Valve Considering Move into the Hardware Market

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just thought I'd post this article.


Anyone fancy the idea of a SteamBox? Because there's an outside chance you might get one. Valve are prepared to move into the console business, says Gabe Newell, for the good of the industry.

"If we have to sell hardware we will," co-founder and MD Newell told Penny Arcade. "We have no reason to believe we're any good at it; it's more we think that we need to continue to have innovation, and if the only way to get these kind of projects started is by us going and developing and selling the hardware directly then that's what we'll do."

Developing a console isn’t Valve’s priority, however. "It's definitely not the first thought that crosses our mind,” said Newell. “We'd rather hardware people that are good at manufacturing and distributing hardware do that. We think it's important enough that if that's what we end up having to do, then that's what we end up having to do."

Should the Portal, Half-Life and Team Fortress creators move into the console business, they intend on introducing some of their game development nous to the mix. "We're thinking of trying to figure out how to do the equivalent of the [Team Fortress] incremental approach in software design and try to figure out how would you get something similar to that in the hardware space as well."

Newell continued, “We just need to figure out how we can start giving these to customers and iterating on the design quickly enough without having to go off and buy ten million of them and then find out we did something mildly stupid and then having to throw them all away and start over."

Newell also reckons that the current platform holders are doing it wrong, thanks to their outdated approaches. "Internally developed proprietary graphics solutions on the consoles, they're all gone - everything in the console space is coming from the PC now, and I think that we really need to see the same thing in terms of just general attitudes about platforms."

"I would push them very hard to stop thinking of themselves as being a platform for everything that already exists and start betting on the inventiveness and the benefits that you would get by embracing a more open approach to the internet and game delivery and game business models and things like that."

So there you have it. A Valve console, with Steam at its heart and Achievements already built in? Chuck in Half-Life 3 as an exclusive launch title and it might just be impossible to resist.
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It would worry me if they had the ability to block my access to my games library for whatever reason even if they deemed it valid. I like the games I own to actually be mine, especially with the amount of money that can be involved.
 
I seriously doubt they are that interested, though no doubt this 'idle threat' could make life easier for them when want to place their games in the console market. MS definitely wouldnt want Valve in the console space, nor (behind closed doors) Sony, but having this threat over them might make them more welcoming partners for future Valve games/mechanics...

Just the knee-jerk reaction from PC gamers complaining about GFX constraints for a start, if they also had to consider how a release would play on a fixed hardware box (I shall call it, a console)

Its not like Gabe isnt known for making seemingly off-the-cuff remarks

ps3ud0 :cool:
 
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Hostile17 said:
It would worry me if they had the ability to block my access to my games library for whatever reason even if they deemed it valid. I like the games I own to actually be mine, especially with the amount of money that can be involved.
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Yes I agree, too much control.

Also if the system itself turns out to be bad for whatever reason and you get ticked of with it and decide to get rid you would lose way too much money as the software would more than likely be digital based so no chance of selling on.
 
About not actually owning your games. Surely we can all see that on the horizon. Physical media is going to go away and before that, some sort of system to stem piracy and eliminate the used market, which can be argued is worse than piracy from a developers standpoint.

I'm surprised it's run riot this long, in all honesty.
 
Cutshaw said:
I'm surprised it's run riot this long, in all honesty.
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Not sure if serious!!

Used games are no where near a threat as piracy. The fact actual developers have different stances on the used game market it telling enough. Many would argue it gives consumers more confidence to try out new franchises and so buy future output on day one for example.

Only in the game industry are the rights of the end user so highly controlled. Imagine buying a film and be told that you may not lend it out, nor others view it and you absolutely cannot under any circumstances think of selling it.

Welcome to the future you purpose :p
 
would be interesting, and i'd imagine it would be some pc box with a propetriary OS/stripped down windows type stuff with compatibilitly with the current steam catalogue.

now if they could put a basic box out for £350-400 with some decent games and enough grunt to slap the next gen xbox/playstation they could be onto a winner.


economy of scale says they could get a decent spec'd rig for that sort of budget(think building on the scales of million + units
 
orderoftheflame said:
By

Valve Considering Move into the Hardware Market

You mean

It's definitely not the first thought that crosses our mind

Not in a million years would it happen. Some interviewer popped the question and Gabe's said the first thing that's come into his head. Misleading thread is misleading.
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I didn't mean anything by the title, I copy and pasted it from the title of the article. The thread isn't misleading, it was the bring the article to the attention of people here which is exactly what it has done.
 
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Valve should pair up with Sony to be honest since Sony are in a bit of a mess at the moment. With all of Valves expertise it's a win/win for Sony. Let Vale design the UI/Friend system, Sony will do the rest.
 
buchtis said:
Valve should pair up with Sony to be honest since Sony are in a bit of a mess at the moment. With all of Valves expertise it's a win/win for Sony. Let Vale design the UI/Friend system, Sony will do the rest.
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And the rest is such a small amount :p

As much as I trust Valve I just dont they are anywhere near the ability to build an OS from scratch and all it entails - its not like they would be able to easily license something like DirectX etc...

UI/Friend system is relative childs play compared - more imagination than design really - I can see where a Valve/Sony partnership could work well...

ps3ud0 :cool:
 
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