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Valve is about to win the console generation

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Re: Valve is about to win the console generation

#171
post #137

>I think it's safe to say that Valve is about to win the next console generation. For that they need to outsell the Switch 2. 10m units in 6 months. Good luck with that.

I'm on a Switch and will not move because of the "Game Key Card" bullshit where you have a card but still don't get the files you need to play them game. However, Pokemon guarantees a certain amount of Switch 2 sales--Pokemon ZA sold about 6 million units.

That's not an argument in the Steam Machine's case as you have the same situation there (even worse because you can't resell your games).

Re: Valve is about to win the console generation

#172

Valve certainly won't win it, but they're bringing the heat where it wasn't before. SteamOS is the important part here - if it is proven to be a good console experience (which the deck has basically proven already) then licensing of the OS to other manufacturers will put a lot of pressure on integrated h/w s/w manufacturers. Unlike the handheld format, the tvbox console is fairly easy to manufacture and is tolerant o…

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Re: Valve is about to win the console generation

#173
post #53
post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah I mean... can I play Fortnite, BF6 or the upcoming GTA on steamOS?

If any game has DRM or anti-cheat technology which BF6 does and even most AAA games, then it cannot play it at all without it. That is going to be a no go for any SteamOS device when an highly anticipated game gets released on day 1.

Not the case - lots of games including AAA ones have these things on the Steam Deck.

Re: Valve is about to win the console generation

#174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you have a bunch of friends that have battlefield/cod/fortnite and want to play them, they will still do so without you, or at least heavily pressure you into getting them.

I'm not sure what could that even mean from consumer pov - I'm not going to buy a platform because some of my friends might want me to play a specific game with me? The pressure to get more games on your platform has never been as low as it is today and has never been this low on Steam itself. You could spend a lifetime with the current Steam library and never feel bored. From product pov Valve feels very comfortable…

> I'm not sure what could that even mean from consumer pov - I'm not going to buy a platform because some of my friends might want me to play a specific game with me?

Yeah exactly. Depending how much you care about playing with friends compared to playing at all you might make that choice.

Re: Valve is about to win the console generation

#176
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If any game has DRM or anti-cheat technology which BF6 does and even most AAA games, then it cannot play it at all without it. That is going to be a no go for any SteamOS device when an highly anticipated game gets released on day 1.

I think that the idea is that if you get enough users on Linux, it seems foolish from the game studio's perspective not to add Linux support to their anticheat.

Not necessarily, the anticheat will end up much easier to defeat on Linux.

Re: Valve is about to win the console generation

#177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s unlikely you’ll be able to play GTA 6 on any PC platform as it’s only coming out on consoles.

At least to start. Microsoft strongly encourages all Xbox games to also come out on PC, though they sometimes release later. I cannot find any game developed originally for Xbox Series X|S where this hasn't happened eventually (and the developers definitively aren't still working on the PC version).

And they might eventually steer all games into XBox store.

I am expecting the day Microsoft decides to take all their studios out of Steam, if SteamOS starts to be too much of a pain.

Re: Valve is about to win the console generation

#178

I hardly understand the headline. Steam machine is just a computer, and since it can be used for other stuff than playing games, then it can't have the cheap pricing of a console. Most consoles are sold at a loss, and the benefits are made when selling console-exclusive games. If you sell something at a loss, but users aren't forced to buy your games, then you're not gonna make any money. Hence, the Steam Machine (AK…

Is money still made from console exclusives? I feel like I see less of them these days. The biggest games are cross platform monsters, and the smallest are indie games. Crazy to think that the Horizon Zero Dawns of the world would be propping up all of console gaming?? But maybe that’s why Xbox is looking to get out. And trying new monetization strategies (gamepass is on Roku or something)

In principle the consoles themselves and the exclusives are both loss leaders. Or, sold at cost, anyway. The actual money is made from the 30% cut on any third party game sales, and the online subscriptions required to play online.

Consoles are expensive. Once a consumer has bought one, they're likely to stick with it for the generation. This is why we have flame wars about them. Only a small minority has several high-end gaming devices.

Re: Valve is about to win the console generation

#179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't play games much anymore, so maybe I'm not the right person to respond. Why would anyone ever buy a console again? This thing has the ultimate library and works on all platforms. Steam seems to have played the best game of chess in the industry. Sony and Microsoft were battling over exclusives and acquisitions and ways to screw over customers. This came out of left field and looks a million times better than X…

In the era of mobile games, hardware really isn't a thing anymore. Even AAA titles are niche IMO given the cost to play them at full settings. All that matters now are the exclusive titles. You refer to this derisively but really that's what made the nintendo switch, clearly the weakest compared to the PS5 and even the steam deck in the last generation the clear winner.

And do you think PC has less exclusives compared to PS5 / other consoles? How many games on Steam has never been released on consoles vs the other way round?

By that logic I'd expect this one to completely dominate.

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