140°

Valve readies prototype Steam Box video game console

Valve expects to offer prototypes of its upcoming video games console for testing within four months time.

The firm's chief executive Gabe Newell revealed the news to the BBC ahead of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) Games Awards.

Valve's online PC games store Steam has already proven highly popular and analysts suggest the console, called Steam Box, could have a big impact.

Mr Newell is being honoured with an Academy Fellowship at the event.

a_bro4062d ago

This and the ps4 is gonna look really good in my living room

Derekvinyard134062d ago

You think ps4 will be black? They could change it up

DarkBlood4062d ago

you think maybe they will have blue available seeing thier vita boxed are that color anyhows?

also am i seeing a disk slot on that steambox?

Cupid_Viper_34062d ago

I really hope they do well with the Steam Box.

But I'm left with some questions though. I know that Steam has some 50 million users, but these are users whom a significant number of them own decent PC rigs. I'm not sure what the incentive is going to be to persuade them to buy this, just so they could play games that they're already capable of playing on their PC.

It seems like we might have a EXHIBIT Meme going on here; "Hey Dawg, I heard you like Steam".

Unless their focus is on an entirely different market from the guys already playing on their PC's maybe? It seems like the Steam Box would have been a great competitor to the PS3 and Xbox 360 as the graphical differences would have been much more obvious. But now with the PS4 and Xbox 720 being as powerful as they are, I think Valve might find it hard to convince people to go with the new kid on the block.

But I guess time will tell for sure, so let's play the "wait and see" game for now.

starchild4062d ago

That is exactly the point: to get people that might otherwise be intimidated by PC gaming to jump on board. They want to make the PC platform more accessible.

Sounds good to me.

Cupid_Viper_34062d ago

@ Starchild

But that's exactly what I'm questioning. The new consoles have taken huge steps towards what the PC currently offers as far as what type of games they can play now. So isn't it a little too late?

There are many things that a PC could do that a PS1, PS2, PS3 and Xbox 360 couldn't do. But now with the PS4 and next Xbox, that list has shrunken rather dramatically I would say. Consoles will be expected to play RTS, MMO's, and other genres which prior to this were strictly a PC thing, no?

Spoon_4062d ago

Valve is coming for the console market with an upgradeable mod supporting steambox. They are being packaged with controllers not keyboards expect steam to have a big impact this gen.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4062d ago
classic2004062d ago

LOL you are thinking the same the same thing as me lool. I can get the best of PC without needing my PC to be used in the living room and I can have my PS4 combo, what more can a gamer ask for.

shutUpAndTakeMyMoney4062d ago (Edited 4062d ago )

I can only say this. Whatever Valve does it will probably make sense. I will reserve judgment on valves console but I do expect good things from them. They have a good track record for success. So who knows.

Any company that can make a puzzle game a 2011 goty contender might have interesting things to offer. *Cough HL3, l4d3, tf3, portal 3 launch title Cough*

I hope to see a future not so dependent on Microsoft. It's just un healthy for everyone.

Just re installed Ubuntu.

Also sign into ps4 with psn account then sign into steam with psn account = win!

Root4062d ago (Edited 4062d ago )

So that box that was shown off a month or so back wasn't the Steam Box console....?

I was going to say because people were saying it was yet it just felt like a Steam PC model, thought the console box would have it's own controller and everything

Anyway on the controler....just don't make it like Microsofts Valve, you need something that's an all rounder...something which fits many genres not just FPS

Blackdeath_6634062d ago

depending on the price this can be a serious contender for next gen. i've always assumed (like many others) since CES that the steambox will be like the Xi3,Xi5 and the Xi7 that were shown there http://www.youtube.com/watc... and there was a lot of confusion over it and the steambox. if the steambox is a dedicate gaming device it will be interesting to see how it does

Cueil4062d ago

I was under the impression it was going to use off the shelf APU and FX2 mobo

3GenGames4062d ago (Edited 4062d ago )

Linux domination in the desktop world begins here with PC games. Who would have thought?! :)

Cueil4062d ago

no... just no... I love Linux, but it's way to fragmented to be anything other then an after thought and if Valve thinks they can bully their way into the console market they have a rude awakening coming to them

BitbyDeath4062d ago (Edited 4062d ago )

You do realise MS bullied their way into both the OS market and console market?

Karma, it catches up with everyone eventually.

Links -

When asked why Microsoft decided to enter the console space, he asserted that, "The main reason was to stop Sony."

http://au.ign.com/articles/...

“Bill is basically unimaginative and has never invented anything, which is why I think he’s more comfortable now in philanthropy than technology. He just shamelessly ripped off other people’s ideas.” -Steve Jobs, Apple

http://www.winrumors.com/st...

3GenGames4062d ago (Edited 4062d ago )

Fragmented? How in the hell is Linux fragmented?! It's the only big time computer OS to be natively supported on ARM, x86, x64, and a few other microprocessor types. There's a couple package managers, but .deb is used by most of the user base and it pretty much "standard." You provide a .deb package, you provide for most of the Linux community. I don't see any other OS offering one format for all their platforms, no? Apple and Microsoft to chose to have 100% different OS's. Heck, Metro is based on HTML5 so it can what Linux does. Talk about a hack to get that going! But executable work between every distro provided the architecture is the same. The packages, like said, are the only thing that differ. To say that's fragmented, you have to be very, very stupid with Linux.

Fragmented...ha. What an idiotic comment...really.

Cueil4061d ago

@3GenGames Are you series? You know how many different distros there are and then we wont even talk Unity, Gnome, KDE, and Enlightenment

Show all comments (41)
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
UltimateOwnage9d 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!

jznrpg19d 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_Z19d 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
AdonisIsBeast27d ago

Who cares as long as it’s optional

phoenixwing27d ago

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

Xristo27d ago (Edited 27d 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.

phoenixwing27d 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

koga8827d 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.

PRIMORDUS27d ago

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

phoenixwing27d ago

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

lucian22926d ago

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

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 26d ago
Crows9027d ago (Edited 27d 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.

garos8227d ago

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

peppeaccardo27d 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 !

warriorcase26d ago

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

-Foxtrot27d ago (Edited 27d 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.

jwillj2k427d ago (Edited 27d 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.

Chard26d ago

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

thorstein27d ago

@Mario

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

victorMaje27d ago

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

shinoff218327d ago

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

Rimeskeem27d 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.

Angyobangyo27d 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

SixFrvgz26d ago Show
+ Show (8) more repliesLast reply 26d ago
kenpachi27d ago

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

robtion27d ago

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

CrimsonWing6927d 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.

Crows9027d 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.

Goosejuice27d 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.

CrimsonWing6927d ago (Edited 27d 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.

Crows9027d 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

Angyobangyo27d 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.

Ironmike26d 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 26d ago
Moegooner27d ago

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

CrimsonWing6927d ago (Edited 27d ago )

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

garos8227d 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

Lionsguard27d 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-6427d 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

anast27d 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.

Sanctusone27d 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.

anast26d ago (Edited 26d 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.

Show all comments (78)