Valve with Steam Box News?

[bombatomba]

[img width=594 height=334]http://www.pcgamesn.com/sites/default/files/SteamReveal.png[/img]

A lot of people are trying to fill in the gaps that Gabe Newell left in his announcement on Friday.  General speculation is that the big announcement on Monday will be Steam Box related, which certainly seems feasible if you take into account the continued further kudos he gives Linux as a Steam platform as well as a teaser page directly on Steam.

What does this mean?  Is this nothing more than an announcement for further Linux support or is it something more?  Time will tell, or course, but that certainly isn't quelling speculation.  On one hand we could have something as simple as a Valve-branded version of Linux, but on the other hand there could be an announcement of a new gaming platform, which would further stymie the "Steam is not a platform" detractors as well as our own Anti-Digital League.

What do you think it will be?  Keep in mind that this is only the first of a slew of announcements from Valve (which is you scroll down on the Steam link above, you will see there is more too it).

Bit strange that both the cat and the controller look like...  a sandwich, hmm?





Source: Escapist Magazine: "http://www.escapistmagazi...-Box-With-Countdown-Timer"

[techwizard]

maybe a steam operating system based on linux, that could be interesting

[The Metamorphosing Leon]

HALF LIFE THREE TO LAUNCH EXCLUSIVE WITH STEAM BOX

[Fleach]

If the Steam Box is real I might actually consider it. The service has been interesting me a lot lately, but I'm not 100% sure about going the PC gaming route. So if a Steam console is in the future I will be open to the possibility.

[The Metamorphosing Leon]

I woke up all like "gotta check steam for news" then remembered all them fellers are out in California and probably still snoozing.

Still nothing!

[techwizard]

http://www.pcgamer.com/20.../valve-announces-steamos/

i called it!

[wildbil52]

Yes you did!  Very interested in Steam OS and very curious as to what they mean by "living room machines". 

One of my hesitations with Steam in the living room is that I don't want my huge, powerful PC in the living room.  If they have really found a way to reduce latency in streaming games from your PC to your TV via wired network in a Linux environment, I will be one happy camper.

[The Metamorphosing Leon]

Hmm very interesting if very vague. Will have to wait to see what this actually is.

[noiseredux]

I got a new PC Labor Day weekend, and ever since have been spending A LOT of time on Steam. A lot.

[bombatomba]

Well, now.  The new announcement is... an operating system?  Apparently SteamOS is...  something.  With a semi-vague grouping of words, Valve doesn't answer as many questions as they ask.  The facts: In the near future there will be an operating system called SteamOS which is further targeting your living room for the future of PC gaming, Steam appears to be Linux derived, and it will be free. 

Now, since bil has already pointed out the streaming feature, I would like to focus on a quote directly from the webpage, with special emphasis should be on the final sentence:

     "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."

Regardless of what happens next, SteamOS will be a valid platform in the future and stand as a competitor.  Games will be created with it in mind and if Valve has done the work they claim, these games will run better on it than a non-gaming OS (Windows, Mac, Linux). 

http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/

What's next?  According to the timer we have less than 48 hours before we find out, and now that the first one is revealed we can begin to see some sort of outline that Valve is drawing for us.  Not clear, but visible.  Look at the icon designs for each announcement.  What could it mean?


[img width=700 height=222]http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/5425/9g4d.jpg[/img]

[Fleach]

There are still two more announcements before I can pass judgement. In the meantime, my prediction/hope is SteamOS is the foundation of a console (I kinda want Steam Box to be real). We still have to figure out the meaning of the picture of the cat and the controller.

"Living room machines" is very vague.

If they have really found a way to reduce latency in streaming games from your PC to your TV via wired network in a Linux environment, I will be one happy camper.

According to various articles I've read latency is the big thing they're working on resolving.

[Addicted]

Steam Machines announcement:

http://store.steampowered...livingroom/SteamMachines/

"A powerful new category of living-room hardware is on the horizon.
Join the hardware beta now.
Choose the model right for you in 2014."

[wildbil52]

Yup.  I'm beta eligible.  Super slim chance with only 300 units going out, but I can hope.

[bombatomba]

So Valve has chosen the 3DO model?  I have to admit, I was really hoping for some soft of single solution that would help stabilize PC gaming, but whatever.

Hm.  Well, I need another eight friends to become beta eligible, so if wants to help a brother out...

Based on the weird icons they were using (SteamOS-circle inside a box) I think pretty much everyone was guessing some king of hardware reveal.  Now the last symbol (two SteamOS-circles with a plus sign in the middle) really has me wondering.  Some kind of solution like Onlive?

[The Metamorphosing Leon]

Awww, I don't have a gamepad.