Steambox is real

[noiseredux]

hands on w/ Steam controller:

http://www.pcgamer.com/2014/01/07/hands ... -ces-2014/

[ZenErik]

If you look at Steam's PDF of upcoming Steam Machines, the 1st one on the left after the Alienware machine uses the same exact case that I built my machine with.

[marlowe221]

Color me a bit confused about these revealed machines. I'm not sure who they are selling to exactly. No console gamer is going to pay prices like that for a Linux box that effectively has no games... because it runs Linux. PC gamers either already have a gaming PC or are savvy enough to know those aren't a great deal for the most part. Plus, PC gamers will already have a rig that will run 90-100% (depending on specs) of Steam's library while the number of notable Linux games on Steam could probably be tallied up without taking off your socks.

Linux as a gaming platform would be great, IMHO, but it's not there yet.

[dsheinem]

Color me a bit confused about these revealed machines. I'm not sure who they are selling to exactly.

I think THEY think that there's an untapped market of people who want to play PC games and/or play PC games on their TV but are phobic of setting up a gaming PC and/or setting one up to interface with a TV.

I think they are right and that these markets exist, but that they are vastly overestimating that market's size and how much it wants to pay to have a "no hassle" approach to playing PC games.

[Stark]

Color me a bit confused about these revealed machines. I'm not sure who they are selling to exactly.

I think THEY think that there's an untapped market of people who want to play PC games and/or play PC games on their TV but are phobic of setting up a gaming PC and/or setting one up to interface with a TV.

I think they are right and that these markets exist, but that they are vastly overestimating that market's size and how much it wants to pay to have a "no hassle" approach to playing PC games.

Right they're getting those people and the people that have a decent gaming rig and want to stream it to their TV with the Steam box. I'd be interested if it wasn't $400.

The thing that would sell me is Half-Life 3 SteamOS exclusive.

[ZenErik]

I wonder how successful they think this venture will be. If nothing else, the controller is interesting. Definitely looking forward to trying one out. I sort of expect to still prefer a more conventional controller or keyboard + mouse for most games, but that won't stop me from wanting one.

[marlowe221]

Color me a bit confused about these revealed machines. I'm not sure who they are selling to exactly.

I think THEY think that there's an untapped market of people who want to play PC games and/or play PC games on their TV but are phobic of setting up a gaming PC and/or setting one up to interface with a TV.

I think they are right and that these markets exist, but that they are vastly overestimating that market's size and how much it wants to pay to have a "no hassle" approach to playing PC games.

Right they're getting those people and the people that have a decent gaming rig and want to stream it to their TV with the Steam box. I'd be interested if it wasn't $400.

The thing that would sell me is Half-Life 3 SteamOS exclusive.

Yeah, I definitely agree that Valve seems to have overestimated the market for this idea. Even the cheaper options seem kind of expensive for a streaming box too.

I totally get that Valve wants to push Linux as a primetime platform for gaming - and I would love to see that happen. But I'm not sure the "steam box" is what's going to get us there.

Meanwhile the controller is interesting, though I have read that it doesn't seem to do as well on 2D games as it does for, say, an FPS.

[noiseredux]

the thing is this... Steamboxes don't even really exist to a certain degree. What I mean is, if I took my current PC and installed SteamOS and bought a Steam controller, then that would be a Steambox. The reason the prices and specs are all over the place is because basically any company can make any box they want, slap SteamOS on it and sell it w/ a controller and call it a Steam Machine.

Also in regards to it being just a "streaming box," that's the other issue. There's confusion over what these things even are. You could get a more powerful one, and use it to actually play games. Or you can get a cheaper less powerful one and use it to stream games to.

In the end though, the whole thing is a little... 'why?' to me right now. As mentioned earlier in the thread, I could hook my PC up to a TV right now and put it in Big Picture mode. Actually I'm pretty sure that's exactly Stark's setup for instance. So really the defining pieces as I seem them are the OS and controller. Neither of which I'm totally sold on as being all that beneficial over a PC running windows and a 360 pad.

[Stark]

Actually I'm pretty sure that's exactly Stark's setup for instance. So really the defining pieces as I seem them are the OS and controller. Neither of which I'm totally sold on as being all that beneficial over a PC running windows and a 360 pad.

It is how I have mine setup, but the way I have it run (DVI+Optical converted to HDMI, run about 25ft to TV) often has audio issues that I wonder if they would be fixed by doing a streaming method instead. Probably won't find out for $400 minimum though.

[marlowe221]

I think some of the confusion and frustration you can easily find on the internet right now has a lot to do with Valve's messaging on the subject. I mean, Valve didn't come right out and say these words but the two main messages most people seem to have taken from the statements they made early on were, 1) "Hey look, it's PC gaming made easy!" and 2) "Hey look, it's PC gaming made cheap(er)!"

But then the reveal happens and we see PCs at regular PC prices (and up!), an OS that doesn't currently run much of anything, and a new controller of questionable necessity.

Don't get me wrong - I am not accusing Valve of being intentionally misleading. Maybe Valve is just not that good at PR. But even a cursory glance of some gaming sub-reddits will show that a LOT of people got the idea that the "Steam Box" was one thing when it's really another thing altogether.