Valve Confirms Linux-based Steam Box

[Preston]

Tom's Hardware: Valve Confirms Linux-based Steam Box

[Force Flow]

Some photos: Valve and Xi3's 'Steam Box' codenamed Piston, early specs detailed at*CES | Polygon

[Preston]

I'm not a gamer, but it looks neat. I think I want one.

[jdeb]

Well it's a start. I assume it will be limited to Indie title's. If it can get games like a Linux version of Call of Duty, then look out. Not sure how it will stack up against XBox 720. Time will tell.

[MaxRat]

Supposedly well....but if Xi3 is buildig it expect it to be expensive.... everthing they have is pricey.

Nvidia also has released the Tegra4 and has the Shield coming out and it it supposedly linked to Steam and you can sync it with steam and play Steam games but is Android based.... also looks promising

[Force Flow]

Interesting, the Xi3 box started as a kickstarter project: Xi3: Help us Usher in the Post-PC Era by David Politis ? Kickstarter

[MaxRat]

yea i remember reading somewhere they designed Stackable boxes of that sorts for NAS and such... pretty powerful and you could stack drive boxes .... pricey though

[David M]

For $1000 it needs to have a pretty decent GPU, otherwise it won't compete against a PC with Windows 7. We already know what kind of a gaming rig we can build for $1000. Given Steam has to make at least a small profit, I have my doubts that it will happen. Unless they plan on selling it for below cost and then make up the difference by selling games on Steam....similar to printers and printer ink.

I'm glad Steam is going to do this. First of all it will send yet another message to Microsoft that Windows 8 stinks with a lot of people and secondly it will help to keep the prices of gaming hardware down, namely intermediate level gaming graphics cards.

[birddog_61]

Originally Posted by David M For $1000 it needs to have a pretty decent GPU, otherwise it won't compete against a PC with Windows 7. We already know what kind of a gaming rig we can build for $1000. Given Steam has to make at least a small profit, I have my doubts that it will happen. Unless they plan on selling it for below cost and then make up the difference by selling games on Steam....similar to printers and printer ink. I'm glad Steam is going to do this. First of all it will send yet another message to Microsoft that Windows 8 stinks with a lot of people and secondly it will help to keep the prices of gaming hardware down, namely intermediate level gaming graphics cards.

I don't think it will sell if they stick a $1000 price tag on it. I just don't see that big of a market for it, the majority of people interested in it will already have a gaming rig and or console. So to me it will have to compete in price with the next consoles, which puts it in the $400 range. If its more expensive then people will either buy the next xbox/ps or build/upgrade their gaming rigs. The only way I see the steam box selling to anyone other than a few hardcore fans is if its priced in the $400 range and games on it are sold cheaper than the $60 that physical copies cost.

[MaxRat]

it will be a Hard Pressed sell....

Just like pre-built/purpose built HTPCs.... Asus, MSI and a few others offered HTPC boxes and sales were poor and the cost was around 600.00 without OS....the only reason I even knew of them was the reviewers of another site I know got them.

[Force Flow]

For a gaming console, $350 is pretty much the standard these days. And all the major manufacturers are selling their consoles at a loss (in the hope that the number of $60 games you buy more than makes up for it).

If valve decides to put a higher price tag on their console, they're going to shoot themselves in the foot.

[David M]

Originally Posted by Force Flow For a gaming console, $350 is pretty much the standard these days. And all the major manufacturers are selling their consoles at a loss (in the hope that the number of $60 games you buy more than makes up for it). If valve decides to put a higher price tag on their console, they're going to shoot themselves in the foot.

What if their graphics are superior to that of a console, which is not all that hard these days considering how old console graphics are getting. What if Steam made a console which could drive up to three monitors? It would be worth more than $350 don't you think?

[MaxRat]

the nice part about the Xi3 is you can upgrade bits and pieces....there are 3 boards total...

[Force Flow]

Originally Posted by David M What if their graphics are superior to that of a console, which is not all that hard these days considering how old console graphics are getting. What if Steam made a console which could drive up to three monitors? It would be worth more than $350 don't you think?

Enthusiasts would know the difference, and might be willing to pay more.

For average individual who can't tell the difference between a PS3 and an XBox...I'm not sure that they would find value in a $600-$1000 console when all the other consoles on the market are in the $350 range.

As for next get hardware, keep in mind that the XBox 720 is in development (and scheduled for a fall 2013 release), the PS4 is in development, and the Wii U has been released.

[birddog_61]

Originally Posted by David M What if their graphics are superior to that of a console, which is not all that hard these days considering how old console graphics are getting. What if Steam made a console which could drive up to three monitors? It would be worth more than $350 don't you think?

It won't matter if its better than the current consoles, the next consoles are due out this year and will be the steam box's competition. They will greatly improve the graphics over current gen. The current rough estimates on specs for the next xbox are amd a8 quad core with integrated graphics that will work in tandem with the 7670 gpu plus 8gb of ram. Now when it comes out it might not be that powerful, but if its even close to these specs then the steam box better be cheap and have great graphics.

[MaxRat]

Ok I just got the Skippy on this...

The rumors are FALSE.... Steam isnt doing a Steam box so to speak. They are currently at CES but not as a Booth but more so meeting with hardware vendors.

They are not locking to one company but looking to work with many as a whole....

This is a direct quote from a friend of mine who is currently working CES and talked to the Steam Rep....

To add to that...we did try to get into Valve...very much so. lol. As said, they're really just here to meet with hardware vendors. According to the guy I spoke to, he said it was a last minute decision to attend CES and they simply wanted a "meeting room" in the back, but they were all booked. So instead they took a booth slot and threw something together. Of course, a booth with couches and big screen TVs playing games like TF2 kind of invites everyone to stop by. Spoke to the Valve rep for awhile, but he didn't really say much...just that they're experts at software, but not hardware, so that's why they're meeting with all these companies. The setups in the booth had one of the XI3s and an alienware rig as well, and he said that they're not signing any exclusive deals...whoever wants to work with them, it's up to them to produce the best product, so to speak. As for XI3 itself, you can check out last CES's write-up for them. Really nothing new to report on so we didn't feel like waiting for a rep to speak to us personally since their definition of "he'll be with you shortly" is apparently much different than ours. So, what I will say, is all the news sites that reported the Valve/XI3 thing as "Steam Box" is completely, utterly incorrect. XI3 is simply one of many vendors Valve is working with and they haven't settled on any one particular one - and they may never...it may just be a "spec" that companies have to support.

[Force Flow]

From what I've read Xi3's box is considered a prototype, not a final product. Gabe is gung-ho about the steam box, so there will probably be one--we just don't know what it will be yet.

Xi3 also announced today it has received an investment from Valve Corporation. Xi3's new development stage computer game system is also being showcased in Valve's booth (#25730) at CES 2013. No additional details about Xi3's new system or Valve's investment in Xi3 will be released at this time.

Xi3 and Valve to Unveil New Product at... -- SALT LAKE CITY and LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Interview (though it doesn't name a specific vendor or product): Exclusive interview: Valve's Gabe Newell on Steam Box, biometrics, and the future of gaming | The Verge

An announcement about the steam box prototype: Steam Box prototype shown off by Valve at CES | ExtremeTech

One of many: http://www.polygon.com/2013/1/8/3850...ces-piston-one

[David M]

Steam to sell its own box....
PC News: Gabe Newell confirms Valve will sell its own Steam Box - ComputerAndVideoGames.com

http://www.vg247.com/2013/01/09/stea...made-hardware/