The Verge: Connect the dots: Valve’s Big Picture could be a Linux game console

[Computer Bottleneck]

http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/16/3...x-game-console

When a game developer can offer their games directly through the Windows Store or Mac App Store that’s built into every new computer, why go with Steam?

According to the company, Valve’s own games are running faster on Linux than on Windows right now.

A really interesting article on Steam for Linux. Apparently the company is concerned Windows will become a closed OS in the future due to the App store. There is even talk of a "Steam Box" (a prototype/reference design for OEMs to use as a minimum spec), Steam game controllers, virtual reality headset as a way to protect against a shift of business.

Clearly they see the falling the price of hardware (along with fear of windows being a closed OS) as incentive to plan for an alternative pathway.

P.S. One thing that has always bothered me about Windows is the high price of entry that discourages the purchase of bargain hardware. (eg, why even bother with that $50 Fry's CPU/mainboard bundle for a 2nd, 3rd or 4th computer when it takes a $100 OEM OS to run it.)

And while PC gaming isn't something I do very often (Thankfully Steam is now offering non-gaming Apps-->http://www.polygon.com/2012/10/2/344...10-percent-off), a successful launch of steam on linux could do wonders for the popularity (and further development) of an Open Sourced OS like Linux for desktop.

[Ferzerp]

What does this have to do with "CPUs and Overclocking"?

Wrong category.

[Computer Bottleneck]

Originally Posted by Ferzerp

What does this have to do with "CPUs and Overclocking"?

Wrong category.

I put it in this forum because I feel the cheap desktop CPU market struggles more than it should. (eg, see my comment about $50 Fry's CPU/mainboard bundles in the OP).

Free OS (that is more popular and useable for desktop) makes cheap desktop CPUs more interesting.

Your interest and enthusiasm are appreciated. However this really doesn't have anything to do with CPUs at the moment. So I'm moving this to console gaming.
-ViRGE

[cmdrdredd]

Windows won't be a closed OS, Steam still works fine on Windows 8.

Unfounded fear mongering by Newell and company. Linux isn't the savior of PC gaming without DirectX support. Can't suddenly make a thousand games including big titles like Skyrim, Dishonored, Far Cry 3 etc run in OpenGL.

[Skel]

That would be very amusing to me if the work they've been doing to port stuff to Linux was to sell a console. I've seen a few people on here complain about Microsoft messing up PC Gaming for console sales, I wonder what they'll think if Valve does it.

[masteryoda34]

Originally Posted by Skel

That would be very amusing to me if the work they've been doing to port stuff to Linux was to sell a console. I've seen a few people on here complain about Microsoft messing up PC Gaming for console sales, I wonder what they'll think if Valve does it.

The thing is that Valve's "console" would literally be a PC. The same game code could run on the Valve "console" and PCs. Therefore, the Valve "console" wouldn't contribute to crappy console ports.

[Chrono]

eh... it'll have limited support just like OSX has with steam. i highly doubt microsoft would close their OS... unless you're talking about RT... then that's a different story. If you go to the MS store, you'll see icons for software that actually have links the launch the web browser and have you purchase the apps through there.

[dagamer34]

Originally Posted by masteryoda34

The thing is that Valve's "console" would literally be a PC. The same game code could run on the Valve "console" and PCs. Therefore, the Valve "console" wouldn't contribute to crappy console ports.

Most game studios make far more money selling games on consoles than on PCs because a) it's cheaper to own a console and b) there are a lot more console owners than gaming PC owners. As such, it makes far more business sense to tailor a game for consoles than PCs.

Also, any Linux game would be far more "like a Mac" than a PC, because it would have to be written in OpenGL instead of DirectX. As we all already know, Mac gaming has not been set on fire with the arrival of steam, as there are few games and any ports that do come along are several years old. And when you look at marketshare stats, there are far more Macs being using as general purpose computers than Linux boxes.

Valve may be incentivized to make their games work on Linux because Gabe Newell says so, but until we start seeing games arrive on Linux on the same day as the Windows version, I don't see such Linux gaming taking off.

[Fox5]

Originally Posted by dagamer34

Most game studios make far more money selling games on consoles than on PCs because a) it's cheaper to own a console and b) there are a lot more console owners than gaming PC owners. As such, it makes far more business sense to tailor a game for consoles than PCs.

Also, any Linux game would be far more "like a Mac" than a PC, because it would have to be written in OpenGL instead of DirectX. As we all already know, Mac gaming has not been set on fire with the arrival of steam, as there are few games and any ports that do come along are several years old. And when you look at marketshare stats, there are far more Macs being using as general purpose computers than Linux boxes.

Valve may be incentivized to make their games work on Linux because Gabe Newell says so, but until we start seeing games arrive on Linux on the same day as the Windows version, I don't see such Linux gaming taking off.

There isn't a market, until someone creates it.

I doubt that there will be a big Linux gaming market, but a closed box system running a Linux kernel with a locked down Steam on top can hardly be called a PC, it's another console but using the best free OS as its base and commodity hardware.
I'd imagine the development platform of choice will consist of the Source engine. It already runs on OpenGL without any additional work from the game dev, and I think it even has its own APIs for input and sound. Steam is an OS now, from a game developers standpoint.

Strangely enough, most console ports, Valve games, and indie (and android) games could run great on integrated graphics right now. Depending on how good the next Atom and AMD netbook platforms are, those might even be viable candidates for a low end steamer. After all, this thing won't just do games, it will do movies, music, and apps, marking Valve's entrance into the Roku, Boxee, GoogleTV, etc market. (although xbox, playstation, and wii are now all entrants in the streaming market too)

[Skel]

Originally Posted by masteryoda34

The thing is that Valve's "console" would literally be a PC. The same game code could run on the Valve "console" and PCs. Therefore, the Valve "console" wouldn't contribute to crappy console ports.

Funny enough people said that the OG Xbox was "literally a PC" when it was released and yet they still raged. As for the Valve contributing, if the console sold well you bet your ass they would start developing for it with the PC a distant second place. The console they would control from top to bottom.