We don't know the cost, but HMC seems the right answer to this problem. First products are expected next year.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sideloading
PS. a developer account signing key which can be suspended or restricted at any time and doesn't allow binary distribution is not equivalent.
D
Deleted member 13524
Guest
Today's unveiling is:
"We have something to unveil later."
So they say they have several different Steam Boxes being developed and they will distribute 300 of those to selected beta testers (Steam customers) free of charge, and then use that large scale pilot to decide which box(es) will be sold.
No word on hardware specs, size, shape, nothing.
Meh.
"We have something to unveil later."
So they say they have several different Steam Boxes being developed and they will distribute 300 of those to selected beta testers (Steam customers) free of charge, and then use that large scale pilot to decide which box(es) will be sold.
No word on hardware specs, size, shape, nothing.
Meh.
D
Deleted member 13524
Guest
This is the last question in today's FAQ:
So yeah, a gamepad, something like Phantom:
Or maybe a gamepad that connects to the PC but attaches to a tablet for remote play (drool).
Nonetheless, today's announcement was really disappointing.. they didn't say anything we didn't know already.
So yeah, a gamepad, something like Phantom:
Or maybe a gamepad that connects to the PC but attaches to a tablet for remote play (drool).
Nonetheless, today's announcement was really disappointing.. they didn't say anything we didn't know already.
If there was only some other ram type that offered higher bandwidth!
There were rumors at one point of a GDDR5 based apu. Perhaps in the future it will resurface. Also it's unclear if edram at that point would cost $$$ (not saying it won't). A small pool of edram combined with ddr4 or slower/cheaper gddr5 might be enough.
1. How are they going to address EA titles? I love Linux and if gaming came full force to it then I'd have very little real reason to stick with Windows.. But what of Battlefield? Crysis? Mass Effect? Etc and so on. I mean, it's seeming line Linux and OpenGL will increase performance all around. Hell, I know that running Ubuntu my PC screams compared to Win7. I'd love to jump on this..
2. Gamepads. This is a bigger issue than most people are commenting on, and here's my reasoning: PC 'elitists' hate gamepad users. Seriously, google something like "will x game work with gamepad?" read the forums. The vitreol and condescensions being hurled at pad users who want 'aim assist' because its 'nooby' and 'takes no skill' etc.
I have a monster PC but I am a console gamer (for FPS\third person titles) first and foremost. I prefer a gamepad. But I'm seriously put off with how all competitive MP titles on PC only half ass gamepad support\forbid aim assist. Case in point: Crysis 2. If you were in the beta (I was) they had full gamepad support. PC community bitched so loud that neutered it and said "the community has spoken".
This concern extends into big picture mod\console 'steam machine', since me and countless others won't want to use a kb\m in front of a TV and try to play competitive MP games (FPS titles). Valve has emphasized gamepads for big picture mode and it seems like they're preparing to go even further and release a controller of their own.
That's great, but what about REAL support for it?
How are they going to encourage\enforce gamepad acceptance? Will they request devs leave it in their code and face community wrath from a very vocal PC audience?
What will they do about EA?
I'm super pumped for STEAM OS, I just need to know these niggles are getting ironed out before I get my hopes up.
2. Gamepads. This is a bigger issue than most people are commenting on, and here's my reasoning: PC 'elitists' hate gamepad users. Seriously, google something like "will x game work with gamepad?" read the forums. The vitreol and condescensions being hurled at pad users who want 'aim assist' because its 'nooby' and 'takes no skill' etc.
I have a monster PC but I am a console gamer (for FPS\third person titles) first and foremost. I prefer a gamepad. But I'm seriously put off with how all competitive MP titles on PC only half ass gamepad support\forbid aim assist. Case in point: Crysis 2. If you were in the beta (I was) they had full gamepad support. PC community bitched so loud that neutered it and said "the community has spoken".
This concern extends into big picture mod\console 'steam machine', since me and countless others won't want to use a kb\m in front of a TV and try to play competitive MP games (FPS titles). Valve has emphasized gamepads for big picture mode and it seems like they're preparing to go even further and release a controller of their own.
That's great, but what about REAL support for it?
How are they going to encourage\enforce gamepad acceptance? Will they request devs leave it in their code and face community wrath from a very vocal PC audience?
What will they do about EA?
I'm super pumped for STEAM OS, I just need to know these niggles are getting ironed out before I get my hopes up.
For all their success, Valve doesn't have the resources to compete with MS and Sony on the manufacture and distribution of hardware.
Partners?
It's going to be the same commodity OEMs who are living on thin margins, who see their PC business declining.
MS tried to get some of the Windows OEMs to make their Xbox hardware and they weren't interested.
Valve doesn't have the resources to subsidize hardware, like Sony is doing, or get distribution. FOr hardware support, you're going to have to deal with these low-rent Asian OEMs, who don't have the margins to set up a service and support infrastructure.
Very much for enthusiast niche only.
Besides these hardware issues, there's no sign that they'd be able to get the kind of third-party support that consoles have.
It's too bad, because it seems like Steam DRM policies would be friendlier to consumers, like no charge for online gaming and so forth.
Partners?
It's going to be the same commodity OEMs who are living on thin margins, who see their PC business declining.
MS tried to get some of the Windows OEMs to make their Xbox hardware and they weren't interested.
Valve doesn't have the resources to subsidize hardware, like Sony is doing, or get distribution. FOr hardware support, you're going to have to deal with these low-rent Asian OEMs, who don't have the margins to set up a service and support infrastructure.
Very much for enthusiast niche only.
Besides these hardware issues, there's no sign that they'd be able to get the kind of third-party support that consoles have.
It's too bad, because it seems like Steam DRM policies would be friendlier to consumers, like no charge for online gaming and so forth.
Maybe we need to start a kickstarter for a 1) hybrid keyboard controller 2) hybrid keyboard controller with right trackball instead of thumbsticks. I have been prototyping one in my head since the original xbox days so it is pretty far advanced already. HeheAnd then call it a day.
Anyway, see if Valve can solve the PC/MMO game in the living room controller on Friday. About the only game type I have not found a comfortable way to play without bringing all my kit into the living room and still dropping the keyboard. I did mod my 360 controller to have an 8-way hat switch instead of the d-pad, so for the most part that was a huge boost of ease for MMO's and such.
So I wonder how they will handle buttons, give us more or less. A selector would be nice to scroll function bars while still keeping a dpad maybe.
People are talking as if EA is a big deal but they are small fry in the PC market. DOTA2 has more active users than every other game on the Steam top 100 list combined (and League of Legends has far more players than DOTA2). Taking that train of thought a step further 5 out of the 10 most played games on Steam wouldn't even work with a controller and out of the remaining games 3 of them are versions of CounterStrike (And what self-respecting CS player would use a controller?). In my mind if Valve doesn't show off some kind of revolutionary input device SteamOS is doomed to be a niche toy for enthusiasts.
I don't know ... An OS that can't run Battlefield, or Bioware RPGs, or whatever else EA has that's good. On top of that, Blizzard. I know DOTA is huge, but why play DOTA in Steam OS when you could play it in Windows and have all those EA, Blizzard games available without dual booting?
Edit:
If they sell a dirt-cheap streaming client for people that already have PCs, then I could see that being a success as a peripheral, for those that want to game on a second screen in the livingroom or whatever. Would I buy a $500-1000 Steam OS PC? Probably not, unless for some reason the hardware is really good value for money, but I'd still end up putting Windows on it.
GDDR6 in 2014.
