This effectively gives traditional desktop OEMs a relatively cheap and easy entry into the living room, and a new category of product to sell effectively and compete against Xbox, PS4, and the mobile OSs who will be trying to gain entry into the living room soon.
SteamOS
81–90 of 532 posts
Re: SteamOS
#82This is effectively the software-only equivalent of a console launch. Is anyone else skeptical that they can motivate publishers to spend time/money porting their games to the Linux platform? Valve certainly has a better chance than most at pulling this off (and likely enough user/market data to make this seem like a valid investment) I am still super skeptical that these publishers are going to spend the time portin…
Tonnes of AAA titles are 'available' on FreeBSD - the PS3. Publishers won't be bringing their games to Linux, they'll be bringing them to SteamOS.
Re: SteamOS
#83This is basically a similar approach Android took for phones. It leverages off Linux while replacing user facing pieces to give the user a simplified and consistent environment that they expect.
However as with Android, that isn't enough to get it to take off. Android had huge traction problems to start with until they managed to get the big device makers to train users and market the devices. SteamOS is going to have the same rough and long launch period, but the ultimate payoff is very big as the tech is all there and it's just a matter of getting the big game publishers to join up.
As with mobiles and Google, if anybody can succeed in the gaming industry, it's Steam. So I definitely wouldn't write this one off, I think it will take off in a few years time if they can get the big players - both software and hardware - to join up.
Re: SteamOS
#84I'm somewhat disappointed. While perfectly logical for Valve, it might end up being not very beneficial for other distributions. In worst case scenario, hardware manufacturers cherry pick specific devices ("steambox") and software ecosystem to support (SteamOS) while totally neglecting all other linux distributions.
Doubt it - most of the benefits - like sane drivers, optimizations and so on will trickle down.
And I think steam box will be set of requirements.
Re: SteamOS
#85I'm somewhat disappointed. While perfectly logical for Valve, it might end up being not very beneficial for other distributions. In worst case scenario, hardware manufacturers cherry pick specific devices ("steambox") and software ecosystem to support (SteamOS) while totally neglecting all other linux distributions.
Valve cannot magically produce a homogeneous experience across all Linux distributions. They need some degree of consistency in the environment in order for users to have a reasonable experience. It isn't their job to prop up every two-bit distribution.
Re: SteamOS
#86Earlier quoted context omitted.
My thoughts exactly. Currently, gaming on Linux was fairly on the rise, since Steam supported Linux as one target platform and advertised it fairly substantially. If Steam renames all "Linux" entries as "SteamOS" and pushes general Linux to the sidelines, all that progress is lost.
"Linux" isn't a platform, "SteamOS" is though. Having an undefined "general Linux" is impossible for them to support, especially since there's no real definition of a platform, just a kernel.
Agreed. I would imagine they will continue trying to support major linux distros such as Ubuntu, but it's not plausible for them to make sure it work on other Linux distro. Interested 3rd parties though will probably try to keep most things ported to other Linux distros though.
Re: SteamOS
#87Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not open source, however. Not a dealbreaker, but an important distinction to keep in mind.
Personally, I'm fine with Steam remaining closed-source, as this is both inevitable because of it being both a store and a DRM provider. The key question here is whether Valve's future extensions to the graphics subsystems (which seem to be advertised, to some extent) will be released as open-source and be admitted to the (free software) kernel and libraries that exist today.
I don't see any reason why they would not. In fact, since they make money off the number of games sold, better graphics on all distros == more players == more $$.
Unless they want to advertise the "only Linux which runs games best!!!". But that seems unlikely
Re: SteamOS
#88I think this is Valve's answer to the chicken/egg problem of new platform/app availability. Build it and they will come.
I would say that a lot of people are there already. A lot of developers are switching to linux as desktop os. Except the games everything in the toolchain works better there and windows tools work fine.
And the IT guys have long been the core of the PC gaming scene.
So ... it was not a chicken and egg problem but a demand that needed answering.
Re: SteamOS
#89Even if this never gets majority traction compared to consoles, I suspect it will be worth it for Valve. Ever since Microsoft tried to cut them off with the Windows Store, Valve has been working to have an independent platform. Having alternative platforms gives Valve room to maneuver.