And why would that be? Too many people are seeing this from the point of what's available for Linux on Steam right now and going from there. Android is based off Linux, there are plenty of games for that. The situations aren't comparable, what I'm trying to say is that it's a new platform - it will be closed and controlled by Valve. They may well be able to attract developer support for it and have devs develop exclusive Steambox games, or at least Steambox versions of multiplatform titles. The OS doesn't matter. If devs develop games for it, who cares what OS it runs?
Gaming industry has taken a big hit and i havent seen any signs of recovery yet. I dont think 50-75 million across the board is possible.I don't think Valve expects to sell the 50-75 million units that each of the next gen consoles will sell. A couple million units would probably make them very happy.
talking to publishers doesn't help with all the games that use Direct X, honestly I fear this is Steam flushing money down the drain that could be better used elsewhere
like actually improving the client which it's just ridiculous how buggy it still is, or how about making more Half-Life games?
or even better spend money on customer service and hire a team to test games and let the community suggest them instead of whatever the hell they're attempting with Greenlight
There is very little chance that the Steambox will succeed. I doubt it does any better than the Ouya. Reasons:
1) There is next-to-no market for it. PC gamers will already have a PC and will simply buy or build new PCs when appropriate. 85% of console gamers are CASUAL gamers. They are the type to hook up the console with the supplied cables (even if they're composite!), turn it on, stick in the disc and play. Heck, many console games don't even know what XBLA, PSN or Wiiware/VC is. They don't know nor care about sub-30 FPS, screen tearing, AA or sub-HD resolutions. The remaining 15% are core gamers...but at least half of them still prefer the plug-in-and-play nature of consoles, plus a sizable # of them strongly prefer Japanese games, and not many of those are on Steam/PC. We're left with only a sliver of gamers (probably no more than 1 or 2 million) that would be interested in a Steambox.
2) If the specs are too weak then nobody will care about the Steambox. If the specs are too strong (e.g. far better than next-gen Sony/MS consoles) then the Steambox will be very expensive, and thus will be DOA.
3) Development costs are already through the roof. Steambox will just cause dev costs to rise even more, to make Linux/OpenGL compatible versions of their games. It'll be a hard sell for publishers.
4) Valve is a small company of only a few hundred employees, and they also don't have the financial resources of companies like MS, Sony, etc. Can they devote the significant amount of R&D necessary to Steambox to make it work. I'm skeptical. Much of their staff is focused on making games and managing Steam. Now if Valve is partnering with another company to make Steambox a reality, that's a different story.
5) Due to Linux, it won't have much of a library initially. Sure, the available library could possibly grow quite a bit after a couple of years...but since Steambox is a new player to the game, I think it has to make a positive commercial splash early on for it to catch on with gamers and devs. Most of them will take a skeptical wait-and-see approach. I do not think Steambox makes that splash. Valve can attempt to entice with sweetheart deals and whatnot, but those will only go so far.
I'm all for companies trying new things, and I know that big things start small...but Valve shouldn't bother with a Steambox. The risk of failure is just too great, and a company like them can't afford to absorb many significant flops. Stick to what they're already good at, which is games and Steam.
I'd love to be wrong, because the idea sounds great at first thought...but I just don't see it.
And why would that be? Too many people are seeing this from the point of what's available for Linux on Steam right now and going from there. Android is based off Linux, there are plenty of games for that. The situations aren't comparable, what I'm trying to say is that it's a new platform - it will be closed and controlled by Valve. They may well be able to attract developer support for it and have devs develop exclusive Steambox games, or at least Steambox versions of multiplatform titles. The OS doesn't matter. If devs develop games for it, who cares what OS it runs?
Because now a next gen publisher has to create an additional version of their game, one that will likely be for a much smaller section of the market, and one that tends to wait until games are dirt cheap before buying it. If I was a publisher I don't think I'd be excited about having to create a steambox/linux version of a game that nobody will buy until I mark it down 75%
Because now a next gen publisher has to create an additional version of their game, one that will likely be for a much smaller section of the market, and one that tends to wait until games are dirt cheap before buying it. If I was a publisher I don't think I'd be excited about having to create a steambox/linux version of a game that nobody will buy until I mark it down 75%
A lot of people pre-order stuff on steam so your argument is invalid.
So another us/eu only console. This may hurt ms and sony a lot. Its a direct competitor in the dudebro market.
Wasnt linux on ps3 considered to be the second comming of jesus?
Because now a next gen publisher has to create an additional version of their game, one that will likely be for a much smaller section of the market, and one that tends to wait until games are dirt cheap before buying it. If I was a publisher I don't think I'd be excited about having to create a steambox/linux version of a game that nobody will buy until I mark it down 75%
I honestly expect the Wii U will have more publisher/developer support than a linux based Steambox
That's why XCOM was a dismal failure, right? Since the console versions bombed and not a single copy of the PC version was sold until the Christmas sales. Oh, and forget about Bastion and Super Meat Boy doing well on PC. Total fiction and falsehood. Total War? Never heard of it.
I don't know, not by the general public. Unless Valve are targeting enthusiasts only with this I doubt they'll advertise it as Linux anyway, they'd advertise it as a games console. Not one to compete on the levels of the established ones (yet), but it's far more likely to attract wider attention than "Linux box".Wasnt linux on ps3 considered to be the second comming of jesus?
People that buy it might not be Steam users, they might not have even heard of it. If it has good games on it, people will see it as a games console and buy it for that. It doesn't have to be solely for Steam users. Besides, I own loads of Steam games yet still have other consoles, and I bet most other Steam users are the same.Because now a next gen publisher has to create an additional version of their game, one that will likely be for a much smaller section of the market, and one that tends to wait until games are dirt cheap before buying it. If I was a publisher I don't think I'd be excited about having to create a steambox/linux version of a game that nobody will buy until I mark it down 75%
Based off... what exactly? Steambox hasn't even been revealed yet, we have no idea how the tools for making/porting games are, and a ton of other things are still unknown as well.I honestly expect the Wii U will have more publisher/developer support than a linux based Steambox
Valve wouldnt have done this before speaking to publishers.
who the heck paid full price for XCOM here? even preorders were discounted especially if you went through GreenManGaming
Because now a next gen publisher has to create an additional version of their game, one that will likely be for a much smaller section of the market, and one that tends to wait until games are dirt cheap before buying it. If I was a publisher I don't think I'd be excited about having to create a steambox/linux version of a game that nobody will buy until I mark it down 75%
My point still stands, what chance does this thing have if they can't get their big fans on board?
I mean, MS and Sony fans are ready to line up for the PS4 and 720 today. MS and Sny have to work to get them not to buy it. With this, a lot of us here are big Steam users and pretty much everyone is like, "not for me."
Based off... what exactly? Steambox hasn't even been revealed yet, we have no idea how the tools for making/porting games are, and a ton of other things are still unknown as well.
This will turn the console world on it's head. If Valve can bring Steam to the common person's living room, that'll be about game over for everyone else.
If you already have a PC with Steam Valve doesn't need you to buy a Steambox.
I know, I'm just being an ass.1) Based off, but still not actually BSD. It's like saying BSD is Unix.
And that's nowhere near as popular as Linux as whole...
Anyway, by popular, I really meant people who use the kernel. So, in your example, you have just listed one "user". I don't mean end-users (because, clearly, kernels are pretty much invisible to end-users anyway.)
I see.Keep in mind, I'm discussing particularly the "commercially viable" part of what you said... I was stating why license doesn't really matter in this case. So, I was saying that needing to modify the kernel was unlikely.
And that's fine, I'm just trying to point out why the "but what about my 250 game Steam backlog?" argument doesn't really make that much sense.I don't care what they need, I'm buying it anyway!
What if the Source Engine's successor can run on Linux or has built-in tools greatly aiding in porting games from Windows to Linux ? How great would that be ? Maybe a lot of developpers would adopt the engine and make their games also run on Linux if the Steambox proves to be popular. Valve would essentially be using either the engine or the Steambox as a trojan horse to force an explosion in popularity for Linux.
So, what can Valve do to incentivize Steambox ports?
My first ideas would be:
- reduce fees for games that also have a Steambox release
- special storefront space for Steambox-enabled games
But they might consider buying one for all the multiplats at cheaper prices and customizable graphics options. It is not that hard for something to be re-branded.Those people wont buy a box that purports to run PC games then. They'll buy from Nintendo/Sony/Microsoft like they're doing now.
The only way to get me buy it:
Same price/cheaper than a self build PC + Power of a good midrange PC (660ti,760ti,860ti...) + the option to just install windows on it.
We are still talking about a PC, so there should be still the Option to just install Windows on it. If it has a good price/power Value and i can install Windows on it i will buy it.
Is it more expansiv than a self build PC i see no way to get me buy it, with or without windows.
I doubt they will handle it themselves.Does this mean Valve will have to hire a customer service staff now?
But really, it's hard to imagine a company as small as Valve succeeding with this. It's a ton of work to support a console and 300 people isn't going to cut it.
I doubt they will handle it themselves.
Hell, I doubt current console manufacturers handle it themselves.
So, what can Valve do to incentivize Steambox ports?
My first ideas would be:
- reduce fees for games that also have a Steambox release
- special storefront space for Steambox-enabled games
Will my current library of Steam games work on this box?
No? Then I don't give a fuck. Come back when your game development actually has the output of Nintendo or SCE.
Yes? Day 1. Of course that won't happen so I don't need to prep the wallet.
Will my current library of Steam games work on this box?
No? Then I don't give a fuck. Come back when your game development actually has the output of Nintendo or SCE.
Yes? Day 1. Of course that won't happen so I don't need to prep the wallet.
Sorry if its been asked, but I wonder if they would allow you to run non gaming software as well.
Wasn't there talk of adding non-game software to the Steam store?