10 ms·

Steam machines are an interesting inverse of the normal console where a large established company makes a standardized piece of hardware and partner with publis

by dexwiz 8y ago

Steam machines are an interesting inverse of the normal console where a large established company makes a standardized piece of hardware and partner with publishes and studios to fill out a catalog of software. Steam instead was a huge catalog of software that asked computer companies to create specialized hardware. Unfortunately their target audience also claims to be the PC Master Race. Its a bit like trying to sell Disco to the Punks.

ReptileMan 8y ago
Not at all. The whole point of steam machines and ios was to prevent Microsoft from locking and making windows walled garden. As long as windows is open there is no need for them and they exit as extremely niche alternative that could be ramped up in times of need. They arw also very big on linux gaming for the exact same reason.
SmellyGeekBoy 8y ago
Looking at the Linux gaming landscape now compared to what it was like before Steam machines the difference is night and day. Of course there is still more work to do in this area but I'd say they achieved what they set out to do - reduce Microsoft's dominance in PC gaming and create some real competition.
- pjmlp 8y ago
  Linux gaming market on Steam is around 1%, hardly anything to bother about, let alone reduce Microsoft's dominance in PC gaming. Google, Apple, Nintendo and Sony are the only ones that matter regarding PC gaming versus alternatives.
  - jnurmine 8y ago
    I play games on Linux on Steam, and I usually turn off all kinds of phone-home features and don't take part in questionnaires, this includes the Steam client, too. I guess I am not alone. Point is, the statistics might not be an exact representation of reality.
  - jchw 8y ago
    I don't think Valve's imperative was to dethrone Microsoft at all, it was to introduce alternatives to Windows, which poses an existential threat to Steam with Windows Store. To that effect, Steam coming to Mac was probably a bigger deal, but even still, I think Steam for Linux and Proton were pretty big deals. The public is watching, largely with skepticism before Steam for Linux was announced, but now there's a legitimate chance newer games, sometimes even fairly high-end games, can get released for Linux on launch - something that used to only happen for a select few games by companies that did it for fun, like Unreal Tournament or most things from iD Software. Steam also now offers me a platform where I can buy cross-platform software once and use it anywhere. I consider this to be fairly valuable, and it makes me a lot less likely to buy software on Windows Store or Mac App Store.
- rawoke083600 8y ago
  True ! Recently discovered SteamPlay - Been buying way to many games now :D
- dogma1138 8y ago
  These are utterly unrelated, the majority of Steam Machines that were sold were sold runing Windows :) The actual number of SteamOS machines that were sold was a rounding error.

by dexwiz 8y ago

ReptileMan 8y ago

Not at all. The whole point of steam machines and ios was to prevent Microsoft from locking and making windows walled garden. As long as windows is open there is no need for them and they exit as extremely niche alternative that could be ramped up in times of need. They arw also very big on linux gaming for the exact same reason.

SmellyGeekBoy 8y ago

Looking at the Linux gaming landscape now compared to what it was like before Steam machines the difference is night and day. Of course there is still more work to do in this area but I'd say they achieved what they set out to do - reduce Microsoft's dominance in PC gaming and create some real competition.

pjmlp 8y ago
Linux gaming market on Steam is around 1%, hardly anything to bother about, let alone reduce Microsoft's dominance in PC gaming. Google, Apple, Nintendo and Sony are the only ones that matter regarding PC gaming versus alternatives.
- jnurmine 8y ago
  I play games on Linux on Steam, and I usually turn off all kinds of phone-home features and don't take part in questionnaires, this includes the Steam client, too. I guess I am not alone. Point is, the statistics might not be an exact representation of reality.
- jchw 8y ago
  I don't think Valve's imperative was to dethrone Microsoft at all, it was to introduce alternatives to Windows, which poses an existential threat to Steam with Windows Store. To that effect, Steam coming to Mac was probably a bigger deal, but even still, I think Steam for Linux and Proton were pretty big deals. The public is watching, largely with skepticism before Steam for Linux was announced, but now there's a legitimate chance newer games, sometimes even fairly high-end games, can get released for Linux on launch - something that used to only happen for a select few games by companies that did it for fun, like Unreal Tournament or most things from iD Software. Steam also now offers me a platform where I can buy cross-platform software once and use it anywhere. I consider this to be fairly valuable, and it makes me a lot less likely to buy software on Windows Store or Mac App Store.
rawoke083600 8y ago
True ! Recently discovered SteamPlay - Been buying way to many games now :D
dogma1138 8y ago
These are utterly unrelated, the majority of Steam Machines that were sold were sold runing Windows :) The actual number of SteamOS machines that were sold was a rounding error.