Steam Hardware Enthusiast

[steelodon]

Has anyone completed this badge already for the beta selection? Thanks.

 

[Snock514]

yup

 

[Barfo]

We all have.

 

[Dankk]

Yes, about 364,000 people have.

 

[rivethead]

Yes

 

[Techhog]

Duh?

 

[rifken2]

As much as I am the target audience for what they are attempting to pull off here, I won't try for the free Steam Machine. I don't have 10 friends, 0 to be honest, in Steam. Otherwise I would be the perfect candidate.

I will not be purchasing a new console this fall, probably not even next year. I have a HTPC with a 2500K, 8GB of ram, a SSD, I think an HIS 6850, and two xbox 360 controllers. I use this to watch all media in the living room. I also have unhooked my 360.

I have repurchased most of my favorite console games that support controllers in Steam. I do find that the BF4 beta was very difficult with a 360 controller versus the KB/M guys... still I did ok as support, firing from a distance and using the vehicles was fine with the controller.

My wife mentioned this past weekend, why not skip the next console and just use this, you are able to play online with it. She doesn't even realize the games are typically cheaper if you wait a bit.

She actually enjoys the PC version of Left 4 Dead 2 because of the mods. She loves the community created content as it keeps the content fresh.

The fact that Steam has pretty much converted my wife from a casual gamer into a part time PC Gamer, albeit with a controller, cracks me up. She loves Half-Life and about once a quarter she asks me when the next one is coming out.

That said, they still have a ways to go with the Big Screen interface. The biggest complaint is that some of the games make you use the mouse to select an option once you launch a game, i.e. Saints Row 3, it asks you to select DX11 or DX9. They need to correct that for a seamless experience. My wife never turned on the 360 so I don't think she would ever kick off Steam for a gaming session, but that isn't the point. They need to make it to where she could. I suppose the fact that I taught her, and made it easy enough, to use XBMC for watching media means she can learn how to do more complex tasks, but my point is she shouldn't have to learn more complex tasks.

My two cents anyway.

 

[gorobei]

im in the running.

as a side note, i just tried tf2 with a controller. anyone who thinks they will be competitive without some sort of auto aim assist is delusional. just trying to basic rocket jump is painful enough, much less some of the fancier moves. if steam boxes ever take off there is an entire generation of console gamers in for a very rude awakening.