Valve hints at Steam game hardware

[NickStone]

Here's some news for all you games players.

Valve will next week reveal more details about the gaming hardware it has been developing

Full article here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24125344

[whatthefunk]

I wonder what OS it will be based on. Valve talked about this at Linuxcon which makes me think that it will be Linux based open source. But since the vast majority of their games are Windows only, I dont know how well that would sell.

[NickStone]

When people buy a games console I think they don't really care what OS it uses, their more concerned about the quality of games it has available.

[whatthefunk]

When people buy a games console I think they don't really care what OS it uses, their more concerned about the quality of games it has available.

Right. So right now, Windows is the only way to go. Steam has been building up their Linux library, but it still consists mostly Indie games and those wont sell a game console.

[SteveRiley]

OK, I'll guess: newish Atom CPU, offset with a couple sooper-hot nVidia GPUs. Ubuntu (no GUI) on the metal. Wine or PlayOnLinux pre-installed to run the game engine. Custom Steam GUI.

But what do I know? Games aren't my thing really.

[whatthefunk]

OK, I'll guess: newish Atom CPU, offset with a couple sooper-hot nVidia GPUs. Ubuntu (no GUI) on the metal. Wine or PlayOnLinux pre-installed to run the game engine. Custom Steam GUI.

But what do I know? Games aren't my thing really.

That wont work. Wine only gives functionality to a hand full of games, and even then its buggy. The problem is not with Steam or Valve but with game publishers. Almost no big publishers are porting to Linux. Valve has ported a lot of their own games to Linux, but nobody's going to buy a console that can only play Team Fortress and a half dozen other games. I think Valve is trying to give reason to port to Linux, but I doubt it will work.

[NickStone]

That wont work. Wine only gives functionality to a hand full of games, and even then its buggy. The problem is not with Steam or Valve but with game publishers. Almost no big publishers are porting to Linux. Valve has ported a lot of their own games to Linux, but nobody's going to buy a console that can only play Team Fortress and a half dozen other games. I think Valve is trying to give reason to port to Linux, but I doubt it will work.

I think Mr Riley wasn't being serious. I think it was a tongue in cheek comment.

[SteveRiley]

Well, I was being kinda half-silly, what with the Atom CPU bit. But why wouldn't the Windows versions of Steam games play under Wine? Have people tried this?

[whatthefunk]

Well, I was being kinda half-silly, what with the Atom CPU bit. But why wouldn't the Windows versions of Steam games play under Wine? Have people tried this?

Yes, people have tried this with lots of games. Some games work, a lot dont. Those that work are usually missing some functionality. Most new games dont work at all....it takes a while for Wine to catch up.

[dequire]

The long-term solution is easy: If games publishers want on the SteamBox, they have to support Linux. This is no different (albeit it should be much easier) than a game publisher making a game for multiple consoles plus PC and Mac. What's one more?

[whatthefunk]

The long-term solution is easy: If games publishers want on the SteamBox, they have to support Linux. This is no different (albeit it should be much easier) than a game publisher making a game for multiple consoles plus PC and Mac. What's one more?

The thing is that they dont need to do this to get the business. If you have a computer that runs Windows, you can already play the games through Steam.

[dequire]

Game publishers could say the same thing about Apple if they only thought that way. While Apple may have more market share, I would bet that a higher percentage of Linux users would game than Apple users. This is just a hunch based on my stereotyping of a typical Apple user, and is in no way supported by any evidence other than the breakdown of Humble Bundle statistics.

Also, as for me, I would buy a Steam Box for gaming or run Steam on my Linux PC long before I would download an illegal copy of XP just to dual boot and game. Again, that's just me.

[NickStone]

I wonder what OS it will be based on. Valve talked about this at Linuxcon which makes me think that it will be Linux based open source. But since the vast majority of their games are Windows only, I dont know how well that would sell.

I think this has answered your question. http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/SteamOS

[whatthefunk]

I think this has answered your question. http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/SteamOS

Yes it has. It still doenst solve the game compatibility problem though. If its Linux based, theyll still have to deal with getting companies to port their games to Linux.

[Jonas]

I don't play games much anymore, but this is great news and I hope that it'll help other branches in Free Software world, like Blender and it's game engine.

Yes it has. It still doenst solve the game compatibility problem though. If its Linux based, theyll still have to deal with getting companies to port their games to Linux.

We could reverse the question - with Valve in control of their own OS/software they don't have to deal with the dinosaurs named Micro$oft and Apple, which I believe is a tougher nut to crack. SteamOS would be solely made for gaming with valves help(w/o the bloatware etc), which I believe the game companies/developers would prefer.

And still they don't have to port anything, they can just run it parallel, and the next generation of games will possibly be Linux native.
b.r

Jonas