to be abandoned test work. Steam though doesn't require such a massive drain on Valve's time and resources and far better alternative options exist both currently and on the horizon.

[capcom_suicide]

I guess the issue here is "Optimization". The Xbox was basically a PC. (As will PS4 be if rumors are true.)

Steam was a winner for me because I finally didn't have to give a monkey's about software patching, but what KILLS pc gaming for me is that the drivers for GPU/Mainboard can mean 10-15fps difference and there is lack of standard.

If a steambox can introduce optimizations and automatic driver updates in the same way Steam did for it's games, then this could be very attractive indeed. Valve games could be optimized to make the best of the chosen infstructure and of course uber PC's will always have higher frames, but the steambox would provide great "Bang for the buck" and the consumer would not need to spend hours testing beta drivers etc...

I am optimisitic.

[Digfox]

I don't see it personally. It'll have to cost ?500-700+ right and just seems a funny step for Valve to push ahead with, i.e. the investment required to help it be a success. And this would rely on hardware manufacturers like Dell et all building these boxes right?

One concept I think might be more interesting (although I'm not sure it would even be mass market) would be a cheap local-streaming device, i.e. use your existing PC Steam software and home network to play your games anywhere in the house with a custom/quality joypad. Maybe they could then build 'Steam-Live' off the back of the device to a selection of games in the cloud as well to add a dimension to the service.

In it's rumour guise of a HTPC I don't see what it would offer, particularly with the next-gen getting closer.

[capcom_suicide]

I don't see it personally. It'll have to cost ?500-700+ right and just seems a funny step for Valve to push ahead with, i.e. the investment required to help it be a success. And this would rely on hardware manufacturers like Dell et all building these boxes right?

One concept I think might be more interesting (although I'm not sure it would even be mass market) would be a cheap local-streaming device, i.e. use your existing PC Steam software and home network to play your games anywhere in the house with a custom/quality joypad. Maybe they could then build 'Steam-Live' off the back of the device to a selection of games in the cloud as well to add a dimension to the service.

Could be that they are looking to produce a cloud enabled joypad/service like Onlive, and that the steambox is just a simple PC for folks without a computer connected to their TV.

[briareos_kerensky]

I rarely play with the PC and I only installed Steam because it was mandatory with Dawn of War 2; some time later I switched from Vista to Win7 and never reinstalled either DoW or Steam.
To me a Steam console would be largely redundant with my PCs...if I would ever start buying games from Steam: despite the attractive pricing the idea of having only an electronic copy tied to a specific service isn't exactly enticing, and my ADSL line isn't good enough for downloading 4+ GB games.

[randombs]

@FSW: Yeah, that's the image. I suppose they could, as you say, sell special graphics card upgrade modules that interface with the existing ports. They could fit a mini PCI-Express socket in there(although it would limit graphics card options, but the physical size of that box also does that)

I've been thinking - what if these boxes aren't really meant for the massmarket but for LAN cafes(like HMV Gamerbase), tournaments, that sort of thing? They could subsidise it with advertising and other cross-promotional stuff.

Companies can deploy a bunch of them with a fire-and-forget attitude knowing that particular games on Steam will run just fine and with less issues.

Mind you, when I visited Gamerbase and played L4D, the guy seemed quite pleased to tell us we could put everything on maximum(I then knocked some stuff back because I wanted 60fps more) and I expect one of the draws for a place like that would be the beefy specs of the machines compared with what gamers may have at home.

CS's idea seems most appropriate to me on account of the size of that box, although the rumours about a Core i7 and 8GB RAM make me wonder if things will be done a bit more locally...


As for Linux, that'd be aces. None of this Windows nonsense, just boot it up and open a terminal window and... only joking. I think that would be a good way to go. Saves money on licensing, at least, and they could really customise the install.

[Guts]

I like my games in physical form, so I'm going to say "no". There's already more than enough of competition in the video game market as it is.