Gabe Newell: "Linux is the future of gaming", announcements forthcoming

[crashtestdummy]

The problem is they aren't going to be able to go after the console market. If Valve doesn't want to invest billions in a new console, letting hardware vendors sell SteamBoxes isn't going to benefit the consumer at all. We are going to get all kinds of configurations and no real standard. It will be such as PC gaming is today, and the hassle of worrying about how well a game will run is still on the consumer. Console gamers don't have to worry if their Xbox can run this game or not, because it is on Xbox and will run at 30 or 60 FPS.

If we have a Dell SteamBox, HP SteamBox, and a Acer SteamBox, what settings will run on each? Do I have to learn what hardware is in each and what I have to tweak to play the game? This isn't what console gamers want. They won't win any battles this way.

Two solutions come to mind: the first that there's no reason that the settings even have to be visible to the user. Steam can read the hardware for you and know how to make the game run best. It wouldn't even be hard to make an "easy" mode like that and an "advanced" mode that lets you adjust it like a PC system.

Edit: forgot the second one. The second one is a rating system, and games can have a number or name associated with them as a system requirement. I don't love this one, and frankly since games will be bought through steam it seems unnecessary.

Plus, they don't have name recognition with console gamers. They don't know what Steam is or who Valve is, nor do they care. "Valve? Oh the guys that did Left 4 Dead. Yeah that was okay I guess. I think I'll pass on their $400 console and buy a PS4 instead. I know Sony and I know the PS4."

They don't now, but they don't have to. As I said earlier, all that has to happen is that there's enough market share to get developers to port to Linux (and the PS4's APIs are more similar to OpenGL than to DirectX). Then, they can afford a slow, steady climb as opposed to the big launch that consoles need.

I just don't see this offering anything to any consumers except Gabe and the fanboys who gobble up anything he says.

I wouldn't have a problem if this does get more developers and hardware makers (for drivers) on board with Linux, but I just don't see it happening.

I assure you I'm not a Valve/Newell fanboy. As I said before, I don't plan on buying a system in the near future, but I wouldn't be surprised if in five years' time we're talking about this as a big shift in gaming (though it could just as easily flop).

 

[KaOTiK]

I think people that are dismissing this are being a bit too short sighted currently. Especially since we obviously are missing pieces to the puzzle stuff.

 

[smackababy]

I wasn't trying to imply you were a fanboy. Just that this move, at this time, doesn't make sense.

Steam would have been better off selling developers on Linux before they put out a Steam OS. If they did something like "release a game on Steam with a Linux version, and pay 20% instead of 30% to us for each sale" and then after getting a substantial library or commitment from developers, release this it would make much more sense.

I think people that are dismissing this are being a bit too short sighted currently. Especially since we obviously are missing pieces to the puzzle stuff.

Except the puzzle can only have a few pieces that fit in. They are either releasing hardware or letting other hardware makers have the OS to include in a console style box. It is Linux based, so we know the massive library of games we have access to now will be gone. They can try and give incentives to developers to make the switch to Linux, but good luck. Linux hasn't gotten much support for a reason. What other pieces could they possibly unveil? The logical ones don't make sense. Steam OS is just another of the hundreds of Linux distros now that won't get much support or consumer marketshare. And it needs one for the other and vice versa. Valve isn't willing to lose billions investing in this and they aren't going to compete with consoles. The OUYA tried, yeah, that went well... They don't have the money or the brand name to go into the console market and PC gamers aren't going to switch to an OS that may or may not support their mouse and keyboard of choice.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Valve isn't known for going half into things. I imagine they have a game plan. They already said that 100's of games were compatible already. This would make one assume they already have a way to get around the whole DX thing possibly.

Personally however, I see a dedicated box defeating the purpose. If you're going to make games in a manner that they all look and perform exactly the same no matter what platform you have them on, then there is no reason to have multiple platforms and even less of a reason to "upgrade". PC's are PC's for a reason.

PC games by nature do not translate that well to TV gaming. If ALL future games are going to be console ports, well, then, that solves that issue, but brings up loads of others.

The only part of this that really stands out is the move away from Windows, but that is a long slow road.

 

[frozentundra123456]

Not sure I really understand the entire system, or if it is even worked out yet. But since I already have a PC that runs every game ported to it, I dont see anything here that interests me. All our kids are gone from the house now, my wife plays some online city building games, and that is it. I am not interested in streaming at all, or integrating some kind of gaming into the TV. We have cable/DVR functionality that allows us to do all we want with controlling the TV.

Until every game that can be played on PC is ported to Steam OS, I see no real advantage for me. For some perhaps, if they have larger families and want to stream games or share content.

Since it is free, I guess there is nothing to lose, unless they somehow make a deal with developers to make Steam OS exclusive games that will require Steambox to run. I know most people think Gabe is this great friend of PC gamers, but I am cynical enough of anyone involved with such big money that I would not rule it out.

 

[Saylick]

I'd be more interested if you could install a SteamOS-like app on next gen consoles that allow you to stream PC games to your TV...

 

[KaOTiK]

I wasn't trying to imply you were a fanboy. Just that this move, at this time, doesn't make sense.

Steam would have been better off selling developers on Linux before they put out a Steam OS. If they did something like "release a game on Steam with a Linux version, and pay 20% instead of 30% to us for each sale" and then after getting a substantial library or commitment from developers, release this it would make much more sense.


Except the puzzle can only have a few pieces that fit in. They are either releasing hardware or letting other hardware makers have the OS to include in a console style box. It is Linux based, so we know the massive library of games we have access to now will be gone. They can try and give incentives to developers to make the switch to Linux, but good luck. Linux hasn't gotten much support for a reason. What other pieces could they possibly unveil? The logical ones don't make sense. Steam OS is just another of the hundreds of Linux distros now that won't get much support or consumer marketshare. And it needs one for the other and vice versa. Valve isn't willing to lose billions investing in this and they aren't going to compete with consoles. The OUYA tried, yeah, that went well... They don't have the money or the brand name to go into the console market and PC gamers aren't going to switch to an OS that may or may not support their mouse and keyboard of choice.

It can only have a few pieces that fit if you keep thinking inside the box.

We don't know and to pass crazy claims that it's a failure/will fail without even knowing how it all fits together is crazy.

It could very well fail, it probably has a high chance too even if it is awesome, but we don't know enough yet to say. We simply know they have an OS built on Linux with a lot of AAA games being ported to it and you will access to your entire Steam library through streaming it seems as well.

 

[cmdrdredd]

GPU driver support for Linux is way behind though.

 

[smackababy]

It could very well fail, it probably has a high chance too even if it is awesome, but we don't know enough yet to say. We simply know they have an OS built on Linux with a lot of AAA games being ported to it and you will access to your entire Steam library through streaming it seems as well.

No, we don't know that. They didn't list (from what I've seen) any number of titles. We also don't know how it streams. If it requires me to have a gaming PC and Windows to stream to a SteamOS box, well that is incredibly stupid. If their "a lot" of AAA titles amounts to some AAA titles from 2008, well that is also incredibly stupid.

 

[Lonyo]

No, we don't know that. They didn't list (from what I've seen) any number of titles. We also don't know how it streams. If it requires me to have a gaming PC and Windows to stream to a SteamOS box, well that is incredibly stupid. If their "a lot" of AAA titles amounts to some AAA titles from 2008, well that is also incredibly stupid.

We do know how it streams.
It says it on the page. Stream games from your Windows PC.

You can play all your Windows and Mac games on your SteamOS machine, too. Just turn on your existing computer and run Steam as you always have - then your SteamOS machine can stream those games over your home network straight to your TV!

 

[smackababy]

We do know how it streams.
It says it on the page. Stream games from your Windows PC.

So, I can pay whatever the cost of this Steam Box instead of a $5 HDMI cable! Yay! Thank you Lord Gabe, you've saved me from that evil MS!

 

[KaOTiK]

No, we don't know that. They didn't list (from what I've seen) any number of titles. We also don't know how it streams. If it requires me to have a gaming PC and Windows to stream to a SteamOS box, well that is incredibly stupid. If their "a lot" of AAA titles amounts to some AAA titles from 2008, well that is also incredibly stupid.

I think you need to go read the page http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/SteamOS/

In-home Streaming

You can play all your Windows and Mac games on your SteamOS machine, too. Just turn on your existing computer and run Steam as you always have - then your SteamOS machine can stream those games over your home network straight to your TV!


All the games you love

Hundreds of great games are already running natively on SteamOS. Watch for announcements in the coming weeks about all the AAA titles coming natively to SteamOS in 2014. Access the full Steam catalog of nearly 3000 games and desktop software titles via in-home streaming.

No wonder you come off as clueless at times, you don't even read what you rant about.

 

[Red Storm]

For those who already have the "perfect gaming setup"... why exactly do you feel the need to bitch in this thread? What exactly are you defending here? Why are you against more options for gamers? I don't recall Valve saying they were going to take away Windows gaming. Some of you seem extremely upset that we may get more gaming alternatives to Windows, why is that?

 

[blackened23]

For those who already have the "perfect gaming setup"... why exactly do you feel the need to bitch in this thread? What exactly are you defending here? Why are you against more options for gamers? I don't recall Valve saying they were going to take away Windows gaming. Some of you seem extremely upset that we may get more gaming alternatives to Windows, why is that?

I don't think anyone's upset. I think we do, however, see the real truth in the matter in that Steam OS doesn't offer US the consumers a net benefit. It DOES, HOWEVER, offer Gabe and Valve a net monetary benefit, period.

None of us are upset, though. At least i'm not, i'm indifferent. I think it's hilarious that anyone believes Steam OS to be the savior of gaming - or can't see the truth behind why Valve would really do this ($$$$$). Whatever, it's just funny.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Smack's only mad because he fears it will crush the Xbone and the PC master race will win.