Gaming Forums => General Gaming => Topic started by: shingi_70 on September 23, 2013, 01:11:21 PM
Title: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: shingi_70 on September 23, 2013, 01:11:21 PM
http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/SteamOS/
Quote
Steam is coming to a new operating system
As we’ve been working on bringing Steam to the living room, we’ve come to the conclusion that the environment best suited to delivering value to customers is an operating system built around Steam itself. SteamOS combines the rock-solid architecture of Linux with a gaming experience built for the big screen. It will be available soon as a free stand-alone operating system for living room machines.
Quote
Living room & Steam
Finally, you don’t have to give up your favorite games, your online friends, and all the Steam features you love just to play on the big screen. SteamOS, running on any living room machine, will provide access to the best games and user-generated content available.
Quote
Fast forward
In SteamOS, we have achieved significant performance increases in graphics processing, and we’re now targeting audio performance and reductions in input latency at the operating system level. Game developers are already taking advantage of these gains as they target SteamOS for their new releases.
Quote
Cooperating system
Steam is not a one-way content broadcast channel, it’s a collaborative many-to-many entertainment platform, in which each participant is a multiplier of the experience for everyone else. With SteamOS, “openness” means that the hardware industry can iterate in the living room at a much faster pace than they’ve been able to. Content creators can connect directly to their customers. Users can alter or replace any part of the software or hardware they want. Gamers are empowered to join in the creation of the games they love. SteamOS will continue to evolve, but will remain an environment designed to foster these kinds of innovation.
Sound Nice. Might just be the next gen console to beat.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: BranDonk Kong on September 23, 2013, 01:25:35 PM
Except it's not a console...
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: shingi_70 on September 23, 2013, 01:37:27 PM
I am interested. I hope this brings more PC games to Linux.
It will this is probably Valve's one and only chance to draw the line and get PC gaming into Linux before Microsoft kills the desktop as we know it.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: Spak-Spang on September 23, 2013, 08:00:40 PM
Actually, if Valve makes a console unit, or a dedicated TV CPU or as they call it the living room machine, they are following a good strategy. It is a similar strategy to what Apple did to open the market for tablet computers. They used another device (iphone) to build up enough apps and support for their OS and system before releasing non-phone unit to the market. The smart phone was an important aspect to get early adopters. People wanted to have a true smart phone computer.
Now Valve realizes many people already have a PC and are willing to use the PC as their gaming machine. They have been slowly but surely making the PC capable of being a console with its Steam library, online infrastructure and now getting console like games and indie games to the market at close to the same time as consoles.
Valve has put themselves in a position to enter into the market with little risk. They don't need to even focus on the hardware, because they already have an established user base. Any hardware they create will just be to simplify the process for the general market.
Truly we are seeing a position where a viable company is trying to merge the computer and console gaming markets into one entity. This will have a bigger and bolder impact on the future of the industry than the Ouya ever dreamed of...and it is has the potential to do the exact same thing. Open up the TV (Big Screen) casual market to truly be more independent from a more closed big 3 market standard.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: shingi_70 on September 23, 2013, 09:17:13 PM
Actually, if Valve makes a console unit, or a dedicated TV CPU or as they call it the living room machine, they are following a good strategy. It is a similar strategy to what Apple did to open the market for tablet computers. They used another device (iphone) to build up enough apps and support for their OS and system before releasing non-phone unit to the market. The smart phone was an important aspect to get early adopters. People wanted to have a true smart phone computer.
Now Valve realizes many people already have a PC and are willing to use the PC as their gaming machine. They have been slowly but surely making the PC capable of being a console with its Steam library, online infrastructure and now getting console like games and indie games to the market at close to the same time as consoles.
Valve has put themselves in a position to enter into the market with little risk. They don't need to even focus on the hardware, because they already have an established user base. Any hardware they create will just be to simplify the process for the general market.
Truly we are seeing a position where a viable company is trying to merge the computer and console gaming markets into one entity. This will have a bigger and bolder impact on the future of the industry than the Ouya ever dreamed of...and it is has the potential to do the exact same thing. Open up the TV (Big Screen) casual market to truly be more independent from a more closed big 3 market standard.
Problem is does the General Market care and what can Valve do to convince people to go with Steambox. For the regular Steam user this means nothing as a few will transition to Steam OS while others will stay on Windows with the bulk of the systems games.
The biggest problem I see with the Steambox is that it isn't a closed system and most importantly I'm not sure Valve has compelling exclusives.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: NWR_insanolord on September 23, 2013, 09:51:53 PM
You don't think Valve, one of the most beloved PC developers, has compelling exclusives? They have the nuclear option in their back pocket: Half Life 3, exclusive to Steam OS. I'm not saying they'd go that far, but if they wanted strong exclusives they could certainly have them.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: shingi_70 on September 23, 2013, 10:39:42 PM
You don't think Valve, one of the most beloved PC developers, has compelling exclusives? They have the nuclear option in their back pocket: Half Life 3, exclusive to Steam OS. I'm not saying they'd go that far, but if they wanted strong exclusives they could certainly have them.
No I don't. They really haven't shown anything that makes me believe they have any First Party games ready. Their pretty public split between the left 4 dead guys shows me that.
Half Life Counter Strike Portal Alien Swarm Left 4 Dead Dota 2
Don't get me wrong Valve could have a ton of secret projects in the works to launch with Steambox but I'm not utterly convinced. I do agree that Half Life 3 is the nuclear Option but even than that doesn't make it exclusive to Steambox or SteamOS.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: azeke on September 23, 2013, 11:38:20 PM
Valve was amazing.
Team Fortress 2 is by far my favourite online shooter. What an amazing game. I bought Orange Box in 2008 and it was gift that kept on giving for years and years and years.
Half-Life 2 and its episodes, Portal and Portal 2 are all amazing games.
But... Last two-three years i found myself almost completely detached from what they're doing as a game developer. L4D2?.. Eh. Dota2? Tried to get into it many times, never could.
Of course the stuff they do with Steam is still great and i love Big Picture Mode (major gamechanger i think), but even Steam isn't perfect.
HL3... I don't think i really care at that point, really. In fact i'd be more excited about Portal 3 at that point.
For such an important developer their output is sure ludicrously small. I constantly keep asking myself what the hell they're doing in there and honestly i'm out of any plausible answers. They even stopped making new hats and weapons for TF2 -- that was relegated to fans.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: MukiDA on September 25, 2013, 03:41:41 AM
So here's what's to be excited about for SteamOS.
1. It's game streaming by a company that knows and cares about video games.
Nearly everything that currently sucks about streaming games from your PC to another device is potentially solved by this endeavour. Right now the "brute force" method (which is what companies like Splashtop do) is the only real option we have for PC game streaming: Run a game and copy the framebuffer to RAM, and then have the CPU encode it into video and bounce it across the network. It's a sloppy, clumsy method, and introduces a clearly noticeable delay. It's also usually implemented by people who don't really care about things like latency, framerates, resolutions and image quality. The Wii U/PS4->Vita this is NOT.
The only exception right now is Nvidia's Shield streaming, and aside from being limited to one hardware vendor's PC config, it's also very clearly in BETA. (Shield owner speaking).
What I'm hoping is that Valve takes full advantage of existing dedicated video encoding in Intel (Sand Bridge+), Nvidia (Geforce GTX 600+), and AMD (Radeon HD 7000+) graphics chips, and give us a universal API for streaming to a device using SteamOS with minimal latency and at 60hz when possible. For anyone who's played Off-TV games on the Wii U, this is quite immediately an exciting prospect. Even if they average 2-3 frames latency (vs Wii U's ~1), this would be awesome to have access to.
2. Linux desktop users (both of them)should cheer, because they have Valve in their corner now. The grand majority of optimizations, support, and conformance across hardware vendors will do nothing but improve the desktop Linux experience. Even if their work begins and ends at Big Picture mode, much like for point #1, we benefit from both Nvidia and AMD being forced to offer more than haphazard game support.
[size=78%]3. Devices. Make no bones about it, this is Valve's end game. We are clearly going to have two classes of "Steam Box". The full-on desktop monster running Windows, and the companion/open box running SteamOS. For people who already have next-gen PC powerhouses, having a cheap way to run some games natively and stream the rest will be priceless. We'll see everything from beasts that can run the latest and greatest to tiny Kabini/Bay Trail-equipped $99-199 boxes meant mostly to Stream from beefier machines.[/size]
Bonus: ARM support? I'd love to see Valve make some attempt to keep a partial source of published Linux games on the Steam store to implement ARM builds across titles. A portable or tiny TV (maybe even HDMI plug ala Gamestick and ChromeCast?) SteamOS machine would be amazing. The NVidia Shield's GPU is already 3 times more powerful than the original Xbox; wouldn't it be nice to try the original HL2 or Portal on the go? =)
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: ShyGuy on September 25, 2013, 03:19:54 PM
You don't think Valve, one of the most beloved PC developers, has compelling exclusives? They have the nuclear option in their back pocket: Half Life 3, exclusive to Steam OS. I'm not saying they'd go that far, but if they wanted strong exclusives they could certainly have them.
Someone doesn't remember the Launch of Steam and Half Life 2. They so would make Half Life 3 initially exclusive to SteamOS.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: shingi_70 on September 25, 2013, 06:06:41 PM
Someone doesn't remember the Launch of Steam and Half Life 2. They so would make Half Life 3 initially exclusive to SteamOS.
Do-ho-ho, oh i remember. I remember it well. It was the biggest shitstorm and clusterfuck i've ever seen. Nothing worked in the first days, Steam was so **** to use back then. The first singleplayer game that required online, too.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: BranDonk Kong on September 25, 2013, 10:10:11 PM
Yeah, but they've certainly gotten their **** together since then. You can't even mention PC gaming without Steam anymore. I would probably buy a Steambox, and probably get rid of all my consoles too...as long as GTAV gets released on SteamOS (Linux).
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on September 25, 2013, 11:30:11 PM
I think one of SteamOS's ace in the holes as far as exclusives go are the SALES!!!
Indie games $1 each Collection Games $60 for the 12 game catalog w/ expansions New releases 25% off!!! etc etc
and then Valve exclusives ontop of that. along with most every other game, including some MS "console exlusives" like Halo and things of that sort.
what's not to like about a SteamBox!?
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: ShyGuy on September 26, 2013, 01:28:07 AM
I think I will start calling it SteaMachee. STEE-MAH-CHEE!
Body Massage!
Dey-Took-our-Jerbs!
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: NWR_insanolord on September 26, 2013, 02:33:06 AM
The key to this will be how many developers take the time to port their games to Steam OS. It might be one of those "won't get support until there's an install base but won't get an install base until there's support" kind of things. I think Valve could pull it off, but it won't be easy.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on September 26, 2013, 11:13:09 AM
Beginning in 2014, there will be multiple SteamOS machines to choose from, made by different manufacturers.
Personally, I think this is Nintendo's chance to reinvent the Wii U into the machine we always wanted it to be. Nintendo games with a Steam Online experience and feature set. if they can weave the Nintendo experience onto the SteamOS UI I think we can turn things around.
It would be Nintendo's Trojan Horse into instant 3rd Party support but with exclusives you can only play on the Nintendo Wii U w/ SteamOS inside ®. I feel like this could be Nintendo's instant win button ;).
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: shingi_70 on September 26, 2013, 12:55:19 PM
While I'm still skeptical about this I can see how it could take a piece of the the console market. I do think opening up the Platform to multiple hardware makers could be a mistake on the hardware side of things.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: Ceric on September 26, 2013, 03:48:40 PM
I would not be surprised that in Conjunction to SteamOS that Valve has been working to wrap all the Windows API calls, probably starting with WINE and going from their, so that a Windows game will just sort of Run on Steam OS.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: shingi_70 on September 26, 2013, 04:44:09 PM
Not sure that's happening so soon. There's a reason why Valve is pushing the streaming feature as a big deal of steambox.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: pokepal148 on September 26, 2013, 07:30:47 PM
I would not be surprised that in Conjunction to SteamOS that Valve has been working to wrap all the Windows API calls, probably starting with WINE and going from their, so that a Windows game will just sort of Run on Steam OS.
I know there's something like that for macs and so I assume there's most likely something for Linux as well. Valve already has something of a starting point.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: azeke on September 26, 2013, 09:59:56 PM
I would not be surprised that in Conjunction to SteamOS that Valve has been working to wrap all the Windows API calls, probably starting with WINE and going from their, so that a Windows game will just sort of Run on Steam OS.
It's honestly easier to just rewrite games than trying to replicate all quirks of WinAPI. And WinAPI isn't even the biggest hurdle there actually. The biggest problem are drivers.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: Ceric on September 27, 2013, 10:59:33 AM
I would not be surprised that in Conjunction to SteamOS that Valve has been working to wrap all the Windows API calls, probably starting with WINE and going from their, so that a Windows game will just sort of Run on Steam OS.
It's honestly easier to just rewrite games than trying to replicate all quirks of WinAPI. And WinAPI isn't even the biggest hurdle there actually. The biggest problem are drivers.
Yeah but, the driver hurdle is a Universal one that's not really Window Games specific.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: shingi_70 on September 27, 2013, 01:04:37 PM
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: broodwars on September 27, 2013, 02:07:41 PM
That controller has to be one of the funniest things I've seen in ages. Seriously, THAT is supposed to appeal to people wanting the console experience? It looks like it will transform into Soundwave at any moment!
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on September 27, 2013, 02:12:42 PM
WTF is that serious!?
tell me you are joking!?
I knew there had to be something to put in the negative column for this device outside of price.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: Ceric on September 27, 2013, 02:28:19 PM
THIS is why the Patent laws need changed. Its such ... so weird. How do you play traditional games with that?
Just for Reference. Here is Ninteno's worst controller , bar the SP :P, . (http://retromedia.ign.com/retro/image/article/845/845419/hardware-virtual-boy-20080114030010692.jpg) Even though it wasn't really that bad once you had your head wrapped around it.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: shingi_70 on September 27, 2013, 02:51:10 PM
THIS is why the Patent laws need changed. Its such ... so weird. How do you play traditional games with that?
Just for Reference. Here is Ninteno's worst controller , bar the SP :P, . (http://retromedia.ign.com/retro/image/article/845/845419/hardware-virtual-boy-20080114030010692.jpg) Even though it wasn't really that bad once you had your head wrapped around it.
I don't think Patent Laws had anything to do with it. Remember the Patent Valve had for a controller a while back. (http://s1.blomedia.pl/gadzetomania.pl/images/2012/03/valve-modular-controller-2009-patent.jpg)
Wii U (http://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/wii_u_gamepad_black-580x358.jpg)
PlayStation 4 (http://storage0.dms.go4it.ro/media/2/1541/19906/10582091/4/playstation4-wireless-controller-1.jpg)
Xbox One (http://www.xblafans.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/xbox_one_controller.jpg)
The Design makes more sense reading the website page.
Quote
The Steam Controller is designed to work with all the games on Steam: past, present, and future. Even the older titles in the catalog and the ones which were not built with controller support. (We’ve fooled those older games into thinking they’re being played with a keyboard and mouse, but we’ve designed a gamepad that’s nothing like either one of those devices.) We think you’ll agree that we’re onto something with the Steam Controller, and now we want your help with the design process.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: Ceric on September 27, 2013, 03:25:09 PM
You forgot the Ouya :P
Seriously enough it makes the Gamepad look traditional.
The standard for PC Gamepad has been the 360 controller for a while now. For lots of reason, namely a good API for it. My big concern with this controller are:
Tactile button pressing. The haptic feedback can be great but their is a reason I play Euphonium over Trombone. Those 4 buttons in no where land being of any use. That swoop out in the front where it looks your finger go in. Clear onscreen indicators.
I can't really imagine playing something complicated like Wonderful 101 on it.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: ThePerm on September 27, 2013, 03:58:11 PM
ouya is like a bad xbox 360 controller. The color layout of the buttons for ouya is even the same. That being said the ouya controller has some pretty good pluses. 1+ I've had it for months and use the controller all the time...the battery has never ran out. +1 the weight is balanced +1 it has a nice finish.
the drawbacks are its not the most comfortable shape compared to the 360. It could use a seperate start button from menu button. The dpad is meh. Thats about it.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: shingi_70 on September 27, 2013, 04:39:21 PM
How does the Oyua controller feel, because it looks cheap.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: ShyGuy on September 27, 2013, 06:59:14 PM
Can't wait to try it. Valve and Nintendo can be controller revolution buddies! I welcome radical controllers! Gamers are turning into old fuddy-duddies who refuse to learn anything new. They are like the grandpa who still wants to use AOL Dialup.
BREAK US FREE FROM THE DUAL ANALOG PRISON
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: MegaByte on September 27, 2013, 07:53:29 PM
Just for Reference. Here is Ninteno's worst controller , bar the SP :P, . (http://retromedia.ign.com/retro/image/article/845/845419/hardware-virtual-boy-20080114030010692.jpg) Even though it wasn't really that bad once you had your head wrapped around it.
How was it bad at all? It was a great controller.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: pokepal148 on September 27, 2013, 08:38:15 PM
I hope the PS4 controller gets quick support on PC. The touchpad would work well for a htpc gaming setup.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: BranDonk Kong on September 27, 2013, 11:20:48 PM
Ouya controller isn't that bad. Definitely not as good as XBox 360, but it's god enough. Steam controller looks ridiculous.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: Adrock on September 28, 2013, 12:25:04 AM
Steam controller looks... yikes.
I just really like the Wii U Pro Controller. It's like everything I wanted in a video game controller minus a headphone jack and even then, once there's a wireless headset, that won't even matter. I can't imagine I'd ever get used to the Steam controller. It's weird enough that I'm interested in holding it though.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: broodwars on September 28, 2013, 02:23:04 AM
Can't wait to try it. Valve and Nintendo can be controller revolution buddies! I welcome radical controllers! Gamers are turning into old fuddy-duddies who refuse to learn anything new. They are like the grandpa who still wants to use AOL Dialup.
BREAK US FREE FROM THE DUAL ANALOG PRISON
Being "new" doesn't make it "better". I'm sure Nintendo had plenty of research telling them that the Virtual Boy and its controller were the wave of the future, too. That sure worked out nicely for them. Even the Wiimote, for all its sales achievements, has more or less been abandoned now because it didn't pass the test of time.
I have serious doubts about both the functionality of this Steam controller and its viability in the marketplace. PC elitists already refuse to leave the keyboard & mouse, and the number 1 controller for the console gamer experience right now on the PC is the Xbox 360 controller. I don't see either of those audiences really going for this controller.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: Ceric on September 28, 2013, 06:49:16 PM
Just for Reference. Here is Ninteno's worst controller , bar the SP :P, . (http://retromedia.ign.com/retro/image/article/845/845419/hardware-virtual-boy-20080114030010692.jpg) Even though it wasn't really that bad once you had your head wrapped around it.
How was it bad at all? It was a great controller.
Having used it extensively myself. I don't think its a bad controller but Nintendo's Worse. The biggest problem to it is the flexibility prompted for some interesting usage within games. Which combined with not being able to see it made some control scheme interesting if you were swapping between games.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: MegaByte on September 28, 2013, 06:57:21 PM
I'd argue N64 was the worst since they hadn't figured out comfortable sticks or logical layouts yet.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: Ceric on September 28, 2013, 08:02:20 PM
How does the Oyua controller feel, because it looks cheap.
Its like a 3rd party xbox controller, but at least its one of the good third party xbox controllers. You can use an xbox 360, or ps3 controller with the system though. I generally prefer the 360 controller over hte ps3 controller, but on ouya ps3 works a little better. There are a bunch of 2d games so they ps3 controller is good for that, and also there are a couple of games that don't run screwed up using the ps3 controller, but run screwed up with the xbox controller.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: Morari on December 11, 2013, 06:18:00 PM
I just received e-mail confirmation... I've been selected to received one of the 300 prototype SteamBoxes and controller! A bunch of Big Picture Mode centric games were added to my account as well. Box should be here within the next week or two, apparently! :)
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: ShyGuy on December 11, 2013, 07:01:24 PM
Nice! be sure to give us impressions.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: Morari on December 11, 2013, 07:30:26 PM
Of course. I'm now NWR's PC corespondent, afterall. >.>
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: azeke on December 11, 2013, 10:44:56 PM
I signed in too, but i guess am not eligible.
Ah well.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: Ceric on December 12, 2013, 05:08:11 PM
You'll have to show your hands holding the controller or better yet a video using it. I just don't see it.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: Morari on December 12, 2013, 07:26:44 PM
I probably will put together some videos. With only 300 of them being thrown into the wild, I'm sure I can garner some interest on The Interwebz(tm). Sadly, the controller itself is still of the "prototype" variety. It's my understanding that it will be lacking the center touchscreen and wireless capabilities.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: NWR_insanolord on December 12, 2013, 07:43:19 PM
First vudu, now Morari? Which long gone forumer will show up next?
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: Morari on December 12, 2013, 09:55:03 PM
We are but one in the same...
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on January 15, 2014, 04:50:51 PM
Valve's Anna Sweet made the revelation at Valve's Steam Dev Days event in Seattle on Wednesday, according to several Twitter posts from attendees.
As it stands, the open-beta version of SteamOS - the operating system that will power Valve's TV-focused Steam Machine console/PC hybrids - simply allows users to play Steam games, falling drastically short of the multimedia capabilities of Sony and Microsoft's consoles.
But, according to Sweet, Valve aims to have movies, TV and music integrated into the system before its final public launch.
Does that mean they want Apps for Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Pandora, Etc Etc added before launch or do they mean that they are also getting into the digital film, TV and music distribution business?
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: ShyGuy on January 15, 2014, 06:29:11 PM
I hope they officially bring Netflix to Linux and fix the Amazon MP3 download issue.
Title: Re: Valve announces SteamOS
Post by: Khushrenada on January 15, 2014, 06:35:48 PM
