SteamBox a Good Idea?

[Mike]

This might be just me talking crap, but do we PC gamers really need VALVE to enter the console type market. In my head it´s just pointless. I mean they have huge success with Steam why bother get greedy and get in to competition with living room gaming (Sony and Microsoft). I mean PC gamers have all we need, the support, the discount´s the Big Picture feature. I am proud to be PC gamer and i hope VALVE is doing this for the best, but i still think that this Steam Box Linux based thing is just a move to take a piece of that pie that Sony and Microsoft are so in conflict to win. I would rather see VALVE making new titles rather than expand their company for already very much content community. I just hope VALVE is doing the right thing.

[ΖΩΝ]

I hope it's a good idea. That is, I really want it to work out. As a steaming device, it's pretty inconsequential in that all it does is enable an easier way to play in the living room. But, as a gaming console it's pretty promising even for me (who hasn't purchased a console since PS2, and only a PS1 before that) in that it will pull major developers to develop with OpenGL. As a Linux user this is especially exciting for me, since Steam Boxes will expand the Linux gaming base. But, this could be good even for devoted Windows users since the ports will be so much better. Developers often focus on consoles then port, but current consoles are terrible to develop for and the ports usually end up buggy and feeling weird. If they focus on Steam Boxes they just are developing for PCs as well.

/Granted, the PS4 is a major step up over the PS3 in terms of development. That translates to better ports as well, but with Steam Boxes even more so.

[Pud]

More money. More. More. Never enough. But I like Valve and their games. L4D anyway... And hopefully Steambox will take some money out of microsofts pockets.

[12 Gauge Shaman]

This is probably getting too deep into it, but it's not JUST about entering into the fray with microsoft/sony/nintendo (although it is totally that on some level). It is also about an idealogical change to gaming. Right now its all about consoles. That is what most gamers use. Consoles by nature are propietary, closed, and limited by thier design. Steam is trying to lower the barrier into PC gaming by doing a few things that all amount to being more accesible to the average gamer than current PCs are and being more open for the hardcore members of the community to mod and dissect. I'm not really in that second category, but I am all for letting those people do awesome things and reap the benefits. So to answer your question, is it neccesary? No. But it can only be a good thing. This steam machine push is the most progressive thing in gaming since analog sticks or online play IMO. Thanks for sticking through this rant and feel free to challenge this view. Peace.

[Dr Chaos MK]

Steam also said they will not abandon keyboard & mouse users for their Steam Box. So you can still have a PC style gameplay on the Steam Box itself. Something I am going to be looking at that's for sure.

[KeAIL]

Is a great idea! i will def build boxs as I upgrade the pc, may even dedicate the current system to a steam box and buy a lesser pc for day to day.
Only draw back is learning a new controller and the current 1080p limit on the tv.
When 4k tv's come out this could be awsome!!