Poll: Steam Machines: Am I missing the sales pitch?

[andrewfox]

http://www.gamestop.com/steammachine

I have a decent little gaming laptop that runs everything I want to play. It's set really close to my nice Panasonic TV. I've used a HDMI cable before to hook my PC up to the TV to stream games, movies, music etc. Hell, even setting up streaming over wifi would only cost me about $50.

So then why in God's good name would I want a $500 piece of tech that acts like a PC, dosent run any other operating system besides "SteamOS", is not up-gradable, and only plays Steam games? Who is this marketed to? With the ease of simply hooking your computer up to your TV, this seems like a massive waste in investors money.

So, what's the point? I'm confused. Can anyone sell this to me?

Questions to think about:

Who is this marketed to?
WHY would you spend upwards of $500 when you have the ease of hooking up your PC to your TV?
DO YOU think this is a good investment?

Holy ****, I am now questioning why I even own a PS4. Damn impulse buying.

 

[baddude1337]

It's a good starting platform for a shift from console to PC for a decent price and easy to use, that's who I see it as marketed for, nobody else really.

While the price is somewhat high, it's not as high as getting an ultra-modern spec PC with all the things that go along with it. It's also plug in and play, instead of assembling your own, and cheaper than buying pre-built.

On the flip side, you won't be getting ultra spec boxes for a decent price (Alienware ones are damn expensive, for example), and you will be limited to Steam only games, and it remains to be seen how good Steam OS itself actually is for day to day use. It also faces competition from pre-built PC's and laptops, which are becoming much more affordable and powerful in recent years, and do a lot more outside of play Steam-only games.

I am like you in that I have a good gaming laptop that runs what I want, and in a few year's I will simply get another one, especially as I have a lot of games outside of Steam. I won't be getting one of these in the foreseeable future, and likely never will.

 

[DoPo]

So then why in God's good name would I want a $500 piece of tech that acts like a PC

It is a PC.

dosent run any other operating system besides "SteamOS"

It can run whatever you install on it. I guess OS X would be more of a hassle...as always, but other than that, why do you want it to only run SteamOS?

is not up-gradable

Some might be. A long while ago one of the prototypes shown had upgreadable parts. I've not really kept up to date with all the other announcements, but there is no real reason any Steam Machine would be inherently un-upgreadable.

As a side note, a lot of pre-built desktops you can buy are pretty much in the same boat.

and only plays Steam games?

Again, why do you want to only play Steam games on it? Aside from sufficient specs, there isn't anything really stopping you from playing whatever you want.

 

[DoPo]

and you will be limited to Steam only games

OK, is there an announcement I've missed or something? Why, and probably more importantly, how is that implemented?

 

[Tayh]

OK, is there an announcement I've missed or something? Why, and probably more importantly, how is that implemented?

Sort of makes sense. They've already cornered the pc market, why would they allow their competitors a foothold on their proprietary pc?

 

[Albino Boo]

OK, is there an announcement I've missed or something? Why, and probably more importantly, how is that implemented?

Sort of makes sense. They've already cornered the pc market, why would they allow their competitors a foothold on their proprietary pc?

Its the same as android. Yes you can install from other sources than the android store but its the one 95% of all purchases use. Steam will be integrated into the O/S but like steam on windows you will have the option off adding a key or a non steam game.

 

[nomotog_v1legacy]

There isn't really a pitch. It's basically a computer with the steam logo on it. You could just buy a computer for about the same price. (There is no ability to do what they do with consoles where they sell the box at a loss to make up for it latter.) It's like a PC that isn't as good as a console or a console that isn't as good as a PC.

 

[DoPo]

OK, is there an announcement I've missed or something? Why, and probably more importantly, how is that implemented?

Sort of makes sense. They've already cornered the pc market, why would they allow their competitors a foothold on their proprietary pc?

Is this an official thing or just speculations? Because what I've heard before is that it's going to be an open platform. Or, rather, it's simply a PC. The "Oh, but it makes sense they wouldn't allow other things" doesn't really make sense in that regard.

Besides, if such a restriction is going to be in place[footnote]to which I still require any sort of official confirmation, not people's feelings and stuff[/footnote], then it still doesn't make sense as it's going to be cracked and bypassed in short amount of time, thus making the box a normal PC again.

That's before getting into the logistics of how it's going to be enforced across all devices ever, in the first place.

That's also before tackling the mind boggling "Why?" of how current SteamOS users would be forced to obey this.

All in all, it doesn't make any sense to me. I've got no clue how it can for you.

Again, I'd really want actual sources on this.

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

Spoiler: First off, I think the internet's general negativity and misinformation from playing the phone game has some people misinformed how these Steam Machines work.

Not every Steam Machine will be un-upgradeable. Some of the builds, like the Alienware Alpha offerings, seem to have the same expansion options as most laptops (CPU and GPU soldered on mainboard, RAM may be removable, storage should be a standard 2.5" HDD or SSD). Others look like they're using standard mATX or ITX mobos with a full GFX card, using riser cables/cards to rotate the GTX card to create a flatter case. Most won't be the near-complete dead end for expansion that consoles are.

Steam OS also isn't the only option for the OS. It's just what comes pre-installed. One can easily wipe the drive of it and install a different Linux distro or even Windows. The only issue with Windows is finding the right drivers for things like USB 3.0 controllers. But I'm sure the drivers exist, because the system builders are using mostly off the shelf components that are already used in Windows-based builds.

Also, Steam OS won't lock you into just Valve's online store. There is a way to back out of the Steam Client and use the OS to download other programs. (It's just Debian Linux, so most users will probably be using step-by-step guides to install other stuff, if they don't foam at the mouth at how different it is from Windizle.)

Steam Machines are meant to be for the people at the halfway point between staying solely console and getting into PC games. The concept was supposed to be an easy jump into PC games. After all that's happened in the past year or so, though, I think Valve is also trying to use them as leverage to get Linux gaming off the ground.

IMHO, they lost their top selling point for PC newcomers. They were (keyword: were) supposed to be a single standard configuration that devs could optimize for, to make it less of a headache for newbies to decide want specs to buy and to get games running, and only after a few years would the specs of that standard configuration be updated to keep up with improvements in PC games. That went out the window when Valve unveiled their partners' builds, which went from kind of low-spec, but affordable, to absolutely fucking ridiculous (US$5000). Since they now have so many configs about to be on the market, there isn't much of a difference between them and the typical pre-built PC. The only big differences are having Steam OS installed and coming with that weird controller.

I wouldn't say a Steam Machine is a good investment for most people, right now. It's pretty much a curiosity for some and a cheap (though not by much) small form factor PC to use in the TV stand for others. The limited library on Linux might not appeal to many. Getting cheap OEM PC[footnote] Or, you know, building one yourself, but that's a hard sell for most of the target audience for SMs.[/footnote] with Win 7/8 installed, a controller,[footnote]Many options exist beyond the 360 or Steam controllers.[/footnote] and either sticking with that or dual booting Steam OS (which can be downloaded for free) is probably the best bet until/if the Linux game revolution actually happens, especially for newbies hoping to play the big AAA titles.

 

[elvor0]

http://www.gamestop.com/steammachine

I have a decent little gaming laptop that runs everything I want to play. It's set really close to my nice Panasonic TV. I've used a HDMI cable before to hook my PC up to the TV to stream games, movies, music etc. Hell, even setting up streaming over wifi would only cost me about $50.

So then why in God's good name would I want a $500 piece of tech that acts like a PC, dosent run any other operating system besides "SteamOS", is not up-gradable, and only plays Steam games? Who is this marketed to? With the ease of simply hooking your computer up to your TV, this seems like a massive waste in investors money.

So, what's the point? I'm confused. Can anyone sell this to me?

Why would you make this thread without doing your research? It IS a PC, it can run whatever you want on it, it doesn't only play steam games. It's a prebuilt PC designed to be sold at reasonable prices. It can be upgraded. It did also used to be designed as a standardized middle ground model for Devs to design around, but that went out the window when they made a million variants.

Also, FOR THE ZILLIONTH TIME! Some people don't have their PCs(but noone has desktops anymore, amiright?) in the same room as their TV and they do not want to move them! Seriously, why do I keep having to state this? Does everybody who puts "well you can just hdmi to your PC!" think that everyone in the world has their TV and PC in the same room right next to each other? There's also the posibility of their wifi not being good enough to support streaming.

This is for people getting into PC gaming, this is not for you, and that's fine.

OK, is there an announcement I've missed or something? Why, and probably more importantly, how is that implemented?

Sort of makes sense. They've already cornered the pc market, why would they allow their competitors a foothold on their proprietary pc?

Because as delightfully "business evil corporation" as that sounds, it would be stupid as hell. If people were told they could only play steam games on it, noone would buy one. A big draw of the SteamOS is its open sourceness and to attract people to PC gaming, they're not going to win anyone over by imposing draconian requirements.

 

[TheMysteriousGX]

So it's pretty much the logical end point of the PS4/Xbox One style console? Sony and Microsoft have just been making small computers you hook up to a TV for awhile now, and the only "console" qualities they have are either legacy artefacts that annoy or things they stole from Nintendo.

 

[Strelok]

Is this an official thing or just speculations? Because what I've heard before is that it's going to be an open platform. Or, rather, it's simply a PC. The "Oh, but it makes sense they wouldn't allow other things" doesn't really make sense in that regard.

Besides, if such a restriction is going to be in place, then it still doesn't make sense as it's going to be cracked and bypassed in short amount of time, thus making the box a normal PC again.

That's before getting into the logistics of how it's going to be enforced across all devices ever, in the first place.

That's also before tackling the mind boggling "Why?" of how current SteamOS users would be forced to obey this.

All in all, it doesn't make any sense to me. I've got no clue how it can for you.

Again, I'd really want actual sources on this.

I think you have stumbled into a thread with a few people who don't know what they are talking about, I will take a note from the Alienware Steam Machines faq, first one that popped up in a search:

Will I be able to convert back to Windows?

Yes, you will be able to convert back to Windows and we will provide step by step instructions.

Now that Windows 10 can stream Xbox games, how does that affect your plans?

PC is an open ecosystem and Alpha is a true hybrid device. We will work to see what experiences will be best for the customer and work to incorporate.

Steam machines are just pre-built PCs, each one changed by the manufacturer designing them (different hardware specs), PC is all about freedom, don't know where these guys got all this locked down nonsense. If you wanted a locked down restrictive mess, buy a console.

 

[inmunitas]

http://www.gamestop.com/steammachine

I have a decent little gaming laptop that runs everything I want to play. It's set really close to my nice Panasonic TV. I've used a HDMI cable before to hook my PC up to the TV to stream games, movies, music etc. Hell, even setting up streaming over wifi would only cost me about $50.

So then why in God's good name would I want a $500 piece of tech that acts like a PC, dosent run any other operating system besides "SteamOS", is not up-gradable, and only plays Steam games? Who is this marketed to? With the ease of simply hooking your computer up to your TV, this seems like a massive waste in investors money.

So, what's the point? I'm confused. Can anyone sell this to me?

Questions to think about:

Who is this marketed to?
WHY would you spend upwards of $500 when you have the ease of hooking up your PC to your TV?
DO YOU think this is a good investment?

Holy ****, I am now questioning why I even own a PS4. Damn impulse buying.

A "Steam Machine" is just a PC running SteamOS. SteamOS is Valve's own distribution of the Debian [http://www.debian.org/] operating system configured and optimised solely for gaming and Steam, it basically boots up into the Steam client in Big Picture mode with some integration with the underlying operating system and a few extra options[footnote]http://steamdb.info/blog/36/[/footnote]. You can also access a desktop environment, currently GNOME [http://www.gnome.org/], through advanced settings. It's the "configured and optimised solely for gaming" part, and no Windows EULA restrictions, that are the only real interesting things about it.

 

[Vigormortis]

OK, is there an announcement I've missed or something? Why, and probably more importantly, how is that implemented?

No. Just a lot of people being woefully (and willfully) ignorant on the topic.

I mean, come on. How hard is it for people to read the Steam hardware store pages? The vast majority of the questions I see incessantly pop up about Steam Machines could be answered with just 5 minutes of effort on the part of those asking the questions.

But you know what? I'll play along and answer the questions posed in the OP. Even if it's the umpteenth time I've seen them.

So then why in God's good name would I want a $500 piece of tech that acts like a PC, dosent run any other operating system besides "SteamOS", is not up-gradable, and only plays Steam games?

Couple of points:
A: they ARE PCs
B: they DO run other OS's
C: many ARE upgradeable
D: they play any games you can install on them

I'm genuinely curious where you're getting your info. Whatever the source, it's painfully ignorant on what Steam Machines are.

Who is this marketed to?

It's marketed to anyone who buys pre-built PCs - notably those who may want one pre-configured and optimized for the Steam platform and/or gaming.

Can we finally, collectively, stop with the, "But who is it for????" question? It's asinine.

WHY would you spend upwards of $500 when you have the ease of hooking up your PC to your TV?

For the same reason you'd spend $500~$2000 to hook up any other PC to your TV. Again, Steam Machines are just pre-built PCs with specific configurations.

And despite what a lot of people will say, pre-builts are a massive market. Many PC gamers utilize pre-built machines, not homebrew rigs.

DO YOU think this is a good investment?

Depending on one's level of tech knowledge and the reliability (and price) of the hardware, yes. It's a good investment. Just as buying a pre-built is a good investment for those who want something to play PC games with, but whom don't have the working knowledge to build a rig themselves.

Its the same as android. Yes you can install from other sources than the android store but its the one 95% of all purchases use. Steam will be integrated into the O/S but like steam on windows you will have the option off adding a key or a non steam game.

But it's even more simple than that. Since many are simply Linux boxes, you can just install and play any game that runs on Linux; Steam not required. More over, many of the Steam Machines can be configured for dual-booting into Windows or OSX. Just as many PCs can be.

Hell, you could even install Uplay or Origin on a Steam Machine if you wanted to.

 

[Maximum Bert]

Im not really sure who it is pitched to to be honest but it seems a very niche market maybe those with disposable income that for some reason want an extra PC to game on but havent got that already because....?

Time will tell but so far I see no reason to buy one get a PC like you would normally or get a console as pretty much everyone who is interested in gaming and can afford to has already.

 

[Albino Boo]

Its the same as android. Yes you can install from other sources than the android store but its the one 95% of all purchases use. Steam will be integrated into the O/S but like steam on windows you will have the option off adding a key or a non steam game.

But it's even more simple than that. Since many are simply Linux boxes, you can just install and play any game that runs on Linux; Steam not required. More over, many of the Steam Machines can be configured for dual-booting into Windows or OSX. Just as many PCs can be.

Hell, you could even install Uplay or Origin on a Steam Machine if you wanted to.

Steam boxes come with steamOS installed, the clue is in the title.

 

[DoPo]

Its the same as android. Yes you can install from other sources than the android store but its the one 95% of all purchases use. Steam will be integrated into the O/S but like steam on windows you will have the option off adding a key or a non steam game.

But it's even more simple than that. Since many are simply Linux boxes, you can just install and play any game that runs on Linux; Steam not required. More over, many of the Steam Machines can be configured for dual-booting into Windows or OSX. Just as many PCs can be.

Hell, you could even install Uplay or Origin on a Steam Machine if you wanted to.

Steam boxes come with steamOS installed, the clue is in the title.

SteamOS is a Linux distro. It comes with Steam installed and it starts up in Big Picture mode by default. That's most of its defining trait.

 

[Vigormortis]

Steam boxes come with steamOS installed, the clue is in the title.

And SteamOS is nothing more than a proprietary build of Debian. So anything you can run on Debian, you can run on SteamOS. (with a few exceptions, since SteamOS is a slimmed down build)

Besides, unless the individual manufacturers of Steam Machines build something into the firmware or bios of the machines, there's nothing preventing someone from installing a different OS.

 

[Vigormortis]

Im not really sure who it is pitched to to be honest but it seems a very niche market maybe those with disposable income that for some reason want an extra PC to game on but havent got that already because....?

Time will tell but so far I see no reason to buy one get a PC like you would normally or get a console as pretty much everyone who is interested in gaming and can afford to has already.

Steam Machines are nothing more than "gaming optimized" pre-built PCs. So the target market is, hypothetically, the people who purchase pre-built PCs with the intention of using them to play games.

A market that is anything but niche.

 

[Albino Boo]

Steam boxes come with steamOS installed, the clue is in the title.

And SteamOS is nothing more than a proprietary build of Debian. So anything you can run on Debian, you can run on SteamOS. (with a few exceptions, since SteamOS is a slimmed down build)

Besides, unless the individual manufacturers of Steam Machines build something into the firmware or bios of the machines, there's nothing preventing someone from installing a different OS.

Yeah thats right Gabe isn't going to integrate Steam into the the O/S. That's the whole point, Valve are doing this to make money. Google make money hand over fist out of android app sales and yet you can buy from elsewhere, but people dont.