Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

I don’t need a Steam Machine

brainbaking.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

261–270 of 283 posts

Re: I don’t need a Steam Machine

#261

Post by vablings »

cubefox wrote: post #78
Aeolun wrote: post #2

All of this is true, but Valve is one of the best companies I know and for now, I’ll happily give them money. It’s not about the fact that I’m actually going to use it. It’s about the fact that I want people to keep making things like this. It’s about the fact I want to reward them for not locking it down completely.

You wouldn't like Valve so much if you explicitly saw the 30% Steam tax, I mean fee, declared every time you bought a PC game on Steam. Imagine if Microsoft did that. +30% for every Windows software. Like iOS. Then Steam games would be +60% rather than +30%.

Microsoft takes 30%, Sony takes 30% so that argument is out of the window.

Let's break down what you actually get for that 30% with Microsoft/Sony

- $120/yr (xbox) or $80/yr (ps) subscription fee

- Price subsidized console

- Friends system, voice chat/messages

- Online store/publishing regional pricing and associated locks

- Store for MTX

- Cloud based game saves

- Trophies/achivements and other player related goal setting

- CDN to distribute your game

- Remote play e.g. using your console to stream to your PC/Phone

- First class controller support

Steam gives you all of the above with literally 0 cost to the consumer aside from purchasing your game. The fact that anyone even pretends like this is a valid argument is a joke.

Re: I don’t need a Steam Machine

#262

Post by SahAssar »

yummypaint wrote: post #255
chiffaa wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In one of the interviews that came out when the Steam Machine embargo ended, someone from Valve said that, unlike with Steam Deck, they can't afford to sell at a loss because the form factor and the OS of the Machine make it possible to buy it just for general compute, which would be devastating with negative margins. So, unfortunately, I guess it will be 800-1000$ in the end

That is still cheaper than the index when it came out, and it sounds like a general improvement in all areas. Flagship vr for less than the cost of the latest smartphone seems pretty reasonable given how low adoption is.

They are talking about the Machine (computer/console), not the Frame (VR-glasses).

Re: I don’t need a Steam Machine

#263

Post by aigen01 »

nobodyandproud wrote: post #63
mrec wrote: post #14

I don't understand the "You can’t buy this without buying the Steam Controller." bit. If you want one, great, if not, it's no more necessary than with any other PC. I've been gaming for ~40 years without ever touching a controller, why would I start now?

I am also in the same category, but some games are made for the controller. Admittedly, the only one I can think of at the moment is Eldenring: The PC (mouse+keyboard) experience was terrible. I still passed on a controller but the controller first experience was glaring.

Action roguelikes like Hades is also better on controller.

Re: I don’t need a Steam Machine

#264

Post by [deleted] »

udev4096 wrote: post #250
Fire-Dragon-DoL wrote: post #213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why reading a fantasy book would be less of a waste of time?

Most modern "AAA" games are meant to hook you up. It's an addictive cycle, most games are also only on steam which means steam owns you. It has profiled you, your voice chats, your friends, your game habits, etc. If you'd think for even a minute, you'd realize what a shitshow modern gaming is. It's nothing but a masqueraded attempt for mass surveillance from steam and other major game stores

[deleted]

Re: I don’t need a Steam Machine

#265

Post by Fire-Dragon-DoL »

udev4096 wrote: post #250
Fire-Dragon-DoL wrote: post #213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why reading a fantasy book would be less of a waste of time?

Most modern "AAA" games are meant to hook you up. It's an addictive cycle, most games are also only on steam which means steam owns you. It has profiled you, your voice chats, your friends, your game habits, etc. If you'd think for even a minute, you'd realize what a shitshow modern gaming is. It's nothing but a masqueraded attempt for mass surveillance from steam and other major game stores

To me it seems you are conflicting multiplayer games with single player games. The two have very different business incentives.

And Steam has my gaming habits because I want it to have them: it provides good tips in what to buy.

Steam has none of my voice chats and the last 260 hours I played videogames, it doesn't think I even logged in. My favorite game of the year barely shows up on my profile page because I use it through a mod.

I agree on multiplayer games, but that's due to the business, single player games don't have that incentive.

And Steam is full of beautiful work of arts in the indie game space

Re: I don’t need a Steam Machine

#266

Post by cubefox »

vablings wrote: post #261
cubefox wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You wouldn't like Valve so much if you explicitly saw the 30% Steam tax, I mean fee, declared every time you bought a PC game on Steam. Imagine if Microsoft did that. +30% for every Windows software. Like iOS. Then Steam games would be +60% rather than +30%.

Microsoft takes 30%, Sony takes 30% so that argument is out of the window. Let's break down what you actually get for that 30% with Microsoft/Sony - $120/yr (xbox) or $80/yr (ps) subscription fee - Price subsidized console - Friends system, voice chat/messages - Online store/publishing regional pricing and associated locks - Store for MTX - Cloud based game saves - Trophies/achivements and other player related goal s…

There are only a few hundred people working at Valve, with 79 working on Steam, but they are making 6.5 billion USD yearly. That's extreme. One of the highest revenue per employee ratios in the world. They are spending almost nothing. The 30% are almost pure profit.

Since PC is an open platform, the proper comparison would be other PC store fronts which are substantially cheaper than Steam. Unfortunately there is no incentive for users to switch, as Valve apparently contractually forbids games to be sold at a lower price outside Steam.

Re: I don’t need a Steam Machine

#267

Post by stirfish »

graemep wrote: post #174
tormeh wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> a comparable desktop experience to the commercial OSes Isn't it alteady comparable? My Linux desktop has almost the same game compatibility that Windows has, and none of the advertising and jank. Gone are the legendary days of xorg.conf. Linux has less problems than Windows now. Support from professional software vendors (Dassault, Autodesk, et al) and Nvidia could be better, admittedly, but these restrictions aren…

People will buy a Steam Machine who would not buy a Linux desktop. The perception and the marketing are very different. it is small and looks like games console. This is something people will buy instead of a Playstation or a gaming PC. A lot of people buying it will not know what Linux is. If you look at this page: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/steammachine It does not use the word "Linux" at all and only ment…

>People will buy a Steam Machine who would not buy a Linux desktop.

I have a Linux desktop and a mental block around playing games on a computer. The computer is supposed to be where I work or write code, etc. If I have leisure time, I "should" do something away from the computer.

Getting a steam deck let me shake some of that. I'd be very tempted by a box that is a Linux computer, but for fun use only.

Re: I don’t need a Steam Machine

#268

Post by bdangubic »

udev4096 wrote: post #194
bdangubic wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

there are tens if not hundreds of thousands of for-profit companies that are not “evil” - making money is not evil endeavor, you provide goods and services in exchange for money :)

I highly doubt it. Maybe not at the surface level but if you dig, you'll always find the dirt on any for-profit endeavor

dirt != evil

Re: I don’t need a Steam Machine

#269

Post by blszczkwsk »

udev4096 wrote: post #251
SubmarineClub wrote: post #234

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess we have different definitions of ‘evil.’

Average HN user has happily chugged the sugar coated propaganda from valve, which paints them as a saint which they clearly aren't

Valve has done good things, but I feel like the whole gambling drama went over people's heads for some reason

Re: I don’t need a Steam Machine

#270

Post by blszczkwsk »

avyeed_desa wrote: post #49

Why can't i just shake the feeling that Steam Machines will Valve's gateway to release Half-Life 3 as a Steam Machine title exclusive? Furthermore, HL will only be Linux exclusive, at least for the first few months to put pressure on Sony, MS and Nintendo and the GTA6 launch.

I just don't see that happening, aren't linux users only like 5% of the user base? Releasing their most anticipated title only for the minority would make them lose out on a hefty amount of money. The more realistic option I see is that they offer some exclusive content (add-on or cosmetics) for SteamOS users.
Post reply on HN