first Steam Box revealed: The Piston

[CeeKay]

and it will be Linux based?

in a way it makes sense, with them trying out the Big Picture Mode, but part of me thinks that this will boil down to a translation error.

[Razgon]

Its because Valve fears for the future, where things like the Win8 app store is a closed system for 3rd party stores like Valve's is.

This way, they can both compete and with enough investment, actually drive developers (Of which they themselves are pretty big) towards this platform as well.

[TiLT]

The Valve console has been reasonably well known for a while already. The use of Linux is a natural choice considering how much Gabe Newell dislikes the developments in Windows 8, and the OS isn't going to be a prominent feature anyway.

In any case, the idea is that Steam is already a well established marketplace. Wrapping a console around it might just work. If this succeeds it could be a good thing for game prices overall, as Sony and Microsoft would find themselves facing stiffer competition from a marketplace with generally lower prices and absurd special offers. This is the kind of thing that could actually carve out a respectable place in the console market, unlike the various Android "me too" attempts coming out from other companies.

[Razgon]

The one thing I don't understand, is who is going to buy the console? PC gamers have their pc's,and most don't want to give up the freedom, unless of course its marketed as a console instead of a pc, meaning its a supplement instead of replacement.

Also, how is distribution going to happen? Gamestop is sure as hell not going to carry it, since its a console that will completely cut them away. That leaves normal electical outlets but they have the same reservations so...digital purchases ala Amazon is all I see is left, and thats a big thing to mass-market and sell over the net solely.

[TiLT]

The one thing I don't understand, is who is going to buy the console? PC gamers have their pc's,and most don't want to give up the freedom, unless of course its marketed as a console instead of a pc, meaning its a supplement instead of replacement

It's a console, not a PC. PC owners are not the target audience. This is most likely aimed at those people who'd like to play PC games but who can't afford to buy a PC for it, or who don't want to deal with the technical nature of running a PC.

[Teggy]

I just don't know how this is going to work from a technical standpoint. I suppose they will have to test every game to make sure it works on the console, and recertify after every patch. People won't be able to use their current Steam libraries because only some games work on Linux.

[Bullwinkle]

There's no reason to assume this will just be Steam on your TV.  Microsoft didn't just bring Windows to the living room with Xbox, and Valve has been making games and relations with other game companies for a long time.  They could well be trying to make it a four console market.  If it were anyone else, I'd say it's ridiculous, but Valve may be able to pull it off.   Although I don't know how far into other markets Valve has gone, so that could be an issue.

[Laner]

If I can install Windows on it, I'm in.

[kronovan]

I can't see this succeeding if only because the console market hasn't grown enough to support  a 4th player. It wasn't until this gen that the market could support 3 players in a healthy way. Even if the quality of this product is top rate and the games for it good, I don't see it chewing into Sony, MS or Nintys' market share enough to survive.

[Harpua3]

If I can install Windows on it, I'm in.

Why would you want to? Same goes for Linux on ps3. Why did people want this option in the first place? It's a console, I buy it to get away from installing shit!;)

[Jumangi]

Looking at the initial specs of the first system its just a mobile AMD A10 system crammed in a little box.

So underpowered + running Linux and not windows = fail IMO.

[Laner]

If I can install Windows on it, I'm in.

Why would you want to?

So I wouldn't be limited to Steam's paltry Linux offerings.  Sure, more devs would probably start making Linux versions of their new titles, but the hundreds of older titles I already own on steam will probably never see a Linux port.

Edit:  Apparently it won't be locked down...

http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/145175-gabe-newell-reveals-juicy-steam-box-details-mobile-gaming-project-distaste-for-windows-8

[Roguetad]

It's good for us as consumers that companies outside of MS, Sony and Nintendo are willing to jump into the upcoming next gen race.  Hopefully companies like Valve and Nvidia will be smart about their risk, and take the fail fast and move on approach, rather than riding a dud into the ground.  Now would have been the perfect opportunity for Sega to get back into the hardware space and put some pressure on the big 3.  I know I'm being nostalgic, but it would have been cool to see a next gen Sega come out of nowhere and blow away the competition.     

[CeeKay]

Gabe explains things:

"We're working with partners trying to nail down exactly how fast we can make it,” Newell said. “We'll be giving out some prototypes to customers to get their reactions, I guess, in the next three to four months. Your average gamer has a good idea of what it’d be like. It sort of has the openness and flexibility of PC, yet done in a way that makes it make sense in the living room. There are noise issues and heat issues and being able to [deal with] that while still offering a powerful enough gaming experience is the challenge in building it."

[CeeKay]

pre-order.  I'm thinking it's going to be a dud...

[Jumangi]

For that starting money I'd rather buy one of those Alienware X51's.

[EngineNo9]

And just to be clear, those are still not the official Valve/Steambox product it's just the Piston mini PC. 

As for price, I'm not sure what people expected when you're basically shoving a current PC into an even tinier custom form factor it's not going to be cheaper than buying similar full-size parts that are widely marketed.

[CeeKay]

the Piston is expected to be the first of other Steam boxes.

[CeeKay]

now Valve is saying they're not backing it.  with all the news floating around I cannot believe it took them 3 days to disavow the system; I think the ridicule about the price had something to do with it.