Valve Announces Hardware Beta Test For 'Steam Machine'

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Valve Announces Hardware Beta Test For 'Steam Machine'

Posted by Soulskill on Wednesday September 25, 2013 @05:15AM from the get-it-while-it's-hot dept.

Valve's second major living-room-gaming announcement landed today: they have produced a prototype model of their first "Steam Machine." They've made 300 units, and they'll be sending the machines to users in a very limited beta test. Valve hastens to add that this device isn't the only Steam-focused hardware: "Entertainment is not a one-size-fits-all world. We want you to be able to choose the hardware that makes sense for you, so we are working with multiple partners to bring a variety of Steam gaming machines to market during 2014, all of them running SteamOS." They haven't released specs, but they guaranteed the prototypes will ship this year. They explicitly permit using it in any way — swapping parts, changing the OS, installing any software, etc. "The specific machine we're testing is designed for users who want the most control possible over their hardware. Other boxes will optimize for size, price, quietness, or other factors."

13 of 271 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

An open system by crashcy · 2013-09-25 05:20 · Score: 4, Informative

From the Questions section, they say you can hack it as you like, change the OS, change the hardware, and that the SteamOS source code will be available.
1. Re:An open system by Wookact · 2013-09-25 05:30 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  This argument holds no water. Steam's DRM has not cause anyone I know any issues playing their games. In fact they have even loosened control even more to allow you to share your games.
  
  I only hate DRM that keeps me from what I paid for. Steam's DRM has not done any such thing. If you want to complain about DRM, please target GFWL, Ubisoft, and EA.
2. Re:An open system by geekoid · 2013-09-25 06:02 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  It keeps you from reselling what you paid for.
  
  --
  The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
3. Re:An open system by dj245 · 2013-09-25 06:12 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  It keeps you from reselling what you paid for.
  It also allows me to download the game any number of times, long after I would have lost a disk or lost a CD-check key. They also have huge sales on AAA games with discounts you generally will not find in retail stores. Steam has advantages and disadvantages. For a lot of people the disadvantages are not important.
  
  Gamestop gives pennies on the dollar and I can't be bothered to sell used goods $10 at a time on Craigslist, including fielding emails and calls, arranging to meet the person, haggling, etc. If you sell used games on Ebay, you'll have nothing left after fees and shipping. For some people that much hassle for $10 might be worth it, but for a lot of people it is not.
  
  --
  Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history.
4. Re:An open system by Pluvius · 2013-09-25 08:14 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  No, the very nature of the PC ecosystem keeps you from reselling what you paid for. Bootlegging PC games has been trivial for well over a decade even if you're only looking at optical-disc-based games. There's also the fact that you could never trust any used game with both a multiplayer component and a CD key (because how do you know the original owner isn't still using the key?) Those trust issues (not to mention the ease of piracy) made the PC used-game market essentially nonviable for years before Steam came out, and would continue to do so if Steam didn't exist. Especially since the publishers that are currently using Steam to lock down their games would continue to do so through similar methods.
  Rob
Re:A truly useful gaming appliance by RandomSkratch · 2013-09-25 05:25 · Score: 5, Funny

It'll only steam, not vacuum.
Re:Just like Google with Android by Lithdren · 2013-09-25 05:31 · Score: 4, Insightful

The OS is open source. If you want Netfix, you can add it yourself if you're motivated enough.
Otherwise, just make a large enough demand and the company themselves will put one out im sure. I view this thing as a gamechanger, a console system that is upgradeable like a PC? Geez I might even consider one.
Second announcement by Sarten-X · 2013-09-25 05:37 · Score: 4, Funny

Valve's second major living-room-gaming announcement...
...so we're done now, I guess. Next they'll move on to a pair of kitchen-gaming announcements, and maybe a hallway-outside-the-living-room-gaming announcement just to keep the hype up, but interest will wane, anyway... until the upstairs-bedroom-by-the-window-gaming announcement, which will bring back hopes for a third living-room-gaming announcement, and Valve will see the pressure, and release a backyard-gaming announcement.

--
You do not have a moral or legal right to do absolutely anything you want.
Re:Just like Google with Android by interkin3tic · 2013-09-25 05:58 · Score: 4, Insightful

Why is this a gamechanger? We already had a videogame playing system that was upgradeable like a PC. It's called "A PC."
Re:Proprietary on top of linux = no control for us by Kelbear · 2013-09-25 05:59 · Score: 5, Interesting

I do trust Valve, but the parent brings up an important point.
The difference between a PC and a console isn't hardware, it's about control. The hardware and interfaces will all change over time, but the real distinction is who gets to say what happens on the platform. For PCs, users control the environment. For consoles, a company is controlling the environment. There are benefits to users owning the environment, and benefits to a company controlling the environment.
The SteamMachine appears to be a weird hybrid between the two ends of the spectrum, and seems to be giving up the most significant advantages of both ends unless this starts to drive some major changes in game development.
Re:Proprietary on top of linux = no control for us by Anubis+IV · 2013-09-25 06:25 · Score: 4, Informative

Give me a gaming kernel replacement (kind of like the real time kernel) in a general purpose OS that I remain in control of and that doesn't spy on me and I'll be a cheerleader. But this thing will do all the same old same old such as spy on me, try to control what I can and can't do on my own machine, try to lock my content, impose artificial limits that I have to buy back etc. etc. etc.
I don't see how any of the complaints you have apply to SteamOS or the Steam machines. In fact, they're giving you what you want. From Valve:

Will I be able to build my own box to run SteamOS?
Yes.
Can I hack this box? Run another OS? Change the hardware? Install my own software? Use it to build a robot?
Sure.
Can I download the OS to try it out?
You will be able to download it (including the source code, if you're into that) but not yet.
So, from what I can tell, they've taken a general purpose OS and fine-tuned some aspects of it for gaming, they're open sourcing it so that you can make your own hacks to it if you want, the hardware for this box will be general purpose stuff that you can hack on to your heart's content, and Valve has no history of engaging in the sorts of artificial limits that you're talking about.
Really, it sounds like your complaints are aimed at Steam (the app, not the OS) and its DRM, which is an entirely separate issue. I don't know why you started talking about kernels and other such things when the OS and machine are as near as I can tell exactly what you described that you wanted.
Re:Proprietary on top of linux = no control for us by Asmodae · 2013-09-25 06:43 · Score: 4, Insightful

Think carefully about those statements. Here are some possible consequences of SteamMachine:
Failure - Status quo is maintained.
Success (even moderate success) - LINUX Gains a huge user base dedicated to gaming. The calculus of game developers and publishers with regards to LINUX development and Linux ports does a complete 180. Native support for LINUX games becomes something publishers might actually consider as worthwhile instead of "WTF is LINUX?".
Success and Valve turns evil - Games will be made to natively support LINUX so they run on the Steam console hardware platform of the day. DRM can and will be circumvented as always, but now they'll run on LINUX instead of Windows.
Re:A truly useful gaming appliance by lordofthechia · 2013-09-25 06:59 · Score: 4, Insightful

One word: Convenience.
How many people have bought Rokus or Tivos when they could just hook up a PC to their TV, install the right hardware, install the right software (Browser, Silverlight, MythTV) and get the same thing? Convenience.
The lack of convenience is what has been driving people away from PC gaming to the consoles. Why mess with drivers, OS updates, incompatibilities, updating your anti-virus, etc when you can just plop a game disk into your playstation or xbox and just enjoy the game.
Now if you already have a PC with steam installed, then you're not the main targeted demographic for SteamOS and/or the Steam Machines. Valve is (rightfully so) looking at all the peoples with wads of cash beating on the doors of Sony and Microsoft and asking themselves "What can we do to bring these people back to PC gaming?"
So now the consumers have another choice. The easy to use XBOX, Playstation, or pre-configured and ready to go Steam Machine by (Dell, Gateway, Alienware, HP). Just take it home, plug it into your tv, insert credit card, acquire games.
Already have the PC hardware? Get SteamOS and install it (or dual boot with your favorite OS) to get a similar experience. Want to leave the gaming rig upstairs while you chill on the couch? Get a smaller Steam Machine and stream your workhorse to your TV.
Their slogan should be: "Shh... No tears, only games"

--
Georgia Tech, the leader in Chia(tm) technology.