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FredEffinChopin
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Yeah, based on that article it looks like it's more along the lines of what we were originally discussing: Valve setting standards that allow other manufacturer's to make their own computers and call them Steamboxes or "Steam certified" or whatever.

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Who is "We?" :P

 

Also

http://www.theverge....uture-of-gaming

Interview with Gabe. So basically they seem to be going for a multi-pronged apporaoch (Also known as "throw it at the wall and see what sticks) with streaming ("Grid"), Steam on your PC, Steam on PCs made/dictated by Valve(with Linux), Steam on OEM PCs, Steam on Big Picture, and Steam on mobiles. So yeah my suggestion of them having a reference model/levelling system is looking to be pretty likely, especially with the "Good, better, best" thing he was talking of.

 

They've tried with motion gaming, not found much use for it (there's actually the Move pack you can get on PS3 for Portal 2, as well as the original levls for PC with the Razer..something or other).

 

Seems to be potential plans for a sort of ...Steam Store SDK or whatever, let anyone make their own "Steam store". Though might be as simple as an expansion of Greenlight and recommendations maybe? Throw out "Deans Store" with like all these kinds of games I'd suggest. Or they really want like say Grainger Games to make a PC distribution client built around Steam. Dunno, maybe he's just musing still, they do that alot.

 

Oh in other news:

http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/08/valve-ben-krasnow-steambox/

No Steambox in 2013 apparently. Which given Valve time and the fact that this XiS company only got their "Piston" stuff down in September last year did really make it seem a bit quick to have something out early 2013 as some blogs previously claimed. It'd play it safe, let them see what MS and Sony do in June and respond in kind.

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Gabe confirmed Valve's own version of it will run Linux. He said you can put Windows on it if you want, and that it won't be hard, but it still seems like they're shooting themselves in the foot for the out-of-the-box version to be incapable of running 99% of the Steam catalog.
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So am I getting the right idea that there will be multiple versions by different companies? There is Valve's own, and at least one other by Xi3. Kind of confusing for a console, I suppose.

 

Then there is also the idea of Valve's own will try to output to eight TVs with different games at once in future iterations... that seems like something I wouldn't expect for even generation nine for consoles. Future tech talk.

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That would be in the interview, and tl;dr that I linked/wrote up :P

 

Oh, sorry, missed that bit of your writeup and didn't read the actual link.

 

*Edit* -

So am I getting the right idea that there will be multiple versions by different companies? There is Valve's own, and at least one other by Xi3. Kind of confusing for a console, I suppose.

 

Don't think of it like a console, think of it more like a standard, like Bluray or whatever. There's certain requirements that the device has to meet to be branded a Steambox, but as long as they meet those requirements (and maybe pay a royalty?) anyone can do it, just like how you can buy a Sony or Philips or Toshiba bluray player.

Edited by TheMightyEthan
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Think of it like the Windows Logo Program/Certification Process.

certifiedwindows7.jpg

Like you see these stickers on various desktops and laptops around the place.

 

Instead you'll see:

steam_logo_program.jpg

And likely built around HTPC-style cases instead of your usual desktop tower since it'll be made for living room use. By the sounds of it there will likely be some grading of the devices too (bit like the Windows Experience Index) with the talk of "good, better, best", and it seems Valve will be setting the Gold standard with "Best". Devices like the Nvidia Shield running the "Grid" tech being "Good" (which implies that this whole "steambox" thing isn't solely PCs). And then random PCs being "better" in the middle.

 

To be fair going off the interview with The Verge, even Valve don't have much of a solid idea of what they're aiming for, and what they're aiming for is definitely not anything as simple as a single console-like Steam powered PC.

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Got it. This might be the best route for Valve to take. Odd but at least they don't have to take the full brunt of the hardware side of things. So yeah, hardware and thus the price on all versions are going to be the biggest issues. Valve's one got the issue with Linux.

 

If they all can survive to Gen 2 to Gen 3 then I see it possible that this can catch on. Gen 1 is going to be messy and painful. For the love of everything holy, Valve better test and review the hardware for all versions. It would be terrible if an incident like the Greenlight ones (Towns and War Z) happen with the Steam Boxes.

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  • 2 months later...

So you can now pre-order Piston for $900 ($1000 if you do it later)

 

http://xi3.com/buy_now-piston.php

 

Nice looking spec sheets <_< . Not sure if I should even be throwing it in here as apart from Xi3s own words, Valves official word is Steambox news is months away, this isn't the/a "steambox". Which also means should it be on some standardised system of CPU/GPU/RAM then this is likely to not match it. It's also as expensive as expected. $1000 for a linux PC is asking a lot, unless you specifically want it really small, but *looks at PS3* people have put much larger things under their TV before now (and funnily/worse, cheaper...). If you or a friend can build a PC, it's still very much the way to go at this stage.

 

Basically it seems they're trying to pull in people in for pre-orders before official Steambox news hits and destroys any and all momentum third parties might have.

 

Also from the EG article:

 

 
We believe our Piston Consoles do exactly that - deliver the beauty and small size of consoles with the upgradeability of computers.

 

It's proprietary motherboards http://xi3.com/xi3_backplanes.php Sure it's upgradable, but you're not gonna go on ebuyer/bestbuy and pick up parts for this. (Also somewhat annoyed EG are reporting it as "Valve backed", it isn't. For one Xi3 would proudly be flaunting thier partnership, and have a few Valve and Steam logos plastered on their pre-order page.)

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  • 6 months later...

 

I wonder if it will be a streaming box for your living room that could stream from your PC over your home network. That could be neat.

 

Surprise Nvidia partnership?

 

 

Makes good sense the more I think about it, and what Dean mentioned.

 

I would think that the only sticking part would be negotiating the Shield running Jelly Bean.  But, not a deal breaker, as it's not the hottest thing on the market.

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I wonder if it will be a streaming box for your living room that could stream from your PC over your home network. That could be neat.

 

Surprise Nvidia partnership?

 

 

Makes good sense the more I think about it, and what Dean mentioned.

 

I would think that the only sticking part would be negotiating the Shield running Jelly Bean.  But, not a deal breaker, as it's not the hottest thing on the market.

 

 

Android is Linux and this likely won't be a portable.

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