Xi3 Corporation clarifies Valve relationship
"What Valve does or doesn't do with its Steam Box will be up to them"
The Xi3 corporation has released a statement clarifying Valve's involvement in its $1000 Piston console, after Valve publicly distanced itself from the machine earlier this week.
"We reaffirm the fact that we received an investment from Valve Corporation (as we previously disclosed during the 2013 International CES trade show), and we did so with Valve's written permission," said Xi3 CEO Jason A. Sullivan.
"Just because Valve may not currently have any involvement doesn't mean that such involvement won't exist in the future"
"Second, we were asked to build a product specifically for Valve, and both companies showcased this product-the Piston Console-in their respective booths at CES 2013."
He said that while a meeting with Gabe Newell meant he couldn't reveal too much about the companies' relationship, he wanted to make it clear that the Piston wasn't the "official" Steam box, but would allow access to the platform like any other computer.
"But just because Valve may not 'currently' have any 'involvement with any product of (ours)' doesn't mean that such involvement won't exist in the future."
Valve's message on the subject was somewhat more definitive.
"Valve began some exploratory work with Xi3 last year, but currently has no involvement in any product of theirs," Valve's Doug Lombardi told Eurogamer this week.
"In closing, what Valve does or doesn't do with its Steam Box will be up to them," added Sullivan.
"So Gabe, it's up to you. The ball is in your court."
The Xi3 Piston is a compact modular computer, and pre-orders for the machine opened on Friday. The company stated that it had been "amazed" by the number of pre-orders it had so far received, that it had concerns about meeting demand for the 2013 holiday.