Steam Machines - Fall 2015

[TheFeniX]

So, after an annoucement sometime in the stone age, we're now looking at the culmination of valve time WRT Steam's "consoles." There's a "Page under construction" Steam Store page up. But some specs have hit certain news sites:

Steam Machines are back. Yes, even the name "Steam Machines," if an email I just received from Syber is to be believed.

"Syber, a new division of of CyberPowerPC, today announced a full line of Steam Machines during the Game Developers Conference as part of Syber's open platform PC gaming systems."

That sounds pretty definitive to me.

We knew a second generation of Steam Machines would probably be at GDC in some form, but recent statements by people like Origin CEO Kevin Wasielewski made it sound like the "Steam Machine" name itself was dead. Even Valve shied away from the term in its recent announcement, instead saying that "new living room hardware" would be at the conference.

Either way, Syber is the first hardware maker to officially announce a new lineup of SteamOS-enabled hardware. There will be six models available at launch, with the low-end starting at a $449 unit called the Syber Steam Machine-E, powered by a quad-core AMD processor and an unspecified "Nvidia GeForce GTX Graphics" card.

Other units are more specific. The $549 Syber Steam Machine-P will feature an Intel G3258 3.2GHz processor and AMD Radeon R9 270X, and the $999 Syber Steam Machine-K will have an i5-4690K and a Nvidia GeForce GTX 970. Beyond the prebuilt models, you’ll also be able to fully customize a Syber rig with your choice of components from Intel, AMD, and Nvidia.

When can we expect to see all these teeny-tiny living room PCs? CyberPowerPC’s press release says the new Syber systems are “scheduled for the Steam Machine launch later this fall.”

We'll presumably have more information tomorrow when the GDC show floor opens and we get a peek at Valve's booth. You’ll be able to find more information on the Syber gaming website soon.

Prices seem to be ranging from a $50 wireless streaming device, to a $5000 "I have no business having access to this kind of money" 3 SLI 5billion Ghz machine Steam will obviously use the extra processing to not work on HL3.

As I've recently adopted 4K in the computer room and the wife would murder the shit out of me if I tried to bring my video games into the living room, there's not much there for me. However, I am interested in possibly using my old computer as a streaming system and picking up one of the cheap boxes to let the wife have access to some of the myriad of bullshit games I've bought on Steam over the years.

[TronPaul]

Vaporware no more!

This link works for a list of machines, and is surprisingly heavy in the high end range. There are only 2 in the sub $500 range, and 3 or 4 more under $700. I'm hoping with the new graphics library being touted at GDC I'll be able to make Linux my primary OS. Seems SteamBox and SteamOS wasn't just an attempt at keeping MS from walling the garden in Windows 8.

[Iroscato]

So I'm not into Steam or anything, but as an outside observer...what's the appeal in getting one of these as opposed to say...a normal mid-range or high-end gaming PC?

[salm]

So I'm not into Steam or anything, but as an outside observer...what's the appeal in getting one of these as opposed to say...a normal mid-range or high-end gaming PC?

Perhaps a similar appeal a Mac has. It looks nice, is optimized for a certain ecosystem, works pretty decently out of the box and makes things easier in general. And of course a "cool" brand name. That is, if they do it right.
For people who know their way around with PCs the advantage over a normal PC might not be that significant. But for other people it might be an option. Again, only if they don´t mess it up.

[TheFeniX]

I would say these will be more in-line with an Xbox or Playstation, rather than a Mac. Maybe even an iPad with an already connected controller and the option to use a keyboard/Mouse. SteamOS will likely be very cutdown to save on resources and won't have the functionality of a full OS like Windows or OSX.

If you already use your TV as an output device, these really don't seem to be for you. In the case you already have a beefy computer, the streaming options will be much more your speed. Although, I don't trust people when they say there's no input lag, so I'd have to test that for myself. The $50 is so cheap, it would be worth it just to test.

valve seems interesting in getting the PC into the center of your entertainment area. Something which Microsoft has only recently been pushing for with W10 because they've been too busy jerking it to the Xbox media capabilities, which suck comparatively.

[TronPaul]

I don't think this targets the current group of PC gamers. Some might buy SteamBoxes for ease of use or because they have money to burn. But I feel this is targeted more for the people who don't want to build their own PC or are scared to do so. On top of that, these manufacturers might be able to use volume pricing to get the prices lower than or close to a similarly spec'd custom PC. I'm curious how this will turn out. Crossing my fingers for more Linux love.

[Lagmonster]

Without knowing dick about the industry, I'd have said that these are targeted right at iUsers who are interested in slightly more in-depth gaming without being comfortable with the stigma of a "kid's toy" console and the hassle of a "geek toy" PC.

And, no, that isn't hyperbole. I live in a neighbourhood full of Stepfords, and they really do unanimously see consoles as either fratboy swear enablers or kiddie toys, and many of them are still as scared of the PC as middle-aged people were in the nineties, but they really do want to play games.

And, no, you can't just explain to them how accessible and wide-ranging consoles are, or how generally friendly the modern PC experience is, because I have tried. It's Greek to them. They have money and time but they want a device that specifically matches their prejudices the way iDevices do: the thrill of high tech with the complexity of a toddler's toy.

[Flagg]

Are they done with Half-Life 2: Episode 3 yet?

[TheFeniX]

I was considering ripping a bunch of "3" keys off old keyboards, mailing them to valve with a note that read only "Please," but I'm just not that kind of guy. That said, valve has been talking about Source 2 engine:

Valve announced the Source 2 engine, the successor to the Source engine used in Valve's games since the launch of Counter-Strike: Source and Half-Life 2. "The value of a platform like the PC is how much it increases the productivity of those who use the platform. With Source 2, our focus is increasing creator productivity. Given how important user generated content is becoming, Source 2 is designed not for just the professional developer, but enabling gamers themselves to participate in the creation and development of their favorite games," said Valve's Jay Stelly. "We will be making Source 2 available for free to content developers. This combined with recent announcements by Epic and Unity will help continue the PCs dominance as the premiere content authoring platform."

Also as part of supporting PC gaming, Valve announced that it will be releasing a Vulkan-compatible version of the Source 2 engine. Vulkan is a cross-platform, cross-vendor 3D graphics API that allows game developers to get the most out of the latest graphics hardware, and ensures hardware developers that there is a consistent, low overhead method of taking advantage of products. Vulkan, previously called Next Generation OpenGL, is administered by the Khronos Group, along with other standards such as OpenCL, OpenGL, and WebGL.

So.. you never know. I'm expecting a concrete release for a new Half-Life a short time after my obituary is printed. The good news for the rest of you is I'm a drinker and don't eat right.

[Terralthra]

The Glitch Mob played a set at Valve's GDC concert and stopped mid-concert to ask on the mic when HL3 would be out.

[Vendetta]

Without knowing dick about the industry, I'd have said that these are targeted right at iUsers who are interested in slightly more in-depth gaming without being comfortable with the stigma of a "kid's toy" console and the hassle of a "geek toy" PC.

I'm not sure how big the "wants a console but too hipster to buy one" market actually is.

I suspect the Steambox is aimed at two main markets, console gamers who want access to the massive Steam library and PC gamers with low to middle end budgets who are looking to upgrade from an older piece of kit.

[Flagg]

Why would anyone even want another 'Half Life'? So you can play a non-character being told what to do by creepy guy and fighting aliums?

[Vendetta]

I dunno, I mean there are obviously a lot of people who care about the "story" of Half-Life way more than Valve ever did. Half-Life 2 wasn't really about telling a story, that was just an excuse to prod the player along exploring various mechanical design conventions in the FPS space with varying degrees of success (vehicle sections felt more like you were a mechanism for delivering the vehicle to the end rather than it being a means for you to travel, given the regularity with which you had to get off the bloody things to deal with doors, thumpers, forcefields, or rollermines, and fuck Sandtraps forever) .

Which is probably why nobody at Valve is really interested in making a Half-Life 3, becuase there hasn't really been a lot of new shooter conventions since HL2 other than "two weapons and regenerating health, possibly QTEs", which would probably get them lynched.

[AniThyng]

I dunno, I mean there are obviously a lot of people who care about the "story" of Half-Life way more than Valve ever did. Half-Life 2 wasn't really about telling a story, that was just an excuse to prod the player along exploring various mechanical design conventions in the FPS space with varying degrees of success (vehicle sections felt more like you were a mechanism for delivering the vehicle to the end rather than it being a means for you to travel, given the regularity with which you had to get off the bloody things to deal with doors, thumpers, forcefields, or rollermines, and fuck Sandtraps forever) .

Which is probably why nobody at Valve is really interested in making a Half-Life 3, becuase there hasn't really been a lot of new shooter conventions since HL2 other than "two weapons and regenerating health, possibly QTEs", which would probably get them lynched.

The way you phrase it probably sums up to Valve doesn't know how they could make a HL3 that would be anything other than a disappointment - either for being too innovative and pissing off people who wanted a shinier HL2 or creating a shinier HL2 and thus enduring a barrage of "you couldn't do anything better?". Maybe they also wrote themselves into a corner, I dunno because I only played like 15 minutes of HL2...

It may well be better to forever keep HL3 an elusive thing, forever idealized and therefore never sullied.

[Vendetta]

The way you phrase it probably sums up to Valve doesn't know how they could make a HL3 that would be anything other than a disappointment

I'm not sure that's the foremost thought in their minds, it's that they just aren't interested in making another straight up campaign FPS. They did that already and there are no new toys in the FPS toybox that are worth making a significantly different game with (that they haven't already made like the director AI in L4D and the portal gun).

Remember that Valve's corporate culture is basically a giant playground, people can basically work on whatever project most appeals to them and there's nothing resembling "management", and the whole thing is funded by infinite Steam sales money.

[salm]

I would say these will be more in-line with an Xbox or Playstation, rather than a Mac. Maybe even an iPad with an already connected controller and the option to use a keyboard/Mouse. SteamOS will likely be very cutdown to save on resources and won't have the functionality of a full OS like Windows or OSX.

I think the keyboard/mouse option is a very good selling point. If my XBox was able to navigate the internet in an efficient way I might use it for more than just gaming and watching DVDs. Currently I have a lap top hooked up to the TV besides the Xbox but if I could replace the Xbox and the lap top with one device that does both equally well that´d be cool. Also, if I don´t have to wait 8 years for the device to be upgraded to current hardware standards that would be a plus in my opinion as well.

[bilateralrope]

SteamOS will likely be very cutdown to save on resources and won't have the functionality of a full OS like Windows or OSX.

While I'd expect Valve to cut out the parts that aren't necessary for gaming, I am unsure about what else could be done using parts that are useful for gaming and parts that aren't using system resources when they aren't in use. Especially when the other functionality of SteamOS could be a selling point that doesn't cost much to implement. For example kids being able to do their homework on a Steam Machine might be the thing that makes their parents buy it over a console.

[LaCroix]

Why would anyone even want another 'Half Life'? So you can play a non-character being told what to do by creepy guy and fighting aliums?

Also , with Half Life and Half Life 2 you already technically have a full life. Wanting 150% life is greedy...

[Lagmonster]

Valve should just loan the franchise to Telltale games, tell them to give it the same treatment they did to Borderlands.

[Mr Bean]

People here forget why HL2 was so beloved why it made such a huge impact. Let me bring you back to E3 2003 when Valve showcased a twenty minute tech demo of the game and showed off concepts and visuals years ahead of everyone else. and I do mean years ahead.

HL2 was released and it's FPS competitors were games like Doom 3, Halo 2 a few Medal of Honor games, Battlefield Vietnam and the like.

Further get into the Dev commentary for HL2 Episode 1&2 and see how far even then Valve was ahead of everyone else doing their best to avoid cheap solutions. Like this section on arenas in lost coast or the section in Episode 1 where they built a cool animation sequence of a VTOL crashing but players missed it. Rather than have the player FORCED into an un skippable cut scene to watch the cool thing they did (Every other modern shooter) they instead put a single enemy on a platform just where the animation starts so the player would be shot, take a hit turn around deal with the enemy then something like 90% of playtesters would stop to watch the cool thing happening.

They detailed that a lot in Episode 2 talking about how they went out of there way to avoid the bane of "oh lots of chest high walls and lots of ammo must be a boss fight". Yes there was a big fight in one of those areas but only after you had visited it once, killed a few enemies and then come back 5-10 minutes later did the big fight occur after you had already had a chance to scout around, look at everything and know the layout.

Set the formula, follow it but once an hour or so break from it so the player is left in a state of being unsure and being unsure is more alert and more engaged.

[TronPaul]

From what I remember SteamOS is a modified version of Debian, so you could install full OS stuff on it, but you'd have to do it yourself. I'm thinking of setting up a combo SteamOS/XBMC home theater PC when SteamOS is more stable (and has more games).

[TheFeniX]

Asking why people might want a new Half-Life game is like asking why they'd want more Star Wars movies when they may not be as good as the originals. Or like asking why they'd want a Halo 3 or Gears of War 3. Were both as good as their predecessors? No. In fact they both had multiple failings that didn't wrap the series up in the best fashion, at least in my opinion. But I don't feel ripped off having played them.

Mr. Bean covered the technical aspects of HL2 better than I ever could. I'll say it's funny that complaints about a possible HL3 pretty much mirror those back when HL2 was announced. And kids love bagging on HL2 as dated, the same way kids love bagging on Seinfeld for the same reason. It's like people hate variety in their hobbies: we need more non-characters being told what yo do by "oorah" guy and fighting ultra-nationalists?

At the least, HL2 hits on something I've considered missing from gaming since forever: general weird shit the developer doesn't go out of their way to explain in detail and really kill the atmosphere. Like how all the mystery surrounding the Covenant evaporated immediately in the beginning of Halo 2 when they ended up just being suicidal space fundies. I don't know much about the Combine and I don't really need to. But even when explanations come, I'd rather see something "cliche" like aliens powering their vagina-door containing ships with human blood while they also portray Native American mythology in an extremely insulting way instead of more political commentary right out of a Tom Clancy novel. I could have dealt without the "insulting American Indians" part, but Prey was a pretty damned good game what with the "thinking with portals" back before Portal.

valve's one of the few developers I want to see making sequels, even if the rest of the industry has been beating them to death.

Anyways, You can download and mess with SteamOS if you want. As I haven't messed with Linux in forever, I may pass. I do have an old box laying around with a GTX260 though, so I might smash it back together and see what happens.

We've been hard at work to deliver on our promise of a new kind of living room entertainment environment - one that is accessible, powerful and open.

In making the SteamOS Beta available to you, we're excited to take the next major step towards that goal. But before you dive in, please take a few minutes to understand what SteamOS Beta is and what it is not (yet).

SteamOS Beta is an early, first-look public release of our Linux-based operating system. The base system draws from Debian 7, code named Debian Wheezy. Our work builds on top of the solid Debian core and optimizes it for a living room experience. Most of all, it is an open Linux platform that leaves you in full control. You can take charge of your system and install new software or content as you want.
So, what is it not?

As an early release, much is changing, so expect rough edges. In its current state, SteamOS is definitely not a finished product ready for a non-technical user.

Most importantly, it currently only supports a certain set of hardware (you can read more in our FAQ). We are hard at work to expand this list.

That being said, we already use it in our living rooms. We are excited about what it is and what it will become. And the more of you do the same and tell us about your experiences, the quicker those rough edges will be sanded off.

Users should not consider SteamOS as a replacement for their desktop operating system. SteamOS is being designed and optimized for the living room experience.
Is all of SteamOS Beta open source software?

No. SteamOS Beta ships with our Steam Client program, which is proprietary software, in addition to proprietary 3rd party drivers. In the SteamOS Beta standard configuration, the Steam Client program serves as a user interface and provides connectivity to our Steam online services. That being said, you can still access standard Linux desktop.
Where can I find SteamOS source code?

SteamOS uses the Advanced Packaging Tool system (APT) to manage software on a SteamOS machine. The SteamOS APT repository is located here.