Could Steam be the ones to finally kill off PS and Xbox?

eyeswideopen

http://www.gamespot.com/news/valve-readying-steam-box-console-report-6364279

 

Valve readying 'Steam Box' console - Report

• 
  By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpot
• 
  Posted Mar 2, 2012 10:15 pm PT

Half-Life developer supposedly said to be working on a Steam-driven platform with hardware potentially made by multiple partners, Android- or 3DO-style.

 

The "Big Three" console makers may soon be joined by a fourth. A Verge report citing unspecified sources and rumors states that Valve Software wants to break into the TV set-top console market with a "Steam Box" system of its own.

A drawing from a Valve patent for controller technology.

In keeping with Valve cofounder Gabe Newell's statement last month that the company doesn't want to get into the hardware market (but will if it has to), the Steam Box is said to operate more like a platform along the lines of Google's Android operating system or the 3DO. In theory, Valve would set hardware specifications and create the system software, but multiple partners (Alienware is one rumored name mentioned in the report) would be able to create their own Steam Box devices.

The baseline specs reportedly tout a Core i7 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GPU. And in addition to running PC games through Valve's Steam storefront, the boxes would be able to run services of rival digital distributors, like EA's Origin service.

The Verge also pointed to a Valve patent from last year as being related to the Steam Box. Specifically, the report says the Steam Box is slated to come with a USB controller that allows users to swap out different components to suit their tastes or different game types. Another possible feature of the controller is biometric readings that would allow games to change in real-time based on users' heart rate.

As for when the Steam Box could be unveiled, next week's GDC and the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June are given as two potential public debuts for the system. A Valve representative had not returned GameSpot's request for comment as of press time.

Aelfinn

A high performance easily moddable console with non proprietary software. Depending on some other specific details, it sounds great.

It won't kill any of the main three competitors, but it might force them to adapt just a wee bit for the next generation. An outcome I would be quite pleased with.

eyeswideopen

Originally posted by Aelfinn

A high performance easily moddable console with non proprietary software. Depending on some other specific details, it sounds great.

It won't kill any of the main three competitors, but it might force them to adapt just a wee bit for the next generation. An outcome I would be quite pleased with.

I was kinda looking at PS and Xbox mainly because even though they each have a couple exclusives, their main profit comes from cross platform games that are already available on PC. Nintendo obviously would have no worries as almost everything that hits their console is an exclusive.

And the main reasons most console players use for not going to PC are 1.) ease of use and 2.) costs of upgrading vs. one shot purchase of the console.

Since every Steam game would just be downloaded with no physical media, there's an extreme ease of use in both purchase and installation of the games. Plus the added bonus of being able to go from your set top box at home to your laptop on the go since you'd have access to the game and your saves on both. Sony's new expanded remote play for Vita still can't compare with that.

And let's not forget that there will be no problems with backwards compatibility with the Steam box. You'll be able to play every game offered in the Steam library all the way back to classic gaming days.

Not to mention MS seems to be more interested in turning your t.v. into a PC than putting their main focus on games, another factor in Steams' favor. Everybody has access to Facebook and Hulu on their damn phone nowadays, it's not something the average gamer is looking for in a GAME console.

I think if Sony can't get back in the shape they were in with the PS1 and PS2 ( MASSIVE exclusive libraries ) and if MS doesn't get their eyes back on the ball instead of trying to be an everything-to-everyone machine with no specific advantage in any area over similar competitor offerings, a Steam box could push them to the bottom of the barrel, if not completely out of the game.

 

Edit: Wanted to address the cost of upgrading issue as well, as that's a major one. If Steam can come up with an easy and modular style of upgrading CPU,Ram,GPU, etc. ( similar to how "upgrading" was done with the Nintendo 64 mem pak ) so all the fear and guesswork was gone from the process for those who've never built a PC before AND can cut a major deal on the cost of each part from Intel and Nvidia  AND pass that on to the consumer, I think that will alleviate much of the issue there.

Castillle

I wonder if we can take its OS and just let us boot that in our current pcs...

Cuz yknoe...that would be kinda awesome @_@ bye bye win 7 when playing! Hello steamOS @_@

ForTheCity

I think PC and Console users are two different types in all. Console people are casual players who play for the ease of it. PC gamers are hardcore players who enjoy the additional difficulty IMO. While some PC players will play on console, I don't think the console players will player on PC as much. 

Predak

It sounds great, I'd be interested in how much it's going to set you back. I love PC gaming but I lack the funds to buy a PC that will play anything other than low spec games so for someone like me it's perfect. But I don't think it will have much of an effect on the PS or XBox personally.