Can Steam Machines succeed?
It's important to realize that Valve won't be measuring success the same way that Sony or Microsoft or Nintendo will
Last week Valve revealed its grand plan for putting Steam into the living room, and in the process raised many questions. Is Gabe Newell crazy, or crazy like a fox? Will Valve's new controller really allow keyboard and mouse games to work in the living room? Can the 'GabeCube' take business away from video game consoles by Nintendo, Sony, or Microsoft? What's the real potential for profit here?
Valve's announcement, presented in three parts, puts forth an interesting picture. Valve is creating its own Linux-based operating system, SteamOS, centered around running games. This OS will be free, and people are encouraged to install it on any computer. Valve already has many games running on SteamOS and plans to get many more on the OS. Games can also be streamed within your home from a PC or Mac to a device running SteamOS.
The intent is to have an easy-to-use way to run PC-style games in the living room/family room on your big-screen TV, and for the hardware part of it Valve is creating a specification for Steam machines.
Keep reading the full feature at our sister site the [a]list daily.
I see the SteamMachines succeeding as a very lite box in under the $100 range used only for streaming from the Windows Gamer PC in the bedroom to the SteamMachine in the living room. That will be the most used configuration. Running a full blown SteamMachine with a high-end video card and RAM and running games natively on Linux? No, Valve is delusional on this part.
As for the input, I'm sure the gamepad is very nice, I can't wait to try it. Probably much better and more precise than the Mircrosoft/Sony gamepads. On the other hand, a lot of PC gamers are worried that this will mean less and less games designed with a more complex key mapping with the keyboard in mind.
Plus I find the big TV in the sitting room tends to have a lot of people wanting to use it, my PC with it's own monitor away from the rabble doesn't.
The streaming functionality of this device built into a TV, I can see having its merits. Perhaps that's the way they are headed...?
Is it not just the case that they are good in the living room, rather than crap elsewhere?
SteamOS? I figure it's a fine way to cut the Windows tax, especially if you want a second PC or HTPC. I have a Windows HTPC which can support basic games. If I were to buy one when SteamOS becomes an option and didn't have Windows, then a Steam box with SteamOS could have been an alternative.
What I assume SteamOS does is give people a console-like view of their PC. That could be welcome for people who want a console-style PC.
or a powerful PC running Linux (and all the associated problems with that) with few games on it that you then have to stream games from your other powerful Windows PC. Sure if it takes off, then you will get more support for Linux native games, but Linux in general isn't fun. Even the streamlined dedicated distros are a pain.
Well, you could make the argument that Dos 3.11 and Win 95 weren't great for games either and both had a lot of problems associated with the platforms - and this was pre-internet in most places so no group-sourcing of solutions!! The interesting thing is that it took almost 15 years to really start getting Windows and usability "right" when it comes to games (and it's still not all sorted!) but we have already been through that and already solved those problems.
SteamOS can fork from the main Linux kernel and focus on supporting hardware if necessary (for speed) and reintegrate later on. This is a long-term plan and linux gaming support and linux hardware support will improve hand-in-hand. The recent gestures from Nvidia point to that acknowledgement within the industry as Valve puts their weight behind the platform...
Either are technically doable, just needs the will. I think the Steam distribution service (especially in a world where game prices are escalating on consoles), plus the innovative controller are very attractive propositions.