Steam Machines pushed by Newell in short Valve CES conference - Takes a pop at Xbox One

Valve's Gabe Newell shares his thoughts on the third-party Steam Machines at the Valve CES press conference and even manages a quick pop at Microsoft and Xbox One.

[mikeslemonade]

Haha.. consoles-holders typically sell on average 80 mil every 7 years. Steam Box will falter.

[fatstarr]

exactly nothing in the tech world sells 50mill + over 5 or more years. only videogames tend to do that.

steam machines will not be top sellers. they will probably sell 10mill at best as a whole.

[Letros]

Ipad?

[darx]

Right! All I can remember from the announcement of iPads is how it had fail written all over it.

[LackTrue4K]

@letros

ipad....1,2,3,4. which one?!

why not make this caparison.

PS1,PS2,PS3,PS4. (let's just add them all)

[mikeslemonade]

Apple is a front-running and technology inventive company. Smartphones didn't take off until they came around and the tablets didn't take off until they came around.

Consoles have been around for a while with Nintendo and Sony dominating for a while. Steam-box isn't doing anything particular new that consumers are salivating from the mouth for.

And tell me what Steam's legacy has had. Have they have any of the calibar like Apple 2, IMac, Powerbook, Macbook Air, iPod, and iPhone??

We're talking about a video game industry. Lots of tried but many have failed.

[DragonKnight]

Steam machines will fail because they only apply to a specific group of people that won't want them anyway.

That group is the PC gamers. They won't want a Steam Machine because they'll have better rigs that they built themselves that are either cheaper and better, or more expensive and better.

Console gamers aren't going to want the Steam machine unless they dabbled in PC gaming or have been wanting to dabble in PC gaming.

Casual consumers have pretty much moved on from consoles altogether.

Steam machines are not going to be nearly as successful as consoles, not even close.

[itBourne]

Consoles DO NOT typically sale 80 million... Lol in fact excluding Sony consoles (Nintendo handhelds if you count them as a console), last gen was the only time any other company even got close to that number.

At the same time though, I do not think steam machines will succeed either. To me it is similar to the Vita, as in they are going after a very niche market. So maybe they will have some small success (they do not have to have complete separate support for it, like Sony does with the Vita), but they will not be some new powerhouse.

[Skip_Bayless]

^ 80 was the only time last but I said it's the average, so I'm willing to bet that you get pretty close 80 mil when you take the avg of all PS systems and then Nintendo systems. 60, 40, 30, 20, 100, 100, 100,. I just said 100 for the handhelds because I forget how much the Gameboys or GBA sold. For PS 120, 150, 80, 65.

[Ritsujun]

The Xbone720p is the only real STEAM Machine.
Do these so-called Steam Machines produce steam higher than 720p?

[Kurylo3d]

yea the steam machines tend to be more powerful then consoles. I guess its all teh flavor you want... a sports car steam machine... or a broke down POS that gets the job done... lol

[slayorofgods]

I don't know why this has to become a console vs the steam machine battle...

The steam machine really is just a new flavor. It doesn't need to outsell anything because at hart Valve is a software company. If Valve sells more games across pc and the steam box it wins. As a PC gamer this is exciting because it really does put PC gaming on the map more so then in years. No, steam box's aren't going to outsell PS4 and Ones. But yes, steam is going to be a big time choice for gaming for years to come and thats the point.

@DragonKnight

Not all pc gamers will migrate to the tv, but I think a few less tech savvy people will buy the box. Valves strategy is a lot more broad then your argument gives it credit for. PC builders can build their own steambox and download steam os onto that from the steam website so the techies can have any steam box they want.

[Reibooi]

If what some industry people say Valve is taking almost no risk with Steam Boxes. Basically they made the OS and most of the risk is on the partners making the Boxes. Valve basically just supplies the OS and the partners(like Alienware and Falcon Northwest) So if the boxes don't sell all to well it's not really going to affect Valve in anyway.

But as I said this is just what some of the Industry people assume is going on and they could of course be wrong as some of them often are. Either way I want to see how well the Steam Boxes perform in terms of sales.

[malol]

i see steam box as a smart investment and not risky at all.

i mean they are selling a normal PC with a good GFX card and a controller, with a free OS like linix,

so if valve lose, they wont lose much, and if it all goes good then they'll make profit out of it.

[dedicatedtogamers]

Part of me hopes Steam machines do well (it'll allow PC gaming to proliferate).

Part of me hopes they fail (Valve/Steam doesn't need any more of a death-grip on PC gaming. It needs to be MORE open, not less, thanks to Valve).

I'll probably never buy one. Too many platforms already to play on and I already own a gaming PC, but if it was a choice between Valve and MS in the console market, I'd much rather take Valve.

[s45gr32]

Ok besides DRM what has Valve done that is anti-consumer. Microsoft sold it's customers a broken gaming system with the ability to pay to play online charged game developers for updating/patching say games plus extra money went to Microsoft due to developers were forced to pay for the third DVD disk and fourth. Sony brought online passes, removed backwards compatibility to resell PS1 PS2 games. PS4, xbox one and wii u require day one patch. PS4 and Xbox One charge gamers to play online and any services they provide like Sony music unlimited which is $10.00 a month not included in the subscription service. Wii u lacks online gaming and is a last last generation system. I am not saying Valve is perfect because is not but the Steam service is the most open service out there. Modding one click away with Steam Works, want to make money sell game items, trading cards, etc. Want some rare obscure games to come to STEAM is one click away with green light. Bargain bin prices able to get Steam keys from everywhere like Amazon. The Steam service is the closest service to gaming Nirvana. The console manufacturers failed and have become unimaginative, greedy and want gamers to bow to their anti consumer tactics.

[kingduqc]

I agree, console need to die. We only need one platform for gaming, the other closed platform should just go away. Ps4 and xbone are just locked down pc with some few IPs in hostage of the corporations.

[Withdreday]

@kingduqc

Oh please. If consoles die, gaming dies.

You'd never see a game like GTA V sale 20 million in a few weeks on PC and games can barely make a profit off 2 million sold these days.

Plus how's the PC version of GTAV holding up? Oh wait...

[KillrateOmega]

@kingduqc

That was one of dumber things I've ever heard. Just as Withdreday said: if consoles die, so will gaming.

[itBourne]

@s45gr32

You do make a lot of great points, at the same time, you clump all console manufacturers together. Should I group Steam, Origin, Uplay ect. into one category? You act like ps+ is a rip off.. I will take my plethora of games for $50. If I ever decide to get a Vita, I do not even need to buy a game, I already have almost a dozen from PS+ and that will continue to grow. Hell Bioshock Infinite and DMC are free this month, I will play both. PS+ offers value just as Steam does, but in a slightly different way.

Not to mention, you talk about these rare games on Steam, yes I love that. Nintendo and Sony also give gamers great exclusive experiences! Nintendo gives us the classic stuff you grew up with, and some completely weird stuff (good or bad lol). Sony gives us some really different big budget experiences too, who else is going to green light a new franchise right before a new console cycle from their most prized dev (ND). Little Big Planet, Heavy Rain, Modnation Racing, these are unique experiences that I am glad I got the chance to indulge in.

All in all, this giant ecosystem is good for gaming collectively!

[joab777]

Is it a good thing to have so many different steam machines? I can't imagine trying to market these. Its all gonna get lost in a crazy shuffle. Its hard enough to convince console owners to switch or pc players to invest in something they already have. Maybe Valves machine can rise above the rest b/c of their stellar reputation but seriously, how the he'll do you convey the reason anyone should invest in one of these machines as a primary device?

[Kurylo3d]

Hes actually right. Consoles need to die. Steam machine is nothing more then a PC done cheap and for gaming.

But steam doesnt own PCs. That means you can buy PCs from anywhere or build your own. Can you build your own xbox? no... in 5 years will xbox be behind ... yes.. Hell its already behind...

So yea... Hes got a good point. And no gaming would not die without consoles hahha. thats a joke. Gaming was alive and well way before there even were consoles.. and pc gaming is huge as it is right now. In fact just look at how many poeple are playing online on steam this very moment! Thers like 8 million people online right now and the entire united states is still asleep. Its 5 AM

If steam or any online service gets to big headed.... you cant do anything about it on consoles.. but on pc.. a developer can make their own service just for their game.. or use no service at all. Its freedom.

[DeadlyFire]

Well Valve isn't trying to convince PC gamers to buy Steam Machines. Its all about the mainstream or casual consumer that doesn't know how a computer can play games. Alot of retailers have not sold PC gaming hardware in awhile in the US. Steam Machines is a new way for them to actually sell something that plays games to the consumers.

Valve does offer the OS free to PC consumers as well. So it can be dual booted. So its not much of a change really for the typical PC community.

[Withdreday]

@Kurylo3d

What did you do, make a 2nd account just to agree with yourself? You sound butthurt because you spent $1500 on building a gaming rig and you can't even play blockbusters like GTAV or The Last of Us.

It's PC gamers like you who give the whole base a bad name. Why not just enjoy your rig and let consoles continue to flourish?

You sound so immature wishing consoles die off while you continue to suck off PC. Get over yourself.

[kingduqc]

Here is my two cents on what a single open platform would do:

1. Bigger gamer base. Instead of being locked to being exclusive to a platform with 50-80m Users Dev would sell their game to a single platform of over 600 million users. They could sale more way more copies.

2. Instead of paying fees to Sony/Microsoft every game they sell, being on an open platform would bring more revenue per copy. This is a significant boost considering they lose up to 10$ every game sold.

3. They could embrace new tech and advancement way faster. Console are locked down to a 6-7 year cycle and really hold back developers because they have to develop the same game across those older platform at the end of the cycle.

4. Game dev would have a bigger competition pool for making games, it would force them to maybe try something new instead of doing the same game 3 times in a row (gow, uncharted and you name em. All clone of the original)

5. Since gamer would only have to deal with 1 platform, they would spend more money on this one. Instead of owning a ps3 a 360 and a pc, the gamer could get away with only having this mythical open platform(pc). Since he spend less money on hardware that is basically the same thing across the 3 he would have more money for actual game. Also, the hardware he pick could posibilly be higher end since the budget inst spread thin.

6. Cutting the middle man, sony and microsoft beside making sure they get the time/exclusive don't do much. All the dev working first party would also thrive on a single open platform because they are good at what they do. also point 1/2 apply so they would actually make more money.

7. With the console there is no hardware competition at all. Xbones and ps4 are made on the same architecture, their chips inside is on the same architecture (both cpu and gpu) The only thing that change is the scale (xbone based on a 7790 and ps4 on a 7850) Also, we are lock in time because of that. Dev will have to deal with those restriction for all the games in 4-6 years because they just don't keep up with recent tech. All games have to be scaled down to work on the low end hardware that consoles are. Even today, those specs are limiting (1080p and 60 fps is till far from the norm, Imo 120 fps should be aimed for any game because of the smoothness but that's a whole new discussion)

8. Gamers could have 1 library with backward compatibility, if they want the pc experience or the console experience they still could keep all those games without worrying if somehow they can't play older games with their new hardware. This is exactly why it would be better for us. Specially since that library would be so much bigger( over 21 000 games on pc versus under 2000 for both ps3 and xbox, the library would jsut get bigger and bigger to please everyone without limiting them on a closed platform or one way of playing)

9. Console don't innovate. They just take what average and does not cost much at the time and ship it in a box. No flexibility at all for the budget on hardware and if any new exciting tech come along in 2-3 year you wont be able to use it for half a decade. No mods, not easy for indie game, can't really support new peripherals. Limiting is the word when it come to a closed platform.

10. Don't forget, no more consoles does not mean no more Big screen and controller in the hands. A console is just a PC with locked features, locked hardware and locked way to play. You could have this box in your house that power every screen, all the games you ever bought would be playable at the desk or on the big screen and it would just be easier, faster and better for everyone no matter how you like to enjoy gaming.

[Withdreday]

@ kingduqc

1. No not true. It won't be "600 million users" as you say, it'll be just the ones who have powerful enough rigs to run the latest games and it wouldn't be that many.

2. Actually it would probably allow for LESS revenue as most PC games barely crack 1 million in sales save for a handfull of franchises, so many games would fail to make a profit even with that.

3. Again, seeing as games would sell less, no they couldn't. They would still have to keep the minimum requirements so most people can buy and play the game. I'm sure no company what's what happened with Crysis 1 again were Crytek out did like 90% of PC gaming rigs.

Notice how they've keep them low every since? That's a big reason why.

4. But doesn't the PC platform exist now? There no reason this shouldn't already be happening if that logic is true.

5. What you're neglecting here is that loads of gamers don't even buy all three. They just pick the one they want for that gen and stick to it which is a major reason for all the fanboy spats. So really, that point is MOOT.

6. lol are you serious? I'm sure the numerous studios that MS and especially Sony owns beg to differ... I'm starting to think you have no clue what you're talking about here.

7. Since it's a closed platform though, there's plenty of room for improvement because it doesn't have a heavy OS running under it like PC does and games do get better because of it.

Don't believe me? Just take a look at Resistance 1 and GTAV. Now by your logic, both games would have looked exactly the same being 7 years apart on the same hardware, but they didn't as devs evolve, engines evolve, and so on and so forth.

And the human eye can see past 73 FPS from what I read, so 120 would be all but pointless.

8. Probably the only real advantage, but even that could be nixed with most software needing to be updated with the latest OS's. Plus with streaming on consoles, that could soon become irrelevant anyway. So...

9. The last console "innovate" was the PS3 with the Cell Processor and it was a disaster for devs in the beginning and ended up costing Sony loads of cash, so it's no wonder consoles play it safe when it comes to that aspect. And that "exciting new tech" that PC gamers can upgrade to constantly is often obsolete in months time.

So really, if it was one platform in your dream scenario, people would be constantly upgrading, and changing their PCs simply to be able to play the latest and greatest games... and I'm sorry, but that doesn't sound too practical financially, especially for the average gamer.

Sounds to me like your wishing for a gaming crash, but I digress...

And don't know were the hell you got the idea that consoles aren't that good for indie devs. Apparently you haven't been following console news lately and how they've been falling over themselves courting indie them.

10. Haha, did you even read the story you're posting on? A central part of Steam box IS the controller.

You should try posting while not drunk. It'd be much easier to understand.

[come_bom]

Unless Steam Machines are the price of consoles (400-500€) and have "big" exclusives like consoles, Steam Machines will not be that successful... i think!

Steam Machines will sell, but not as much as home consoles.

[ginsunuva]

They're not supposed to be console replacements, but PC replacements. They're competing with the PC market. They are PC's!

They're supposed to be cheap, user-friendly, pre-made, small form-factor PC's for people who want a gaming pc without the extra stuff like Windows.

[Irishguy95]

They have the same exclusives PC has

Ie: They have the most exclusives.

[webeblazing]

Why do consoles gamers see more options a a threat. They are doing this for gamers but people are so focus in the console wars to see a benefit to this

[DragonKnight]

@irish: I wasn't aware that every PC game has Linux support.

[webeblazing]

@dragon every pc has linux support besause you can do with your pc as you wish. like the guy said above me lets not look at this as a threat, lets welcome it. what pc teaches people at least for me, is that its your choice, gamers should be embracing this. i love my console and we all do. why are we trying to not embrace a open platform(which is a pc). people was complaining about not wanting to build a rig and wanting mobility of the pc rig. so my point is why not embrace it. gamers love games but why we hate one good companies trying improve our hobby. serious i know different kinds of industries where their customers embrace and try new things, but why we dont embrace companies with a track record that improve out experience.

seriously we gotta to get it together and bring this thing to a new standard. we all love game and we all dont want to get abused. lets look out for each other and show them that games can be fun even with the most sensitive taste buds.

im i right

truthfully i would want too say more about this article which i cant even get to the link, but this site dont reward bubbles for being a gamer

gamers for the win

nes sne gens sgens n64 ps1 ps2 dcast xbox wii ps3 xb360 wiiu ps4 xbone wuddup

[Gorilla_Killa_X]

@webeblazing. I think Dragon was talking about PC games having linux support. Not all PC games have linux support. Valve is apparentlyworking with devs to get most to have support though.

[MadLad]

It's about bringing more people to PC gaming as a whole. No one thinks they are going to take on and bring down the already established console market.

Why all the hate on PC gaming? I always see your name and accompanying posts spreading unneeded negativity. If you want a PC, just buy one. There's no need to get defensive and trash that which you don't have. And if you don't want one, the second rule still applies.

[robtion]

Jesus that is good advice. Though shalt not covet thy neighbours PC. Do unto other's etc, etc ;)

[jcnba28]

After following their lackluster conference I'd have to agree with you. The steam machines will be a very niche item and won't effect the console market at all.

[webeblazing]

Valve always think for the long haul n the do it for gamers they even took their highly competitive game tf2 n made it free, along wit making dota2 free while giving game artist a place to make money even tho their high.
.What is the problem with gamers on this site . The top site for gamer news n y'all making gamers look bad I get mad because all the fanboys and bs on here, but let's move gaming forward.

[InTheLab]

Seems like everyone missed the part about the controller sold separately which will add to the price of owning one of these pointless "consoles".

Yeah. Falter indeed.

[SonyKong64]

you can use any company's controller..

[tee_bag242]

The Alienware steam machine ships with a steam controller. Obviously it depends on the vendor. There's only 1 reason I can think of that you would be hating so much...
Defending a purchase comes to mind

[hellzsupernova]

Proof,?

I watched an ign video and they said that the boxes all have to come with a controller that's part of valves steam deal with them

[yellowgerbil]

"And tell me what Steam's legacy has had. Have they have any of the calibar like Apple 2, IMac, Powerbook, Macbook Air, iPod, and iPhone?? "
Well I'm not a pc gamer nor am I am fan of valve games personally but to say they don't have one of the best legacies out there in the gaming world is to be ignorant

-steam has redefined pc gaming
-half life series has been called one of the best fps series
-left for dead made zombie games good again
-portal was brilliant (the only game I am a fan of by valve)
then their other games like team fortress and all seem to be really well respected as well.
This is a company that has managed to foge its own path and stay its own entity instead of selling to EA or Activision, and have prospered.
I believe that they will definitely find success with the steam boxes, no they won't sell 80 million systems but they don't need to, this is just a way to bring in non pc gamers to the pc, its just a means to increase the steam userbase to people who are console gamers.

[hellzsupernova]

You mostly listed great games not what steam has done.

And for the record half life 2 is considered to be one of the best games ever created.

For the record I do agree with you

[Muffins1223]

I dont know what to think about it...i mean with its amazing indie library and already more than 100x amount of titles ps4 has its hard to say if it will dominate or fail....got allot potential,i have allot of friends who don't have a gaming pc that would like this.They will have literally 100's of indie titles on their console that others dont....not only that left 4 dead,half life,portal,counter strike,they have enough first party AAA for it too.

[yeahokchief]

It doesn't matter if it falters.

It's more of a statement.

[yeahokchief]

By the way
http://www.youtube.com/watc...

It's gonna be GREAT TONIGHT.

[Daniel_Potter]

The number's sold in the 7th gen was a lot smaller then on 6th gen(ps2)
That's number will decrease even more
1) The Microsoft's attempt to fuck up their costumers
2) The 8th gen simply being a 7th gen with newer hardware
3) At lauch many games(especially on X1), didn't run on max settings
even PS4 had to lower the resolution for BF4, so, that already shows that the hardware will wear out even faster this gen
PC on the other hand will gain ever more people thanks to Steam Machine and Oculus Rift

[Riderz1337]

3 million users who paid 500$ for the system Vs. 65M users who downloaded Steam for free....

Great comparison Gabe lmfao.

[dedicatedtogamers]

Agreed. You know who else got cocky? Zynga. They thought their skyrocketing numbers of Facebook players meant they were a popular game company. Look how that turned out.

Not saying Valve will go the way of Zynga, but Gabe needs to keep some perspective.

[fanboybeatdown]

Yeah sorry Gabe.

I have been a Steam member for many years, but only because I like the idea of digital downloads.
Having said that, the last game I bought on steam was X3 Reunion and the last time I played that was in 2009.

Now the thing that gets me with this whole steam box thing, is that you CAN'T buy a steam box and then play your old library of PC games on it.
Can you believe that?
In fact, what you gotta do is have ANOTHER gaming PC that streams your old games onto your steam gaming PC.

WTF?
fail.

[NarooN]

Yeah, I never got the hype behind the Steam Boxes. Anyone who knows how to build a rig could easily build their own ITX/m-ITX rig and then stream games to that box just like Steambox does. It's really nothing special and I doubt it will take off in a massive manner. I'll just stick with my main PC, thanks.

[kwyjibo]

Dude, if the last PC game you bought was in 2009, you're missing out.

[T2]

i am interested in building a pc for gaming, but i have zero interest in a steam machine... why would you take their pre-fab boxes when you could build your own with custom specs? makes zero sense... it's like building a console but not getting any good console games.

[fanboybeatdown]

@joecanada
agreed.

@kwyjibo

nah dude I built a pc in 2013. cpu3570k, gpu7950, SSD samsung pro 256gb. 8GB RAM.
I runs anything and everything available on PC for now and for a few years into the future. I just haven't bought anything off steam is what i was trying to say.
I just play Starcraft2 on PC :D

[JasonKCK]

I love Valve, but damn Gabe.

[Daniel_Potter]

The daily active info shows that we have about 7 million(6,960,055 to be exact) online every day
if you been long enough on steam you would know that we usually have that number at 4-5 million

[porkChop]

"He took a quick pop at Microsoft and XBox One saying it will take them a while to catch up with their 3 million units sold compared to the 65 million registered Steam users."

Yeah, let me know when you've sold 65 million Steam Machines. You can't compare 65 million free accounts, of which a large amount are secondary accounts, to 3 million actual console sales. Hell, I know people who've been banned for cheating in 1.6 multiple times and have 5+ accounts. Steam Machines are a niche product, and they seem destined to fail.

[sorane]

"You can't compare 65 million free accounts, of which a large amount are secondary accounts, to 3 million actual console sales." Yeah you can't compare because the console makers have lost a ton of money selling those 3 million consoles where Valve has made money on every one of those free accounts since it only counts accounts that have bought at least one game and are active. Also please post a source where you seem to "know for a fact" that a large amount of the 65 million ACTIVE game buying accounts are just secondary accounts because I think you're just talking out your #$%.

[dedicatedtogamers]

But porkChop is right, and you don't understand how the console business works (which is why a ton of PC developers in the late '80s and '90s died away because they tried to jump into console gaming yet failed).

Consoles are a risk because the 1st-party company has to put up all the money to do R&D, market the machine, and put it out there. 3rd parties have it easy. They just make games and they have very little risk compared to 1st parties.

[T2]

so @sorane - you are saying that to build and maintain their steam accounts site and servers and all the other stuff costs no money? so when a person buys a 2.99 game off of a free account, that is 2.99 in valves pocket?
yeahhh ... i don't think so.

[sorane]

@joecanada

Please point out where I ever said anything close to that because you're just trying to put words in my mouth that I never said. Go troll someone else please or at least take a reading comprehension class.

[Maxor]

Lol as if Valve gives a shit how many Steam machines are actually sold. Valve doesn't make Steam machines, they're giving away Steam for FREE. Tracking Steam machine sales as an indicator for success make as much sense tracking PCs sales in relation to WoW subscriptions.

It's completely idiotic. But that's console fanboy logic for you.

[The_KELRaTH]

I think he's referring to the volume of customers on each format.

There does seem to a lot of negativity towards Steam PCs but I feel any thing that puts the PC environment towards the top of the format list is not just good for PC gamers but console gamers too.
Maybe if the PC format were the format to compete with console gamers wouldn't get shafted on ridiculously overpriced games software. Right now the mid range PC, PS4 and X1 can offer a similar gaming experience but the console games are some 30-40% more! it's just wrong.

[MASTER_RAIDEN]

@sorane, first off, both xbox one and ps4 are manufactured at a PROFIT. doesnt mean they make profit after shipping to stores and all that, but theres no reason for you to think they lose money. also, are so many other ways console companies obtain revenue, including full fledged 60$ retail games, peripherals and accessories, subscription fees.
in my life of gaming on steam, i have purchased about 40 different games and have spent less than $200 total. ive already spent about 200 on ps4 alone in a little over a month. thats not including an extra controller and a subscription to ps+

do you think companies arent aware they break even on console sales? theres plenty of other ways they make money that steam cant.
if selling consoles has such a negative effect on hardware companies, why wouldnt they just ditch the console manufacturing entirely and have a PC service like valve does? buying a console = guaranteed revenue. creating a steam account = absolutely no guarantee of making any money.

[jackanderson1985]

well Shu himself (or someone high up it was an article on eurogamer) has said that Sony are relying on peripheral sales with the PS4 to make a profit as they're making a small loss per console.

Pretty sure MS have said it aswell but not entirely sure on that

[kwyjibo]

These are active accounts, this has previously been stated to mean accounts which have logged in during the previous month and own at least one game. I'm not sure if the definition has changed given the dominance of free to play.

So if you're banned from cheating (which is rare), you're unlikely to log in with that account. I doubt those multiple account logins surpass those of offline mode users who didn't log in at all.

Note that the 65 million figure dates from October. After the holiday sales season, I wouldn't be surprised if it were 3 million higher.

[EXVirtual]

Exactly. Have you seen the prices?
Can't remember the name, but one brands Steam Machines will cost from $1700 all the way to $60000

[jackanderson1985]

yeah the prices are gonna be a turn off to a large majority of the market... think the cheapest machine is $499

[Back-to-Back]

499-6000

[keabrown79]

This thing is the next Ouya IMHO. People that really wanted to have steam in the living room probably know how to build one for far cheaper.

[MadLad]

The ibuypower Steam Machine that they have at $500 is actually a very fair price, even for a pre-built machine. Hell, add a copy of Win 7 to dual-boot and it's still a really good value.

[ArtificiallyYours]

Do people forget PC-level specs are decent in at least a few of these?

I swear. It's like we're not discussing PC gaming in this article.

[robtion]

Let's hope it sells well so we don't have to endure all of the 'witty Journalism' that will follow if it does poorly. You know, 'vapor'ware jokes, 'steam'ing pile of £#@% jokes, reception has been less than boiling hot etc.

[christocolus]

The steam machine seems awesome and all but why take a jab at ms and the xbx one? If the xbx 360 and ps3 only required os updates and minor hardware upgrades to run next gen graphics then no body would have to upgrade to ps4 and xbx one and the sales between console to steam would be like 80million plus to 65million steam users and also xbx live and psn accounts would be carried over and thats still more than steam users.

Also considering how fast consoles are selling i dont see the new steam machines outselling the xbx one or the ps4.

[dedicatedtogamers]

"why take a jab at ms and the xbx one?"

Because Valve knows who their main competitor is. SteamBox won't be able to knock Sony out of the console market (the PS brand is too prolific worldwide). Steambox won't be able to knock Nintendo out of the console market (completely different audience).

But Steambox has the potential of knocking the XBox brand out of console gaming, or at least cannibalizing it.

[christocolus]

"SteamBox won't be able to knock Sony out of the console market (the PS brand is too prolific worldwide)."

Dude what the hell are you talking about?its not about popularity.

The xbx360 was the most sucessful console in the usa last gen and has a larger percentage of its users online, trust me gabe wants that, besides valve inc just like microsoft corp is an american company and the majority of steam users like the xbox and xbx live users are based in the US hence the xbx is the brand to feel most threatened by... secondly the xbx one is the console which tried to(and still plans to) offer some similar features and services as steam so in a way the xbx one is an indirect competitior.

Saying ms is the only one who can be affected by the sucess of steam is very wrong.the xbox brand is very popular and has its die hard fans too. If more gamers decide to go steam. It will affect not just ms but sony and nintendo too...trust me

I think my explanation makes more sense dude cos yours is just weird.

[Hicken]

The man says PlayStation is "too prolific worldwide," and you counter with "US=the world."

Good job.

[tee_bag242]

Dude he's trolling MS as a company. Gabe generally dislikes Windows OS especially since W8 because of how closed and locked down its become. That's why Steam OS was created.
Vavle have absolutely 0 to lose having all these hardware vendors bring their own Steam Boxes to the market. They can only gain. And I'm betting (pure speculation here) people who already own a PS4 would much rather a Steam Box than an X1

[asyouburn]

@christoculous

Dude there's no way some other parts of the world (like japan) are gonna jump on steam box to play the next fps.

[gamer2013]

Go fanboy!

[The_KELRaTH]

We rarely hear about the sales of new GPUs etc it always just about consoles.
65m steam, then all those not on steam and all those just being used for things like World of Warcraft . I have no idea on the figures and most media related figures are carefully picked to best highlight a specific target.

[Linwelin]

That's coz us PC users r waiting for a worthy upgrade, i have a HD5770 and i have no need to upgrade this yet, it plays everything fine for me, people only upgrade when there is a need to, ann right now, there just is no need to upgrade for anything, yet.

[_QQ_]

Strongest console on the market, gabe knows best, valve gods.

[ssj4wolf]

I don't think the steam machine is a console if it were anyone who downloaded the steam and bought the steam machine controller and flipped there PC on it's side they'd have a console and automatically be a console gamer now that doesn't make much sense now does it? @lopez_josue except with consoles you can't mod a game or upgrade it and alot of other stuff and if it were that simple every pc is already a console seeing how you hook it up to a tv with a single cord and turn it on with a push of a button and play with a controller.

[_QQ_]

those are what consoles are just with a different OS. Consoles are easy, no hassel, TV ready, ready to go machines.

[darx]

Steam machine for me. PS & Xbox just not worth it this time around.... For me at least.

[BattleTorn]

Is that what we consider a 'shot' these days?
Comparing Apples (units) and Oranges (accounts).

[MASTER_RAIDEN]

man no offense to gabe (the man is a genius afterall) but that the dumbest comparison ive ever heard.

-xbox one and ps4's are both brand new consoles which have been out on the market for a month. combined, theyve ALREADY matched 10% of steams lifetime account numbers.

-steam has existed for 11 years now and is completely free to download. how about we take all the Sony and Microsoft consoles released in the last 11 years and count THAT against steams account numbers (which again, are FREE to create).

Gabe is such a smart guy but come on now. comparing a month old console(s) to a FREE service thats avaiable on virtually every windows computer thats 11 years old? this type of comment definitely takes aim at both HD consoles in essence.
talk to me when youve sold 65 million steam machines man. or even 3 million lol.

[porkChop]

Back when the PSN hack happened there was over 77 million PSN accounts. If Valve wants to talk about free accounts they were already beaten years ago.

[sorane]

The problem with your argument is that those 77 million weren't active accounts. The 65 million that Valve is talking about are active which they defined as accounts that have been used to play a game at least once in the past month or purchased at least one title in the last month.

[porkChop]

No they are not "active" accounts. Valve said there are 65 million "registered" Steam accounts. Just because they're registered doesn't mean they're active.

[sorane]

"No they are not "active" accounts." Uhh yes they are I think you need to do about 5 seconds of research on the subject. www.google.com

[Bladesfist]

Ermm yes they are. Console gamers and facts... smh.

http://www.theverge.com/201...

[lastofgen]

even if it was a joke, it was a terrible joke comparing two things that shouldn't be compared.

a free account vs a piece of hardware that costs 500 bucks...

ok...for those who disagree with me, would you compare the two?

[halfblackcanadian]

I have an active steam account...solely for Humble Bundle games... that I never play because I barely pay for them anyway. Most people I know with Steam who aren't already hardcore PC people have it for playing random stuff they would never pay full price for. 3 million full price paying people versus 65 million who wait until 80% off sales (some percentage of anyway) is better for the industry IMO.

[DoctorJones]

If a game cost £10 at full price and 3 million people bought it, that would make £30,000,000 in sales. If 65 million people bought that game with a discount of 80% the sales number would equal £130,000,000.

Just saying.

[DeadIIIRed]

Right, but if you stuck with the 3 million people in your first example and had them buy at 80% off that essentially costs a developer/publisher £24,000,000.

[DoctorJones]

'3 million full price paying people versus 65 million who wait until 80% off sales (some percentage of anyway) is better for the industry IMO.'

I was using his example.

In reality there are plenty of people who buy games full price on pc, just like there are on console. The thing is, not all of those 3 million are going to buy full price, a lot will buy second hand, the dev/pub gets nothing from second hand games.

Whereas consistent sales on pc from gamers who didn't buy full price still gives a steady reliable stream of income to the dev/pub. There are plenty of them who have seen huge lifts in profits from Steam sales.

So don't make out it's bad for the industry.

[T2]

uhh.. that's a terrible analogy.. sony has over 100 million consoles around the world as of now... in what alternate universe would they be stuck on 3 million?
hint - they are over 4 million as of today according to news.

3 million is considered a failure in any console gen.

and in no way would every steam buyer buy one single game... that's the equivalent of me saying
"100 million ps3 gamers bought gt5"

[DoctorJones]

joecanada, you have terrible comprehension skills. No one is talking about Sony, it wasn't an analogy and you clearly don't understand anything you have just read. Sony has 100 million what? Ps2s? It certainly isn't ps3s or ps4s.

I give up.

[urwifeminder]

I love when Gabe takes shots at MS even though without their windows platform steam would be a backyard company nice one Gabe don't forget your roots.

[ABizzel1]

I think Steam OS is a great idea, Steam Machine is potentially a great idea, but it depends entirely upon marketing, pricing, specs., and consoles.

Having so many versions made by so many different manufactures is off putting to the average person, going in the store to buy a console, or in this case PCConsole. It's just easier to walk into Best Buy and Say I want the new PlayStation / Xbox / Nintendo, and be on your way vs. walking in and saying I want a Steambox, and being shown 10 different models, leaving it up to an employee to recommend which one to buy. Valve should have released theirs first, then let others do the same, instead of trying to be the Android of PC gaming.

Price is another huge factor. The cheapest Steam Machine is $499 same as the XBO, and it offers awkward performance. It beats the XBO, and practically on par with the PS4 with GPU specs, but has a Dual-Core CPU, and slower RAM than the XBO. It's not bad, but it should have at least had a better CPU (FX 6100). $500 with around PS4 level of performance should be the ideal goal of the steam Machine or else there's little reason to get one.

Finally Steam Machine success depends on the failure of the consoles. The failure of one of the consoles could be the success for Valve, and IMO they should be targeting XBO with all kinds of death missiles and laser eyes.

1. First off a Steam Machine can easily be more powerful than the XBO for the same price.

2. PC's and XB share 99% of the same gaming library, so marketing this and showing gamers they can save an average of 20% or more off games is another win for Steambox.

3. PC's do multimedia better than consoles, and you can easily install Windows, Linux, and soon Android on your PC aka Steam Machine. Alienware pulled a huge troll move and added HDMI-In and HDMI-out which should give their Steam Machine everything the XBO has to offer.

4. Indie developers are significantly more present on PC than consoles, and significantly more experimental. Niche games thrive and have a community here.

5. Mods and Community. On PC your favorite game can last you the entire generation thanks to the community support and mods the can complete revamp maps, graphics, gameplay, and more.

Steambox could take a big chuck out of XBO sales if marketed right, and possibly a chunk out of the other consoles (though more damage to MS). But all the cards have to line-up and so far they're not ready.

I might start building my own and start selling them on eBay.

[JBSleek]

Sony isn't immune to Steam Machines as well. Lol

[darx]

You sure about that dual core CPU?

[Pinkdolphinyfg]

How is Microsoft more vulnerable to Steam machines than Sony? Because it offers a better GPU for the same price is your reason? Lol everyday consumers don't even know theres a graphical difference on the ps4. If anything they're going to see the kinect camera on the box and think it's a better deal.

[porkChop]

Because base Steam Machines are averaging at $500, which is the same price as the XBO, and $100 more expensive than the PS4? I thought that was obvious.

[tee_bag242]

And because Steam OS offers a gaming PC alternative to Windows and more importantly Direct X. So does AMD bringing in Mantle but I won't overload you with facts just yet.

[combatcash]

I thought this machine wouldn't run any windows games? It is made mainly to run games so media out of the box wont be happening. If you're savvy enough you can definitely use it as a multimedia machine but no bluray is a big no no. The xbox one is ready to go as soon as you plug it in plus they have their own exclusives. What exclusives are going to be released on this (steambox)? I think it's a great but for folks who love pc gaming, we already have a nice set up or we can make the upgrades for a lesser cost.

[ABizzel1]

1. Steam machines are the same price as the XBO, while PS4 is still $100.
2. The base end steam machines offer performance around the PS4.
3. XB and PC have the majority of the same library with PC having significantly better indie support. This is similar to Sony's situation, but Sony's pulling in a large portion of those PC indies to the PS4, while maintaining their own exclusives.
4. Steam games cost less than console games. Again this goes for both, but PS+ offers arguably SIGNIFICANTLY better games and more for your subscription as well as seasonal PS Store sales with great discounts. XB sales are on a much smaller scale, not nearly as frequent, and Games for Gold games have been decent at best.

I mean I just listed 5 things explaining this, and I said Steam Machines could effect Sony too, the problem is the hype for the PlayStation 4 is the all time highest EVER for a console, and while the XBO has some hype as well it's not all been positive. The PlayStation brand has outsold the Xbox brand every console generation, and with the negative start (although great sales) this is Valve's sole chance at taking market share, and if it were to be one, more than likely it would be more XBO gamers than PS gamers.

You must be a child if you can't see or comprehend that. It's nothing against the XBO it's just the easier target right now. Had this been 2006 / 2007 then it would have been the PS3.

[Pinkdolphinyfg]

Valve already dropped the ball and steam machines are destined to fail already.

1. Theres way too many steam machines by different manufacturers causing brand confusion theres like 15 already announced.

2. This ties into 1., Part of the reason steam machines were so hyped was because it was supposed to make pc gaming more accesable. These priced like any regular alienware product, inflated prices like hell. No console gamer is going to buy this and no pc gamer will buy this because they know they can build one for a far less cheaper price.

3. Valve should of done all of the manufacturing themselves and made 3 tiers low end, mid, high end to avoid brand confusion and also bring prices down by making them in bulk instead of made to order like all of these steamboxes announced today. Take a note from Apple Valve.

[syrinx]

You hit the mail on the head. Too many options at inflated prices. Valve needed to make the boxes themselves and keep the prices as low as possible. Inviting third parties in was a big mistake I think.

The whole concept is now watered down and not appealing to new consumers or PC gamers.

[OrangePowerz]

Not a fan of the Xbone or MS, but steam is available since 11 years so those 65 million accounts aren't that huge.

[combatcash]

The big question is what will steambox bring to the table besides improved graphics? What are some major exclusives lined up for it? I have a pc so there's no need for me to make a switch but from what I've heard this thing wont even have a blu ray player and the processor hasn't been disclosed for the $500.00 model.

[tee_bag242]

Do you even realize what a stream machine is?
If you have a good PC you don't even need a steam machine.
Someone that already has a console and wants to play PC games might though.
Exclusives... Hello... PC games

Installing Steam OS on a regular PC makes it a steam box according to vavle. Not enough Steam OS exclusives..? Install Windows.
Pre build steam boxes are a easy way for people who don't own PC's to be able to play some PC titles.

[combatcash]

Most people in the U.S own pc's if you want to play those few exclusive indie games that are starting to make their way to the new consoles that's fine. I'm sure some people will find it useful however 500 dollars and you can't even play windows based games. Install windows? another $100.00 if you get the builders version.

Just so you know there's very few exclusive blockbuster pc games, they all appear to be making their way to consoles now.
I game on pc and consoles so it's not a big deal. I don't need to install the steam os for any games and I think that's where the problem is going to be for the steam box.

If I can play all of the same pc games and more on a windows based pc why would I install it.

Their is a benefit to the steam box for people who don't own a pc for gaming, but the problem is that games wont be tailored to one specific model which is why pc games never really get the most out of every pc.

[tee_bag242]

Clearly you don't know what your on about. Why reiterate my point?

Anyway I don't think you actually realize how many games are on steam that are simply not coming to console any time soon. What indies appear to be coming to consoles soon? Old Minecraft again..? Sources pls. Maybe a handful at best and they take their sweet ass time just like GTA5 to PC. What about the non indie titles like Star Citizen. You've overlooked far too much but I think we can both agree that more gaming options is good for everyone.

[darx]

The whole exclusive point is such shite! Sooooo many uninformed gamers on this site it's crazy!!!

[KakashiHotake]

That comment made no sense at all. Their comparing actual console unit sales to a free subscription service. More accurate would be Steam has 65 million accounts and Xbox live has over 40 million accounts. Steam still beats them but unlike Steam you have to pay for Xbox live. PSN meanwhile has over 100 million.

[ThreshStar]

Even though Gabe's hopes for Steam machine domination may seem high, never underestimate a possible underdog.

Back in the day, Nintendo vs. Sega was the end-all be-all of console wars that seemed like a never-ending battle. Would you have believed at the time eventually Sega would leave the console market & Nintendo would just quietly float along while SONY & MICROSOFT WOULD BECOME THE DOMINANT CONSOLES?

Before the PS4 & XBox One I would have considered Steam machines to be a bad idea. Now you look at both consoles and you notice something massive: They're focusing on the EXPERIENCE, not the actual GAMES. That tells me that even SONY and Microsoft understand that interactivity is going to be a HUGE element of all future gaming (it's there now, but not in the capacity as it could be).

Now look at PC gaming: Steam Digital downloads/deals/bundles, Community MODS/additions, Indie/New Access development concepts, etc - Gaming for the PC is pushing new, innovative ways to not just play a game, but create it as well as interact with it & your friends.

A PC gaming console that it more versatile than a standard console that can plug into your living room TV could be a game-changer.

REMEMBER: Consoles were originally designed to be a plug-and-play device to play games. Is that the case anymore? Judging by borderline mandatory-online systems like XBOX Live and PSNetwork, I'd say that "easy to use" function is no longer valid (or even useful).

[darx]

This

[Dusdg]

its interesting to see what other people think.

[solar]

advertising is what will push the SteamBox. if they can get as many games as possible running on the SteamOS, the better. the PS4 and Xbox One can't compete with the availability of the thousands of games available on Steam.

[DanielGearSolid]

Don't get it...

Why not just get a pc?

[Grimhammer00]

Valve's steambox is not going to have a $500 million ad campaign like MS. Sony loses a lot of ground in the US precisely because MS choke Xbox brand down our throats.

Historically, the market for consoles does not support 4 brands.

Valve will not have nearly the AAA titles because the studios are owned outright by Nintendo, Sony & MS to a lesser degree.

I do however see apple as valves biggest hurdle. Both have huge libraries of ok games that will appeal if price is right for games.

But DD only games are bandwidth hogs...I am unfortunately in provider lockdown as Canada is controlled by Rogers or Bell/Telus. And they charge horrendously for good Internet.

[porkChop]

If you want good internet with unlimited bandwidth in Canada you should check if Teksavvy is available in your area. I pay $59.95 and I get 25Mbps speed with unlimited bandwidth. If you're ok with a 300GB limit then you can get 45Mbps for $56.95.

I pay for 25Mbps, but I actually get around 50Mbps as Teksavvy doesn't seem to cap their speeds at all. And I've never had any problems with their service. Everything has been nearly flawless for over 2 years now.

[roland82]

Maybe its still early but I'm not seeing the hype for this like you get when a new console is announced.

[DOOMZ]

FAIL!

[Grimhammer00]

It's Valves console for your tv. It isn't really another console....I believe it's digital download only. That alone will limit its wide acceptance.

I have mid level Internet in Toronto. It's 60gb monthly limit! Yeah you read that right. If you want unlimited or top tier 300gb limit...you'll pay big!

You go with another provider which is getting its Internet from the big 2 (bell/Telus or Rogers) but these providers get gimped speeds and unreliable service.

My point? Steam isn't great choice for many in Canada. I imagine this is not isolated to Canada.

I'm surprised Valve didn't go the steam cloud route and become the new OnLive. Lol

[MultiConsoleGamer]

Steam Box is the future!

[TwistedMetal]

steam box is the future down with the xbox one and all MS hardware products. get with the times people!!

[-Gespenst-]

Valve are weird. They're all about openness, and yet they've more or less monopolized pc gaming. All the while they've gotten away with a pure DRM service. I appreciate the openness of the Steam Machines, I think it's a step in the right direction, but I just hope such a monopoly doesn't mean a lot of cool stuff goes unnoticed.

At this point, Half Life 3's delay must be a creative thing. They can't claim they don't have enough money.

[Duke19]

Really curious to see one of these in action. I enjoy PC games primarily due to the responsiveness of a keyboard and mouse, and being closer to a monitor to see crisp text in game.

The 30-40ms input lag from my TVs is almost unbearable for fast games with a mouse, and text is nowhere near as sharp. Guess time will tell

[windblowsagain]

Depends on tv/console.

I don't think people are going to rush out for one.

You might get some people who need a pc replacement pick one up for games etc.

Consoles have better exclusives for me, although i mainly play BF4 on PC. Because it's where i've always played it.

But PS4/XBONE Run the game fine, while looking fantastic as well.

[psDrake]

I am all in for innovation but at least for now this thing is just a niche device.

If you are a PC gamer I am sure you do your gaming in your own room, or you got a separate TV/monitor to which you hook up your pc or laptop...

Why would I need to have my PC in my living room, connected to my TV. I get that you might want movies, music etc but consoles do all those...

In addition, I find the controller really weird. Would like to try it though...

With it's services and exclusives, consoles are better investments at this point...

[tommygunzII]

A successful Steam machine would make PC's obsolete for most people.

[Ulf]

Man, I can't wait to use that Steam controller, so I can desperately search to _actively_ recenter my "sticks" without the actual stick pulling me to center when my thumbs _relax_, and so I can have streaming game _lag_ from my actual gaming PC!

So exciting! Maybe I can play Half-Life 2 and Portal again on it, without the streaming BS!

/s

[Jyndal]

I'll prolly end up buying one.
Neither the PS4 or the XB One has impressed me to the point of actually purchasing one of them.

[CapsLocke]

They better should have worked on HL3 instead of this fail idea.

[hiredhelp]

Awww man lets just cut the crap get to the chase.. If you love your console youe exclusives FINE stay have fun if your a console gamer who intrested in PC Gaming then get both IF you can afford it.
PC platform is wonderful thing just like having console with most exclusives..
My answer If you able to have console and PC trade in your xbone buy this steam machine play ps4 sit them side by side.
Grab bargains on steam enjoy them Full 1080p 1920-1080 res Switch on PS4 grab your PS Plus games free enjoy that too.
BUT DONT ONOCK THE STEAM MACHINE.. its not there to compete with console market its a door open to you who maybe interested and get taste of what we been seeing for years..
Ive had every playstation other than ps4 3 years ago i retired back to pc gaming my steam account worth £1800 honistly half that is what i spent other half what saved steam sales. From 50% off to 75% off full fledged AAA games and indi games thats something steam can only offer.

[SmilingAdvocate]

A steam machine is a console... it isn't a Personal Computer.

Consoles are not customization-able for a reason.. so every consumer owns the same product, which means developers can code for the same product that everyone owns which means better performance and they'll make more money.

PC's are great, but everyone has different hardware which causes more bugs, and unfair advantages when playing online. Someone with a laggy machine vs a highend machine.. the highend will do better of course.

[pete007]

why did i read this...? "PC's are great, but everyone has different hardware which causes more bugs, and unfair advantages when playing online. Someone with a laggy machine vs a highend machine.. the highend will do better of course."
did anyone understood the meanning?
xbox and playstations may also perform good or bad, if you have a dsl vs a hi speed isp.
lol

[Khan613]

Steam machines are PC's trying to dress up as consoles.

The hardware varies. The OS is going to vary slightly between hardware vendors as a result.

Remember that this is a linux desktop, running a locked down Steam client. With access to the linux gnome desktop restricted.

This is a PC with it's legs broken. No openess, no flexibility. Just Gabe's world.

[Picnic]

Last generation he was saying that the PS3 was 'a disaster on so many levels'.

This generation he's trying to rule himself out of the console market altogether by making out that 3 million hardware sales for the new XboxOne isn't very decent for a costly major console.

He's a PC fanboy. He wants to be like George Lucas, aside from the beard, controlling the means of operation.
All I want is a game.

[kx11]

only VALVE introduce 13 consoles in 1 year while others release 1 every 7 years lolz

[pete007]

funny comment of yours. Alienware launches 50 new superconsoles every year!!!

[jimbobbeers]

I think he made a mess of trying to make a point, I love a bit of banter and finger pointing, but this comparison was stupid.

[Hayabusa 117]

"One last thing, Half Life 3 was not announced."

Bummer.

[KontryBoy706]

build your own PC. It's just the smarter and cheaper thing to do. If you don't know how to build it... Newegg and Asus have tons of tutorials on YouTube to teach you how. Just make a playlist and educate yourself. That's what I did.

[Haki1112]

Im with this guy Built my first pc back when doom 3 first came out. Will never buy a steam machine/company built PC.

[pete007]

Hey Newell, if you dont know what to do with your Money, try to do what youre best at. DEVELLOP GAMES, and good ones!
steam machines are not a threat to anyone.
casuals will go ps4,xbox,nintendo, because they want ease of use and of course exclusives on their platform.
hardcores will build up their pc from the ground or buy the latest alienware available, buyng also every console.
steam machines will have a small share of the market because 65 million users doesnt mean 65 million buyers. i am one and a no buy for me, cause i build my rigs from scratch

[InMyOpinion]

3DO? Anyone? :)

[Reefskye]

Steam machine is just a bi-product of SteamOS, If Sony or M$ only make money on software why are Valve any different, their money comes from software sales. If their OS in 2-4 years times even performs games 10-20% better than windows most people would convert to SteamOS.

Why play with windows with less FPS and stability if SteamOS can out do it? Lets be fair any PC gamer knows windows is pretty heavy handed on your hardware for gaming.

Anyone who knows Valve knows they don't do short term investments, As is with steam. Nearly a decade old and has only ever seemed to improved, they will be hoping for the same success with their SteamOS not the Steam Machine.

Valve don't pay to make these machines, 3rd parties do

[WitWolfy]

OMG this article just had butthurt all over it. Man I hate the internet these days. Every second 13 year old can have his own blog these days and bitch about crap nobody gives 2 craps about!!!

[Khan613]

I was hopeful for SteamOS...but I've changed my mind.

There is nothing “open” about a linux desktop locked down by a proprietary interface running only the games Gabe wants to publish.

I’ve tried the SteamOS beta on a MiniITX box. I have to admit that some of the steam machines are sexy. But I'd be dual booting them (although what's the point, with Big Picture mode, you're getting the same experience in Windows).

I think Linux gaming is where it needs to be. But this is not where it's at yet. Developers need to get with the times before consumers buy into Gabe's sale.

There is little in the Linux library that is worth playing.

[TXIDarkAvenger]

Still don't see the point in this, one can easily buy or build a portable yet powerful PC at the same price and easily just plug it to their TV via HDMI.

[CYBERHATER]

The PC. The only way to go :)

[Adolph Fitler]

Just make us Half Life 3 for PC, PS4 & XBOne ya fat f^ck Gabe....Nobody cares about a machine your fat ar$e is only partially dedicated to. You have no real financial investment in these machines, which shows a huge lack of faith in there success, in my opinion...& as a consumer, & lover of new products, I'm put off by too many of these facets. Theres nothing on this machine that my laptop can't do, as well as no definitive games that would differentiate itself from anything already available....& for cheaper, or at worst,the same price, as in XBone's case.

[Orionsangel]

We went from 3 next gen consoles to 19 consoles. It's a whole new ball game!