Valve's plan

[Elberik]

Looking into this new Steam Machine & Valve's other announcements I've come to the following conclusions:
1) If you already own a gaming PC there's no reason to buy it.
2) Valve does not intend to make exclusive titles for the Steam Machine so there's no reason to buy it.
3) When it comes out most people will already have a WiiU/Xbox1/PS4 or some combination of the 3 so there wont be any reason to buy it.

Am I wrong?

 

[synobal]

Looking into this new Steam Machine & Valve's other announcements I've come to the following conclusions:
1) If you already own a gaming PC there's no reason to buy it.
2) Valve does not intend to make exclusive titles for the Steam Machine so there's no reason to buy it.
3) When it comes out most people will already have a WiiU/Xbox1/PS4 or some combination of the 3 so there wont be any reason to buy it.

Am I wrong?

1) I own a gaming machine, I will likely either buy a streaming machine or build my own.

2) Since when has exclusives completely driven sales of any product? There are already plenty of Steam exclusives you really shouldn't think of Steam and Steam Machines as two different platforms they are one and the same.

3) I don't own, plan to own, or expect to be given a Wii, Ps4, or xbox.

At the end of the day they aren't setting out to destroy Sony and the Xbox they are expanding the PC to the livingroom, and livingroom play primarly through their new controller. Also they are attempting to make Linux the dominate gaming OS instead of Windows like it has been for ages because they are often in direct competition with microsoft and MS doesn't really do right by PC gaming more often than not.

 

[MysticSlayer]

1. This is being made for console gamers and those who can no longer afford to constantly upgrade their gaming PC. I'd imagine Valve has taken into consideration that they won't be getting much of the PC audience with this one. Maybe some people will do it, but I can't imagine they are relying on it.

2. Just because Valve is not making their own exclusives doesn't mean that the system won't have any. It just means that they won't be coming from Valve.

Not to mention, isn't it possible that Valve was simply saying they won't exclude Windows and Mac versions of their games, not that they won't have Steam exclusives regardless of the OS you use? To me, that at least seemed to be the implication, or did I miss something?

3. Why would having one of the other consoles prevent you from getting the Steam Box?

 

[Doom972]

There aren't any Steam Machines exclusives, but there are plenty of games exclusive to Steam. It's just that you can play them on any adequate PC.

These machines are intended for people new to PC gaming.

If you only buy gaming platforms because they hold certain games hostage, then yes, you have no reason to buy it.

 

[Elberik]

1) I own a gaming machine, I will likely either buy a streaming machine or build my own.

2) Since when has exclusives completely driven sales of any product? There are already plenty of Steam exclusives you really shouldn't think of Steam and Steam Machines as two different platforms they are one and the same.

3) I don't own, plan to own, or expect to be given a Wii, Ps4, or xbox.

1) but not definitely a Steam Machine
2) SteamOS is Linux so Valve could theoretically make Linux exclusive games. Exclusives don't completely drive sales but they are a factor.
3) Valve has said that this can function as a console (playing exclusively Linux-based games) but since they're not making exclusive titles there's no reason to buy it over the other consoles.

 

[Elberik]

3. Why would having one of the other consoles prevent you from getting the Steam Box?

Money. The only reason to have multiple consoles is to play exclusives. Since the Steam Box isn't coming out until 2014 most console gamers will already have made their purchase.

 

[synobal]

1) but not definitely a Steam Machine
2) SteamOS is Linux so Valve could theoretically make Linux exclusive games. Exclusives don't completely drive sales but they are a factor.
3) Valve has said that this can function as a console (playing exclusively Linux-based games) but since they're not making exclusive titles there's no reason to buy it over the other consoles.

1) Steam Machine is just a label, they are MTX form factor PC's with Steam Os installed and Valves controller. I don't see why it should matter if I go out and buy one marketed as a steam machine or make my own.

2) Exclusives, as has been argued in the past tend to hurt consoles more than help them at least in my opinion. I've never bought something just for exclusives.

3) I can think of a lot of reasons to do PC gaming over consoles. Upgradablity, openness, better software and hardware, no paying for an online service to play your games online, great steam sales, mods and that is just to name a few.

 

[MysticSlayer]

3. Why would having one of the other consoles prevent you from getting the Steam Box?

Money. The only reason to have multiple consoles is to play exclusives. Since the Steam Box isn't coming out until 2014 most console gamers will already have made their purchase.

Again, though, there is no indication that the Steam Machine will be completely devoid of any (Steam OS) exclusives, just that Valve has no intention of making those games themselves. There are still indie developers who might want to develop exclusively for Steam.

Anyways, I think the main draw of the Steam Machine is the way it approaches consoles. For starters, it links itself to Steam, which not only gives it a larger library than PS4 and the Xbone may ever have, but it also secures all purchases that occur for anyone who may jump back and forth between consoles and PCs, as buying one game for Steam on PC won't stop you from also playing it on your console if you are left with that, and vice versa. Let's face it, not everyone sticks with one or the other their whole life. It offers an open-source OS, and Valve pretty much has already told gamers to hack and modify the controller, not to mention the system itself. It also focuses almost exclusively on being a game platform, something Sony and Microsoft (especially Microsoft) seem to have forgotten. Also, given the controller, it might allow some new room for genres like the RTS genre to make a headway into consoles (can't really say until we get to try it out, though).

Ultimately, it is a different approach to the console market that offers an alternative model to the market. For console gamers who have been wanting some change in the way consoles are approached, the Steam Machine is certainly a step in the right direction.

 

[ohnoitsabear]

The thing with the Steam machines right now is that they are definitely a niche product. This might change once we get more info, but for now it seems like this is aimed at people who would rather play games in their living room on a PC than on a console, which is a limited market, although one that probably exists.

However, just because they will be starting out as a niche product doesn't mean they will always be a niche product. If they focus on securing their initial market, then they can aim to slowly expand this market by increasing support and features for the system. If Valve plays their cards right, in a few years this could be a serious contender for dominant living room platform. I'm not saying it will happen for sure. It depends on a lot of companies, not just Valve, being willing to make a long term investment into the platform. But it's possible.

 

[Miss G.]

Gonna agree with OP on this one since what I've read here seems more like points against getting it, at least for me, and since I don't feel like typing this out again I'll repost what I said in the other recent Steam Box-related thread:

As far as I can see, there's no point in me getting a Steam Box, which is basically a PC:

- all I know about VALVE is that they make games I don't play and have a service I don't use, so no brand recognition/loyalty there.

- aforementioned service (and the PC platform in general) doesn't have much of anything JRPG related to offer me, which is basically all I play. I need my exclusives. EDIT: 'exclusives' meaning my genre of choice.

- I don't care for open systems (in fact, I make sure to avoid them when possible), modding (outside of using Photoshop for digital art), building and such.

- I have never been interested in the PC as a gaming platform nor did I even think it was one before joining here, so I'm not in that demographic of 'console gamer looking to dabble in it or make the switch'.

- even if it was a viable platform for my niche gaming needs, the upfront costs are too pricey. Before anyone starts, nearly 2 years ago when I bought my new PS3 it cost me only $36 USD (would've been $21 USD if I hadn't forgotten the charger for my PSP in my home country) after trade-ins, and I highly doubt a good gaming PC will cost me so little if I bought one or paid someone to build one for me. I don't use PS+ (though that may be subject to change, but then again I only play single-player anyway, so maybe not), so I'm not paying more to use services on my PS3 than I actually paid for it, and I like being able to trade in physical disks as it means whenever I'm truly done with a console generation I can get my next gen console new for chump change.

 

[Miss G.]

Gonna agree with OP on this one since what I've read here seems more like points against getting it, at least for me, and since I don't feel like typing this out again I'll repost what I said in the other recent Steam Box-related thread:

As far as I can see, there's no point in me getting a Steam Box, which is basically a PC:

- aforementioned service (and the PC platform in general) doesn't have much of anything JRPG related to offer me, which is basically all I play. I need my exclusives.

It's thinking like this that made the console marketing a living hell for everyone. There's little point for exclusivity anyhow, the OS is free and opensource to the public.[footnote]Ergo one witted escapists, no money can be made off it[/footnote] Again, why make exclusives?

I'm not lamenting that this box has no exclusives of its own, I'm saying that my exclusives means my genre of choice (I went back to clarify this in an edit to my earlier post for future quoting) and it is not a real presence on PC/Steam, thus I'd either be buying the equivalent of a gaming ocean (games, games everywhere and not a one to play) or downloading a less than worthless (because while its free it'd be needlessly taking up space) OS to my Macbook. As far as I'm concerned, with gaming platforms its "have my genre, will buy" and any other non-JRPG exclusive like TLoU, Puppeteer or Rain is just a nice bonus. Until that changes, and possibly not even then, Sony and Nintendo will be all I buy for my hobby.

 

[Elberik]

Again, why make exclusives?

So that people will buy your console instead of the others. That's why I bought a gaming PC, so I could play RTS games.

 

[Elberik]

Again, why make exclusives?

So that people will buy your console instead of the others. That's why I bought a gaming PC, so I could play RTS games.

Congratz but the "steambox" isn't a console. What do developers/Valve have to gain by making Linux exclusives? Cheaper/short development cycles? Cop-out. By making an OS exclusive they are restricting the potential customers.

I'll just point you to Microsoft.

By default it is a console. Right out of the box it will run the SteamOS and play whatever games are coded for it (much like the Xbox runs a shell of windows). Without modding it is a console that exclusively plays Linux games. A tech-savvy consumer will be able to heavily mod and augment the machine however they want but those types of people already own a PC. Everyone else has neither the time, money, or skills to expand the machine's capabilities.

My point is: besides giving it their blessing, Valve has done nothing to make this product more appealing than what already exists.

 

[aozgolo]

One thing I as a gamer have realized is that some games are just meant to be played with a controller and others are better suited to being played with a traditional mouse and keyboard. I don't see the SteamBox as a replacement for a console or a gaming PC, it's a bridge between the gap left between them. Think of it in the same vein as handhelds, yes I know it's not portable, but handhelds fill a gap in the market for gamers on the go. In this regards, the Steambox fills a gap for gamers who don't want to have to choose between two radically different input/output methods. Their controller is something I see a lot of people overlooking the potential of. It's not just about controllers though, it also allows a user to integrate a PC Gaming experience relatively pain free into a home entertainment setup, something that while possible for PC Gamers, is hardly the most cost effective or simple to execute.

I am definitely considering a SteamBox even though I have a perfectly acceptable gaming rig, my only reservations so far are how much of my current library is compatible with this platform.

 

[allonbacuth]

Looking into this new Steam Machine & Valve's other announcements I've come to the following conclusions:
1) If you already own a gaming PC there's no reason to buy it.
2) Valve does not intend to make exclusive titles for the Steam Machine so there's no reason to buy it.
3) When it comes out most people will already have a WiiU/Xbox1/PS4 or some combination of the 3 so there wont be any reason to buy it.

Am I wrong?

1. I think it will be very useful for my living room. Being able to share and play games from my computer with a crowd is def a reason to buy it.

2. As other people have said there are steam exclusive games, and the number of games excluded from steam is shrinking.

3. You CAN own 2 consoles you know, and having the steam library is great for people that don't want to spend bank on games. Just wait until it is under 10 bucks on steam, it will be eventually.

 

[Vigormortis]

Am I wrong?

Yes, you are.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I could list a litany of reasons as to why all three of your assertions are just patently ridiculous, but I really don't want to waste my time with this topic anymore. I'm sick of having to explain the intentions behind the Steam Machines and SteamOS to people who either haven't taken the time to research it on their own (and still feel the need to make assumptions) or who have already made up their minds and are just ruffling feathers. I really am. Especially when there's a hefty, readily available, amount of info around the web covering these points.

If you looked a little deeper into what these things are and what Valve themselves have said about their intentions with them then you wouldn't be asking those questions. You might amend them to cover more relevant questions, but you wouldn't be asking them as they are now.

It might help if people stopped assuming the purpose of the SteamMachines is for them to be "Playstation/Xbox/Wii" killers.

 

[TomWiley]

Well there are certainly some issues.

How does Valve intend to become Windows-independent if the primary purpose of a Steambox is to stream Windows games from your Windows PC?

 

[ZZoMBiE13]

Looking into this new Steam Machine & Valve's other announcements I've come to the following conclusions:
1) If you already own a gaming PC there's no reason to buy it.
2) Valve does not intend to make exclusive titles for the Steam Machine so there's no reason to buy it.
3) When it comes out most people will already have a WiiU/Xbox1/PS4 or some combination of the 3 so there wont be any reason to buy it.

Am I wrong?

I can't speak for everyone, naturally, but I want one. And not in that spoiled brat "I WANT ALL THE TOYS" kind of way either. Although I am guilty of that as well, I can't deny it.

I just think Steam has become such a hub of good entertainment on my PC, why not get the best version of so many multiplatform games going on the TV, where I really prefer to game. Sure, I could do this now with my PC. But I need my PC for other things like work, I need it to be a mobile device and a tablet won't do (not yet).

So the idea of a Steam Machine sounds pretty good to me. If, as I suspect, the best version of most multiplatform titles gets the PC release, that would be ideal for me. And I'll use my X1 to play Halo and my PS4 to play InFamous and my PC for the things that I want to look the prettiest.

And the WiiU can hopefully manage to impress me at some point as well. Cause, you know... "All the toys".