Steam sees the "Big Picture"

[Phopojijo]

http://bit.ly/f3rHNC

I've been saying this for a while. The ONLY problem with PC Gaming is marketing.

Valve has taken up my complaint about giftability of console vs. PC games.

And now they're taking up the mentality against 20ft UIs and controller support to navigate.

If Valve was smart they'd allow the option to directly boot into Big Picture... maybe even land deals with a few PC manufacturers to have it pre-installed on HTPC-formfactor devices.

[dark navi]

The ONLY problem with PC Gaming is marketing.


There is also the glorious overhaul of DRM.

Sounds like my next buy will be a 3D TV with Steam.

[Phopojijo]

DRM is a marketing problem.

Also Steam wouldn't be in the TV itself (unless it's got a PC embedded in it for some reason) -- there would be a home theatre PC attached to it.

[TVTyrant]

That was my question. One of the big problems for PC gaming (in my eyes) is that the parts to make a proper machine are more expensive than an Xbox 360 or PS3. That to me has been the biggest marketing problem.

[Phopojijo]

That was my question. One of the big problems for PC gaming (in my eyes) is that the parts to make a proper machine are more expensive than an Xbox 360 or PS3. That to me has been the biggest marketing problem.Perceptively at least. PC gaming is actually cheaper in the long run... it just has more sticker shock especially since the biggest promoters of gaming PCs are trying to sell their over-the-top boxes for further-over-the-top prices.

When you factor in rebuying controllers for each system and accessories, game license fees, etc etc etc etc etc etc PC Gaming is very much cheaper.

Especially since without settling on a single open platform... you probably don't just have one console per generation... and you probably already have a PC anyway.

Heh, I can almost envision "The Valve Console"... just a PC that boots into Steam with a specific hardware spec.

[dark navi]

You mean 'Steam Console'?

[Dwood]

And if you buy it it comes with TF2 hats. :/

[Amit]

I wouldn't mind seeing a SteamBox console. As long as they don't get console sales happy and do the shit everyone else is doing right now.

[Warsaw]

I would rather see Steam evolve into an entire operating system than a console; it's much more fitting for what it is trying to do (not including making money).

What I gathered from that article is that a Steam app would be embedded into TVs that would let you stream your Steam games from your PC somewhere in the house and translate all the controls to a controller. Am I off the mark?

[TVTyrant]

A SteamBox would be awesome, except that they would have the financial reasoning to try and distance themselves from the PC gaming market. Thats what happened to Microsoft once they commited to th 360 platform.

[Phopojijo]

The difference would be that the SteamBox would be binary compatible with the PC.

There might be a lot more PC games with more focus on gamepad play... but that's fine, because Mouse and Keyboard is still there... and I play a lot of PC games with a gamepad anyway.

And frankly getting more people off the other consoles would eventually increase the availability of mouse and keyboard.

And Valve has a way with words... so the "Big Picture" makes me think this is step 1 of SOMETHING. Maybe this, maybe not.

[Amit]

Maybe they are trying to unify console and PC players for Episode 3! :mech2:

[BobtheGreatII]

I've lost all hope of ever seeing Episode 3.