Jesus, you are obsessed with Linux aren't you?
Or is it Linux vs Windows? Or Gabe's betrayal of the Windows pc platform by shifting focus to Linux?

Even though the steamybox will obviously be closed source....
As I mentioned before, this is not about pc Windows gaming vs. pc Linux gaming.
This is about Valve using Steam as a vehicle to launch a new console. The rest is just a boon. Whatever the repercussions, I'm sure pc gaming (Linux, windows or otherwise) will prevail for those who like their experience more "cutting edge".

What's more interesting is, how will MS respond to Valve's shift of focus? Will they step up with Live for pc? Will Live on the 720 and the pc be more tightly integrated? Will the 720 be more like a windows pc?I'm curious as to how this will develop.

I agree that the pc under telly thing won't happen. For that to succeed in massmarket you really need to offer a compelling hardware + software + integrated service solution. And let's face it, not many companies are capable of delivering just that.

If Steam does shift focus from windows to linux because of Steambox and proves successfull, it might open up oppurtunities to MS encouraging them to tighten up their Live service. Who knows, they might follow a similar path to Valve?
MS may not care about PC gaming at the moment but if they see an oppurtunity to make teh moneys, they won't let it pass them by.

Also, it doesn't make sense to force DX12 down consumers throats, especially if you want massmarket penetration. If the android userbase is fragmented, so is the windows userbase. And the majority of the users are not on Win8/DX12.....No dev in their right mind would risk that. Yeah, they tried it with Vista (Halo2?) and failed miserably. I think they learned their lesson.

Maybe......

I'll up the ante with even more crazy theories.
What if Valve already explored a Windows licensing deal (likely)? What if MS actually denied them such a license, claiming they wanted to leave a path open to something similar (aka windows + 720). MS has their own agenda right? 

And that's where Valve get's pissed off and things get real, real interesting.


Merry xmas everyone!

I'd dearly love to see Gabe launch a console that isn't supported by a single game on his store.

What makes you think NextBox won't have backwards compatibility?

If anyone is in a position to open up a new under the TV market it's either Google with an Android device or Apple with an iOS one. Neither of which seems particularly likely at this point, despite the fact it's mind blowing they haven't happened already.

An Apple console could be appealing. It needn't be much dearer then they charge for the Apple TV. I suppose the problem is convincing developers to add controller support to games people already own so will just download/update for free. That and developers successfully straddling the mobile/touch and TV/controller market would be near impossible.

Google is bizarre. They've made a right fist of Google TV and that settop box thing that was scrapped before it even launched. Meanwhile people are snapping up Android TV boxes and people are making Ouya. I suppose that's more intune with the Android ethos, but sheesh.

dynamiteReady wrote:

(Some) People say that the tablet/smartphone is the high watermark of HCI, but looking at all the Valve rumours, it quite hard to be sure of that argument.

Not the high watermark of gaming though. That honour currently (probably) goes to the 360 controller (or its predecessor) or the keyboard + mouse combo. There's nothing better at handling a complex, varied series of inputs in a way that can be learned relatively easily and used at speed. 
Touchscreens might be more accessible but there's a handful of games that are actually improved by the touchscreen. Nearly all games are inferior when used this way. 
This is all standard games forum p.o.v. waffle of course. 

My cold sick comment is really about my scepticism that there's anything out there that can improve upon what we've already got. I suppose at some stage, there's bound to be something that improves upon the 360 controller. But will it arrive from the drive to make controller's more accessible? 

I think it will come, like the dual analog thing, from having new game ideas that current controllers can't cope with very easily. The tech develops around the experience. 
The problem with, say, Kinect is its the exact opposite. The tech was made, and MS have dreamt up a way of marketing it, and now try and get it shoehorned into everything. And it's for all the wrong reasons. Same with the Wii. It just produces a series of completely missable, novelty 'experiences'.

So, anyways, for Valve to actually accomplish something with this new controller jazz means they have to improve on either the keyboard and mouse or the control pad. These have both been iterated over for the past three decades or whatever, so improvements aren't impossible. But replacing them with brand new tech that improves the experience is a tall order.

If they're going this latter route, I'd expect shitness.

Force feedback dual analogue sticks. Fuck yeh.take a shot or shunt from the right and have the sticks fight you. Well boss.

C'mon, Doom was passable.

Piston: as big as a grapefruit.

If it was approx £300, available tomorrow and had full access to the entire Steam catalogue I would buy that right now.
But its not that simple is it?
We still don't know WTF is going on with the Linux part of it and Steams back cat. And thats the big question.

Lol if it ends up being the same price.

I will eat my hat on the design front though, it does look neat, I was expecting Hyundai levels of design.

Its got to be cheaper than £800 surely?
For that type of money you can buy yourself a decent gaming PC (especially if you are using your TV as a monitor) anyway.
So you might as well just do that.

I'm interested to see where this goes - Aesthetically I think it's horrendous, It looks like some kind of electronic cheese grater.

I like it, but it's not the Steam Box or even their version of one by the look of things.