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Valve Hiring Hardware Developers
New submitter Canazza writes
"According to Develop, 'PC games giant Valve wants to "invent whole new gaming experiences" and is looking for people to help create new hardware, the Washington studio has confirmed. Off the back of a wave of speculation that the studio is building its own games console – a rumour which Valve has not specifically denied – the company now appears to be increasing capacity of its hardware development division.' Is Valve designing a new console? Or is this an expansion of its biometric controls research? Either way, something big is going down at Valve."
Do not fall into this! Do not use Steam or any Valve products! Newell is ex-Microsoft employee who was "put off" to destroy free software movement by only releasing Steam for Windows. There is no Linux version! And you know why? Because Valve works with Microsoft to increase and keep Windows market share and so that no one would try better OS like Linux.
Why do you think they've been waiting for so long to release HL3? Obviously so you can play the game using your own off-the-shelf gravity gun. Is it really that hard to guess?
Maybe one of them will know what "episodic" was supposed to mean and enlighten Gabe.
With this much brainpower behind the project, I can't wait to see how cool this crow-bar that they are manufacturing is!!!!
Koalas. They're telepathic. Plus, they control the weather. -Margaret
Two minutes before I saw this article, I saw the one about Tim Cook being spotted visiting Valve headquarters...
Anti-Mass Spectrometer operational...
A Valve console would make sense. It would be an extension to Steam. However, hardware is always a enormous financial risk. I know Valves has cash on hands, but to this point?
The only point I'm not quite sure is, what OS would a Valve console run? Maybe this would explain what Valve is doing in recruiting Linux staff.
"Either way, something big is going down at Valve." and survey says its still most likely not Half Life Episode 3 or Half Life 3. thanks gaben, making sure to give gamers what we really want. a far off possibility of another console full of 90% shovelware to get a few good games a year that are cross platform releases anyways. maybe you'll make a new half life then.
Dammit, all I ever wanted them to invent was more half life!
The hardware developers will be working on pipe wrenches.
I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
Try Desura.
Yes, it's not quite as nice as steam. But it is coming along.
Valve has already done with with the Razer Hydra. This is likely an expansion on that idea.
Quote: "across a wide range of platforms. We're not talking about me-too mice and gamepads here - help us invent whole new gaming experiences."
So, this could be anything like that. I doubt a console is in the works.
For those who seek perfection there can be no rest on this side of the grave.
Portal gun. That's all.
I eat only the real part of complex carbohydrates.
Maybe they're building life size robots? I'd love to kick an Atlas or P-body around the house. :)
Valve recently hired Commodore 64 and FPGA guru Jeri Ellsworth. She wouldn't join a lame project. So I have faith they're up to something terrific!
I hate to be "that guy", but seriously, where's the story here? This story is only over a month old and it seems to have about the same amount of info (which is to say essentially none). If it were some kind of announcement maybe...
Sex. Drugs, and Unix.
Don't spoil the premise of HL3, you dolt!
Ben Krasnow (Youtube videos) has done some insanely cool DIY projects, like an electron microscope, LED-in-contact-lens, and aerogel. No idea what he's working on at valve, but it's got to be interesting...
-chris
http://www.cad-comic.com/cad/20120305
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
It's something to look forward to. Entertainment (games in particular) is naturally going to evolve, and new hardware is part of that. It must be hard, though, to introduce new hardware. How many people buy joysticks to play a flight sim? Not many. But somehow the Wii (and followers) edged its way into things, so it's not impossible. A recent Slashdot article was about Kinect voice-controlled shouts for Skyrim. So there are lots of possibilities. Although, like others clearly ;), I'm still looking forward to Half-Life 3, I think it's fair for Valve as a game company (and owner of Steam) to be exploring other gaming possibilities.
Valve knows what MS and Sony keep ignoring. Although I suspect MS is well aware based on what they're doing with windows 8.
As we see consoles attempt to be PCs... we will simply see Valve deliver a PC experience to consoles, in a fully upgradable, open platform hardware device known as a PC. The games will be compatible no matter what. They will run on windows8. They will connect to steam and even xbox live if you want.
The future is the PC... consoles are dead. Mark my fucking words bitches
If they make their own system and link it to Steam, it would be awesome if I could buy a game once and have access to it from both the PC and the console. Heck, I would be happy with a small additional fee like $5.00. I never understood why I have to buy a game I already bought at full retail when I want it for another system. I already paid for most of the work that went into making the game. Why should I be charged for the whole thing again when they could simply charge me for the small part they had to change to get it to work on another system?
I think this is a response to the underwhelming hardware Sony and Microsoft are rumored to be planning on releasing. If those companies' greedy executives get their way, we'll end up with a "next-generation" of consoles in 2013 with underpowered 2010 hardware, which they'll sell at a hefty hardware margin. They're probably also unwilling to allow Steam to operate on their consoles, so rather than be locked out Valve is going to go forward on its own.
Well, actually that's not quite true. Valve have quite clearly stated they're looking for engineers with regards to wearable computing.
http://blogs.valvesoftware.com/abrash/
Whilst it's possible that they're working on a console, or a linux steam client in tandem (one can only hope), the wearable computing angle could be the only thing they're actually working on, a convient cover, or a complete coincidence they've decided to start talking about both. In any event, the blog is kinda interesting, but it states they're not doing anything beyond R&D at this point.
Penny Arcade recently had an interview with Gabe Newell where he talks a bit about Valve's interest in hardware development; worth a read:
http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/valves-gabe-newell-talks-wearable-computers-rewarding-players-and-whether-w
Microsoft tries to buy Valve to squash them before they start competing in the console market? Lets hope not.
Let me know when you start hiring device driver developers for all that lovely hardware, Mr. Newell.
The lowest risk option is to focusing on the controller/biofeedback stuff, provide drivers for Windows, and expect people to buy Windows Media Center with the requisite video cards. Going further with a SteamBox would be a gusty move. It would run either on Linux or bare metal -- not Windows. I wonder if Valve and Google are talking about this and ChromeOS. Valve (as successful as it has been) can't lose the kinda money Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo can on each console, but if they don't play the game that way, there is also no need to lock down the box. It would need to be a market-priced PC box. The DRM is there to protect the software from being duplicated -- not the hardware from being re-purposed. Look for a video card partner or two (ones with existing Linux drivers). Look for a PC vendor partner. Controller/biofeedback stuff is the missing piece. Unlike software, hardware still has to go through the channel. Maybe Valve and Steam are established enough that CostCo/Target carries it, or maybe it is only available for purchase on-line. Returns would be deadly. Spec'ing a platform, providing or guiding the biofeedback elements, and partnering with existing PC vendor would be lower risk. Still, it would be very gusty. Microsoft did the X-Box to forestall someone making a beach head like this. To just make the beach head anyway will not go unnoticed. Still, look at the risks to Valve if they don't do anything. PCs giving way to mobile and in this economy, Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo controlling the the power and time frame of their consoles, and unwilling to give Steam a place on the menu.
I think the future is the console, and PCs are dead and being supplanted by STBs (mostly gaming consoles, but some rokus and apple TVs etc) and by portable devices with tablet form factors like tablets and touch-sensitive smartphones.
Consoles are trying NOT to be PCs. There's a crapload of console games which would be better with a mouse, but the only place you can use a mouse is in some drawing games for Nintendo and Sony. Consoles want to be appliances, not PCs.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
I used to share your opinion about PC vs. console gaming. I experienced PC gaming for the first time in 1996 with the first Quake -- this was coming off a run with the SNES. I was floored. The N64 also came out in '96, and I couldn't understand why anyone wanted to bother with consoles because the PC seemed so much more capable. I played games strictly on PC through my ensuing high school and college years.
It wasn't until I had entered the workforce, pushing 30 at the time, that this shifted. I was tired of fighting with computers. I was no longer interested in spending my free time (which was now greatly reduced) getting a PC to run smoothly. I got tired of hardware upgrades, Windows crashes and driver bugs. I was tired of wondering if the next service pack or driver update would bork my setup. I just wanted the damn thing to work. I got consumed with other things and stopped gaming completely.
Just a year ago, I bought a used console on eBay, and holy crap, the thing just works! You mean all I have to do is put the disc in the slot, pick up the controller and play? And every game released for the platform is guaranteed to run on the hardware? Why on Earth would I want to use a PC again? I've bought about 25 titles for my console, which is far more than I can say for PC. The PC is dead to me; for me, there's no going back.
All STBs and consoles are PCs. They're just in a box near your tv, and they are ALL pathetic pcs.
The PC wins.
My best friend, has had 7 xbox 360s die. He finally decided to not buy an 8th because his PC is just fine. I've had 2 Xbox 360s die. The failure rate of xbox360 is ridiculously high. They still have not fixed the problem with their design.
I've had the same quadcore for about 3 years... graanted it was a top of the line intel extreme, and its now overlocked, and i've replaced my video card once. It has been solid, and it plays games far better than any console. I can also write this post from it, view netflix, play games on steam, play starcraft 2, diablo 3, super street fighter IV, Portal, Portal 2, Team Fortress, etc.
I can also do work on this computer. I can do anything on it. It is a computer... not a limited toy. I dont see Consoles ever replacing that. BTW I also have another computer hooked up to my 50inch lcd for games and movies and ANYTHING else it can do. You have to love it really. Consoles are so limited, and I can do anything with my PC.