Valve is making 3 big announcments

[dinocorpshunter4]

Valve is making 3 big announcments

http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/
Today they announced a Linux-based Steam OS system for the living room. Obviously Steam box will be next. Hopefully HL3 will be the last one. There next announcement is Wednesday.
In other news many people are talking about how Steam box will destroy PS4. Me on the other hand PS4+ Steam box= *head explodes*
How do yall think it will turn out?

 

[chriswebb2020.736]

http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/
Today they announced a Linux-based Steam OS system for the living room. Obviously Steam box will be next. Hopefully HL3 will be the last one. There next announcement is Wednesday.
In other news many people are talking about how Steam box will destroy PS4. Me on the other hand PS4+ Steam box= *head explodes*
How do yall think it will turn out?

The way they have laid out the 'announcement' symbols says to me that the thirsd aand final reveal is heavily tied to whatever the second one is. My guess is the following:

[ 0 ] SteamOS
[ 0 ] SteamBox
[ 0+0 ] You will be able to link SteamBoxes into more powerful SteamBox creations, like Zords...

...no HL3 for any of you!

 

[Garrison72]

Interesting development. I'll stick with a conventional PC, because it's still an open platform. Not a fan of clients or DRM.

 

[227]

What I hope will happen is that the PS4, Xbox One, and anti-Steam PC bases will merge into a glorious union of anti-Steam zealotry once the Steam Box becomes living-room competition, finally succeeding at beating down what's basically been a tolerated tumor on PC gaming all these years. What will probably happen is that Steam's fanatical fans will refuse to allow them to fail while most rational people who don't willingly gravitate to DRM ignore the whole thing.

Anyway, I thoroughly look forward to the proclamation from Steam's cult that the Steam Box and Steam OS saved console gaming.

 

[username_3688833]

All I can say is that I'm not a fan of DRM, yet I like Steam... All the issues I have with DRM (things like always online requirements and generalized Big Brother watching me stuff) are either notably absent, or hidden well enough for me to ignore at present. Beyond those three scary letters, I've yet to have anyone justify hating Steam. People who do seem to think saying DRM is an automatic EVIL stamp, yet all they've done is make sure I didn't lose my saves when my hard drive died.

 

[227]

Beyond those three scary letters, I've yet to have anyone justify hating Steam. People who do seem to think saying DRM is an automatic EVIL stamp, yet all they've done is make sure I didn't lose my saves when my hard drive died.

Here you go, friendo: link

Steam is like some random dude telling you that you're only allowed to have sex with your wife if he makes a circle with his hands that you have to stick your stuff through. Sure, he says that he'll stay out of your way so that you probably won't even feel it. Sure, maybe you're totally okay with the idea of someone else in the bedroom. That's not the point, though. The point is that it's forced on you without having to justify its own existence for those who don't need it.

 

[Sardukhar]

That's a glitch, like any other. Annoying but not an intended result of the service. I get much more annoyed by that re-installing Redistributable it likes to do when starting up a game.

In comparison, I lose the Net all the time, ( as my CP2020 fellow players will attest) and Steam seamlessly switches to offline mode. No problem.

It is not forced on you any more than any other part of a software package the developer nails you with. Intro logos. CD keys. Swapping discs. Three login and logout screens just to get back to where you were in the game, ugh.

It's pretty rare to need video games. As far as an entertainment accessory, I'm generally pleased with Steam's function. Otherwise, I'd opt out and my life would be...a little poorer, but not much.

And I'd have to replay games I wiped rather load up the cloud save. Which is nice.

 

[227]

That's a glitch, like any other. Annoying but not an intended result of the service.

That's the thing, though—when a glitch can keep me from playing a game (assuming I can't get online, like, say, a sudden river made my internet spotty), it stops being a service and starts being a nuisance, especially given how often Steam breaks for me. If they can't even fix offline mode to the point where it's fixed for everyone at once, what business do they have trying to break into new markets?

Reminds me of how Windows is going all-in on mobile devices. You'd think it'd be common sense to fix what's wrong with your main product before focusing on something else.

 

[Sardukhar]

Yeah, I wish it was so. The classic example used is the buying-a-car. Imagine buying your car, you take it home and try to get out of the car. Only the door lock doesn't work. You have to call the manufacturer! Or look on the internet. The manufacturer tells you it's a problem with your driveway - nothing they can do, sorry. Or, that happens on some models and they are working on a patch! can you wait two weeks? The GOOD news is, it works for most everyone else!

It amazes me what we let software companies get away with. After we paid for it too and, even better, can not typically return it.

So it might be common sense to fix what's wrong before expanding, but not common market sense, apparently.

Now, try to be happy that Steam works fine for me! See, doesn't that feel better?

 

[227]

Now, try to be happy that Steam works fine for me! See, doesn't that feel better?

The thing about the car is that you could just smash the window to get out. I wish Steam had a window I could smash. It'd probably be illegal to smash Gabe's windows, huh? It's so stupid; if they just fixed offline mode for good and made it possible to back up games so that they didn't depend on Steam to verify and all of that DRM stuff, then I'd be totally pro-Steam. Maybe even fanatical, foaming at the mouth and everything. Steam's DRM has never, ever worked to stop piracy anyway, so it doesn't seem like that large of a leap.

 

[dragonbird]

If they can't even fix offline mode to the point where it's fixed for everyone at once, what business do they have trying to break into new markets?

So when did you last try a random offline mode connection? I'm sure I've told you at least three times that it was fixed months ago. Are you still having problems, or do you just never listen to me ?

Anyway, I'll stick with my trusty PC, but I'm pleased to see more competition.

 

[227]

I'm sure I've told you at least three times that it was fixed months ago. Are you still having problems, or do you just never listen to me ?

Both? Or neither?

It still randomly breaks. Offline mode works a little more frequently than it used to, but updates seem to alternate between destroying it and fixing it. My favorite bug is when I try to start a game offline and the window comes up that usually has a little "start in offline mode" button, only that button is conspicuously missing. Not even sure how that's possibly a bug, but I'm choosing to let it go.

Steam has been working for me this week, fortunately. I'm just not too thrilled about having to hope that internet outages and random Steam bugs don't end up overlapping. It's just too much trouble for an unnecessary middleman to cause for me to give it a free pass.

 

[Sardukhar]

DEFINITELY your drive-way. You should get that re-paved as soon as possible.

You can smash the window, but that's illegal - littering. And since you don't own your new car, only lease it, it's vandalism. Don't worry, though, it's not likely you'll be prosecuted. Don't do it, though, it's wrong!

Honestly, though, it sounds like a pretty rare issue. Gotta say, that's software. The tenth time you've had your new game crash during the non-optional cinematic, well. Well, it still sucks, but at least you're kind of used to it?

 

[Aditya]

I must be fortunate, then Steam hasn't given me any problem or annoying bug whatsoever in a long time. And offline works without a problem too, which is important for me since my internet is crap as fuck here.
I just hope the steam client gets an overhaul, about dam time something is done on it.

 

[username_3688833]

Here you go, friendo: link

Steam is like some random dude telling you that you're only allowed to have sex with your wife if he makes a circle with his hands that you have to stick your stuff through. Sure, he says that he'll stay out of your way so that you probably won't even feel it. Sure, maybe you're totally okay with the idea of someone else in the bedroom. That's not the point, though. The point is that it's forced on you without having to justify its own existence for those who don't need it.

Never had it happen to me, not once. Besides, everything ships with some kind of bullshit halfbaked asshat DRM nowadays, but at least with steam I only have to learn one password, one username, and everything is there. I can't even play my Batman Arkham City that I bought on preorder, because I changed my email address, prior to a hard drive meltdown, and I don't recall the ridiculous username that Games For Windows assigned me. That's the one AAA game I bought in the last 2 years outside of Steam, and the only one I can't play after the meltdown. Just don't see it as Evil, and even if it is, it's by far the lesser of all of them...

 

[227]

Just don't see it as Evil, and even if it is, it's by far the lesser of all of them...

Yeah, and I don't begrudge people for liking it, because it obviously has a lot of benefits for some. Ultimately, bugginess and all that aside, my main problem with Steam is that I had it forced on me against my will; the games I wanted were basically used as hostages in order to get me signed up with some program I didn't want or need in any way.

I mean, I chose to start using GOG and Amazon and GamersGate and all of those sites, so I can tolerate their flaws. Steam, on the other hand, is just an obstacle that jumped out in front of my gaming experience one day like a suicidal deer made out of spikes and unhappiness. Maybe it's the lesser of the evils, but always tolerating the lesser evil still means that things get progressively more evil. It's just a slightly slower descent into increasingly awful things. Besides, those "greater evil" services exist in the first place because they were trying to copy Steam.

The tenth time you've had your new game crash during the non-optional cinematic, well. Well, it still sucks, but at least you're kind of used to it?

A lot of times you can get past cutscene problems by finding the cutscene in question and replacing it with a blank text file named exactly the same, file format and all. Or were you making a point? Not sure. A lot of problems have solutions beyond "wait for someone else to fix it," except in cases of client-based stuff (and maybe MMOs, which I never touch because grindy evil is the least appetizing flavor of evil).

 

[cycoholic]

I hope the third announcement is for HL3.

My main issue with Steam (and the other 3rd party style game programs (even if inhouse like uPlay for Ubisoft), was way, way back in the day it took space that I often didn't have, so I'd have to install two games to install one new one (and the required additional program). Ok so these days it's less of a problem. But like 227, I've had times when I can't play a game because it requires you to be online, and Steam can't connect and wouldn't let me play off line.

But here's my main issue these days with Steam. You buy a new game (and here I'm talking an actual 'hard copy' from a store), and there's an update/patch. It starts downloading said patch. If I'm lucky, or the games is pretty damn new, the patch isn't huge. Then I may be able to play in an hour or two. But if the games has been around for a while.. it could be a huge patch. I've had games requiring a two gig patch. For me, that can take days, even a week, to download.

That, doesn't make me a happy camper.

 

[Deadbolt_Don]

I hope the third announcement is for HL3.

The giddy hopeful inside me says new consoles need launch titles....

But here's my main issue these days with Steam. You buy a new game (and here I'm talking an actual 'hard copy' from a store), and there's an update/patch. It starts downloading said patch. If I'm lucky, or the games is pretty damn new, the patch isn't huge. Then I may be able to play in an hour or two. But if the games has been around for a while.. it could be a huge patch. I've had games requiring a two gig patch. For me, that can take days, even a week, to download.

There's prolly a way to disable automatic patching, I'm too lazy to look it up for you though.

I used to think all steam did was get in my way, which is why I started using GOG. Over time though I really got tired of having to have double hard drive space needed just to install one game. For true good OLD games its no biggie, but for newer titles like the Witcher, which need 8+ gigs of hard drive space to install, I need 16 GB free in order to complete the installation process. With steam, the newer titles are less of an issue, because the installation process only uses the amount of hard drive space needed to run the game.

For me, mostly everything under 3 Gigs I try to buy from GOG, Gamersgate, or elsewhere.

Everything else is on steam.

 

[thewarsend]

If the third one is not HL3, i will be upset.. If it is HL3 and it is also a SteamBox exclusive, i will be REALLY upset..

 

[Deadbolt_Don]

If the third one is not HL3, i will be upset.. If it is HL3 and it is also a SteamBox exclusive, i will be REALLY upset..

The only way I see that happening is if Valve has duped us into thinking Steambox is a console when it is actually a hardware based version of HL3. Like a giant NES cartridge.