'Steam Box' gaming console

[-HP-]

I was not expecting this, but it appears the rumors are true?

http://www.theverge.com/2012/3/2/284093 ... ng-console

We're told that the basic specs of the Steam Box include a Core i7 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA GPU. The devices will be able to run any standard PC titles, and will also allow for rival gaming services (like EA's Origin) to be loaded up.

And the Kotaku cover of the story:

http://kotaku.com/5890339/whatever-a-st ... s-for-sure

[Puddy]

Hmm, I think I've read both those articles earlier and I couldn't make out any conclusive evidence.

I think the move makes a lot of sense and I think that they have something like this in the works, but so far I haven't seen anything that really sold the fact that they are committing to this. Am I just missing something?

Regardless... give the console market hell Valve!

[BaRRaKID]

Basically this:

[Skjalg]

Hahahah I loled so hard at that comic

[Warby]

id buy it

[Rick_D]

HAHAH THAT CRAZY BUCKLEY HAHAH WHATA FUNNY FAGGET TEE HEE HEE HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH RIOTIOUS HUMOUR OLD CHAP

B^U

B^U

B^U

B^U

B^U

B^U

[-HP-]

Half Life 3 - Steam Box exclusive!

[Jetsetlemming]

I can see a standardized mini-PC designed to be a home theater component instead of a desktop being pretty neat, especially if they go balls out on the software side with features for syncing and streaming between your desktop and steambox. The rumor that it's packing an i7 seems odd, though, the i7 is professional grade hardware, not consumer, unless Valve's "3" announcement actually is l4d3, and they're integrating hyperthreading into Source for it, for the AI.

Otherwise there's no value for an i7 in a gaming machine, and it'd massively inflate the thing's price. That hardware would cost Valve over $500, and that's before R&D, miniaturization (you probably don't want something tower sized under your tv), manufacturing, shipping, marketing, etc. It'd make PS3's $600 launch a drop in the bucket. Remember that that Crysis Warhead PC, which was fairly average specced, designed to play on "Gamer" settings, was still $700, and hardware's gotten significantly more expensive since then due to the natural disasters in Japan and Thailand.

Maybe Valve has somehow got a deal going with Intel and Nvidia to sell these things at MASSIVE losses for some reason. Valve's got enough money to finance that, probably, but I can't see the hardware companies liking that idea, especially not using their top of the line stuff.

Also I wanted to post this awesome PC build I saw last year, of a media PC about the size of two Wiis, but they managed to stick a high end, full sized video card in it (the card took up one entire wall of the case, with its exhaust outwardly facing), but I can't find the link anymore. Shame, because that was fucking awesome and it'd be a good archetype for a "pc console", imo.

edit: Found something similar:

http://www.overclock.net/t/988489/sff-i ... ram-no-56k

[Sentura]

also, in your face e-freak!

[e-freak]

why? there's still no steam box, and still no confirmation. I'm pretty confident that there will be no steam box either. At the very max there will be an extension of the Steam Hardware Survey saying "We, Valve, will use the following as our target spec for the next X years. If you want a "approved by Steam" sign on your OEM machine, preinstall Steam, fulfill the requirements and get in touch with us." That's the max. Oh and they are selling controllers, but that's about biofeedback rather than creating their own platform.

[e-freak]

also, in your face e-freak!

Ain't gonna happen.

[Skjalg]

Funny how a couple years ago everyone hated steam, but reading the comments section on kotaku people actually want steam as an OS now.

Good job valve

[Warby]

...but ... i ... i want a valve console and id pay good money for it too

[PogoP]

I think even though they have denied the rumours, they must obviously be able to see the demand and anticipation for a Steam console. So if anything, this whole rumour has been a step in the right direction towards getting a Steam console in prototyping/development.

[Sentura]

also, in your face e-freak!

Ain't gonna happen.

Lombardi refused to flat-out say that Valve isn't working on a console.

*cough* *cough*