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Steam Machine

store.steampowered.com

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Re: Steam Machine

#921

Post by wpm »

saghm wrote: post #832
BlueTemplar wrote: post #827

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Didn't Gabe Newell basically confirm 13 years ago already that they were aiming for that ? https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18996377

I'd love to be confident that the company's strategy is sound enough to keep the same long-term goals from that far back, but I don't think I'm sure enough to make strong assumptions about what the overall motivations of products launched in 2025 are from his comments in 2012. I do think that it's a plausible explanation, but there's plenty of room for humility in attempting to interpret whether intent has changed in…

That’s how privately owned companies with BDFL founders still running them operate.

No shareholders. No dopey stock market magazine articles. No quarterly “did you make the line go up? why not?” reports. You can execute on a 10 or 20 or 50 year vision when youre beholden to only your customers, your staff, and yourself and not a pack of rabid wolves.

Re: Steam Machine

#922

Post by FloatArtifact »

adorton wrote: post #918
FloatArtifact wrote: post #917

One disappointment is that's not geared towards media playback or apps like netflix. In the interviews, they mention relying on the web-based versions of apps. Unfortunately, they often come with artificial limitations (limited streaming quality) by companies such as Netflix.

It's a computer that runs Linux.

> It's a computer that runs Linux.

I'm fully aware of that. Imagine sideloading mobile applications on the steam machine. It's very hard to get a platform that reasonably respects your privacy. Smart TVs and boxes like Roku go out of their way to invade privacy. I'm not sure about Apple TV. It would be nice to be able to use the steam box as a replacement _officially_. I have no doubt there will be some sort of community effort.

Re: Steam Machine

#923

Post by parineum »

jorvi wrote: post #261

For this to truly become a console replacement, Steam needs to mint agreements with Netflix, Spotify and Discord. Netflix and Spotify could live as a 'game' application in the store. Spotify also is fairly easy to plug into Steam's overlay music control (currently via Decky plugins). Discord just needs integration with the Steam Friend List. I know Valve wants Steam Friends to compete with Discord, but that ship has…

I'll never understand why anyone would want to use Discord.

Re: Steam Machine

#924

Post by spookie »

jack1243star wrote: post #919
spookie wrote: post #888

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Eh multiplayer games are doomed. Computer vision based cheats using an external machine that records the game's final rendered frames, process them with specialized YOLO models, and control "mices" and "controllers" to aim for you already exist. If the aim for kernel level anti-cheats was to combat cheating, they have failed and are completely worthless.

That's like saying online banking is doomed because rubber-hose cryptanalysis exists. The defense does not have to stop 100% of the exploits to be effective. I hate kernel level anti-cheats but they do provide friction and reduce cheating.

There are open source solutions out there. If anything there is less friction now.

Re: Steam Machine

#925

Post by twelvedogs »

ThrowawayB7 wrote: post #883
saghm wrote: post #823

My theory for a bit now has been that Valve is playing the long game in trying to make SteamOS a mainstay gaming platform as an alternative to Windows, and that the hardware products are essentially a way of breaking into that market. Even a few years ago, the idea of a custom Linux distro based on Arch Linux with both a built-in full desktop mode and a lower-powered gaming mode that you could switch between on a han…

> " All of this insulates them from having to worry about the long-term sustainability of making money from game sales on Windows... " The weak link in your theory is that Microsoft is in control of the future of the DirectX API, not Valve, and it is Microsoft who is working with nVidia and AMD and game studios to evolve DirectX to take advantage of the latest GPU features. SteamOS can at best follow closely behind b…

it would be a really bold move on microsoft's part, as it would be direct monopoly abuse

it would be interesting to see how or if they were punished for it in the current political environment or even the next one, but i hope we don't find out

i suspect long term it would just be a foot gun that drives vulkan's popularity anyway though

Re: Steam Machine

#927

Post by mmis1000 »

Ey7NFZ3P0nzAe wrote: post #621

> Install your own apps, or even another operating system. Who are we to tell you how to use your computer? I'm so happy to read this

Meanwhile Microsoft be like: we are going to ship AI to your computer, eat all the resource, lag your game despite you don't use it and neither you don't want it at all.

Re: Steam Machine

#928

Post by ehnto »

godzillabrennus wrote: post #777
lazyfanatic42 wrote: post #775

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Valve respects its customers. It is so insane that this isn't a norm; what a world we would be in if all companies did so.

Don't sugarcoat it. Valve has to make sure this is advertised as a PC to keep the licensing good on the games you've bought and that they are allowed to sell. Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony have closed ecosystems with their consoles. Well, Microsoft seems to be throwing in the towel on consoles.

But it is also a PC, so I don't see the issue even if this were true. It's just a box running an Arch Linux flavour.

Re: Steam Machine

#929

Post by surcap526 »

saghm wrote: post #823

My theory for a bit now has been that Valve is playing the long game in trying to make SteamOS a mainstay gaming platform as an alternative to Windows, and that the hardware products are essentially a way of breaking into that market. Even a few years ago, the idea of a custom Linux distro based on Arch Linux with both a built-in full desktop mode and a lower-powered gaming mode that you could switch between on a han…

[dead]

Re: Steam Machine

#930

Post by ehnto »

marricks wrote: post #790
lazyfanatic42 wrote: post #775

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Valve respects its customers. It is so insane that this isn't a norm; what a world we would be in if all companies did so.

Because they're not owned by private equity/publicly traded. If that ever happens the "let's squeeze this for every dime it's worth" will happen. That's really the saddest thing about capitalism, if everything around us wasn't getting enshittified in the exact same way at least the future would be more alluring.

It is nice to see people bucking the trend getting rewarded, I see a bright future for an open ecosystem for gaming (even ignoring the Steam announcements).

DRM is the publishers choice, worth noting.

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