Xbox One boss on working with Valve and Steam through Project Scorpio

Microsoft's recent announcement of Project Scorpio does pose the interesting question of if the new Xbox will allow Microsoft and Valve to work more closely together than ever before.

[darthv72]

I remember the early days of Steam. It didn't work to good. Activation issues and patch problems with games like Half Life 2 and counter Strike... but it got better. It just took time and effort and people reporting things to Valve to fix.

I like to believe they have been working on half life 3 all this time but I'm inclined to believe they have been refining their steam box / os. If they would put their differences aside, Valve and MS could potentially turn every xb1 into a cheap steam box and they could both make some serious coin.

[Paytaa]

It would officially be the biggest shake up in the console space if Steam came to Xbox. It's something I really hope happens.

This would probably be Valve's best opportunity to continue their Steambox gimmick as they would be tapping into an already large userbase.

[Gaming_Cousin]

It is looking more like a PC

[TXIDarkAvenger]

Seems like a dumb move.

If Xbox became a Steambox with Xbox games, that would just be a PC. People weren't even interested in Steam boxes, this wouldn't make a difference.

[freshslicepizza]

the difference is those steamboxes were running linux, not windows 10. and another big difference is microsoft will likely not be making as big as profits since they recoup it on services and software. those who made the steambox didn't get those royalties, they just built the hardware.

[jimmydonegood]

Gabe used to work with MS. It's time to come HOME Gabe.

[Kingthrash360]

Shake up the console space?? Why? It's steam....that's a pc thing.. it will make the Xbox have more pc games than console games. Let it get steam...I wonder if you'll need xbl to play steam games online...bet it will.

[ULTp0ltergeist]

Hell imagine Half Life 3 funded by Microsoft?! It's a shooter and shooters do very well on Xbox, imagine HL3 exclusive to both PC and Xbox?!!!

[jrshankill]

Darkavenger

Why is this a dumb move? Is having an option for potentially more games dumb? A console that plays more games... is dumb?

[DevilOgreFish]

"Xbox One boss on working with Valve and Steam through Project Scorpio"

A great source to play lots of pc games. It would be a huge plus to the console.

[donthate]

feju:

You hit the nail on the head, because MS as it is now, is Sony's worst nightmare. Before MS tried to attract PC players to Xbox, which aligns with Sony's interest of attracting PC gamers to console. MS is now opening the flood gates, and they are ensuring PC gamers are invested into the Xbox platform at no cost. Think about that, and what will happen in 3-years?

Now think about dual console owners? Where are they going to buy their games? PC/XB or just PS4? Heck, best performance of console game will also be on Xbox Scorpio. Everything is forward compatible.

It's not a good time to be Sony heading into the future.

[DLConspiracy]

I realize steambox was not successful mostly because they were not able to grab the attention of the console gamer. They pretty much marketed to PC gamers. The fact that xbox has predominately a console market, then perhaps bringing the steam app to Xbox might be a huge win. It could grab the attention of millions of console gamers. A much better bridge than the steambox had. Or is MS going the route of being able to use Oculus and HTC Vive on scorpio? None of this would be too far fetched IMO. However their partnership with Oculus might make that difficult. I think it would be pretty amazing if both could utilize scorpio to game on. It would be a pretty big deal to be able to use xbox exclusives, steam games, HTC Vive games and Oculus on the scorpio.

[Bigpappy]

This would be a win for both M$ and Valve. Playing Steam collection on my 4K-curve using the Monster sounds really inviting.

[Magnes]

@pappy you can already do that plug your pc into your tv via an hdmi (99.9% of all pc's have hdmi) choose big picture mode and viola!

[Bigpappy]

Bg116 is correct. Plus my video card and processor are old as dirt.

[NXFather]

It would be excellent to bypass the 30 fps xbox scorpio version for the steam 60 fps games to use on scorpio.

[Antnee534]

So this could mean valve is going to team up with Ms to make a steambox

[DragonDDark]

Basically lol

[marquisray]

So what is sony doing hmmmm

[Sweendog007]

I don't think steam will come to Xbox brand , what I think the interview with phill means is that they approached steam bosses to help then understand how to make the Windows store a better experience rather than steam coming to Xbox

Windows store is not well treated by users and many people don't buy games on there , project Scorpio is not just one new console , its an idea of connecting devices under one platform - Xbox live and allowing people to have a choice on what they way play , how they play.

That's my reading from the article anyway , not steam coming Xbox , but working with them to creat a better market for Windows store in the gaming industry.

[ShadowKnight]

Well said bud

[conanlifts]

They have a lot of work to do, it's very slow and unresponsive. What i don't understand is the xbox one game store works well. But windows 10 store is hideous. Surely all they need to do is use the xbox store on windows.

[Sweendog007]

That's what project Scorpio is , a new high end console but also a way to bring all Xbox live stuff together , Windows 10 is now part of Xbox brand

I am assuming over the next 6 months the window store will get updated on a regular basis and with the Xbox live play anywhere scheme it should unite Windows 10 gaming side ( not the operating system ) under the one banner Xbox live

[darthv72]

Growing pains, it took steam a while to get up to.....steam. It was very clunky at first but eventually it turned things around. heck they even copied achievements from the 360 because there was nothing like that on PC. Windows store is going through growing pains (some would say they have been since GFWL) and with effort and listening to feedback and really trying to make something better of it, the windows store will also get better.

[Sweendog007]

Exactly , but steam learned and I don't think Microsoft want a disaster if they bring out a new console that is aimed to connect every Xbox brand under one roof

All developers work with each other and company's , Microsoft work with Apple on certain things vice Versa , Samsung help apple in supplying certain parts

[ScorpiusX]

Maybe offer both while one learns the ropes and continue to offer both to Scorpio owners .

[Sweendog007]

possible ... highly unlikely , as then it would be whats the point in a gaming console then argument.

i think its more to be with how to contain the store in high capacity and demand across a wider brand and developers. steam had to learn now steam is on thousands of pcs running different operating systems, and macs , even some tablets gets steam

yet they matin control off it and make it appealing to users ... xbox just wants advice and help in building that system for project scorpio

[Maximilliam]

That makes no sense. It's like M$ asking Valve "Yo can you help us make our software better so we can pose a bigger threat to Steam?" I'd show Phil the finger if I was Gaben.

[Playable_Gamez]

Now this is interesting.

[Fin_The_Human]

Very interesting indeed.

Valve and MS have not been the best of buddies in recent years which is odd sine a lot of steam employees are ex MS employees including lord Gabe.

But I heard the tension was due to the ex CEO Steve Balmmer who was very arrogant person and hard to deal with.

Satya is the total opposite and heard companies like Valve and Apple really lime him and his open minded approach.

Heck Satya even admired that he admired Apple as company because of how well built the Apple products are...something that Steve would never say.

[Playable_Gamez]

Half Life 3 confirmed Xbox/PC exclusive.

[Kingdomcome247]

I hope that doesn't ever come to fruition. If Half-Life 3 ever sees the light of day, everyone should be able to play it. On a side note. Can you imagine Half-Life 3, built on Source engine 3, with native VR compatability? Oh my... it would be glorious.

[Kingdomcome247]

Wow... people want it to be exclusive. Incredibly childish, and selfish.

[Fin_The_Human]

I wonder how Alienware feels about this news?

[ElementX]

I'm sure they'll come up with ways to combine achievements somehow across Steam and Xbox/Win 10. There are some games which have been released on console which don't have achievements in the Steam versions either because they were released a while ago or because Steam achievements are optional while they're required on consoles.

[TimeSkipLuffy]

xbox will be the new steam machine :D. I think it is not a bad idea though. If I can play all my steam games on X1 that would be awesome. X1 and PC become one and as my choice for console I stick with my beloved PS4.

[FlyingFoxy]

Would be nice if they can kick their ass into gear and get on releasing L4D3 plus some other Valve games that many people want.

[phoenix_dusk]

Considering Microsoft is trying to kill Steam with Windows 10... I don't think Microsoft has the leverage in here.

[Fin_The_Human]

How did you come to that conclusion?

MS and Valve both have a common interest which a partnership with benefit them both.

But how you ask...simple, MS has a huge steak in PC and gamers make up a large percentage of PC revenue which MS doors not want to lose and having an alliance with Steam will help them keep that market.

Valve tried to market the Steam machine and get people to switch to Linux but failed big time...Steam is huge but with the XBox user base switching to Steam that would make them a power house.

MS provides the Hardware and Valve provides the service... Match made in heaven.

[TheColbertinator]

One thing MS can learn from Steam is how to run a competent online service for free.

[ElementX]

Like MS and Sony, Valve takes a cut of every game sold and there are millions of PC gamers buying a lot more games on Steam than any console. Furthermore, Sony and MS are publicly traded companies with investors expecting profits, Valve is a privately owned company.

[TheColbertinator]

Just putting it out there. Its not like its a complete fantasy.

[Budrazor]

This is the scenario the fanboys don't want to see. If MS builds some kind of collaboration with Steam. The envy will run really high. Not only will they continue to bash MS they'll have to start bashing Steam, Oculus and HTC as well because they will be competitors to Sony also. Their hands are gonna be full.

[343_Guilty_Spark]

Sony's hands are already full. Don't get me wrong the success of the PS4 is nothing to scoff at and it may eventually supplant the PS2, but let's be clear, the game is just getting started. Microsoft has already said they won't be playing by the same self-imposed rules anymore. There are millions of PC gamers on Windows 10 out in the wild. If they can tap into just a fraction of that audience and keep them enticed they will have struck a goldmine.

[Tsar4ever01]

I always thought Gabe hated MS and wanted nothing to do with their Windows OS which is why he wanted Linux for steam boxes.

[ScorpiusX]

"Valve applauds us. As [Valve co-founder] Gabe [Newell] says, there are going to be areas where we compete and areas where we cooperate and in the end of both of those are good for gamers

[Tsar4ever01]

I saw the article also, I'm referring further back a few years.

[JasonKCK]

@Tsar4ever01 You knew Gabe has updated his stance since and you still decided to go with an outdated last gen comment?

[Tobsesan]

They build Steam OS at a time when Vista was out and everybody hated it. But after its release we got direct X 12 and Windows 10 and they couldnt hold up and had a horrible performance with the Steam OS.

Valve already partnered and partners with Microsoft on things like Portal, Orange Box and now the HTC VIVE. Microsoft released games through Steam, so I dont think they hate each other.

[darx]

It's the only thing i want.

[magiciandude]

OMG imagine Steam on Xbox!?!?!?!? OMG this would be so groundbreaking! The ultimate power of the Microsoft genuine awesomeness!!!!!

[Tobsesan]

Ye and fanboys will say pc has no exclusives xD

[bleedsoe9mm]

bet we see win 10 store / xbox app and steam game migration and vise versa to steam

[Dragonking007]

What if Microsoft plans to make half life 3?

[343_Guilty_Spark]

Gordon Freeman time travels due to the G-man and becomes a Spartan IV.

[ExcessiveGBH]

Half Life 3 gets released on Scorpio and Steam...Win Win

[rigo8582]

I would definitely play more PC if I could get Xbox achievements on steam. I know it sounds dumb but gamerscore and achievements is what keeps my playing on xbox.

[Tobsesan]

Imagine you get all the achievements you already have on steam

[Tobsesan]

Steam app for project scorpio, lets you play all your pc games on the console. Called it years ago and we will see it at E3 2017.

[chobit_A5HL3Y]

would be great if it happened, but that's a lot of work that'd need to be done to have it fully compatible. they'd basically have to go back to every game on steam and enable controller support, unless they were only planning on doing certain games.

[mEATgrinder]

MS is going to kill it

[brewin]

Oh snap! Steam on Xbox would definitely shake up the industry. The only thing that would be bigger as far as industry impact is if Nintendo went 3rd party.