News

Valve betting on rise of 'living-room PCs', Steam's Big Picture for Linux
Posted: 10.12.2012 13:51 by Simon Priest Comments: 51
Gabe Newell (that's GaBE, not GaRRY) is steering Valve and Steam in the direction of PCs taking root in the living-room, edging out those pretentious consoles and their fixed hardware.

To this end Big Picture will be expanding to Steam's Linux client, which remains in beta for now. Newell also believes manufacturers in 2013 will start selling 'living-room PCs'.

This means that before the next generation of console platforms has even arrived on the scene, the personal computer has already stolen the spotlight for highest end tech.

Steam's Big Picture mode, which makes the PC Steam library TV and controller pad friendly for living-room environments, is also enjoying "stronger than expected" reactions from users. In fact Steam has reclassified titles on their digital platform as only having 'partial' PC pad support if they don't work with Big Picture.

PC packages for the living-room are going to start flooding the market by next year, reckons Gabe Newell. "I think in general that most customers and most developers are gonna find that its a better environment for them," said Newell, referring to PCs. "Cause they won't have to split the world into thinking about 'why are my friends in the living room, why are my video sources in the living room different from everyone else?'"

"So in a sense we hopefully are gonna unify those environments." That's right, Valve want to tear down the Berlin Wall of living-room entertainment. For too long have consoles been talking smack about PCs, and now it’s time for them to get schooled. Valve is seriously looking into their own line of PC hardware with Steam pre-installed, ready to go.

"We'll do it but we also think other people will as well," Newell told Kotaku, although their own designs will not be as 'open' as the typical PC. "Well certainly our hardware will be a very controlled environment," he said. "If you want more flexibility, you can always buy a more general purpose PC. For people who want a more turnkey solution, that's what some people are really gonna want for their living room." This is about reclaiming PC as the 'go to' for all entertainment.

"The nice thing about a PC is a lot of different people can try out different solutions, and customers can find the ones that work best for them," continued the Valve chieftain.
Source: Kotaku

Browse Polls   

POLL:

Would you welcome a PC into the living-room for games, movies and the like? 36 votes

Yes, they can do a lot more for us

VOTE

No, PC has no place in being there

VOTE

I have a PC in the living-room now

VOTE

Comments

By SiyaenSokol (SI Elite) on Dec 10, 2012
SiyaenSokol
I think that this is an awesome idea.
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Dec 10, 2012
nocutius
Now I just need a living room :)

But yea this is an acceptable move as long as this doesnt mean that PC games are going to be less mouse/keyboard friendly from now on and in effect making the PC a console.
By SirRoderick (SI Elite) on Dec 10, 2012
SirRoderick
I already use my PC for all movies and television, so no big change there ^^
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Dec 10, 2012
herodotus
Best to keep them seperate. Lazy gamers and console sloths play on lounges/divans/settee's. Real gamers sit upright in executive chairs, with armrests shouting commands to an imaginary crew and steering the starship PC in unknown territories...
To boldy go.....
By SirRoderick (SI Elite) on Dec 10, 2012
SirRoderick
well I watch movies in said chair of course :P
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Dec 10, 2012
herodotus
And so you should.
By lichlord (SI Core) on Dec 10, 2012
lichlord
im in the living room 2 meters from the TV on my desk... never decided to use the TV to game or watch movies tho i like my screen upclose and more personal better to concetrate and game on

and this has been so my entire life lol so whats new?
By SirRoderick (SI Elite) on Dec 10, 2012
SirRoderick
Only time I use that couch is if I got company over, much more comfy then that chair :P
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Dec 10, 2012
herodotus
Depends on what position you're after. Amazing what you can get up to in a chair, or better yet a tabletop. With the PC on a desk and sitting in a chair you have the best of both worlds:)
By DAmicoThunder (SI Core Veteran) on Dec 10, 2012
DAmicoThunder
That is about the only way I do it. Except when I'm watching anime (or movies and whatnot) or tired as fuck. Only then do I use my laptop in my bed.
For the former, it's just chilling next to me. For the latter, it's resting on my legs. Though, I've heard that causes some kind of cancer-related paralysis or something. Then again, you can get cancer by walking down the street, if about 90% of the internet is to be believed.
By lichlord (SI Core) on Dec 10, 2012
lichlord
i refrain reading sh*t like that if anything is true you can die any damn second really doesn't matter by what or who just enjoy what time you have instead of worrying about living long... because a long life doesn't lead always to happiness if you ask me
By DAmicoThunder (SI Core Veteran) on Dec 10, 2012
DAmicoThunder
I agree most seriously and I will vehemently defend my point.
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Dec 11, 2012
herodotus
Cancer only if you're using your smartphone at the same time, though I do suspect Lithium batteries might be quite harmful to the nether regions (scoff all you want Lich, but it'll concern you one day:P)
Well my desk is not far from my bed so this worn out old gamer has little distance to travel.
It all depends where you sit on the following scale (I'm edging to the far right, but not quite yet):
http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/6813/stagesoflife.jpg
By lichlord (SI Core) on Dec 11, 2012
lichlord
oh ive worked for my apprenticeship in an retirement home for awhile back when i was studying healthcare ive seen a range of people dement,paralyzed,Coma...
(tho i can't do it anymore due to back complaints already! when im 19...)

i saw and experienced quite a few things already hero so don't complain about being wornout just yet :P
and i believe what i said out of principle not out of philosophy i might change my tone if i have a child to raise but once his on his own i prolly turn back to this
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Dec 11, 2012
herodotus
Mate, I was a nurse for 27 years and I think I have pretty much seen it all in that time. It' certainly knocked a few years off the end of my life I can tell you (night duty is a known killer).
Sorry to hear about your back...something I saw happen to quite a few of my colleagues as we did a lot of heavy lifting as well. *sigh*

What's amazing though is that as I'm 4 months from 50, I'm finding that mortality is starting to really hit. Certainly I've changed since my twenties...a lot.
By DAmicoThunder (SI Core Veteran) on Dec 11, 2012
DAmicoThunder
To go back, my desk is less than a foot from the end of my bed. I literally step from my chair to my bed, just like that. At least...I have the ability. I still go the old fashioned way. Plus, with all the crap in my room that I have yet to clean up (including but not limited to 1-month old empty box of pizza, 3.5 week old box of monster energy [not the smartest idea, I know, but I had been off it for four months straight; I felt I deserved a vice], and a random assortment of other things) I have a lot to get around in the first place.
By SiyaenSokol (SI Elite) on Dec 11, 2012
SiyaenSokol
A very good quote I heard recently: "People are so worried about dying, that they actually forget about living."
By DAmicoThunder (SI Core Veteran) on Dec 11, 2012
DAmicoThunder
I'm not worried about death. "Laughing for fifteen minutes increases your life expectancy by two years." I laugh all the time - and much more than that when I was younger - therefore, I am immortal.
By DAmicoThunder (SI Core Veteran) on Dec 11, 2012
DAmicoThunder
No, just eternal life. But, seriously. Death does not bother me. Why worry about something that is inevitable and can't be avoided? I'm going to die anyway. All I worry about is the how.
Although, I do have a 33.333...% chance of being immortal, if I smoke, that is. It says on the carton of cigarettes: "Two of every three smokers die" or something similar to that.
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Dec 11, 2012
nocutius
Damn, I need to start smoking :)
By lichlord (SI Core) on Dec 11, 2012
lichlord
bah don't use those stinking sticks do it with style at least use cuban sigars....
By DAmicoThunder (SI Core Veteran) on Dec 11, 2012
DAmicoThunder
Haha, the only problem is it's expensive.
If cigarette packs cost about $5, if you smoke a pack a day, that's $35 per week for a total of about $1'826.25 a year. Let's say you smoked for 25 years. That's $45'656.25.
Now, let's be realistic. The average smoker smokes about 3-4 packs a day. That's $15-$20 or $105-$140 per week. It totals to about $5'478.75-$7'305 per year. If you've smoked for 25 years, that's $136'968.75-$182'625 down the drain. Just think, if you didn't smoke, you could have a Ferrari.

In fact, there's a meme on Reddit about a girl telling all this to a smoker. At the end, the smoker looks at her and says, "Well, where's your fuckin' Ferrari then?" It's amusing.
By DAmicoThunder (SI Core Veteran) on Dec 11, 2012
DAmicoThunder
And yes, that's the only problem. :)
By DAmicoThunder (SI Core Veteran) on Dec 11, 2012
DAmicoThunder
Cigars are actually proven to be less harmful to the human body than cigarettes.
By lichlord (SI Core) on Dec 11, 2012
lichlord
smells better too...
By DAmicoThunder (SI Core Veteran) on Dec 11, 2012
DAmicoThunder
That's very true. Plus, cigars make you look important and sophisticated, so that's another pro,
By SirRoderick (SI Elite) on Dec 11, 2012
SirRoderick
Bah, you youngsters have no idea what real style is *Pulls out his Hungarian Briar Pipe*

I don't actually smoke it, but that's not the point :P
By lichlord (SI Core) on Dec 11, 2012
lichlord
i got one from my grandfather actually lol hasn't been used for years tho

anycases what does a pipe that isn't being used has to do with smoking?
By SirRoderick (SI Elite) on Dec 11, 2012
SirRoderick
It's called class my dear lichlord :P
By DAmicoThunder (SI Core Veteran) on Dec 11, 2012
DAmicoThunder
That reminds me of the scene in "Inglorious Basterds" where the farmer pulls out his shabby wood pipe and then the Nazi pulls out his fancy pipe and says "Fuck you" without actually saying it.
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Dec 11, 2012
herodotus
I use to smoke a pipe...for a while. Beautifully aromatic and often fruity flavours that had women at parties wanting sit with you as you smelt so good.

Seriously though, I can say for a fact (as I've worked at the Radium Institute here):
Cigarettes: mouth, throat and lung cancers
Cigars: mouth and throat cancers
Pipes: mouth cancers (or Buccal Carcinoma as it is known)

Combine alcohol, a well known carcinogenic, and you have a cocktail from Hell.
By SirRoderick (SI Elite) on Dec 11, 2012
SirRoderick
Indeed you do, but certain allowances can be made in exchange for good living so to speak! Alcohol in measure is perfectly within acceptable bounds if you ask me.
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Dec 11, 2012
herodotus
*hic* Wha...?
By SirRoderick (SI Elite) on Dec 11, 2012
SirRoderick
Bit early for that don't you think? :P
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Dec 11, 2012
nocutius
It's not like he's barfing so it's perfectly within measure :)
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Dec 11, 2012
herodotus
Yes a bit. Which reminds me. There was a woman I knew, long ago, who's husband was a heavy beer drinker to the point of too much. She started putting beer into all of his food surreptitiously (even mixed beer in with milk for his morning cereal). Within a month he wouldn't touch the stuff.
Just a curio off-topic:)
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Dec 11, 2012
nocutius
Haha, is that a true story?
Cause if it is that is one hell of a woman :)
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Dec 11, 2012
herodotus
It certainly is; I knew them (of Corsican stock they were), and damn good friends they were too. Good country women are hard to find, and impossible to get rid of:)
By DAmicoThunder (SI Core Veteran) on Dec 11, 2012
DAmicoThunder
That's a very interesting story. I knew that too much of a good thing is bad. Who knew that too much of a bad thing was also bad?
By SiyaenSokol (SI Elite) on Dec 12, 2012
SiyaenSokol
Now that is an interesting story and also quite a woman. What a perfect way to handle a alcoholic. I will make a mental note of this for other people.
By SiyaenSokol (SI Elite) on Dec 12, 2012
SiyaenSokol
We have gone from Valve PC, to smoking, and the forms of smoking to drinking, to gaining some interesting information about how to handle an alcoholic. What's next my fellow gamers?
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Dec 12, 2012
herodotus
When was the word "wicked" first used, meaning "cool" or "excellent", and by whom?
How many wives is a Mormon allowed to have?
By JonahFalcon (SI Elite) on Dec 12, 2012
JonahFalcon
This is Gabe Newell's way of whining, "Waaaaaaaaaaaaah, we no like Microsoft Store!!!!"

Too bad Windows 8 was named product of the year by PC World.
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Dec 12, 2012
herodotus
...and I wonder how much cash changed hands over that. Not being cynical, just realistic.
By DAmicoThunder (SI Core Veteran) on Dec 13, 2012
DAmicoThunder
Uhhh...JonahFalcon...you do realize you didn't answer either of Herodotus's questions, yes?
I don't know about the wicked question.
As for the Mormon question, I would say a Mormon male can have, at the very least, 1 wife. But a Mormon female is not allowed to have a wife.
Then again, who knows for sure?
By SirRoderick (SI Elite) on Dec 13, 2012
SirRoderick
Just the one, they came to an understanding I recall
By DAmicoThunder (SI Core Veteran) on Dec 13, 2012
DAmicoThunder
Well, good for them. :)
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Dec 13, 2012
herodotus
1/ "Wicked" was first used in 1920 by F. Scott Fitzgerald in "The Great Gatsby"
2/ Mormons are legally only allowed one wife, though they have the right to believe in being polygamous. Strange that Smith, when deciding he wanted more than one wife had a "Divine Intervention" letting him know he could. Just as the present leader of the so-called church (sorry, I am really against it) also had a so-called "Divine Intervention" telling him it was wrong to be polygamous - the day before the Law was passed against it. Religion, made in America.
Go figure:)
By SirRoderick (SI Elite) on Dec 13, 2012
SirRoderick
Called it ^^

What did I win quizmaster?
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Dec 13, 2012
herodotus
A neeewwww.....wife. Thing is, it's customer collect so you'd need to storm the beaches.
By DAmicoThunder (SI Core Veteran) on Dec 13, 2012
DAmicoThunder
Hail to the people who answer their own questions. :)