[Update: We have new information see here.]
In a move that's not exactly surprising, Valve has quietly removed the Steam Machine section from Steam.
Previously on Steam, if you hovered over the Hardware category there was a Steam Machines link in the drop-down, which is now gone while the links to the Steam Controller, Steam Link and Vive remain. In fact, the entire Hardware page on Steam is now gone and anyone using the link (http://store.steampowered.com/hardware/) is redirected to a basic search page. Looking back on it and doing a bit of quick research, it seems the change came this month.
I'm not surprised they did this, since currently no one is announcing new machines and the whole Steam Machine idea from Valve never really gained any steam. While it didn't really do the big splash many were hoping, it has done quite a lot of good for Linux gaming overall. As a result of the initial push from Valve, many developers and game engines have moved into doing regular Linux support. This is important, because many of the barriers involved in getting games on Linux have been removed.
We know for a fact that porting companies like Aspyr Media (original interview) and Feral Interactive (original interview) started doing Linux versions thanks to SteamOS and Steam Machines, with them both still continuing the effort. It's also likely what pushed GOG to support Linux on their store too, since they didn't want to miss out on the possibility of more Linux gamers to buy games.
Realistically and looking back on it all, the time just wasn't right. There were long delays, not enough "big" games to make people truly interested in the platform (especially when the likes of The Witcher 3 was confirmed and then never happened—still hurts) and various other reasons.
We now have over four thousand Linux games on Steam, with more releasing every day. Of course, that's just a number and there's a fair amount of rubbish, but that's only natural to see. The good news, is that we get a lot of decent games arrive on Linux too and there's no signs of it slowing down.
It will be interesting to see if Valve do another SteamOS/Steam Machine push, with SteamOS still seeing updates this year it's entirely possible. Either way, Valve has done a lot of good and continues to do so. They're not a perfect company, not all their ideas work out and that's fine.
Linux gaming still faces an uphill battle—a large one at that. Thankfully, no one company "owns" Linux and so it can essentially go on forever, keep improving and gradually get better over a long time. We will still be here no matter what, we love Linux and we have so many good games already we don't know what to play half the time.
Thanks for the tip, kreativt. Article text was updated to be clearer after publishing.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
https://steamcommunity.com/app/221410/discussions/0/1696043806550421224/
Quoting: leo523Valve spoked about that!! They not stop to help Linux.That's interesting.
https://steamcommunity.com/app/221410/discussions/0/1696043806550421224/
Quoting: etonbearsQuoting: tonRQuoting: NeverthelessI don't think it ever was a device species at all. I don't know what Valve thought of it when they released it, but for me it was a Linux PC with a controller for the living room. That concept is not dead, nor are the Steam Machines sold. Nothing has failed here, because nothing gets abandoned. Owners of a Steam Machine still have got a Linux PC for the living room and 4000+ games to play.That's my question. What was/is in Valve's people mind when they launched Steam Machine? To promoted Linux? For fun?
I never said failed. Yes, Valve is still making money, Steam Machine or not, but every businesses in this world wanted to maximizing profit to even every single cent. So I'm very curious about the reason of Steam Machine existance.
I don't think there was a clear idea, on Valve's part, what a Steam Machine was for. It was a strand in the "open" gaming platform they wanted to exist, just as SteamOS and the Linux Steam runtime are strands of that platform.
My recollection is that they stated that they wished to foster hardware innovation, so there was no fixed/clear definition of a Steam Machine, but that they expected novel and upgradeable hardware offerings ( not just living room PCs ).
Unfortunately, that is difficult to achieve. PCs are already, de facto, flexible and upgradeable, so what can be added to that? Novel hardware that might have superior performance or price characteristics would take the form of custom designed components; but that requires a company with deep pockets, hardware design expertise, and a reasonable certainty of return on investment.
Microsoft also had this problem when they tried to get manufacturers to be inventive with Windows 8/Windows RT; noone was prepared to take that financial risk, so Microsoft did it themselves with the Surface. I don't think it has resulted in much profit over the years.
sorry for the delayed response but I totally forgot about this discussion :P
I dont believe that what you say is accurate.
They surely had an idea of what a steambox(initial name I believe) should be, they wanted to make a PC for the living room (hence the controller that is supposed to retain the mouse like function/feeling for RTS games etc) and its main purpose was to be a console killer and lure console peasants to the art of PC gaming so that they can directly grab new customers from that virgin market of overpriced console gaming titles and treat them similarly as sony/ms/nintendo do using the PC exclusive genres and/or titles and the extra pc functions as a carrot for them to follow.
the problem (and that is my opinion) is that they didn't want to invest capital to RnD such a product and used their name and influence to drag companies that already are on the OEM business to do the work for them... but for reasons that I mentioned my previous posts those OEMs just missed the point.
SteamOS was the never the main purpose it was the means to make such a console killer viable (free OS/less licencing issues for apis/software/drivers etc)
Quoting: papajoQuoting: etonbearsQuoting: tonRQuoting: NeverthelessI don't think it ever was a device species at all. I don't know what Valve thought of it when they released it, but for me it was a Linux PC with a controller for the living room. That concept is not dead, nor are the Steam Machines sold. Nothing has failed here, because nothing gets abandoned. Owners of a Steam Machine still have got a Linux PC for the living room and 4000+ games to play.That's my question. What was/is in Valve's people mind when they launched Steam Machine? To promoted Linux? For fun?
I never said failed. Yes, Valve is still making money, Steam Machine or not, but every businesses in this world wanted to maximizing profit to even every single cent. So I'm very curious about the reason of Steam Machine existance.
I don't think there was a clear idea, on Valve's part, what a Steam Machine was for. It was a strand in the "open" gaming platform they wanted to exist, just as SteamOS and the Linux Steam runtime are strands of that platform.
My recollection is that they stated that they wished to foster hardware innovation, so there was no fixed/clear definition of a Steam Machine, but that they expected novel and upgradeable hardware offerings ( not just living room PCs ).
Unfortunately, that is difficult to achieve. PCs are already, de facto, flexible and upgradeable, so what can be added to that? Novel hardware that might have superior performance or price characteristics would take the form of custom designed components; but that requires a company with deep pockets, hardware design expertise, and a reasonable certainty of return on investment.
Microsoft also had this problem when they tried to get manufacturers to be inventive with Windows 8/Windows RT; noone was prepared to take that financial risk, so Microsoft did it themselves with the Surface. I don't think it has resulted in much profit over the years.
sorry for the delayed response but I totally forgot about this discussion :P
I dont believe that what you say is accurate.
They surely had an idea of what a steambox(initial name I believe) should be, they wanted to make a PC for the living room (hence the controller that is supposed to retain the mouse like function/feeling for RTS games etc) and its main purpose was to be a console killer and lure console peasants to the art of PC gaming so that they can directly grab new customers from that virgin market of overpriced console gaming titles and treat them similarly as sony/ms/nintendo do using the PC exclusive genres and/or titles and the extra pc functions as a carrot for them to follow.
the problem (and that is my opinion) is that they didn't want to invest capital to RnD such a product and used their name and influence to drag companies that already are on the OEM business to do the work for them... but for reasons that I mentioned my previous posts those OEMs just missed the point.
SteamOS was the never the main purpose it was the means to make such a console killer viable (free OS/less licencing issues for apis/software/drivers etc)
If you look back at what Valve/Gaben said in 2012/2013, you will find that their ideas were quite broad, and not necessarily all that firm; they have produced a streaming device, but not produced the Valve-branded living-room version of Steambox they expected to make. For example, see https://www.theverge.com/2013/1/8/3852144/gabe-newell-interview-steam-box-future-of-gaming
I would stand by my assessment of why neither they, nor other hardware OEMs, have managed to produce anything spectacular. It is, of course, just my opinion. Only the companies involved know what their dealings were.
From a personal viewpoint, the only thing that really matters to me is that they continue to invest in the Steam Client for Linux. Of their other ideas, the controller is far too small for my hands, the streaming link doesn't interest me, I prefer Ubuntu to SteamOS, and if I wanted a living-room box, I would build my own rather than buy - unless there is a sizeable hardware subsidy involved.
Perhaps they will eventually find a compelling recipe, but not yet.
slaapliedje Apr 22, 2018
And I have to ask.. do you have gorilla hands? I wouls say (with the exception of the Atari Jaguar controller) the Steam Controller has the largest hand grips out of any I have seen. The Nintendo Wireless Pro is a close second. This coming from someone who can't use the PS3 controller for very long because of how small they are.
Quoting: slaapliedjeSteamOS is better than Ubuntu, for a game console. There are thongs they tune for the kernel.It's not really about how they tune the thongs. The question is, who is wearing them?
Quoting: Purple Library GuyThe kernel. Thongs for the kernel. Software is all about presentation these days. Lean programming, sexy code, the list goes on.Quoting: slaapliedjeSteamOS is better than Ubuntu, for a game console. There are thongs they tune for the kernel.It's not really about how they tune the thongs. The question is, who is wearing them?
slaapliedje Apr 24, 2018
Anyone old enough to remember the days when thongs were the things you wore on your feet?
Quoting: slaapliedjeHa, I really shouldn't type things in on my phone... or in this case thongs.Yup. Never really got used to having to call them "flip-flops".
Anyone old enough to remember the days when thongs were the things you wore on your feet?
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