Crowbar Man Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 (edited) Suprised there wasn't a thread about this already So Steam made three big announcements this week but all boil down to basically the same thing: "Steam Box" or now officially called: Steam Machines. There are three components to this announcement, each can be used completely seperately but all relate to each other. SteamOS A customized build of Linux OS tailored to run Steam Big Picture mode and heavily optimized for gaming purposes. On top of being able to play any Steam OS / Linux optimzed game from Steam, it can also stream games from a PC/Mac that is located on your network. The OS is free and open source Price: Free! Release: "Soon" More Info: http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/SteamOS/ Steam Machine A set of hardware specifications that are being sent to multiple manufactureres to build various "Steam Machines" that come with Steam OS preinstalled. The hardware is open in design as well Price: Variable, TBA Release: TBA 2014 More Info: http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/SteamMachines/ Steam Controller Two concave trackpads specifically designed to deliver greater precision than a traditional controller and provide context sensitive feedback rather than traditional rumble Touchscreen with an API for developers to create wide range of types of input that you would normally not get with a standard controller. This is designed to assist the player not divide attention, there is an option for anything on the screen to overlay your game when in use as well. Touchscreen also has a click when pushed in 16 buttons all placed in easy to reach and "ergonomic" locations (A, B, X, Y, 3 menu buttons, 4 top triggers (2 analog?), 2 back triggers, both trackpads and the touch screen when pushed in) Controller will come with Steam Machine, but will also work just fine on a computer that has Steam installed. It will work on games old and new, including ones that don't have controller support (it will act like KB&M, and you can set your own bindings.) It is also "Open" as well, allowing those who wish to design and modify their own Steam Controllers Price: TBA Release: TBA 2014 More Info: http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/SteamController/ Edited September 27, 2013 by Crowbar Man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GravitySuitCollector Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 The controller looks really interesting. I can't wait to get my hand on one. I like buttons, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Strader Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 But it's not half-life 3 :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crowbar Man Posted September 28, 2013 Author Share Posted September 28, 2013 I too was hoping one of them would of been at least a Source 2 game but it looks like it was all "Steam Box" related news. Ah well. Can't wait to see this stuff in action though. I'll be throwing the Steam OS on my extra/TV PC ASAP just for the heck of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EC2151 Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 (edited) You might as well call this the TF2 Machine, because that controller, and this whole idea are only going to be utilized to play Valve's First-Person Shooters, ie, TF2. Despite the gushing praise Valve Corp. gets from the entire internet, I remain skeptical. This is only going to cannibalize Xbone and PS4 sales at the most, and if either machine makes inroads and expands their market, it will be at the expense of the Gabecube. And the controller is a joke; sorry. Without tactile feedback, expect Kinect-levels of misinterpretation. The larger questions loom: why go through the extra hassle of making a OS just to play PC games on your TV? Is Steam really that necessary to the whole equation? How is this fundamentally different than the original Xbone (always-online, needs client software to run, well, software)? Edited September 28, 2013 by EC2151 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crowbar Man Posted September 28, 2013 Author Share Posted September 28, 2013 (edited) You might as well call this the TF2 Machine, because that controller, and this whole idea are only going to be utilized to play Valve's First-Person Shooters, ie, TF2. The controller has been made to play games that traditionally do not play well on a standard controller: RTS, point & click, casual touch games. The controller has been made to do really well for first person games, which more than just Valve makes. (and they make more than TF2 btw). I dont see why it would work for 3rd person 3D games either Oddly enough the only games that may be akward are the 2D sidescrolling/2d fighter types, but you don't have to use this controller, I'm sure you can use any controller on SteamOS/Steam Machine. Also you know... regular KB&M (something most consoles do not support at all) if you aren't into controllers at all Without tactile feedback, expect Kinect-levels of misinterpretation. Not sure I understand this... the trackpads should function like analog sticks only even more precise. How is that like Kinect, which could barely understand gestures while flailing your entire body about? Odd comparison The larger questions loom: why go through the extra hassle of making a OS just to play PC games on your TV? To encourage development on an open platform, while simultaneously reaching the living room, a place where PCs generally "do not belong". Also provides a console-like experience for those who like that How is this fundamentally different than the original Xbone (always-online, needs client software to run, well, software)? Because it doesn't need to be online (at least for any draconian DRM scheme) and is completely open source and free to run on whatever hardware you choose? Xbox One's original goal was to lock your entire system down to MS's new mega DRM and require daily check ins to even operate, along with being complely controlled by MS's pricing policies, etc. There is a vast ocean of difference between MS/Original XBO (consumer detrimental, completely closed hardware & os, required for next gen "Xbox" games) and Valve/SteamOS/Machine (consumer friendly, completely open hardware & software, completely optional for PC games). Basicly: MS seeks to control how you do things, Valve is seeking to open up your options. Edited September 28, 2013 by Crowbar Man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Coop Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 That controller looks like it should be used with an RC helicopter, rather than a game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerrax Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 (edited) Not sure I understand this... the trackpads should function like analog sticks only even more precise. How is that like Kinect, which could barely understand gestures while flailing your entire body about? Odd comparison Have you ever played a game on a touchscreen/trackpad? Accuracy is not a word I would use to describe them. Judging by the pictures, it seems it has some ridges on it to give you minimal tactile feedback, but I'm still skeptical that it provides the same precision as they claim. Don't get me wrong, this seems cool as hell, but I'm not jumping on this just yet. I wanna see the whole package (OS/Machine/Controller) for myself. Edited September 28, 2013 by Cerrax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crowbar Man Posted September 28, 2013 Author Share Posted September 28, 2013 (edited) I have tried unfortunately, but laptops don't tend to have high precision sensors either. Nor are they circular and placed in my thumbs in a concave shape. Nor do they have any haptic feedback. Or even made for gaming in mind. I would probably expect these trackpads to function much better. We'll see when they come out I guess Either way, even with a crappy standard laptop trackpad, games are still far far far more playable than Kinect (which isn't even remotely playable). You can't even navigate menus without issues with Kinect for goodness sake! Also keep in mind all these parts go together but aren't required to be together: You can put Steam OS on anything you want (use any combination of inputs you want) You can get a Steam Controller and use it on anything that runs Steam. Or you can get a Steam Machine for the complete package [Machine, OS, Controller] (and still mix and match whatever you want.. even install another OS) I personally can't wait to get one of those Steam controllers in hand to see how it works Edited September 28, 2013 by Crowbar Man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gollgagh Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 I'm pretty much sold on the controller Also I will undoubtedly give SteamOS a try the only thing is that I will probably never buy a Steam Machine, just because I like building my own machines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 I am excited by the announcement - I would love the opportunity to kill Windows from my main desktop, which I would love to use as a dev machine running Ubuntu (I've had issues getting a VM to work due to graphics issues, unsurprisingly). I reserve judgment on the controller, but I'm excited to see a company making a serious effort in changing the gaming PC landscape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Strader Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 I'm waiting for a hands on from someone who plays... real games... no offense to Double Fine or Super Meat Boy but I really need to see the controller playing CoD to know if it's a replacement for mouse and keyboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gollgagh Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 real games Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thalzon Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 The missing eye makes that emoticon beautiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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