Valve Announcement Recap

This week was big for gamers and tech enthusiasts both. Game developer and distributor “Valve Corporation” recently made 3 large announcements this week. I know I post mostly about fashion, and everything in between, but today I’m going to do something different.
Some of you reading may not know this but, I like video games. I enjoy all types, mostly racing and simulation games. But I do try some indie games here and there.

 That’s why I play on a platform called “Steam” which was created by valve. There I can play everything I love, so when I heard Valve was announcing some new information regarding Steam; I freaked out. While of course hoping one of these announcements would be Half Life 3… None were. But that’s fine, they have some other interesting things planned out. The first announcement being a new OS (Operating System) based off of the Steam platform. They’re calling it the Steam OS. It is Linux based, which is a bit confusing why they would go and use something as complicated as Linux. But in the past Gabe Newell (Founder of Valve) stated he was not happy with Microsoft and their Windows 8 OS. So I understand why he, and his staff went this route. You don’t like something, change it. And he did that exactly.

The second announcement they had made is more of an update on a past product announce. In the past they spoke about some hardware they were developing named the “Steam Box.” Basically it mimics a console, but it’s fully customizable like a PC. Change
hard drive size, upgrade RAM, etc… They plan to try and do what consoles are doing now, and that is engage the living room. Target the whole family.

The announcement they made wednesday was to issue a sign up for beta testers, and to reveal the new name, “Steam Machine.” I already own a PC and it’s decent enough to run most high demanding games, so I don’t see myself needing a product like this. Infact, most PC gamers wont feel the need to buy this since their PC’s are mostly already good enough. I feel this product is more aimed at the couch family, the casual gamer. There’s nothing wrong about that, target every avenue of business. Keep up with competitors.

And the final announcement made yesterday was a new gadget. One they feel will be popular, and change the way games are played. The Steam Controller [insert picture] It’s… a very new design. I’ve played games all my life, and I’ve held a ton of different
controllers… but nothing like this. No D-pad or Analog sticks. Just two trackpads. The button placement is very awkward as well. Others have already tested and played with the controller and said it plays fine. Until I try it, I’ll remain with my mouse and keyboard.

Wanna know how to get in the beta for the Steam Machine? Here’s how to make yourself eligible to win one of the first 300 Steam Machines:

THE HARDWARE BETA ELIGIBILITY QUEST:
Before October 25, log in to Steam and then visit your quest page to track your current status towards beta test eligibility
1. Join the Steam Universe community group
2. Agree to the Steam Hardware Beta Terms and Conditions
3. Make 10 Steam friends (if you haven’t already)
4. Create a public Steam Community profile (if you haven’t already)
5. Play a game using a gamepad in Big Picture mode

That beta “quest” will be open until October 25th. And via Valve, here’s the full Steam Machine Q&A:

When can I buy one?!

Beginning in 2014, there will be multiple SteamOS machines to choose from, made by different manufacturers.

I’m pretty happy with my PC Gaming setup, do I have to buy a new piece of hardware now?

No. Everything that we’ve been doing on Steam for the last 10 years will continue to move forward.

If you guys are delivering an OS to hardware manufacturers, why is Valve also making its own box?

We’re conducting a beta of the overall Steam living-room experience, so we needed to build prototype hardware on which to run tests. At Valve we always rely on real-world testing as part of our design process. The specific machine we’re testing is designed for users who want the most control possible over their hardware. Other boxes will optimize for size, price, quietness, or other factors.

How will you choose the 300 beta participants?

A small number of users (30 or less) will be chosen based on their past community contributions and beta participation. The remainder will be chosen at random from the eligible pool.

Should I create lots of Steam accounts to increase my chances of getting selected?

No, that won’t work.

What are the specs of the Valve prototype?

We’ll tell you more about it soon. Remember, there will ultimately be several boxes to choose from, with an array of specifications, price, and performance.

Where’s a picture of it? How big is it?

We promise we’ll tell you more about it soon.

When will the prototypes ship?

This year.

Will beta testers be allowed to share info about their experience and post pictures and opinions online?

Yes, that really is the whole point. The input from testers should come in many forms: bug reports, forum posts, concept art, 3D prints, haikus, and also very publicly stated opinions.

Will I be able to build my own box to run SteamOS?

Yes.

Can I hack this box? Run another OS? Change the hardware? Install my own software? Use it to build a robot?

Sure.

Can I download the OS to try it out?

You will be able to download it (including the source code, if you’re into that) but not yet.

If I’m not in the beta, how can I help and contribute feedback?

The Steam Universe Group is where feedback is being collected. Most areas of the group will remain open for participation by all Steam users. Some may be limited to beta participants only, but there will be plenty of ways to contribute feedback for everyone.

What games will be available during the beta?

The nearly 3,000 games on Steam. Hundreds already running natively on the SteamOS, with more to come. The rest will work seamlessly via in-home streaming.

What is SteamOS? What’s included?

Here’s a link to what we said earlier about SteamOS. We’ll have more details to tell you, soon.

Am I going to be using a mouse and a keyboard in the living-room?

If you want. But Steam and SteamOS work well with gamepads, too. Stay tuned, though – we have some more to say very soon on the topic of input. (Their new controller)