Return of the Steam Box!

[Twig]

I hate that this is still all vaporware.

(I think you have the wrong definition of vaporware. Vaporware is announced and then never sees the light of day. This was literally just announced on Monday.)

[Erkki]

Did I get it right that the beta machines they'll ship (I signed up) will only ever be prototypes -- Valve will not become a hardware manufacturer?

[melmer]

Yeah that parts kind of unclear, if they ever do make their own steam boxes it won't be in the foreseeable future.

I wonder where the controllers are going to come from? Is that likely to be a partnership

[Ucantalas]

Well, I'm all signed up and ready for that Beta. 

[Justin Leego]

The beta machines are likely to be produced by those manufacturing partners and Valve already recommended Logitech, Razer and Microsoft game pads for Big Picture users so another partnership there wouldn't be too surprising.

 

Looking forward to Jake's Steam Machine Rating system prediction coming true.

 

 

I hate that this is still all vaporware.  If they had any significant partners, they would have said so.  By announcing a 2014 launch they also are explicitly not competing with the Sony and Microsoft launches.

 

Yeah totally, it would have been really exciting if there was the possibility of proper 2013 launches for some of this stuff. 300 prototypes among 55 million users isn't quite the same

 

Unboxing vids should be good!

[JonCole]

Can't wait to read the haikus about the Steambox.

 

But yeah, lack of an actual hardware design at the very least is disappointing. Though, if they show it any time in the next few months they'll have a leg up on traditional console counterparts.

[Twig]

Guys I don't think... I don't think "hardware design" is a thing they care about. From the sounds of it, all Steam Machines (ugh I do not like that name, haha) will be manufactured to the whims of the manufacturers themselves - none of which are Valve. I'm pretty sure it's just a combination of SteamOS and branding that creates a "Steam Machine".

[JonCole]

I get your point and I get their intention, but Steambox has box right in the name. Regardless of the fact that there will be several models from several manufacturers, it'd still be nice to see what form factors they have in mind and what the first couple models will look like.

 

Same was true for the Google TV - theoretically, the make of each box shouldn't have mattered. But the design of each box and associated remote made a big difference despite the fact that the software was supposed to be the hero. It's obviously not a 1:1 comparison, but for some reason people (including myself) care exactly what this dumb shiny black box will look like. Valve should recognize that.

[Twig]

I guess I'm just seeing a lot of people asking Valve for information, when all they're going to have is a prototype, and that's all they're EVER going to have. Like, nothing is going to be final, yet.

[JonCole]

Google nerds still talk about how they want a CR-48 prototype Chromebook that's actually good, because despite it being a prototype and despite it being bad people cared about that visual design. That's the power of a sharp looking piece of tech.

[Twig]

Nerds should chill out and stop being nerds.

[Roderick]

Signing up for that beta is like buying a bar of Willie Wonka's chocolate. A rare chance, but also exciting!

 

In retrospect, they would never have called it the Steam Box. Boxes belong to Microsoft. Machines are not yet used. Though the obvious missed chance is 'Steam Apparatus'.

[Ucantalas]

Signing up for that beta is like buying a bar of Willie Wonka's chocolate. A rare chance, but also exciting!

...if I get in the beta, I swear I will record myself singing "I've Got a Golden Ticket" and post it online. 

[Erkki]

In Estonian, Steam Machine translates to Aurumasin, and it looks something like below, so that's what I assume the form factor will be:

[darthbator]

You guys read that there was "something special" about the test machine they plan on sending out? Kinda indicates that there's some kind of feature on there they're still not quite sure about IMO. 

[Dewar]

If you're going to go as far as Steam Machine, you might as well go right to Steam Engine.

[Brannigan]

In Estonian, Steam Machine translates to Aurumasin, and it looks something like below, so that's what I assume the form factor will be:

aurumasin.jpg

So that was designed by someone who was really compensating for something right?

[brkl]

Compensating for how susceptible the driver's face is to scalding heat.

[youmeyou]

I found out the form factor, guys:

 

[Irishjohn]

I found out the form factor, guys:

 

They should actually do this. I mean, come on. I feel like many of Steam's customer base would be cool with dorkiness.

[tegan]

I want a computer that looks like a choo-choo :0

[Justin Leego]

The moving piston signifies a download in progress, the genuine puff of smoke acts as a chat notification.

[K-bohls!]

Valve appears to be continuing the trend of hardware looking like small marsupials with the Steam Controller.

[melmer]

I called touch screen!

Microsoft am cry

[Irishjohn]

Perfect for Starcraft 2, right?

 

I'm curious about those track pads. There are certain PC games that surely wouldn't work, right? Are we moving away from mouse and keyboard to a controller that can do more stuff?