The Steam Universe Is Expanding In 2014

There is no doubt in my mind I will be buying one. This is our best chance to push Linux as a gaming platform and if the Steam Box does well Linux gaming does well.

Plus I haven't used any of my consoles after Steam for Linux was released and I think this will help get me back into the Living room a bit.

There is no doubt in my mind I will be buying one. This is our best chance to push Linux as a gaming platform and if the Steam Box does well Linux gaming does well.

Plus I haven't used any of my consoles after Steam for Linux was released and I think this will help get me back into the Living room a bit.

+1 if it can offer something my PC can't.

If they come out with a well designed controller I would easily pick one up to support them and to have a really nice controller.

Well since I´ve bought a new laptop and a new gaming rig this year, mainly because of Steam for Linux, I probably won´t buy a Steam box for a year or two. But it´s definitly interesting.

Just a note for anyone that might no buy. The Xbox 360 has only sold around 80 million boxes, we as a community have a huge amount of power to push the Steam box to be a success in the market and if we had access to a similar library to what 360 or PS3 has then I think we will really see things move. 

"THERE... ARE... THREE BUTTONS!!!"
                                   -- Stardate 46360.8, Captain GabeN Picard

Just a note for anyone that might no buy. The Xbox 360 has only sold around 80 million boxes, we as a community have a huge amount of power to push the Steam box to be a success in the market

Yeah, well, tell that to my empty bank account... :/

Well, I plan to buy one since Valve has planned to release it, but in the end it depends on the specs & the price.

I will try to promote the steambox, but Ive been using a steambox in my living room for about 2 years now. I have a computer that looks like stereo equipment and matches my home theater (most people dont even notice that its a computer) and Ive been running steam big picture mode on it since it came out. i do have wireless xbox controllers for my console friends but I prefer to use a wireless gaming keyboard and mouse. I sit on my couch and then use something like this http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/bizchair1_2275_2294275068 for the keyboard and mouse and its very comfortable.

I am planning to buy one too, I thought interesting that the latest beta update was described as preparing the client to receive the new features or something like this.

I wonder if they will be out in time for Christmas

Maybe it's just me, but I have a feeling it might be something like an IndieGogo or Kickstarter campaign sort of event. These words particularly give me that feel:

Soon, we’ll be adding you to our design process

Or it could be very much like their expansion into the modding community, where they do it their own style yet bring us all in on it. Knowing Valve, they love to collect data before doing anything. No doubt this will probably be a step in getting enough information to make the right choice. I'm excited :)

Why does a steambox based on linux have to be a good thing for linux as a gaming platform ?

Valve will bring out a small box with specific hardware with an OS based on linux and tuned for just that hardware, at first the difference between the SteamOS and Linux will be small, but as time goes on that gap will only increase as they will tweak the GPU drivers (binary blob else nvidia or amd won't help making them faster and more efficient) and other things and it would not surprise me if in the end you will get a Windows, Apple, Linux and Steambox logo on game pages as tweaks and changes to make a game work better will only be on the Steambox drivers.  

sorry if this sounds to negative but if they want to succeed then a dedicated box like the PS4 (based on openBSD) or XBone is the only way to go and to get the big publishers on-board because without them there won't be many AAA titles and without AAA titles then won't be much incentive for the masses to buy a steambox based on linux if they can't play the latest Watchdog or GTA game.

I think its naive to think they will put a generic ubuntu/fedora/opensuse on that box with the opensource drivers and steam pre-installed.

Hell yeah I would buy a steam box!

I love you Gabe + Valve!

I think its naive to think they will put a generic ubuntu/fedora/opensuse on that box with the opensource drivers and steam pre-installed.

Don't you think they might be working on a low-end model of Steambox with the latest-greatest onboard Intel graphics? It would explain why Valve was working with Intel on mesa fixes. However the first model will indeed be nvidia with binary drivers, the model that will go out to all the reviewers and have performance compared to the big consoles.

Don't you think they might be working on a low-end model of Steambox with the latest-greatest onboard Intel graphics?

the latest and greatest intel graphics are still not even close to the power of amd/nvidia sadly, so no I don't think that.  You want it to be a success then you need the big titles and those need big power.

Which still leaves the issue of people with hundreds (if not more) of windows games who wont be able to play those on a linux based box, so why would they get one ?  I don't see valve going with windows on their steambox though, not after what they said about win8.    Still on a box with fixed hardware/OS a codeweaver port will always work, so that's an option.

Also if it is true that you can tinker and customize the OS in Steambox then that will be awesome

imagine the support nightmare on that one.....

I wonder if they will be out in time for Christmas

Given the fact that the page says the Steam universe will change in 2014, I guess it will definitely be out by Christmas... 2014. ;)

@Bumadar And who is to say it won't become some 'Android' type thing in the future, where it becomes incompatible with Desktop Linux?.

I think Valve has something else up their sleeves than just plain Linux forever. We'll see. Also, supposedly, this is suppose to be a powerful Console that costs more than Xbox/PS4, and because of that price; it may well become a niche product. And that's not good.

Releasing it in 2-3 years might make more sense. If it were released right now, it would be the most expensive console with the least amount of games. A Linux Steambox released anytime soon would be a failure. If valve wants success, they need to start talking with AAA developers about games and hardware companies for cheaper prices.

And it only makes sense that Half-Life 3 would be an exclusive title, if there is even any interest for that game anymore. They're gonna need something beside indie games. Yes I understand everyones excitement, but as-is it just won't work.

@Bumadar And who is to say it won't become some 'Android' type thing in the future, where it becomes incompatible with Desktop Linux?.

aye, sort of was my point, it will start of compatible and based on, but will go its own way if it wants to succeed

@Bumadar And who is to say it won't become some 'Android' type thing in the future, where it becomes incompatible with Desktop Linux?.

aye, sort of was my point, it will start of compatible and based on, but will go its own way if it wants to succeed

I highly doubt they will make it lose compatibility with mainstream desktop distro's.

Games would need to be recompiled for them yet again if they did an Android type of thing later on, if they where going to do that they would do it from the start.

They already have their own locked down store - Steam itself, they don't need to lock out the OS later on when they have the store that everyone has to use for Steam games anyway.