15 ms·

Apple CEO Tim Cook Spotted at video game designer Valve headquarters

74 points by kessler 14y ago

lukeholder 14y ago
Also relevant: Valve has JUST started advertising for hardware jobs: http://www.valvesoftware.com/jobs/job_postings.html http://www.valvesoftware.com/jobs/job_postings.html see "injection molding" etc in job descriptions.
- windsurfer 14y ago
  It's interesting how a company known for games has basically no game developer positions open. Anyone know why?
  - freehunter 14y ago
    Maybe they already have all their positions filled?
  - teamonkey 14y ago
    Valve doesn't need to advertise for jobs. They'll find people mostly by direct applications or, more likely, personal recommendations.
    - redthrowaway 14y ago
      Precisely. Valve is the place to be if you're a game dev. There's lots of other great studios around, but none have the cachet Valve does. It would be like asking why Ferrari doesn't advertise openings for automotive engineers: there aren't any, and if they were they'd find the best through people already there.
  - deleted 14y ago
    [deleted]
- RollAHardSix 14y ago
  Not about the hardware jobs but about the Psychologist (makes perfect sense) but didn't those data analysis skills make a selective field even more selective? Or is that type of thing actually becoming more common for modern psychologists?
GiraffeNecktie 14y ago
So is a gaming platform the big Apple announcement Phillipe Starck hinted at for the fall?
- Steko 14y ago
  Presumably their new smart TV would do to consoles the same thing phones and touches have done to mobile gaming.
rollypolly 14y ago
I think that's a sign that Apple is starting to take games seriously on the desktop. It's, in part, what made the iPhone successful after all.
- roc 14y ago
  That's what many hoped when they announced their previous Mac Gaming push. But nothing much has come of that. It was likely behind Steam being ported to the Mac, so it wasn't nothing. But that move hasn't borne nearly as much fruit as one might have hoped. And the continued existence of the performance gap between OSX and win7 via bootcamp is not a good thing. Apple needs to take a much more proactive position on correcting that. Maybe the problem is with drivers, maybe it's missing frameworks, maybe it's third party developers starting with directx and not following through with an OpenGL port. Whatever it is, they ought to put more effort into correcting it.
  - sounds 14y ago
    I believe Microsoft's gaming ecosystem plays a huge part in this gap. If you develop your game in the Microsoft world, say, for XBox, almost nothing is left by the time you're done porting to Mac OS, while porting from Mac OS to Microsoft is much easier - not perfect though. I can dig up links if anyone wants them.
ck717 14y ago
I'll tell you why I think he was there: Apple wants a 30% cut of all sales on the Steam platform. Steam purchases will soon be required to go through Apple's in-app purchase system.
- lukeholder 14y ago
  More likely he will offer them a far better deal than 30%. I also think apple tv and gaming will be discussed. Also relevant: Valve has JUST started advertising for hardware jobs: http://www.valvesoftware.com/jobs/job_postings.html http://www.valvesoftware.com/jobs/job_postings.html see "injection molding" etc in job descriptions.
- taligent 14y ago
  This is just ridiculous nonsense. Everyone who actually uses a Mac knows that the App Store is completely optional and can be deleted. So I fail to see how Apple could force Steam to hand over ANY money.
  - ck717 14y ago
    Apple's got a history of changing the rules. I thought it was ridiculous nonsense when I heard that Apple was going to force Amazon to pay 30% for books purchased through their iPhone app too, yet here we are.
    - taligent 14y ago
      Well maybe you should spend more time actually knowing about the platform you're talking about. It was ALWAYS known to developers that purchases made through iOS apps would require you to pay 30% to Apple. Whether that is Amazon, New York Times or some random game.
      - ck717 14y ago
        Nope, you're absolutely, provably wrong. Amazon was selling books on the iPhone long before Apple even had an in-app purchase platform. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9209580/Apple_s_new_App_Store_rules_affect_Amazon_s_Kindle http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9209580/Apple_s_new_A...
gbookman 14y ago
Seems like Steam/Valve games would be an awesome addition to an Apple-branded television.
- taligent 14y ago
  I was thinking the same thing. The real interesting part is that the AppleTV would surely be an ARM platform and Valve are exclusively an Intel platform. Given the price point it could easily be both. I agree that being compatible with whatever hardware Valve is making would be pretty awesome.
  - Steko 14y ago
    "AppleTV would surely be an ARM platform" Battery life isn't an issue in the home and ARM can't really do full fledged ports of the most demanding and popular AAA console titles. So I'd expect an Intel chip. It could possibly have an ARM chip too but I'd guess emulation is good enough and higher profit. Alternatively they could put in a bunch of ARM chips but iOS just makes a lot more sense on paper. With an Intel chip you gain the whole iOS library and the whole OS X library. At that point the library and capabilities may be good enough to forego other console purchases for many consumers.
    - hej 14y ago
      Noise is a problem. I'm not sure whether Apple wants to compromise on that.
      - potatolicious 14y ago
        The hypothetical Apple TV also has a very generous footprint, which gives Apple a lot of playing room for thermal management. Not to mention, the current Mac Minis run dead silent with fairly speedy x86 chips.
        deleted 14y ago
        [deleted]
SODaniel 14y ago
Gabe, if you sell to Apple we will never forgive you!
Impossible 14y ago
Another interesting possibility is mobile Steam with app purchases and Appstore interoperability. It would be awesome to buy a cross platform game on Steam and get it for PC, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android all the same time. Ridiculously unlikely, I know, but I can dream.
- Lockyy 14y ago
  Mobile steam is already there so it wouldn't be a huge leap. Currently it's pointless except for the chat because, yeah I could buy that game on the go. But why?
  - kevinchen 14y ago
    I think Impossible means that we would be able to play the game on the go.
thomholwerda 14y ago
Not to be a spoilsport or anything, but is there any confirmation for this? A photograph, or at the very least a Twitter message? Something...?
iRobot 14y ago
I spotted him at McDonalds once.. Work that one in to your rumours
- redthrowaway 14y ago
  Who, Gabe or Cook? If it was Cook I don't believe you, and if it was Gabe we'll have to wait another 3 months for Ep 3.
- Steko 14y ago
  iFries, the trillion dollar idea coming to a HN front page next week.
justjimmy 14y ago
Hang on, what if Apple wants in on the console action (on top of TV) and wants to partner with Valve's Steam platform and bring Steam to consoles? And instead of just a 'video game console', it becomes the ultimate entertainment unit with all the other good stuff. Bam!
warpspeed 14y ago
My prediction is that Apple has been biding their time and preparing to dominate the console gaming market. Think about it- the iPod touch and iPhone are becoming more and more robust in terms of hardware, I don't know the benchmarks but I'd wager they're close to consoles in terms of actual power. Apple has enabled "AirPlay" through AppleTV, which allows the iPhone/iPod to stream directly to the TV. So what you have is a gaming platform that's already ubiquitous, can act as it's own controller (gyro, accelerometer, speaker, mic, vibrate, touchscreen, buttons are all built-in), and is able to stream wirelessly to any AppleTV. These devices already have a fantastic network in terms of downloading and paying for content. At this point all you need is some games to take advantage of it and you're set. OR they could just be trying to integrate Steam into their upcoming tv. My hope is for the former though.
- glhaynes 14y ago
  I think Apple has a chance of doing well and perhaps dominating the console game industry but I don't think it'll be through iPhones and iPads via AirPlay — the Apple TV already has an A5 in it with—I assume—a comparable GPU to that which drives the iPhone and iPad. Why require the battery consumption and latency of processing on a handheld? The Apple TV's only $99 and has been for many months. And iPhones and iPads don't make good controllers for lots of games, anyway. So I'd sooner bet on an updated Apple TV (or even perhaps a software update to the existing one) and a range of purchasable, button-having controllers. And it's possible that some games could be optionally- or even only-playable with iOS devices as controllers — an iPad coupled with an Apple TV seems able to do much of what a Wii U will be able to do.
- nextparadigms 14y ago
  I've been waiting and suggesting Google to turn Google TV/Android into a "console platform" and try to take over the console market the same way they did it with phones - by getting all companies to make mini-Android consoles with high-end ARM chips that have "good enough" graphics. They could've started doing this from day one of Google TV. Instead they still keep focusing only on the "TV" part. I think they will miss a huge opportunity here, and like you said Apple will probably turn it into another blockbuster success a year from now, and Google will only then scramble to catch-up and do the same. It baffles me how Google can't even get these pretty obvious "visions" sometimes. Even tablets should've been a pretty predictable market coming as a sort of upgrade from smartphones, and not how Microsoft tried to do it before with a full PC OS. I'm sure Apple had the idea for years before the iPad launch, but the first "public" suggestion for such a thing I think was Mike Arrington's idea with the Crunchpad. I think it was 2008 when he started talking about it and getting people involved. Since then I myself started thinking that I would want a "tablet" rather than a mini-laptop/netbook in many situations (couch, bed, travelling, etc). But the iPad also seems to have caught Google completely off-guard back in 2010, as it took them a full year to even release a half-baked Honeycomb OS version.
sabalaba 14y ago
Games + Augmented Reality? Apple could be looking to buy into steam for games, but they could also be working together on some Augmented Reality hardware / software.
- kevinchen 14y ago
  Apple already has Game Center on iOS (and soon OS X, with the release of Mountain Lion). And Steam's user experience on the Mac is an absolute joke -- the app is ugly and filled with serious bugs. Unless Valve starts paying attention to their OS X client, I can't see Apple supporting it anytime soon.
ary 14y ago
From: http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/valves-gabe-newell-talks-wearable-computers-rewarding-players-and-whether-w http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/valves-gabe... Quoting Gabe Newell, > Well, if we have to sell hardware we will. We have no reason to believe we’re any good at it, it’s more we think that we need to continue to have innovation and if the only way to get these kind of projects started is by us going and developing and selling the hardware directly then that’s what we’ll do. It’s definitely not the first thought that crosses our mind; we’d rather hardware people that are good at manufacturing and distributing hardware do that. Who do we know that's good at manufacturing and selling hardware? Which company has had explosive growth in the video game sector as a platform provider in the last few years? What company famously has its eye on the television market? Valve and Apple have priorities and incentives that align nicely for a partnership on a new console-like thing. They also seem very alike when it comes to design values.
- schraeds 14y ago
  Valve Box + iPhone as controller = Wii U killer.
- krashidov 14y ago
  In terms of casual gaming, the xbox 360's Kinect and Wii have already been wildly successful. One could argue that as an entertainment all in one hub, where the whole household buys casual games over the marketplace and watches TV shows and movies effortlessly, the xbox has failed. This is the device Apple and Valve might be building. Not only are they going to try and streamline the software and UX of the whole thing to be in line with Apple's standards but I think they are also going to try to make it a replacement for cable tv. This is something Sony and Microsoft have not tried to do with their consoles, which confuses me. Personally, I think Apple should just make a T.V. Apple has become such a strong brand that people will trust their hardware and software, even if the markup is somewhat outrageous.
  - ary 14y ago
    > In terms of casual gaming, the xbox 360's Kinect and Wii have already been wildly successful. One could argue that as an entertainment all in one hub, where the whole household buys casual games over the marketplace and watches TV shows and movies effortlessly, the xbox has failed. Really? http://www.everybodyplays.co.uk/feature/360/Xbox-360-now-used-for-media-more-than-games/931 http://www.everybodyplays.co.uk/feature/360/Xbox-360-now-use... Try to think of game support in Apple's vaporware console/tv-box as less of a strategy and more of a tactic.
kennywinker 14y ago
Surprised nobody has mentioned this yet: Apple is buying Valve. Creating a new "Apple Gaming" wing of the company. Valve + Steam + GameCenter + AppleTV + Steambox === AMAZING. Launches with HL3 exclusive. Like MS did with Bungie and the Xbox, only classy and aluminum. Saying this not because there is any evidence of this, but because I want this so bad. shutupandtakemymoney.png
- nitrogen 14y ago
  For the record, if Apple buys Valve, I'll never buy another Valve game again. If they make HL3 a Mac exclusive, I'll publicly burn (nonessential parts of) my paperweight of a Mac Mini in protest.
  - kennywinker 14y ago
    I was thinking HL3 Exclusive to the new Apple TV / Steambox device... but only for a month or two.. then a full pc release. I have an xbox but not an Apple TV... seems redundant as I'd mostly use the Apple TV for netflix and the Xbox already does that. If Valve releases a steambox, and Apple releases a new Apple TV I'll be in the same place I am now... But if they were the same box? Win.
    - nitrogen 14y ago
      As a consumer I am fundamentally opposed to exclusive distribution deals. Also, Valve is still primarily a PC gaming company. I neither own nor want any "console" other than my HTPC, desktop PC, and gaming laptop. If Valve ever treats PCs as second class citizens, I doubt I'll be alone in mourning (and protesting) the loss of one of the last great PC gaming giants to the Dark Side. That said, a SteamBox unadulterated by Apple's shiny poison would be cool, as long as PCs get releases on the same day.
- veemjeem 14y ago
  So if Tim Cook visits Microsoft, we can assume Apple is buying Microsoft too?
DavidAbrams 14y ago
You don't "grow" a relationship or a company, any more than you "exist" a relationship or company. You build it. You nurture it. You foster it. It grows.

74 points by kessler 14y ago

Also relevant: Valve has JUST started advertising for hardware jobs: http://www.valvesoftware.com/jobs/job_postings.html http://www.valvesoftware.com/jobs/job_postings.html see "injection molding" etc in job descriptions.

windsurfer 14y ago
It's interesting how a company known for games has basically no game developer positions open. Anyone know why?
- freehunter 14y ago
  Maybe they already have all their positions filled?
- teamonkey 14y ago
  Valve doesn't need to advertise for jobs. They'll find people mostly by direct applications or, more likely, personal recommendations.
  - redthrowaway 14y ago
    Precisely. Valve is the place to be if you're a game dev. There's lots of other great studios around, but none have the cachet Valve does. It would be like asking why Ferrari doesn't advertise openings for automotive engineers: there aren't any, and if they were they'd find the best through people already there.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
RollAHardSix 14y ago
Not about the hardware jobs but about the Psychologist (makes perfect sense) but didn't those data analysis skills make a selective field even more selective? Or is that type of thing actually becoming more common for modern psychologists?

GiraffeNecktie 14y ago

So is a gaming platform the big Apple announcement Phillipe Starck hinted at for the fall?

Steko 14y ago
Presumably their new smart TV would do to consoles the same thing phones and touches have done to mobile gaming.

rollypolly 14y ago

I think that's a sign that Apple is starting to take games seriously on the desktop. It's, in part, what made the iPhone successful after all.

roc 14y ago
That's what many hoped when they announced their previous Mac Gaming push. But nothing much has come of that. It was likely behind Steam being ported to the Mac, so it wasn't nothing. But that move hasn't borne nearly as much fruit as one might have hoped. And the continued existence of the performance gap between OSX and win7 via bootcamp is not a good thing. Apple needs to take a much more proactive position on correcting that. Maybe the problem is with drivers, maybe it's missing frameworks, maybe it's third party developers starting with directx and not following through with an OpenGL port. Whatever it is, they ought to put more effort into correcting it.
- sounds 14y ago
  I believe Microsoft's gaming ecosystem plays a huge part in this gap. If you develop your game in the Microsoft world, say, for XBox, almost nothing is left by the time you're done porting to Mac OS, while porting from Mac OS to Microsoft is much easier - not perfect though. I can dig up links if anyone wants them.

ck717 14y ago

I'll tell you why I think he was there: Apple wants a 30% cut of all sales on the Steam platform. Steam purchases will soon be required to go through Apple's in-app purchase system.

lukeholder 14y ago
More likely he will offer them a far better deal than 30%. I also think apple tv and gaming will be discussed. Also relevant: Valve has JUST started advertising for hardware jobs: http://www.valvesoftware.com/jobs/job_postings.html http://www.valvesoftware.com/jobs/job_postings.html see "injection molding" etc in job descriptions.
taligent 14y ago
This is just ridiculous nonsense. Everyone who actually uses a Mac knows that the App Store is completely optional and can be deleted. So I fail to see how Apple could force Steam to hand over ANY money.
- ck717 14y ago
  Apple's got a history of changing the rules. I thought it was ridiculous nonsense when I heard that Apple was going to force Amazon to pay 30% for books purchased through their iPhone app too, yet here we are.
  - taligent 14y ago
    Well maybe you should spend more time actually knowing about the platform you're talking about. It was ALWAYS known to developers that purchases made through iOS apps would require you to pay 30% to Apple. Whether that is Amazon, New York Times or some random game.
    - ck717 14y ago
      Nope, you're absolutely, provably wrong. Amazon was selling books on the iPhone long before Apple even had an in-app purchase platform. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9209580/Apple_s_new_App_Store_rules_affect_Amazon_s_Kindle http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9209580/Apple_s_new_A...

gbookman 14y ago

Seems like Steam/Valve games would be an awesome addition to an Apple-branded television.

taligent 14y ago
I was thinking the same thing. The real interesting part is that the AppleTV would surely be an ARM platform and Valve are exclusively an Intel platform. Given the price point it could easily be both. I agree that being compatible with whatever hardware Valve is making would be pretty awesome.
- Steko 14y ago
  "AppleTV would surely be an ARM platform" Battery life isn't an issue in the home and ARM can't really do full fledged ports of the most demanding and popular AAA console titles. So I'd expect an Intel chip. It could possibly have an ARM chip too but I'd guess emulation is good enough and higher profit. Alternatively they could put in a bunch of ARM chips but iOS just makes a lot more sense on paper. With an Intel chip you gain the whole iOS library and the whole OS X library. At that point the library and capabilities may be good enough to forego other console purchases for many consumers.
  - hej 14y ago
    Noise is a problem. I'm not sure whether Apple wants to compromise on that.
    - potatolicious 14y ago
      The hypothetical Apple TV also has a very generous footprint, which gives Apple a lot of playing room for thermal management. Not to mention, the current Mac Minis run dead silent with fairly speedy x86 chips.
      - deleted 14y ago
        [deleted]

SODaniel 14y ago

Gabe, if you sell to Apple we will never forgive you!

Impossible 14y ago

Another interesting possibility is mobile Steam with app purchases and Appstore interoperability. It would be awesome to buy a cross platform game on Steam and get it for PC, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android all the same time. Ridiculously unlikely, I know, but I can dream.

Lockyy 14y ago
Mobile steam is already there so it wouldn't be a huge leap. Currently it's pointless except for the chat because, yeah I could buy that game on the go. But why?
- kevinchen 14y ago
  I think Impossible means that we would be able to play the game on the go.

thomholwerda 14y ago

Not to be a spoilsport or anything, but is there any confirmation for this? A photograph, or at the very least a Twitter message? Something...?

iRobot 14y ago

I spotted him at McDonalds once.. Work that one in to your rumours

redthrowaway 14y ago
Who, Gabe or Cook? If it was Cook I don't believe you, and if it was Gabe we'll have to wait another 3 months for Ep 3.
Steko 14y ago
iFries, the trillion dollar idea coming to a HN front page next week.

justjimmy 14y ago

Hang on, what if Apple wants in on the console action (on top of TV) and wants to partner with Valve's Steam platform and bring Steam to consoles? And instead of just a 'video game console', it becomes the ultimate entertainment unit with all the other good stuff. Bam!

warpspeed 14y ago

My prediction is that Apple has been biding their time and preparing to dominate the console gaming market. Think about it- the iPod touch and iPhone are becoming more and more robust in terms of hardware, I don't know the benchmarks but I'd wager they're close to consoles in terms of actual power. Apple has enabled "AirPlay" through AppleTV, which allows the iPhone/iPod to stream directly to the TV. So what you have is a gaming platform that's already ubiquitous, can act as it's own controller (gyro, accelerometer, speaker, mic, vibrate, touchscreen, buttons are all built-in), and is able to stream wirelessly to any AppleTV. These devices already have a fantastic network in terms of downloading and paying for content. At this point all you need is some games to take advantage of it and you're set. OR they could just be trying to integrate Steam into their upcoming tv. My hope is for the former though.

glhaynes 14y ago
I think Apple has a chance of doing well and perhaps dominating the console game industry but I don't think it'll be through iPhones and iPads via AirPlay — the Apple TV already has an A5 in it with—I assume—a comparable GPU to that which drives the iPhone and iPad. Why require the battery consumption and latency of processing on a handheld? The Apple TV's only $99 and has been for many months. And iPhones and iPads don't make good controllers for lots of games, anyway. So I'd sooner bet on an updated Apple TV (or even perhaps a software update to the existing one) and a range of purchasable, button-having controllers. And it's possible that some games could be optionally- or even only-playable with iOS devices as controllers — an iPad coupled with an Apple TV seems able to do much of what a Wii U will be able to do.
nextparadigms 14y ago
I've been waiting and suggesting Google to turn Google TV/Android into a "console platform" and try to take over the console market the same way they did it with phones - by getting all companies to make mini-Android consoles with high-end ARM chips that have "good enough" graphics. They could've started doing this from day one of Google TV. Instead they still keep focusing only on the "TV" part. I think they will miss a huge opportunity here, and like you said Apple will probably turn it into another blockbuster success a year from now, and Google will only then scramble to catch-up and do the same. It baffles me how Google can't even get these pretty obvious "visions" sometimes. Even tablets should've been a pretty predictable market coming as a sort of upgrade from smartphones, and not how Microsoft tried to do it before with a full PC OS. I'm sure Apple had the idea for years before the iPad launch, but the first "public" suggestion for such a thing I think was Mike Arrington's idea with the Crunchpad. I think it was 2008 when he started talking about it and getting people involved. Since then I myself started thinking that I would want a "tablet" rather than a mini-laptop/netbook in many situations (couch, bed, travelling, etc). But the iPad also seems to have caught Google completely off-guard back in 2010, as it took them a full year to even release a half-baked Honeycomb OS version.

sabalaba 14y ago

Games + Augmented Reality? Apple could be looking to buy into steam for games, but they could also be working together on some Augmented Reality hardware / software.

kevinchen 14y ago
Apple already has Game Center on iOS (and soon OS X, with the release of Mountain Lion). And Steam's user experience on the Mac is an absolute joke -- the app is ugly and filled with serious bugs. Unless Valve starts paying attention to their OS X client, I can't see Apple supporting it anytime soon.

ary 14y ago

From: http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/valves-gabe-newell-talks-wearable-computers-rewarding-players-and-whether-w http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/valves-gabe... Quoting Gabe Newell, > Well, if we have to sell hardware we will. We have no reason to believe we’re any good at it, it’s more we think that we need to continue to have innovation and if the only way to get these kind of projects started is by us going and developing and selling the hardware directly then that’s what we’ll do. It’s definitely not the first thought that crosses our mind; we’d rather hardware people that are good at manufacturing and distributing hardware do that. Who do we know that's good at manufacturing and selling hardware? Which company has had explosive growth in the video game sector as a platform provider in the last few years? What company famously has its eye on the television market? Valve and Apple have priorities and incentives that align nicely for a partnership on a new console-like thing. They also seem very alike when it comes to design values.

schraeds 14y ago
Valve Box + iPhone as controller = Wii U killer.
krashidov 14y ago
In terms of casual gaming, the xbox 360's Kinect and Wii have already been wildly successful. One could argue that as an entertainment all in one hub, where the whole household buys casual games over the marketplace and watches TV shows and movies effortlessly, the xbox has failed. This is the device Apple and Valve might be building. Not only are they going to try and streamline the software and UX of the whole thing to be in line with Apple's standards but I think they are also going to try to make it a replacement for cable tv. This is something Sony and Microsoft have not tried to do with their consoles, which confuses me. Personally, I think Apple should just make a T.V. Apple has become such a strong brand that people will trust their hardware and software, even if the markup is somewhat outrageous.
- ary 14y ago
  > In terms of casual gaming, the xbox 360's Kinect and Wii have already been wildly successful. One could argue that as an entertainment all in one hub, where the whole household buys casual games over the marketplace and watches TV shows and movies effortlessly, the xbox has failed. Really? http://www.everybodyplays.co.uk/feature/360/Xbox-360-now-used-for-media-more-than-games/931 http://www.everybodyplays.co.uk/feature/360/Xbox-360-now-use... Try to think of game support in Apple's vaporware console/tv-box as less of a strategy and more of a tactic.

kennywinker 14y ago

Surprised nobody has mentioned this yet: Apple is buying Valve. Creating a new "Apple Gaming" wing of the company. Valve + Steam + GameCenter + AppleTV + Steambox === AMAZING. Launches with HL3 exclusive. Like MS did with Bungie and the Xbox, only classy and aluminum. Saying this not because there is any evidence of this, but because I want this so bad. shutupandtakemymoney.png

nitrogen 14y ago
For the record, if Apple buys Valve, I'll never buy another Valve game again. If they make HL3 a Mac exclusive, I'll publicly burn (nonessential parts of) my paperweight of a Mac Mini in protest.
- kennywinker 14y ago
  I was thinking HL3 Exclusive to the new Apple TV / Steambox device... but only for a month or two.. then a full pc release. I have an xbox but not an Apple TV... seems redundant as I'd mostly use the Apple TV for netflix and the Xbox already does that. If Valve releases a steambox, and Apple releases a new Apple TV I'll be in the same place I am now... But if they were the same box? Win.
  - nitrogen 14y ago
    As a consumer I am fundamentally opposed to exclusive distribution deals. Also, Valve is still primarily a PC gaming company. I neither own nor want any "console" other than my HTPC, desktop PC, and gaming laptop. If Valve ever treats PCs as second class citizens, I doubt I'll be alone in mourning (and protesting) the loss of one of the last great PC gaming giants to the Dark Side. That said, a SteamBox unadulterated by Apple's shiny poison would be cool, as long as PCs get releases on the same day.
veemjeem 14y ago
So if Tim Cook visits Microsoft, we can assume Apple is buying Microsoft too?

DavidAbrams 14y ago

You don't "grow" a relationship or a company, any more than you "exist" a relationship or company. You build it. You nurture it. You foster it. It grows.