So, an offline mode presumes I'm ever going to give it an on-line mode, which I'm not.
Take disc out of cellophane, put in console, play disc. No network. Ever. Need for a network connection at any time in the life of the console is a deal breaker for me.
You know, old school.
But the real old school requires an accoustic coupler, or at least a serial cable! You know... Pre Apple...:)
I do get your point, but it looks like soon none of the platforms will support that. Other than The Pirate Bay...
"The PS3 is basically a purpose built PC" That runs on a radicaly different cpu/gpu architechture compared to x86.
Well, seeing as how all of the major operating systems (Other than apple) run on multiple cpu archtectures now, what is your point? The PS3 can still run Linux, just not dual boot.
You had me sold on this theory, right up until you said "warrant".
Then I knew it was bullshit.
Like our government feels the need to recognize the legal process anymore.
You know that he's going to have a trial, right? And that the FBI won't want him to get off because there was no warrant for the evidence the prosecution presents in that trial, right? There might very well be unconstitutional monitoring in this process, but to bring it to court and get a conviction, a warrant is necessary paperwork.
That's right. Each defendant is entitled to a fair and impartial conviction.
"You promised me those men would be decently treated."
"They were decently treated. They were decently fed, decently clothed, and then they were decently shot. Those men are common outlaws, nothing more."
The Outlaw Jose Wales
Consoles aren't for geeks. They're for average folks. Folks who don't want to have to upgrade stuff. This Steam box is basically a PC that runs an embedded (Linux) OS. It'll still require upgrades, compatibility issues, inconsistent performance, etc.
And Sony never has to upgrade the console. Like when they did it and took away the ability to dual boot Linux. The PS3 is basically a purpose built PC that runs a locked down Linux, and still requires upgrades, and has compatability issues with early titles. (PS2) The Xbox is basically a purpose built PC that runs a locked down Windows, and still requires upgrades, and has compatability issues with early titles. Your phone is basically a purpose built PC that runs a locked down Linux, and still requires upgrades, and has compatability issues with early apps.
In addition to those criteria, if SteamOS has the capability to install and run emulators of my choice (PSXe, Nesticle*, et. al), as well as having AAA games available on launch day, there's about a snowball's chance in hell I'm going to buy one of the other consoles.
* Yes, I still have a copy of Nesticle stashed on a drive somewhere; No, I'm not sending you the binary.
Since it is just a Linux system with a new GUI, I am guessing there will be emulator hacks out on day 1.
If they publish some basic specs they don't really need to roll out any hardware at all. For the 'console-only' crowd, they can buy a Steam Box... the rest can provide their own if they wish.
From what I can tell, and Linux computer supporting Steam and a controller and you have a "steam box" now.
I kinda took it differently. When they announced this an Alienware equivalent doesn't come to mind. Instead I get the same picture as the $300-400 budget gaming PC's that I've always built. When the parts are bought in bulk I'm willing to bet that an OEM could assemble a small equivalent set-top box for even cheaper and have a fairly capable system to compete with the $400-500 Sony and MS offerings.
I'm kinda envisioning the Steambox being offered at more of a $250-300 price point. If you want a monster rig you can still build it yourself and run SteamOS.
Add to that the economies of scale they get from all sides...
The games they sell will also be sold to Linux Desktop users, and Windows PC users, so a larger market on day one. It also means a much larger catalog of games than any other console has EVER opened with.
The console itself is open, and can be used for other purposes. (Like xbmc, or whatever) This means a larger market than just game players.
The game delivery platform has much lower barriers to entry, and you already see tones of inde delevopers there. This will increase it as now they have a cheap console to design to. (Baseline hardware is never a bad thing.)
But yes, if you're still using some creaky old 800x600 monitor, or for some odd reason resize your browser window to a 3-figure width, you'll probably have a problem.
Actually, I resize it to 960 so I can have two pages side by side. Most of my windows default to this. Web browser on one sied, and note pad or spreadsheet or whatever on the other. If you are actually compiling or colating data and not just consuming it, it is damned handy.
Just to tag directly to you... Along with all that is mentioned, please let us collapse comment threads. It is the only way to work through a long discussion. Sometimes it goes down an odd rabbit hole and you can just collapse that line. (Or close the browser...)
One problem I've seen with sites that try to accommodate all screen widths is that it does some wacky things when you try to embed images into the text. I think that's why a lot of websites do this.
Well it sure as shit does wacky things with the text when you try to view it in a window and not full screen.
I do web development for a living. The 1024 x 768 market share is small enough these days that I use 1280 x 768 as my current minimum target.
You are also tossing out all the people that do not brows full screen. Like me. You choice, but what exactly do you get for eliminating all those people?
If I'm Googling potential employees, I'm probably more interested in papers they published than a YouTube video of them drunkenly dancing on a table.
And later you can answer all those people who ask how you could hire a teacher like that. A lot of companies are deathly afraid of a scandal, and it is easier to cut it off in the hiring process than to fire people later. (Which means you get sneaker scoundrels, which is what they want, I guess.)
I am just glad that we can still use Mores law to accommodate sloppy and bloated programming for a while longer. The thought that programming might have to become efficient filled me with dread!
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.
Then use Ubuntu and the Steam Client. That is essentially what this is, but without the GP desktop.
Why though does it need to be a Steam Box if it's really just a PC with SteamOS on it?
It doesn't. You can have it right now with Ubuntu and the Steam Client in "Big Picture" mode. But by making a specific hardware spec, there are some massive economies of scale. And by letting us hack it, they get even more economies of scale. (More reasons to by it than just games) And the more boxes out there, the more games they sell. And the more games they sell, the more game developers they attract.
Slashdot Mirror
So, an offline mode presumes I'm ever going to give it an on-line mode, which I'm not.
Take disc out of cellophane, put in console, play disc. No network. Ever. Need for a network connection at any time in the life of the console is a deal breaker for me.
You know, old school.
But the real old school requires an accoustic coupler, or at least a serial cable! You know... Pre Apple... :)
I do get your point, but it looks like soon none of the platforms will support that. Other than The Pirate Bay...
"The PS3 is basically a purpose built PC" That runs on a radicaly different cpu/gpu architechture compared to x86.
Well, seeing as how all of the major operating systems (Other than apple) run on multiple cpu archtectures now, what is your point? The PS3 can still run Linux, just not dual boot.
There haven't been any AAA titles ported outside of Valve's own titles.
So there havn't been any games other than the games that were?
They have lots of AAA titles and more all the time, and they have lots of indie games and more all the time.
It will be a deal killer for many. It is just way to hard to manage large threads without it.
You had me sold on this theory, right up until you said "warrant".
Then I knew it was bullshit.
Like our government feels the need to recognize the legal process anymore.
You know that he's going to have a trial, right? And that the FBI won't want him to get off because there was no warrant for the evidence the prosecution presents in that trial, right? There might very well be unconstitutional monitoring in this process, but to bring it to court and get a conviction, a warrant is necessary paperwork.
That's right. Each defendant is entitled to a fair and impartial conviction.
"You promised me those men would be decently treated."
"They were decently treated. They were decently fed, decently clothed, and then they were decently shot. Those men are common outlaws, nothing more."
The Outlaw Jose Wales
Old curmudgeons like me who want to play video games offline and without needing a network connection won't want this.
Steam Offline Mode
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=3160-agcb-2555
Consoles aren't for geeks. They're for average folks. Folks who don't want to have to upgrade stuff. This Steam box is basically a PC that runs an embedded (Linux) OS. It'll still require upgrades, compatibility issues, inconsistent performance, etc.
And Sony never has to upgrade the console. Like when they did it and took away the ability to dual boot Linux. The PS3 is basically a purpose built PC that runs a locked down Linux, and still requires upgrades, and has compatability issues with early titles. (PS2) The Xbox is basically a purpose built PC that runs a locked down Windows, and still requires upgrades, and has compatability issues with early titles. Your phone is basically a purpose built PC that runs a locked down Linux, and still requires upgrades, and has compatability issues with early apps.
Are you seeing a theme here?
Both Xbox / PS are very limited with that.
Lately, so is the PC. But Valve has traditionally supported the mod community, and the mod community is essentially what built Valve.
In addition to those criteria, if SteamOS has the capability to install and run emulators of my choice (PSXe, Nesticle*, et. al), as well as having AAA games available on launch day, there's about a snowball's chance in hell I'm going to buy one of the other consoles.
* Yes, I still have a copy of Nesticle stashed on a drive somewhere; No, I'm not sending you the binary.
Since it is just a Linux system with a new GUI, I am guessing there will be emulator hacks out on day 1.
If they publish some basic specs they don't really need to roll out any hardware at all. For the 'console-only' crowd, they can buy a Steam Box ... the rest can provide their own if they wish.
From what I can tell, and Linux computer supporting Steam and a controller and you have a "steam box" now.
You'll only be able to play those AAA titles on a Steambox by streaming them from a powerful Windows computer which most console gamers don't have.
Funny. There seem to be more AAA games ported evey few months. And so many inde games I can't keep track.
I kinda took it differently. When they announced this an Alienware equivalent doesn't come to mind. Instead I get the same picture as the $300-400 budget gaming PC's that I've always built. When the parts are bought in bulk I'm willing to bet that an OEM could assemble a small equivalent set-top box for even cheaper and have a fairly capable system to compete with the $400-500 Sony and MS offerings.
I'm kinda envisioning the Steambox being offered at more of a $250-300 price point. If you want a monster rig you can still build it yourself and run SteamOS.
Add to that the economies of scale they get from all sides...
The games they sell will also be sold to Linux Desktop users, and Windows PC users, so a larger market on day one. It also means a much larger catalog of games than any other console has EVER opened with.
The console itself is open, and can be used for other purposes. (Like xbmc, or whatever) This means a larger market than just game players.
The game delivery platform has much lower barriers to entry, and you already see tones of inde delevopers there. This will increase it as now they have a cheap console to design to. (Baseline hardware is never a bad thing.)
But yes, if you're still using some creaky old 800x600 monitor, or for some odd reason resize your browser window to a 3-figure width, you'll probably have a problem.
Actually, I resize it to 960 so I can have two pages side by side. Most of my windows default to this. Web browser on one sied, and note pad or spreadsheet or whatever on the other. If you are actually compiling or colating data and not just consuming it, it is damned handy.
Just to tag directly to you... Along with all that is mentioned, please let us collapse comment threads. It is the only way to work through a long discussion. Sometimes it goes down an odd rabbit hole and you can just collapse that line. (Or close the browser...)
One problem I've seen with sites that try to accommodate all screen widths is that it does some wacky things when you try to embed images into the text. I think that's why a lot of websites do this.
Well it sure as shit does wacky things with the text when you try to view it in a window and not full screen.
All the limitations of mobile, now on your desktop!
I guess it makes sense, as that is how they are dsigning desktops these days. Idiots...
I do web development for a living. The 1024 x 768 market share is small enough these days that I use 1280 x 768 as my current minimum target.
You are also tossing out all the people that do not brows full screen. Like me. You choice, but what exactly do you get for eliminating all those people?
If Site B is asked, then they will have to delete that information.
How in hell is this supposed to be so difficult to work out? Is it motivated ignorance or just ignorance?
And if site B replies "Vete a la chingada" because they are not in California, or even the US, then what?
If I'm Googling potential employees, I'm probably more interested in papers they published than a YouTube video of them drunkenly dancing on a table.
And later you can answer all those people who ask how you could hire a teacher like that. A lot of companies are deathly afraid of a scandal, and it is easier to cut it off in the hiring process than to fire people later. (Which means you get sneaker scoundrels, which is what they want, I guess.)
If they let minors do this, why not everyone?
The better question is "How do you scrub something off the Internet?" Barbra Streisand wants to know...
I am just glad that we can still use Mores law to accommodate sloppy and bloated programming for a while longer. The thought that programming might have to become efficient filled me with dread!
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.
Then use Ubuntu and the Steam Client. That is essentially what this is, but without the GP desktop.
Netflix is not opensource. So porting it is not possible. I could use the wine stuff, but that has performance issues.
Neflix is owned by someone who sat/sits on MS's board and seems to have no interest in proper linux support.
And this is why I just renewed Amazon Prime. Love that streaming on Linux.
Why though does it need to be a Steam Box if it's really just a PC with SteamOS on it?
It doesn't. You can have it right now with Ubuntu and the Steam Client in "Big Picture" mode. But by making a specific hardware spec, there are some massive economies of scale. And by letting us hack it, they get even more economies of scale. (More reasons to by it than just games) And the more boxes out there, the more games they sell. And the more games they sell, the more game developers they attract.
From what I can see, they WANT folks to hack it. They see the value in an active community hacking the box. (Unlike Sony) This feels so strange... :)