Valve Introduces SteamOS

[Darth_Kaar]

The next logic step is to present a platform that will work under SteamOS. I must say I'm preatty excited about the entire idea.

 

[IAmVortigaunt]

WHERE IS HALF LIFE 3????

 

[Neve12ende12]

So is the end goal that I don't have to be in the same room as my computer when I want to play a computer game? If so, I don't really see the point.

 

[1991ATServerTower]

"stripped down operating system"

Nah, with Linux and BSD, it's actually the other way around. You can start from nothing and add only the parts you actually want, without ever breaking anything or missing something important. I did that for years with Slackware. It's amazing how small, fast, and functional you can make a Linux system.

These days I use Mint, because I am old and lazy.

 

[oxiide]

I think this sounds great, but Microsoft remains the worrying 800 lb gorilla in the room via DirectX. I'm not sure how or if SteamOS will get around that, but I certainly hope they do.

 

[CheesyHotDogPuff]

So that's why there's been almost nothing as of late...

 

[damric]

This will be perfect for my new htpc, and saves me $ spent on yet another windows key. With the streaming, the whole htpc can be built much cheaper, since my main pc can do the rendering.

 

[benbrockn]

So.... the big question is... Will I be able to dual-boot it with Win 7?

 

[Dr_JRE]

Is this the dawning of a new era?
Will opening a Linux floodgate help or hurt the economy?
Theres no way to put the genie back in the bottle but this seems like a wish come true!

 

[Dr_JRE]

@ Oxiide:
They've got a compile-time D3D9 to OGl layer. There's a native D3D9 traker in mesa and a D3D10/11 one in the works. (not mainline mesa however)

 

[urbanman2004]

this good news alongside with the discontinued GFWL bs.

 

[Bloob]

The thing is, the majority of games won't work on this SteamOS. Unless the games work on Linux, they won't work on it. So we'll still need to wait and see if major titles get ported to Linux. As of now, very few games are on OSX, let alone Linux.

I am sure, Valve, being a game company, will streamline things like audio and network access to make it as easy as possible for developers to utilize. Many commercial engines already support OpenGL. If their efforts are GPL or similar then we will likely see them on other Linux platforms as well. I still fear that the hold Windows has on consumers is too strong for SteamOS to survive, unless they can do hardware to rival the coming consoles and convince AAA developers as well as indies to give it a shot (unified hardware goes a long way to get dev support).

 

[fixxxer113]

If I wanted a dedicated box for gaming AND ONLY GAMING I would not build a PC.

I don't think that was the intention. The fact that the PC will stream games to TVs doesn't mean it will be locked down. Consider also the rate at wich processing power is climbing, especially on GPUs. Soon you will be able to have 1-2 people playing games on TVs, while you work on your PC in another room.

 

[lpedraja2002]

The thing is, the majority of games won't work on this SteamOS. Unless the games work on Linux, they won't work on it. So we'll still need to wait and see if major titles get ported to Linux. As of now, very few games are on OSX, let alone Linux.

Well if the solution of streaming from the main gaming PC works all fine and dandy then yes all games will work on this thing. The question though, at least for me, is what devices will support this OS? If it works on ROKU then praise be Valve since that's the only peripheral with internet access on my living room, as I don't have a smart tv nor smart blu-ray player.

I guess we'll have to wait untll the other 2 announcements are made.

 

[impreza]

cool but what games will work?

 

[ubercake]

""Game developers are already taking advantage of these gains as they target SteamOS for their new releases.""

Which game developers? Only Indie? Or are some of the big boys actually developing for this?

 

[ap3x]

This is pretty sick actually. Streaming games over? If this really works I will build a new machine just for this and use my other machine for work.

 

[maddogfargo]

Glad to see Valve recognizing the potential, taking the risk, and using good practices in this endeavor.

If Steam OS works well, plays my games and media, and saves me from the expense of buying yet another windows license...I'll be using it.

 

[quotas47]

If they can just make it compatible with the game library, I'd dedicate a gaming machine with this in a heartbeat.

 

[stevejnb]

Neat idea, and I particularly like the streaming option, but... I won't feel good about something like this until Steam has a real competitor on the PC digital download front. With consoles, you know what you're getting into. MS is the only game in town on the XBOX, Sony for the PS, etc etc. With the PC, games come from everywhere physical copies, digital downloads from multiple sources, web games. It's an open system and no-one publisher/provider is running the show. Frankly, I worry about Steam changing this.

With physical media on a slow but steady decline and multiple major competitors floundering in light of Steam's success, are we far off from Steam being the only real show in town for digital downloads of major games? Everyone will probably say "well that's wonderful - I LOVE Steam!" now, when they have competition, but what happens if/when there are only a few token services fighting over 20% or less of digital downloads with almost all major releases coming on Steam? Then, what happens if you don't like Steam, or Steam changes policies, or Steam puts in a monthly subscription, or or or or... At that point, what happens to the "free" nature of PCs as we know them now if you're a gamer?

Frankly, I like MS, but I do not like that they are the only OS show in town for the desktop - I mean, what happens if they take this Metro philosophy (which I like as a hybrid) too far and really do away with the desktop and they are still the only OS show in town? I'm looking forward to future Android versions offering some (hopefully) genuine competition for primary computer OS's. What I would hope people who *hate* MS's OS monopoly are aware of is, we are in danger of other such situations arising in multiple facets of computing at the moment. Mobile OS's being locked into Android with no real competition, there being a clear controller of PC digital downloads.. These are not good things, even if they are services we liked. People LOVED Windows a ways back when it got us out of DOS - but when the bloom was off the rose, people realized "hey, I don't like this and this and this about it" and found they had no other option. Is this something we want in the future of game digital downloads?

On a side note, the most recent numbers I've seen were from 2011, and my whole above post may well be "the sky is falling" talk. Have the numbers swayed more heavily in favour of Steam domination, or less so? I know Amazon was a potential up and comer, and the Windows Store and Google Play potentially change the dynamic, but I'm still concerned. A veritable monopoly of digital downloads is NOT something any of us should want.

 

[Murissokah]

As long as they can get AMD and Nvidia in the boat, it might be very successful. I do believe leaving DirectX altoghether won't be an easy matter, but if there's a company out there with enough leverage to drive the gaming market, it is Valve.

 

[back_by_demand]

I like the idea of streaming the games inside your house, the big-ass powerful PC sits in the study and I bootup the HTPC and stream a game onto the TV, no need for a big ass PC in the living room

 

[newfolder7]

That streaming could come in handy allowing for the console to compete at a similar price

 

[sanctoon]

I hope it's Arch based and not Debian/Ubuntu, won't matter to much in the big scheme of things, it's just my preference.

 

[bscarp]

This could be really useful if there is any performance gain from using it instead of windows.