Yeah, Valve’s Still Experimenting With Hardware

@Praab_NZ said:

I wonder if he means systems or parts or both, are they really going to manufacture their own hardware? That seems like a crazy thing for a software company to do.

Microsoft did it, to great success 7 years later.

I would definitely buy a Valve console. They should call is the Whistle.

Steam Whistle.

Sometimes, there's a reason for stuff. The steering wheel hasn't changed in 25 years either.

as others have said, I think this isn't about a SteamBox or whatever but about peripherals and new controllers. something that makes sense when you think about their VR & AR headset experiments and their direct support of the Oculus Rift. I bet they also have some really good ideas about where gaming is going and what type of input devices are going to sell well. The console handheld controller expanded what gaming means but I'm pretty sure it doesn't end there.

yea valve continues to exist, dont see why its worth writing an article about though.

wheres the article about the international and how awesome it was?

Even if the GB staff don't play dota, why not be interested in it, seeing as how its something that others might like, and having a site where you help the readers find more stuff they're interested in, it might be a good idea to cover stuff like the international. I understand that you guys don't like covering stuff you don't like (PSN+ for example, anything non xbox360 really) but if you only cover the stuff you want then the audience will basically turn into clones of you instead of learning and expanding their tastes in games.

I want whatever they haven't told me they're making.

I'm interested in seeing what Valve comes up with, but I doubt it will replace the traditional PC. If anything does that, it's going to be the tablet.

If its not about HL2 ep 3 then no one cares Valve. How about experimenting with giving us a game?

If it innovates, sure. I'll check it out.

If it becomes some mandatory crap for Steam (which I highly doubt), then I'll be less than happy .

if they ever do make a steambox it had better be damn well steampunk with lots of exposed bronze and copper pipes and old analog gauges ....

I'm gonna start really small and just ask that they have the category/games management in the Steam client MAKE EARTH SENSE.

@Popogeejo said:

@bybeach: You don't even know what their hardware is yet.

You are totally correct, but is there hardware that is ' different' from any other hardware out there? And look what happens to consoles, Oh, they usually settle for some interesting design, cpu config etc, and in 4-5 years time it is horribly outdated. hell, often at least equalled to right out of the gate by PC design. Is this the idea then, I am buying a pc console? A third box that gets replaced up there? And that besides my PC?

And another thing that bothers me, yeah steam does PC gaming, but Steam is NOT synonymous with PC games, they offer a service to play them. But so does disk and other down loadable. One thing I will not do, as much as I like steam, is invest in something that forces me to marry them.. It just wasn't true love, just a deep respect for what they have accomplished. Now I am at a loss....

The main problem is advancement of hardware design. Consoles have to allow for it by new models. PC's allow for it hopefully by upgrade. What does Steam have in mind that breaks out of this and makes you want to have their product?

@jasondesante said:

I understand that you guys don't like covering stuff you don't like (PSN+ for example, anything non xbox360 really)

Oh boy, this again. Despite the crew constantly saying PS+ is great and the 360's Gold being a ripoff, people still claim they're 360 fanboys. Pay attention, homie.

@Skanker said:

@jasondesante said:

I understand that you guys don't like covering stuff you don't like (PSN+ for example, anything non xbox360 really)

Oh boy, this again. Despite the crew constantly saying PS+ is great and the 360's Gold being a ripoff, people still claim they're 360 fanboys. Pay attention, homie.

Strange, they were talking about PS+'s advantages over XBL in the most recent podcast (maybe the one prior.) It's a topic that comes up pretty often; virtually every time they talk about hating the content Microsoft pushes on them and that fact they cant find their games.

If valve makes a console, I want the power switch for it to be a valve that I have to turn.

They are trying to invent something (at least they are thinking they are doing so)

I'm all for this! A Valve-branded computer, or really any piece of hardware made by Valve is a sure-buy from me. They've more than earned my trust and respect over the years.

Eh... meh.

@Vigorousjammer said:

If valve makes a console, I want the power switch for it to be a valve that I have to turn.

Hear, hear! No valve mechanism, no purchase from me.

This is what I like about GB, rather than running it as "Valve confirms hardware production" like IGN, they call it was it really is, dabbling and experimentation.

If they use this to make it more straightforward, less intimidating, and less expensive to have a rewarding PC gaming experience, then I am all for this. I think this is exactly what they are doing, btw.

I have a lot of friends who would dive into PC gaming if they wouldn't have to learn about hardware and drivers.

This all may very well tie into the Big Picture Mode they announced a year ago: http://www.steampowered.com/steamworks/thebigpicture.php

My guess is they're looking for a hardware guy not because they want to built their own console, but to come up with a design for a "Steam-PC" with dedicated pheriphals (controller, remote, case design) and partner up with a big hardware manufacturer like Dell or HP. They'll produce the "Steam-PC" that'll run a dedicated version of Steam (Perhaps even a Steam OS considering their recent hate against Windows 8). I don't believe Valve is big enough or has the resources to build their own hardware (they have like what, 350 employees?) but I could see them collaborating with large PC manufacturers.

Anway, the Big Picture Mode is going into Beta very soon, so we'll probably see in what direction they want to go with this.

@Shivoa said:

As I look down at my pointing device that uses a high dpi, 500fps camera to difference the reflected patterns of the desk surface illuminated by a mix of laser and LED light to track the movement, paired with 8 buttons and a wheel in a comfortable shell that contains a weight block that can be adjusted to my ideal demands, all sitting on some Teflon glide pads...

I've gotta say the old rubber ball, two button pointing device I used several decades ago doesn't really compare. For gaming I'd say there has been a significant advance in making a dependable and highly accurate device for my right hand.

I have to agree with this sentiment. Trying to do "something different", just because you're tired of mouse & keyboard, leaves you with things like Kinect, trackballs, motion controllers. I'm not being sarcastic, I think those things are mostly lame, not that they don't have their small place in the corner. Ergonomic gamepads fit the bill, when mouse & keyboard fall down.

Iteration has occurred, and improvements have been made. Want to make better mice? Better keyboards? Better gamepads? Sure, but that is a highly competitive market.

@SupeRaven said:

I would venture that they'll create a "certified" platform (ie: system requirements) that vendors like Dell/Alienware and HP can then meet or beat. The vendors could then have their machines emblazoned with a "Steam 2012 Certified" badge, you know like the "Windows 7 Ready" badges. I don't think we'll see an actual SteamBox from Valve.

I'll also float the idea that with such a certification the vendors can load Valve's Linux distribution with Steam as the core application, at the factory. Thus dual-booting Windows and Linux.

Just as I posted my message I found your reply ;-) But I agree with you on this completely. I think this is the direction they want to head in.

If they're making hardware, it's probably just going to be a controller (something like the VR helmet they mentioned awhile back), a mouse, or a keyboard. Somehow, making a Steam OS or Steambox console doesn't seem "in-character" for them. But I wouldn't be surprised if I'm wrong, either.

I rally hope something comes of this.

Obviously selecting and assembling PC parts is not the problem, they need an OS, a graphics API, both of which is property of Microsoft, who happen to have their own console, their own DRM and soon their own windows store.

A "steambox" wouldn't be PC compatible (= backwards compatible) without Microsoft. This is the dilemma, which will make or break steam.

It would be like building a console from scratch, maybe they can port Source engine games and use their UI and E-shop experience, but will it be enough?

"Even basic input, the keyboard and mouse, haven’t really changed in any meaningful way over the years"

Well, that is not really true, the consoles have come up with countless iterations of controllers, none of which work as well as my keyboard and mouse.