170°

The 3 Established Consoles vs. Steam Box: How Could Valve Win Next Gen?

E-mpire Writes: Before we even get started, it must be acknowledged that Valve's recently announced console/PC hybrid's specifications are a mystery. We are not going to go into spec comparisons or any of that. Rather, we will take a look at some of the known hurdles that Valve and the other console manufacturers are going to have to jump this coming generation, and the potential outcomes.

DigitalAnalog4140d ago (Edited 4140d ago )

Valve's MAIN source of revenue is STEAM. The "steambox" acts as an extension of the service to people who want to get into PC gaming without the quips and quirks of driver updates and the like. The big 3 on the other hand MUST SELL THEIR CONSOLES as their source of revenue (hence the slim revisions). Valve, by these standards are immune and any steambox sold is simply extra profit on top of the main distribution service which is STEAM.

Secondly, the "steambox" is made by off-the-shelf materials and since STEAM is platform agnostic ANY 3rd party company like Asus/Razer, etc can create their OWN steamboxes which in turn brings more and more people to STEAM which is the end goal. It is not about "beating" or "winning" next-gen. It's about finding alternative ways to make the service more palatable to the potential gaming masses in the living room.

More competition drives more sales, the next xbox or ps4 must find other ways to make the multi-plats favor their side since STEAM supports mods/big picture/dd/kb/mouse/x-game chat/free online and a variety of 3rd party controller support OUT of the box without hassle!

solar4139d ago

The Gabe Cube is another way Valve is trying to expand Steam to console gamers. I think it's a great idea.

xyyyr4139d ago

Steam sales are going to be a fantastic selling point for the console. It will be interesting to see how Sony, Microsoft & Nintendo compete now that they are all going to be in direct competition. I personally think the system will be very successful.

darthv724139d ago

that had been tried before. difference between then and now is now seems like a more accepting time to do such a thing.

in fact, there have been many great ideas/innovations that failed due to their time of release. But its nice to know that those ideas arent completely forgotten. they just have to find their right time to make a comeback.

Over the console history, it has been shown that three is the magic number when it comes to consoles on the market. Granted one may exceed the other two but the market cant really support four or more and it gets to divided when its only two.

There has to be that entry level, mid grade and high end to balance things out.

@solar...gabe-cube. i like that. it seems to roll off the tongue better than steam-box.

Rhythmattic4139d ago (Edited 4139d ago )

Im really trying to get my head around Valves move...

It still wont play MS box, PS or Nintendo exclusives..... So a steam box wont stop me from buying other platforms, as I imagine most gamers....
Now thats out of the way...

Steam Users are generally a tech savvy gaming bunch,, gamers that already have a Gaming Pc. So why would they think people need a steam box? Is it aimed at the apple TV crowd? Possibly so...... But.

Could Valve use an efi/bios/firmware that it specific to their Steambox hardware, and in turn, allows certain specific Valve games to run on it..... Only on it.

Before anyone says it, Im sure it would be cracked , even before release , because of the valve devotee's backlash..

Can they really penetrate a market if its not based on some form of proprietary hardware/software?

Imagine if HL3 was not on any other platform but steambox ...

What would I do? Probably build a hack to run it, but we all know how steam works...

Im thinking valve is going to move to a more apple-ized ecosystem.

Im probably wrong, and hope I am, but the questions still cant be answered......yet.

So let the discussion be just that.

RedDragan4139d ago (Edited 4139d ago )

Valve devotee's will not produce a backlash because of this Steambox, we already know it is not marketted to us.

We are happy carrying on with our PC version of Steam and are happy to let Valve expand if they wish. It doesn't negatively impact us so why on earth would we set out to negative impact the Steambox?

The only people who will try to crack it are those who never have any intention of purchasing games. And with 5 million people online virtually every day at the same time, there is no way Valve are going to stop us PC gamers playing Half-Life 3 on the PC Steam platform.

Rhythmattic4139d ago (Edited 4139d ago )

No, Im not agreeing , nor disagreeing....

But its the hypothetical....

What If HL3 was only available through Steam, and only playable on a Steambox ?

Mindblown....

Gabe denounced the Steambox, and here it is... Gabe publicly trashed the PS3 , suggesting no interest at all, only for Valve to release Portal 2, which was the best console version mind you......

No matter what you or I believe, until its released and available, we both are neither right, nor wrong....

I think it is a discussion worth delving into.

deafdani4139d ago

I see Steambox as Valve's attempt to get more people to use the Steam service aside from the core PC gamers. It would be like a low end entry PC that would be able to play any PC title, without the hassle of upgrading parts. As in, a more console-ized PC gaming experience.

Yes, hardcore PC users aren't the target here. They already have their own awesome setups and have been using Steam since long ago. That leaves the middle Joe and Jane that can't be arsed with learning to build or maintain their own PC setup.

Regarding your question about game exclusives: aren't there many PC exclusives that aren't available on any home console, that could make the Steambox an enticing purchase for the intended market, provided those games run on said Steambox?

Rhythmattic4139d ago

Firstly, I don't get the phantom disagree person...

Its an open forum, which is so far a mature , intellectual debate...

deafdani
"hardcore PC users aren't the target here"
Do i know ? , Do you?
Maybe both Casual AND Hardcore are....

Why do people dismiss the fact Valve could be making a platform to sell there own exclusive content ?

Is it so far fetched ?

I almost feel dirty, to suggest that Valve would like to make money of a System they ultimately control...

As for Jo and Jane analogy, how about if i said thats why they own a Mac?

I dont know, and either do you.....

Its easy for me to just think its another Linux box running steam, but I'm still going to question the reason why, because for me, its doesn't add up.

Its an Iceberg, all we can see is whats on the surface.

My opinion .

aliengmr4139d ago

@Rhythmattic

I've been using Steam for a lot of years now, about 8. While wouldn't call myself an "expert" on all things Valve, I think I have a pretty good grasp of how they operate.

That being said, I just can't see Valve making HL3 exclusive to the "Steam-box" only. At most they might make it exclusive to Steam (PC and Console) for a short time then release to other platforms. Even that might be pushing it.

The thing about Valve is they are extremely secretive. They really took the HL2 source leak personally. Valve went into an information lock-down after it and hasn't eased up since.

Valve isn't just some rookie startup attempting to break into the console market. They have a proven record and plenty of cash backing them up. They also have a good amount of experience in combating piracy and have done the best job dealing with it. Valve is one of the very few companies that don't treat their customers like criminals. Steam isn't DRM free, but it doesn't get in the way either.

I don't know what they plan, but Valve has the experience and knowledge to pull it off. I would say they are probably in a far better position than MS and Sony when they were releasing the PS and XBOX for the first time.

Oh_Yeah4139d ago

Microsoft only has 3 retail exclusives (halo, gears, forza) ... Just saying. Do you know how many pc exclusives there are? More than Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft combined... Thus the steambox is not lacking in exclusives.. Valves games will most likely be exclusive too, there will be mods, multiple choice of controller, great discounts on games.. All available just click and download, that big library of older games, the cheaper price point and simplicity of consoles. This is not a fail in anyway no matter how you put it. If consumers do their research or once word of mouth of how kick ass it is gets spread I have no doubt this will be the number 1 selling console of next gen.

shutUpAndTakeMyMoney4135d ago

"Imagine if HL3 was not on any other platform but steambox ... "

What platform is steambox? pc right?

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 4135d ago
Somebody4139d ago

2DigitalAnalog
That reminds me of the frustrating situation I've seen in PC gaming: there are millions of PCs out there but not all of them are cut to play a lot of games (that use a lot of power). I'm also tired of developers and gamers complaining about the "millions of PC settings" as an excuse to turn to the consoles so see Steam Box is there to give them the hassle free option.

If Steam Box can set a standard minimum hardware requirement for PC games to follow then it'll be great news for developers and gamers alike. If your next laptop or PC is equivalent or slightly more powerful than Steam Box then you know you can play Steam games on them. A whole line of affordable Steam Boxes that you are sure will be capable of playing games right off the box. This isn't a limiting factor since PC games tend to have a maximum graphical quality that high end custom PCs can exploit.

So in the end PC gamers who can't afford the money or time to build their dream PCs can play games on an acceptable level with Steam Box while the hardcore builders can continue on gaming with their own machines with Steam.

fr0sty4140d ago (Edited 4140d ago )

@ DigitalAnalog (Post #1, I accidentally made a new post rather than replying to yours.) You do make a very good point. The points outlined in the article are still just as valid without that info, however. Even without taking the platform agnostic approach into account, the Steam Box still has what it takes to beat the big 3 consoles at their own game. We all know this is a Trojan Horse for Steam much like PS3 was for Blu-Ray. That makes Valve's position in the upcoming console race that much better for them. They really don't have anything to lose, as they don't even have to win. That doesn't mean they won't, however, for the reasons outlined in this article.

Npugz74139d ago

Valve will definately not be console king but it might leave its mark! I would rather see Valve than Nintendo along side Sony and Microsoft.

4139d ago Replies(1)
ALLWRONG4139d ago

I don't think Valve will be trying to win. They need to get their foot in the door first and establish a nice install base. Stop trying to crystal ball this.

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70°

Why Are Steam's Recommendations Dogpoop?

Blindfolding myself and clicking a Steam page at random would serve me better recommendations than Steam’s algorithm

Read Full Story >>
thegamer.com
UltimateOwnage10d ago

Hmm, not sure I agree with that. The recommendations I get are usually pretty good, but then again I have pretty large library of games on Steam and hundreds of them in my wish list, along with lots of curators I follow for it to build recommendations off of. On occasion it will throw me a random FIFA game or something I've never bought or shown interest in, but mostly its decent IMO.

80°

5 Best Metroidvania Games on Steam (March 2024)

Dive into the best Metroidvania games on Steam, from hidden gems to top-rated classics, and embark on unforgettable adventures!

jznrpg20d ago

Skul is a metroidvania ? It’s on PS+ soon I’ll check it out. If it’s good I’ll buy a copy physically if they have one

Nacho_Z20d ago

If Pseudoregalia is one of the best I'd hate to see what the worst look like.

330°

Dragon’s Dogma 2 releases to mixed user reviews, as microtransactions criticised

Players can pay to edit their character, resurrect the dead and other actions.

Read Full Story >>
videogameschronicle.com
AdonisIsBeast28d ago

Who cares as long as it’s optional

phoenixwing28d ago

paying to edit your character is kind of crap as far as microtransactions go

Xristo28d ago (Edited 28d ago )

I hate any/all MTX in a paid game (especially a full-price game)... but know that you can spend in-game currency (RC), which you get from killing mobs, to completely remake your character.

phoenixwing28d ago

@xRisto how much did it change the gameplay though? Changing your character would have probably not cost any rc if they weren't hellbent on getting money by making it inconvenient

koga8828d ago

You can literally edit your character using in-game gold, dropped from monsters or obtained from selling items, as soon as you reach the first main town. You can even use Rift Crystals obtained from other people using your pawn or dropped from monsters to change your entire character or Pawn. It's paying to avoid doing something that is literally in the game.

PRIMORDUS28d ago

They are lucky there using Denuvo or their game and all future DLC etc. would be for free. 🤣

phoenixwing28d ago

@koga you completely missed the point i was making but go ahead and act like i'm being the wrong one

lucian22927d ago

you can pay ingame currency though; why are ya so derp

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 27d ago
Crows9028d ago (Edited 28d ago )

Capcom cares quite a bit....hence why it was kept from reviewers and initial impressions.

As far as optional...yeah...ALL mtx are optional. That's not the problem. The miss the mark entirely.

Heck buying the game is "optional" too.

The fact that they were hiding this is scummy as hell. I was going to buy this day 1 or day 3. Now I'm reconsidering the purchase entirely because as the reviews point out...there are certain design decisions which have not changed but funnily enough seem to be remedied by these mtx...

In other words they may have left certain features in the game in order to monetize them. So the mtx affected the development of the game in a negative way.

garos8228d ago

I'm certainly not buying it anymore. It has affected at least one sale from me. I'll pick it up second hand

peppeaccardo28d ago

Very close to buy the game at a discounted price but not anymore.
Bad business practice and hence they do not get my support/money !

warriorcase27d ago

It wasn't kept fromreviewers s though. Twitter reviewers are saying there was mention of mtx's in the reviewers guide

-Foxtrot28d ago (Edited 28d ago )

STOP. USING. THAT. SHITTY. EXCUSE

God damn man

Look how DLC changed after Oblivions horse armour, within 10 years most developers took the absolute p***. What was said then aswell? “It’s only optional who cares?” Now look where we all are.

There’s no half measures with these things, when will people realise this.

jwillj2k428d ago (Edited 28d ago )

Oh it’s gonna get worse. Ng+ locked behind mtx, “cool downs” preventing you from playing for more than 3 hours at a time unless u pay the mtx for unlimited access, main campaign bosses, in-game music, certain dialog, difficulty modes, certain npc interactions, all locked behind mtx, etc.. etc. gonna end up being like the NBA 2k games eventually paying for cross overs and shit… They gon get mid-evil on our asses.

OMGitzThatGuy27d ago

I can guarantee most of the items you can buy with mtx and ingame currency wouldn’t exist in ANY paid form if the main goal wasn't monetization. If the goal is to give idiots who are willing to pay for basic game features as mtx a way to do things faster then the only ones the mtx hurt are the non paying players as you are now locking features behind a grind that you chose to put in the game that you are essentially admitting to creating some type of time sink. I have never heard of a game locking basic character editing behind a ingame paywall, it’s usually just an option.

Chard27d ago

Takes two to tango though - unfortunately people buy this garbage which incentivises the behaviour. It's an inevitable outcome of the profit motive

thorstein28d ago

@Mario

Yes. And so are resurrection "Wakestones." You can find them but they're rare.

victorMaje28d ago

Buying the game is now very optional too. If you don’t know why then you don’t get it.

shinoff218328d ago

Because it's only a door way. That's why we care. We've already seen some shit since Mtx was introduced.

Rimeskeem28d ago

1. DD2 is an ARPG with 8 different playable classes
2. There is no multiplayer aspect to the game
3. You can only have one character (have to pay for more)
4. You cannot delete the character unless you go into the game files
5. The game is $70 dollars upfront

Having to pay for more character slots in a game that *features* 8 playable classes is pretty much not optional for an ARPG.

Angyobangyo28d ago

Judging from steam reviews, gamers care. Not plastic gamers. Why didn’t Itsuno mention such MTX would be available in-game? Why weren’t the MTXs there for review copies?

Kiryu199227d ago

Who cares is how all this started. The many many excuses. Please keep defending these greedy publishers and unfair tactics. We be gamers are the problem

Horse armor

$10 online passes if buying a used copy

Cheat codes gone and are replaced by micro transactions

Unlocking stuff by playing games behind micro transactions and XP boosters

It’s only cosmetic

No one is being forced to spend even though publishers are literally making their games more grindy to force people to play

Full priced games have mobile game type micro transactions

$70 priced games because higher development costs while making record profits and laying off record number of employees

And to play the game early pay us extra $20-30 on top of full price

Release games now and promise to maybe fix them later only to abandon the game

Day one patches that make the games worst

If it’s your favorite game defend the publisher if it’s not hate on another publisher for similar content

SixFrvgz27d ago Show
+ Show (8) more repliesLast reply 27d ago
kenpachi28d ago

Must have picked up some EA crew to put this in the game

robtion28d ago

Yeah these are really bad ones. Directly impacting gameplay too. Super scummy move. I hope nobody buys them.

CrimsonWing6928d ago

Yet Helldivers 2 gets a pass? Y’know a GotY contender by the name of RE4 had them and so does Devil May Cry V. The funny thing is I enjoyed both of those games thoroughly without having to buy a single microtransaction.

What I do consider a valid complaint is not being able to start a new game or being able to edit your character. That’s kind of a seriously baffling decision, but then I think how I played Dragon’s Dogma 1 and I never edited my character and I just did a 100% playthrough on a single file and didn’t start a NG since. So, I don’t think these are really going to impact me, but I can see how it will others.

Crows9028d ago

Helldivers 2 is a live service game where everything is obtainable in game with incredible ease.

Not sure about re4 or DMC but nobody is giving anyone a pass ...this article is about dragons dogma 2...not those games.

What is valid are in game features made to supposedly force you to think carefully only to have a surprise online store offer solutions to built in problems for more money.

Goosejuice28d ago

Those same things they are selling can be found Ingame as well. U can buy the character editor through merchants with gold. Don't get me wrong..I dislike these mtx they are doing but you don't need to buy them to be able to get them.

CrimsonWing6928d ago (Edited 28d ago )

Oh my bad, I can’t bring up games with microtransactions that nobody had a sh*t fit over. My mistake.

I love how people move the goalpost.

Crows9028d ago

@goose
@crimson

All mtx sucks. I'd rather helldiver's not have them because it makes me wonder if the rate at which you collect materials. That said. The games features are all fully enjoyable and aren't affected by the mtx.

That's not the case with dragons dogma 2...they left in place features that are supposedly part of the challenge of the game only to let you buy your way out very conveniently. I didn't look through all of them but I've heard some are rare but can be purchased with more money now. Even more so in a game about managing weight load there's a tent, I believe, that you can pay more money for that weighs less than your typical tent...not all sure on all the mtx and I'm aware that you can purchase many through in game vendor but they're incredibly useful mtx that are obtained much more slowly in game...or even a limited amount of them.

Instead is selling fast travel...just let us don't for free....or instead of selling cosmetic changes...how about letting us do it for free...

Nothing in helldivers comes close to this abomination

Angyobangyo28d ago

One is a single player game and one is a live service game. One is $40 vs$70. And most importantly, one game is there to spread democracy.

Ironmike27d ago

It's not incredibly easy for certain things in helldivers though u still have grind quite bit but u ate correct in saying u can eventually get enough medals to purchase stuff

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 27d ago
Moegooner28d ago

Read your comment again and maybe, just maybe you might realise how dumb it was.

CrimsonWing6928d ago (Edited 28d ago )

What was dumb about it? That I pointed out the hypocrisy?

garos8228d ago

It was extremely scummy that capcom hid this from reviewers. I have no doubt this game is good but these type of microtransactions don't sit well with me. They've lost a sale from me

Lionsguard28d ago

I was going to pay full price to support this game because I've been waiting for it for forever but I think I'll wait until I get it for free from Epic or a Humblebundle monthly.

Redemption-6428d ago

I am not defending Capcom, as I am not a fan of MTX in single player games. I do however belive they were open to reviewers about having MTX in their game. The reviewers just decided to leave that part out. Which is very disingenuous. There are some companies that get away with these things. Image if this was done by EA, Ubisoft, or even Activision? I am positive those defending Capcom, would have had their pitchforks ready if the companies listed above did this

anast28d ago

That's why reviewers can't be trusted. In fact, they are not reviewers at all. They get free codes to talk about stuff they don't understand nor care about.

Sanctusone28d ago

I mean it was pretty obvious to anyone with eyes...one of the items you get from deluxe edition was in game items.
1500 Rift Crystals - Points to Spend Beyond the Rift (A)
Which honestly I figured they kept a similar mtx system like DMC5 and the optional red orbs.

Lionsguard27d ago

1500 Rift Crystals doesn't mean anything. The first game had Rift crystals too, you just earned them by people hiring your Pawn and you get it from certain quests.

anast27d ago (Edited 27d ago )

A reviewer's job is to point out the obvious of a product as though they were the consumer. This means reviewers, to do their actual job, would need to review the complete game: the edition they are reviewing, how they got the game, technical aspects, story, and monetization scheme. Since, it is obvious that MT's are a part of the game, it would need to be reviewed. This way people can be informed, so they can decide if they want to play this style of game/monetization scheme.

For example, AC Origins was bad with Mt's. I had to farm side missions or pay to advance the story. This was after I already did close to 25 or more side missions. While I was grinding there were constant reminders that I could pay to ease the grind. I would have never bought the game if it were reviewed properly.

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