Gabe Newell At LinuxCon 2013, Linux Is The Future Of Gaming

Next week they will give more info on bringing Linux into the living room, so it looks like a Steam Box is getting closer to being a reality.

This is the news I've been waiting a year for so it better be good. I don't think I'm alone in hoping this puts PC (and linux specifically) gaming on a par with console gaming in the eyes of developers.

Just brilliant news to hear their commitment reaffirmed so clearly. Taking your word for it, cos I'll not have time to watch the video until a bit later tonight! :)

2013 is really turning out to be the year of Linux.

Several Valve developers actually work on SDL itself (it was also started by a Valve employee)

Well, Sam Lantinga now works at Valve, he didn't at the time.

I am really looking forward to seeing how the Steam Box shapes up. I have no plans on buying a PS4 or Xbox One, but I would still like to have something in the living room. 

And about them improving lldb... Well, I'd rather they'd work on gdb, but that's just me and my GPL fetish.

I am really looking forward to seeing how the Steam Box shapes up. I have no plans on buying a PS4 or Xbox One, but I would still like to have something in the living room. 

I really like our setup with a MythBox to run Linux games on a TV, so I think a Steam Box has lots of promise

Years ago, I spent £170 on a RevoPC and stuck XBMC Live on it (Ubuntu-based XMBC). With its built-in VDPAU acceleration, and HDMI out, this is still my main media centre box. But, since it's linux-based, it won't play with any of the Netflix plug-ins for XMBC.

I'd love to see a SteamBox if only to see Valve give the likes of Netflix and Lovefilm a reason to support linux. Playing my games on my TV would just be icing.

Several Valve developers actually work on SDL itself (it was also started by a Valve employee)

Well, Sam Lantinga now works at Valve, he didn't at the time.

Indeed, but what I stated was still a fact, he's a Valve employee and he started it.

Yes, of course, but it was a bit ambiguous :P

Yes, of course, but it was a bit ambiguous :P

You're just choosing to look at it like that. All I said was he started it and he's a valve employee, nothing more.

Yes, of course!
Look, I'm not trying to say you meant to write that a then-Valve-employee started SDL. Just that it can be read that way. I just wanted to make sure everyone, including the other GoL readers, is on the same page here. :)

Thanks DrMcCoy for that information. I did not know that. The way the information is conveyed by DrMcCoy implies, that working on a Free Open Source software project can even land you a job at the "best employer" in the world if you want to. The way Liam has put it, on the othe hand, implies that Free Open Source wouldn't be as successfull and quality as it is, if it weren't for the corporations that let their employees work on Open Source projects.


don't underestimate the power of words and language. It is used against you every day anyway.


peace & cheers

working on a Free Open Source software project can even land you a job at the "best employer" in the world if you want to

Valve does that kind of thing. Ditto with LordHavoc: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTExMDM

implies that Free Open Source wouldn't be as successfull and quality as it is, if it weren't for the corporations that let their employees work on Open Source projects.

Well, yes and no. SDL was developed by Sam Lantinga for Loki Software, after all.

A lot of developers working on things Linux related only can because they are paid too mr Humble.

You have canonical behind ubuntu, redhat behind fedora, intel employs linux engineers as does amd, the list goes on and on.

Like i said people all i have stated are facts. Also Humble i had to edit your post it had lots of bbcode we don't even use here, where did that come from?

Like i said people all i have stated are facts

Dude, chill. It was not an attack, it was just a clarification. I really wonder why you're getting so worked up about that... o_O

Like i said people all i have stated are facts

Dude, chill. It was not an attack, it was just a clarification. I really wonder why you're getting so worked up about that... o_O

I'm fine, just clarifying what i have said.

They haven't been happy about the way closed systems have been heading for several years, most likely pointing towards things like Windows Store, App Store etc where approval can take ages and can cost a lot money.

Now that's some irony. People shouldn't forget that even with all the Linux support and benefits of easy buying & downloading games through Steam, the service is still a closed source product with DRM. There are already quite a few indie developers unhappy with how long it takes to get listed on Steam. It's exactly the same situation just that Valve is the one at the helm in this case.

Fortunately for game developers there are alternative services, however none of them have the reach that Steam has, so the two situations are quite comparable overall.

First prediction:  next week's announcement will not show off the Steam Box to the world (maybe a prototype at most), but will reveal Valve's Steam Box strategy.

Second prediction:  HL3 will be announced as a first-party title to launch with the Box.  It will not be an exclusive, and will be announced to launch on each of Steam's three desktop platforms simultaneously with the Steam Box "console" version (which will really just be good controller support for the most part).

Those are pretty obvious (to me).  Now, wild and rampant speculation...

Third prediction:  We won't see a full launch title list (not remotely), but at least one title will be unportable, suggesting a thoroughly tested Wine experience.  Valve will put a lot of effort into making Wine ports very stable and performant on the specific hardware & distro employed in their Box platform, for the specific games they wish to sell, and a fair number of day-one ports will end up on the Box.  High-end ports will sort of peter out as Steam Box compatibility (via Wine-wrap, or at best, in-built winelib) becomes the new low bar for Linux porting of AAA's.

Alternate third prediction:  The Box will not actually be a specific hardware product, but rather a distro + software stack licensed out to OEM's to build their own branded Steam Boxen, e.g., the Alienware Steam Box, the Falcon Northwest Steam Box, the Maingear Steam Box, the HP Steam Box, etc.  Gabe will announce a certification program for OEM partners to qualify their hardware for Valve-approved "Steam Box" status (like Microsoft's WLK/WHC, Apple's MFi Program, or VMware's "Ready" program).  In this alternate future, Wine is not emphasized because system configurations vary, with the "bar" characterized by Valve's performance thresholds for certification of titles within the current gaming generation.

Not super excited about either outcome, but that's what my crystal ball reads.  :) It will be interesting to see what actually happens...

There are already quite a few indie developers unhappy with how long it takes to get listed on Steam.

To be honest, I don't know of any indie devs who are happy about the listing delay and jumping the necessary hoops.  Most seem happy to do business with Valve once the gauntlet has been run, but I agree, it really does come off as being a kind of "indie dev hazing ritual".  :(