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Gabe Newell Opens Up About Steam Box Plans

Really not sure how I feel about relevant news coming out of CES.

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That was fast. The Verge caught up with Valve’s Gabe Newell, who spilled way more beans that you’d expect about Valve’s hardware plans in the future, which do include a box of some kind.

Newell is at CES in Las Vegas this week to meet with different companies about its hardware plans, and has come with a number of prototypes in tow.

“We think that there are pluses and minuses to open systems that could make things a little messier, it’s much more like herding cats, so we try to take the pieces where we’re going to add the best value and then encourage other people to do it,” said Newell. “So it tends to mean that a lot of people get involved. We’re not imposing a lot of restrictions on people on how they’re getting involved.”

This explains the Xi3 announcement. Xi3 will not be the last piece of hardware to have Steam support, but it’s also not the mythical Steam Box that we’ve been expecting Valve to produce itself.

That box does exist.

“We’ll come out with our own and we’ll sell it to consumers by ourselves,” he said. “That’ll be a Linux box, [and] if you want to install Windows you can. We’re not going to make it hard. This is not some locked box by any stretch of the imagination. We also think that a controller that has higher precision and lower latency is another interesting thing to have.”

The company is also experimenting with low-latency controller solutions, and some designs include a touch screen. It’s possible a controller could incorporate biometric data, as well. Valve's not sure if motion control has much more to it, either. All of Newell’s answers suggest there is significant experimentation happening at Valve, and it hasn’t nailed down specifics. How many companies can be this specific and vague at the same time and get away with it?

It’s worth reading the whole interview, by the way. Hopefully, we’ll have even more details soon. Exciting!

Patrick Klepek on Google+

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BestUsernameEver

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Edited By BestUsernameEver

@SharkMan said:

@BestUsernameEver said:

Strange how against windows 8 he is, but the box plans seem cool.

Here's my concern though, when asked about a netflix app being available on the box, he said "Absolutely, you can open a web browser and do whatever you want." What if I don't want to fiddle with a web browser on a TV though? Isn't this box supposed to be a TV solution first and foremost? Also, the details about you being able to install windows if you like just make is sound like a tiny, steam branded PC, I don't want a tiny PC, I want a well made, fast console.

considering how much its bombing in the market, color me not surprised.

What he said in the interview is complete speculation BS, no one knows full figures of adoption, trading and business purchases. He's getting into hot water if he thinks he can go to linux and compete with the Windows market.

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tourgen

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Edited By tourgen

Awesome! The high precision, low latency controller news is the big bombshell for me. That is great news and it says good things about the future of gaming. Especially after the terrible trend of high-latency motion control systems going around lately. and the 30fps console plague of 2005-2013. and the 1-frame-behind-at-best HD TV "revolution".

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guanophobic

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Edited By guanophobic

@dr_mantas said:

So they make it Linux, fully expecting you will install Windows on it. Because currently the only games on Steam that run on Linux are Source engine games + a few small indies. That's not enough for a "Steambox".

They gotta start somewhere, and this hopefully encourages other devs and middleware companies to atleast give Linux a chance.

@Beforet: Look at how Redhat is charging their customers. They can charge for support and stuff like that, but they're using open source code = they can't charge for the OS.

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beforet

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Edited By beforet

@guanophobic said:

@Beforet said:

Not too interested in a Steam box, but if they let me purchase a licence for whatever distro of linux(assuming they would charge, which I imagine they would) they use, I would be down for that.

Why would they charge?

I figure they would charge for it so that they get some cash from people who don't buy the Steam Box. It's just my grumpy old assumption, they might not if they go for the full linuxy experience.

This is assuming they offer the OS separate.

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dr_mantas

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Edited By dr_mantas

It's a Linux box because it is cheaper (no associated Windows cost), and because Gabe Newell doesn't think Windows 8 is any good (and Microsoft wouldn't be all that for a large popular product not using their newest OS).

So they make it Linux, fully expecting you will install Windows on it. Because currently the only games on Steam that run on Linux are Source engine games + a few small indies. That's not enough for a "Steambox".

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guanophobic

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Edited By guanophobic

@Beforet said:

Not too interested in a Steam box, but if they let me purchase a licence for whatever distro of linux(assuming they would charge, which I imagine they would) they use, I would be down for that.

Why would they charge?

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SharkMan

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Edited By SharkMan

@BestUsernameEver said:

Strange how against windows 8 he is, but the box plans seem cool.

Here's my concern though, when asked about a netflix app being available on the box, he said "Absolutely, you can open a web browser and do whatever you want." What if I don't want to fiddle with a web browser on a TV though? Isn't this box supposed to be a TV solution first and foremost? Also, the details about you being able to install windows if you like just make is sound like a tiny, steam branded PC, I don't want a tiny PC, I want a well made, fast console.

considering how much its bombing in the market, color me not surprised.

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beforet

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Edited By beforet

Not too interested in a Steam box, but if they let me purchase a licence for whatever distro of linux(assuming they would charge, which I imagine they would) they use, I would be down for that.

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cexantus

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Edited By cexantus

@Lazyaza: It's not really weird. Valve is a company, right? And companies like to make money, right? This makes perfect sense--tapping into that demographic that might typically pick up a console rather than a PC. It's more money in the pocket.

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amafi

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Edited By amafi

@cassus: No netflix on linux, because moonlight (the mono implementation of silverlight) does not support the form of DRM that netflix uses.

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radioactivez0r

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Edited By radioactivez0r

They better figure out how to do proper customer support if they are releasing a hardware device people will buy. Seems to still be the huge red flag when dealing with Valve.

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HerbieBug

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Edited By HerbieBug

Cool! Valve is the most interesting company in the industry at the moment.

@kerse said:

He looks so old, anyone know his age?

He is 50.

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guanophobic

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Edited By guanophobic

Linux has come a long way with Ubuntu in the past couple of years, but they're not even close to the hardware compatibility of windows.

Having a locked down hardware spec would make a linux-distro stable way faster/easier, but Valve needs a lot of help from Intel, AMD and Nvidia in order to get things done.

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GaspoweR

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Edited By GaspoweR

In a way the Steam box only direct comparison and possibly competition is the Ouya. The difference is that Steam already has a dedicated user base entrenched in their ecosystem.

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cassus

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Edited By cassus

Been hoping for a valve system for ages. Not sure if the linux is their own in house version of linux or not (probably, seeing as he said you can open netflix in a browser and whatnot? Standard linux versions have netflix apps, don't they?) but if it is their own linux, I might FINALLY get rid of windows and all the filth that comes along with it. Kinda disgusting that we're still basically running a kernel that was old and slow by the end of the 90s. Even if the win8 kernel has modifications and optimizations(which it supposedly has) it's still an incredibly bloated and sluggish OS compared to pretty much anything else out there. I first noticed this when I bought a mac back in the day (probably same result if I had a linux box, but linux doesn't cater much to games and such) and fired up WoW. My mac was slower than my pc in every respect (gpu, cpu, less ram etc) still I got higher FPS with the same settings. This was true for the vast majority of games I tried (darwinia and some other stuff, can't really remember).

Ever since then I've just been waiting for an OS that actually runs efficiently and takes advantage of the hardware I buy. Not saying the Steambox is it, but a box made specifically for gaming with an OS that's infinitely more efficient than Windows, made by one of the largest publishers/developers in the world sorta hints at it being better than a windows box. Just look at the console market to see what I mean. Every time there's a new console, the graphics on it look freakishly good, and games run smoother even if the hardware is crap compared to my PC. Sure, it's optimized for that specific hardware, but still, not having to spend cycles and resources on an old clunky OS has a huge impact on performance. PS3 is the perfect example. The Uncharted games look amazing and run on hardware more than half a decade old.. I don't care how much optimization you do, that wouldn't be doable on a winbox of the same age and with the same hardware. Just no way.

I for one refuse to use one of those overlords jokes.

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Lukeweizer

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Edited By Lukeweizer

I'm at CES right now and saw Gabe at the Steam "booth". There's nothing else to this statement. It just have me a nerd-boner to see him in person.

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Armoes

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Edited By Armoes

I just wanted to mention that Gabe is a billionaire. (That's kinda cool.)

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Lazyaza

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Edited By Lazyaza

Steam box will be great for all the people who don't have the interest and patience for putting color coded circuits in a box and pressing the "yes" button on "do you want to install windows". lol Joking aside eh still seems weird that Valve even has an interest in this market but I guess with MS, Sony and Nintendo having a monopoly on it maybe some extra competition will encourage them to be less shitty.

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reisz

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Edited By reisz

This makes so much more sense for Valve than that Xi3 box.

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Undeadpool

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Edited By Undeadpool

Gabe Newell has grown a beard. WE ARE DEFCON 2, HERE PEOPLE!!

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Cold_Wolven

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Edited By Cold_Wolven

I'm rather intrigued about this controller Gabe talks about.

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Edited By Tesla

Forget motion controllers, give me higher precision and lower latency!

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Heatwizard

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Edited By Heatwizard

@Beforet: I suspect the answer is that it won't. If Valve tries to make a Steam machine for living room use, they're not going to be aiming for the people who already use Steam, and already know how to hook their PCs up to their tvs - they'll be marketing to everyone else. There's a whole demographic of console gamers that don't touch their PCs, and therefore aren't giving Valve any money, for their game purchases; by putting a small mid-priced PC with a steam-based interface to sit in the same place the rest of one's consoles do, those people might start buying from Steam.

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PurpleMoustache

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Edited By PurpleMoustache

Guess you could say he let off some STEAM about the future in this interview.

Eh? EEEEEEEH?

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billyhoush

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Edited By billyhoush

Next gen is going to be NUTS!

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Edited By kerse

He looks so old, anyone know his age?

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ArtisanBreads

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Edited By ArtisanBreads

@august said:

@ArtisanBreads said:

What they are doing, letting third parties make the boxes, is probably the safest business decision but it had the least upside. It's definitely not going mainstream in any way.

The big reveal in the interview is that they are also going to build and sell their own.

Ah okay I just am going off what I read earlier, not hearing this.

Still makes it a bit dicey since there are other options but that makes sense, to me. I do really think there's a chance this could go more mainstream. I tell my friends about PC gaming all the time and they love the pricing I tell them about but they can't get past everything else, just about.

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Ravenlight

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Edited By Ravenlight

Motherfucker looks more and more like the unholy union between Santa Claus and a viking lumberjack.

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ripelivejam

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Edited By ripelivejam

@dinkley2 said:

lunix is only for hackers and not games.. gtfo whoever this bigshot outoutftouch ceo is supsd to be tbh.

umm well considering LINUX forms the backbone for many large company's servers its most definitely not only for hackers. and while i agree it still has a long way to go for gaming and may not quite get there considering it's been around for awhile now and gaming still hasn't taken off on it, steam's push for it shows it has potential. it only needs developers willing to port over to it.

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august

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Edited By august

@ArtisanBreads said:

What they are doing, letting third parties make the boxes, is probably the safest business decision but it had the least upside. It's definitely not going mainstream in any way.

The big reveal in the interview is that they are also going to build and sell their own.

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Chumm

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Edited By Chumm

"Newell is at CES in Las Vegas this week to meet with different companies about its hardware plans"

You've either called Newell an "it" or you meant Valve is at CES in Las Vegas, etc. Also GB still needs a copy editor.

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dinkley2

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Edited By dinkley2

lunix is only for hackers and not games.. gtfo whoever this bigshot outoutftouch ceo is supsd to be tbh.

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granderojo

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Edited By granderojo

I've really enjoyed hearing all the games critics with little technical expertise come out & shit on Linux as a bases for OS on the Steambox. I mean I get why they would say these dumb things but man is it excruciatingly dumb. You can make a perfectly user friendly dumb common denominator operating system in linux that does not require the technical proficiency of the standard desktop version. For instance the new Ubuntu phones that are being unveiled at CES, multiple sources have said they feel more user friendly than the android phones. And the Android kernal itself is in fact a linux based kernal, and currently the most prolific OS in smart phones currently.

So when game critics say that Linux is never going to be the foundation of a console I squawk. I don't a fuck about Linux, but they say these things I assume because they think piracy would be easier on such a device, which is a dumb assumption to have when you think of all the concurrent successful app eco system on iOS that uses BSD underpinning. If valve wants to make their steambox secure, it's their discretion.

As we know the best way to fight piracy isn't just closing down the backend, that can curb piracy but it's in no means better than the most successful way. The most successful way is in creating a marketplace that is so easy to use & is so aggressively priced which is what Valve has been a leader of this entire generation.

It's as if they think a walled garden is all you need to create an OS for games to thrive. As a Windows Phone user I can assure you, the walled garden can backfire miserably. :(

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squidraid

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Edited By squidraid

How... fascinating. <steeples fingers>

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rentfn

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Edited By rentfn

I'm interested to see how this turns out. Not sure it will be something for me but I want to see what comes from it.

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Levio

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Edited By Levio

We need to just combine all the current popular tech products. Make a smart TV with a tablet-phone controller that plays all your games and microwaves your burritos.

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ArtisanBreads

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Edited By ArtisanBreads

What they are doing, letting third parties make the boxes, is probably the safest business decision but it had the least upside. It's definitely not going mainstream in any way.

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fini_fly

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Edited By fini_fly

@villainy said:

@Video_Game_King said:

...Is Gabe Newell slowly morphing into Robin Williams?

I was thinking Richard Stallman... Much much scarier.

I was thinking more along the lines of an older Guillermo del Toro. Much less scary than Richard Stallman.

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RoyaleWifCheese

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Edited By RoyaleWifCheese

Sorry Gabe, but if that box doesn't play the next Half-Life game, I'm not interested.

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toowalrus

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Edited By toowalrus

I'm definitely interested in a "Steam Box." In my head, it's a cheap, durable media box that can play most of the games I've already bought on steam (probably on low settings) in a different room or lug to a friends house. It's gotta have a handle on it...

What I'm saying is, just hollow out a GameCube and stick some PC parts in it.

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beforet

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Edited By beforet

So, how does this differ from me turning my PC into its own Steam Box? Hooking it up to the TV and whatnot.

What I find much more interesting is the Linux side of this. If this results in more developers developing for Linux, I might just make the switch.

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kycinematic

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wintermute

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Edited By wintermute

He wasn't so revealing before the beard

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deactivated-5a00c029ab7c1

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Doesn't appeal to me I'm in the very few that prefers playing close up to a monitor then far away to a TV I find being closer makes gaming to me at least feel more immersive also I prefer M&K to a controller.If I was going PC game on a big screen I probably would go with a HD projector and a wireless keyboard and mouse.

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Iodine

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Edited By Iodine

Valve can do whatever they want at this point

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Sanity

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Edited By Sanity

Neat, but i think i'll keep building my own.

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villainy

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Edited By villainy

@Video_Game_King said:

...Is Gabe Newell slowly morphing into Robin Williams?

I was thinking Richard Stallman... Much much scarier.

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Edited By DeF

@Subjugation said:

@patrickklepek said:

The company is also experimenting with low-latency controller solutions

Sweeeeeet!

and some designs include a touch screen.

.... nooooooooo!

Optional touch interface is awesome.

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ryanmgraef

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Edited By ryanmgraef

I want the happiness a steam box would provide right now!