Soldato
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Aye, looks like i stand corrected
Pretty sure i read somewhere the Linux foundation were discussing this but my google foo fails me!
Steam os released today in USA
- Thread starter delpy8
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Aye, looks like i stand corrected
Pretty sure i read somewhere the Linux foundation were discussing this but my google foo fails me!
I'd agree that is the case right now, in fact the Windows PC does more than SteamOS does insomuch as it's library of native games is far larger.
However. Once SteamOS is polished, I expect it'll be a turnkey installation that will turn a PC (be that desktop, laptop, or under-your-telly-console-esque-box) into a centralised gaming/social hub a la current generation consoles.
The main difference will be is that it's open source, and free from the usual perceived restrictions. IF developers and hardware vendors get behind it.
For it to work both NVidia and AMD need to get their driver situation sorted, and there needs to be some pretty hefty launch titles. Having seen the current state of SteamOS 1.0, I'd imagine the latter will need to be massive.
So I'd say with a pretty much 100% certainty, we'll see Half Life 3, L4D3, TF3, Portal 3 in 2014.
Soldato
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I'd half expect HL3 to be at least a SteamOS exclusive for a while.
Hardware vendors will really need to pull there fingers out there bum though! AMD and Nvidia drivers are borderline useless!
Hardware vendors will really need to pull there fingers out there bum though! AMD and Nvidia drivers are borderline useless!
Pretty sure I read somewhere that Gaben absolutely ruled this out. HL3 will be on Windows from day 1.
People are really lacking vision with this. It's intended to be a slow burner, Valve will be looking to increase support slowly over the next few years. We can expect much better linux driver from support from AMD and Nvidia. It will hinge on Valve persuading plenty of developers to make their games compatible with Linux. They have enough clout in the industry that this is possible.
Not sure why some are mentioning the functionality of the OS, it's supposed to primarily be a console OS. That is it needs to compete with Xbox1 and PS4 in terms of functionality not Windows. It's designed for gaming on the sofa. Despite that it has the full power of a Linux distro behind it, meaning developers can really get things going for the desktop mode if they so wish.
Picture the situation in 5 years time not next year. PS4 and Xbox1 are showing their age, yet Steam Box's are comparable in price have a great line up of games and demolish the consoles in terms of graphics.
I'm mostly looking forward to trying out that controller though. Love the idea of high resolution 1:1 track-pads instead of sticks.
Soldato
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Or just get a wireless HDMI adapter. They are pretty much lag free these days.Yeah exactly, you are better of getting a long HDMI cable from your PC to your TV then you can play everything on your PC. Even those games that are not on Steam for big picture mode. I even setup a wireless mouse/keyboard in the lounge so I can play pad games and normal PC games. SO I already have every PC game in my lounge
What is the problem that SteamOS is trying to solve? As a console gamer, what do SteamOS and it's box do for you?
It is an open platform. SteamOS isn't going to be competing with Xbox/Playstation is just going to provide another option to play games. With it being an open platform that means anyone can do whatever they want with the system and developers can create none game based apps without having to pay royalties to Valve (they may do to be in the SteamOS package out of the box). This also makes for cheaper hardware with no licensing in which Valve is re-couping the costs through their games (F2P) and the sales of game on their platform.
For the first year or two of SteamOS it will be aimed at the tech crowd, this doesn't mean hardcore gamers but the people who are interested in tech and play the odd game here and there. It is also aiming to provide a resonable gaming experience for a resonable price on the TV. This is to help Steam broaden to other devices as the PC desktop sales are decreasing which means less potential customers (Core PC gamers are on the rise though!) so maybe they can create a middle ground of entertainment device that can give you most of the goodness of PC gaming on your sofa.
Putting Valve into a position with their OS to be the Console or use your PC if either market slows in any situation. Technological development throughout should throw up new ideas that will keep this project very strong in the next few years.
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I currently have a windows machine that's only used for XBMC. I've not used XBMCbuntu or any of the other linux distros becuase at the time I built it I was warned off them by various experienced users because I was using an AMD APU and the driver support was apparently rubbish.
If SteamOS gets AMD/Nvidia to sort their drivers out, I can see migrating the XBMC box over to it to free up a windows key and then stream games from my main PC over the network.
If SteamOS gets AMD/Nvidia to sort their drivers out, I can see migrating the XBMC box over to it to free up a windows key and then stream games from my main PC over the network.
How much is the cheapest worth-using version of windows, assuming you're not a student or other special case?
So gamers need another option to play games? We have consoles, PC`s, hand-held`s, phones and tablets. Keep in mind that, when you want to sell something, what the developers/producers need is completly irrelevant, the need of the customer is what matters. I don't think there's any indication suggesting that gamers need another platform, maybe you know better and can further explain it?
Consoles provide a reasonable gaming experience for a reasonable price on the TV, hence their sales. Are you saying consoles + their games are too expensive and SteamOS + box + their games will be cheaper?
As for Steam attempting to broaden to other devices in the long term, this is irrelevant. Customers don't care about the long term plans companies have, they care about what benefits they get from the company`s products.
Think about what it was like for PC gaming before Steam. Difficulty in making purchases, each game with it's own DRM, difficulty making updates or having adjacent updated programs needed for the game, little/no sales etc. These were all real issues known long before the existance of Steam and Steam was the answer to these problems.
I still see no problem for which SteamOS + box is an answer.
It comes pre installed on most systems, most of us here got it for £25. Otherwise about £60
And you can do and play pretty much anything on it, unlike steam. And I expect win9 to be even cheaper.
There's even strong rumours that winrt and wp8 will merge into one os and be free to tablet makers.
From the early reports steamOs realy doesnt offer anything, cant play most games, cant run most software, yeah its free but windows isnt expensive. Is highly locked down and doesnt provide basic console os like features.
The only thing going for it is the streaming, which well isnt a big deal.
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What a silly thing to say, more options we get the better. Some people will buy Steam boxes or setup Steam OS and swear blind they are the best thing ever. If that makes those people happy then they are lucky to have the option that they prefer.
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Clearly a lot of this depends on the individual user and their requirements.
£60 isn't a small amount of cash (at least, to me), and if I don't NEED it to do anything else then it's a saving. Obviously, the level of lock-down of the OS will be a big factor. It's supposed to be open source, but that may or may not allow a certain level of relatively easy customisation. If I can install other non-steam things and run them through SteamOS then I'll be most pleased, otherwise I might play with it but wouldn't run it as my only OS, as I want XBMC functionality on the same system.
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So I'd say with a pretty much 100% certainty, we'll see Half Life 3, L4D3, TF3, Portal 3 in 2014.
2014, no chance! At least 2015.
If strenaing was so important, you would allready have it, its not hard to do.
Just bec uase games are on steam doesnt mean they run on linx.
Basic features like takingb screen grabs, file managment etc. dropping back to linux isnt a opption for these things, can you imagine trying to navigate and do things in linux with a controller.
Its a tiny market share at best it will attract and thats if its done well. Lots oof games just arent deisgned for controllers anyway, and with such a tiny marketshare they arent going to get them converted, without doing what MS is doing and spending biillions enticing people to redevlope.
Its at best two years away anyway, so if you want streaming getb it done now.
The date is actually Julember 42nd, I say that with 0.00000001% certainty.
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No different from windows anymore, pretty much all distros have a full blown working desktop with icons, people hardly ever need to use a terminal anymore so using a pad as a mouse to get whatever done on the same.
On a normal computer you have k+m not just a controller, steam box you just have a controller.
Aslo as win8 and xbox are very similar, its very easy to navigate modern Ui in windows with a controller, although it requires a third party mod, as for some bizare reason it doesnt support it out of the box.
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Ah yes I understand what you mean now and also a very good point indeed.
Valve aren't stupid. I'd wager that SteamOS on release isn't going to be just another Linux variant. The techie bits will be locked away and hidden, and all the functionality people will need will be provided with a nice, sleek, controller-friendly UI.
This isn't even the first time Linux/*nix has been made user-friendly. Asus have done it, Apple have done it.
The difference is that Valve is a proper games developer. They don't have to stop at re-packaging and wrapping up Linux. They can really contribute to the development of high-performance Linux gaming.
Only those with a pro-MS agenda would be playing down the competition at such an early stage. *cough* Glaucus *cough*.
I'm not sure what *full retail* version of Windows is selling for £60 either. Almost certain it won't be full retail. If it's OEM you're tied to your current hardware. If it's upgrade then add on the cost of your existing Windows product.
Which is something you don't need to worry about with SteamOS.
This isn't even the first time Linux/*nix has been made user-friendly. Asus have done it, Apple have done it.
The difference is that Valve is a proper games developer. They don't have to stop at re-packaging and wrapping up Linux. They can really contribute to the development of high-performance Linux gaming.
Only those with a pro-MS agenda would be playing down the competition at such an early stage. *cough* Glaucus *cough*.
I'm not sure what *full retail* version of Windows is selling for £60 either. Almost certain it won't be full retail. If it's OEM you're tied to your current hardware. If it's upgrade then add on the cost of your existing Windows product.
Which is something you don't need to worry about with SteamOS.