Live data from Hacker News

SteamMachines

store.steampowered.com

71–80 of 291 posts

Re: SteamMachines

#71

That doesn't seem like a large enough beta and it really only targets PC gamers. I would think that they would want to be trying to capture console gamer share rather than existing PC gamers.

I think one of the point is to make existing PC gamers to buy controller for their Machine and use it, creating a big enough people with controller as a leverage when dealing with publishers and developer to include controller support in their games.

Re: SteamMachines

#72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good at hyping, bad at actually delivering on time... Half-life (Episode?) 3 :(

They haven't hyped HL3 or HL2E3, or even announced either of them. Kinda silly to blame them for not delivering something they never promised to deliver.

... Did you finish Episode 2? Have you lost internet access for the last 6 years? Valve confirmed it waaaaay back in '07, and Gaben has been dropping little nuggets about it every few years.

You really need to understand how painful this is for HL fans. It would be like if AMC decided not to produce & air the final season of Breaking Bad... or delay the final season for 6+ years.

Re: SteamMachines

#73
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Rift is output, not input. I think they're announcing some kind of new controller.

Technically you could say head movement is input but I get your point. That being said it could be a combo, like Rift + a wiimote-style thing? Mouse + keyboard break Rift immersion, pads are better but still far from perfect.

Considering the vast majority of current Big Picture games use the Xbox360 controller, and that they'll probably already worried about getting enough content working on this device, I highly doubt they will do something so different as a Rift + Wiimote and the like.

My assumption is Rift will be supported, but primary controller will be something extremely 360-like. If not made by Valve than by someone that already makes 3rd party 360 controllers.

Re: SteamMachines

#74
post #46

They want SteamOS to restructure the console market like Android did with the mobile market. They give PC makers a great new customizable way to enter the livingroom-computer market. With their gaming shop built in. This is great for gamers. In a few years any SteamMachine for 300$ will easily outperform PS4/XBone. And have way way more games. And all AAA games (all PC releases).

'In a few years any SteamMachine for 300$ will easily outperform PS4/XBone.'

Uhh, do you have any support for this claim?

Re: SteamMachines

#75

I'm excited about where Valve is going with this, of course, but to be honest I'm concerned about controllers the most. Buying a good controller for a PC is not hard, but it's not simple either. Picture yourself as a "living room console guy" getting into PC gaming. You'd like to use a controller for a certain game. Consider: - You can use your XBox360, PS3 controller, or WiiMote, but that's not obvious. You'll need…

I am using my mac with PS3 controllers, works like a charm.

Re: SteamMachines

#76
post #2

Sooo, it's what everybody's expected, except we don't know anything more about it. Frustrating. Also, only 300 boxes for beta? That seems a little small. EDIT: actually the latest answer in the FAQ is interesting: "Am I going to be using a mouse and a keyboard in the living-room?" "If you want. But Steam and SteamOS work well with gamepads, too. Stay tuned, though - we have some more to say very soon on the topic of…

Its probably this:

https://www.google.com/patents/US8241126

Re: SteamMachines

#77
post #24
post #2

Sooo, it's what everybody's expected, except we don't know anything more about it. Frustrating. Also, only 300 boxes for beta? That seems a little small. EDIT: actually the latest answer in the FAQ is interesting: "Am I going to be using a mouse and a keyboard in the living-room?" "If you want. But Steam and SteamOS work well with gamepads, too. Stay tuned, though - we have some more to say very soon on the topic of…

I'd love to see Valve have the "defacto OS/console" for Oculus Rift. Oculus Rift will enable truly "next-gen" gaming, and Valve would be very smart to ride that trend , and grow with it.

I certainly hope not. The day I have to wear a f--king headset is the day I stop gaming.

Re: SteamMachines

#78
post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never been able to play halo on a console, it feels far too inaccurate to me, now that I'm used to playing with a mouse.

Are people using a mouse and keyboard going to play against people using a controller? The results will be hilarious (in that anyone using a controller wont stand a chance). Everyone will be forced to use a mouse.

There have been games that have released with this allowance. They achieve balance by offering powerful aim-assist to the gamepad players.

In any other context that would be the foulest cheating... but in the context of game-design for vastly different interfaces, it's a perfectly reasonable handicap.

Re: SteamMachines

#79
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yep, the fact that they're making the source code available is a big deal. A lot of people were worried that SteamOS would just be another closed platform, and this puts that fear to rest pretty definitively.

They've positioned themselves so that none of their IP even matters as far as their core business goes. What does matter is that they own the marketplace for games. Giving the source code away only allows people to improve the platform, which only strengthens their hold on the market place.

Not if somebody modifying it to use with his own marketplace, which is unlikely but possible with the open source software.

Re: SteamMachines

#80
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use my Xbox 360 controllers with a no-name wireless receiver. It took some work to get the drivers working properly, but it's fantastic now. If Valve can provide a similar experience, except all plug-and-play, that'll be killer. I totally agree that it's non-obvious to most of the gaming market, though.

Doesn't the next generation of controller simply work over bluetooth? I know the DS3 already does. If that's the case, it shouldn't require any specialized hardware, since almost everything comes with bluetooth these days.

Sony and Nintendo use Bluetooth, while Microsoft uses a proprietary wireless protocol.
Post reply on HN