Hailst0rm_2 Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 (edited) What do you guys think of the new Steam controller and this new push for PC gaming to enter the living room environment? I think they did a great job, I was orignally skeptical about it but it seems like a nice alternative to my dualshock 4 that I normally use. I've also had a living room setup with my PC awhile now and its been working out pretty nicely, I can't wait to see the improvements this is going to bring. Here is the official hardware page with the consoles + controller http://store.steampowered.com/hardware/ Edited June 7, 2015 by Hailst0rm_2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Mayus Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Holy crap that thing is huge. I think it is high time to pull this comic out again I still don't get the point of the steam box. Can't you just hook your PC up to a TV with an HDMI cord? I know that is what we do when I go to my brothers and then we use X360 controls. This seems like a needlessly pointless device (like the Ouya) and I can't see it selling well to the public. Try convincing Mom that she should buy a console to play the PC games on...she will just say "we already have a computer that does that" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittet3 Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 I don't pay much attention to the evolution of consoles, but I'm pretty sure I saw a documentary that said the XBox was founded with the idea of bringing PC gaming to a console format. I really don't want another Xbox... As for the concept, It's a nice idea, but in the end PC gamers can just hook their game up to their TV if they want the living room experience and use their existing controllers. Of course, I'm not a PC gamer, so I don't know the want that people have for something like this, but that's what I would do. As for the controller: for me, I like the familiarity of controllers so I rather hook one up to the PC that is more similar to my desired console. PS4 controllers are tipping the scales on being too big for me, this one is wayyyy too big. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PleaseHoldOn Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 (edited) The Steam Machine is going to basically hit a very niche market of gamers who don't have a gaming PC... but want one, want one that they can use in the living room like a console, and refuse to do things like learn how a PC works, how to build/maintain one, and want to keep it as simple as possible. However... I will say that lugging my PC into the living room for some console-esque couch coop is an ABSOLUTE pain in the ass. IMO, it's NOT as simple as plugging it in with an HDMI cable, at least with my setup. For starters, my PC weighs a metric ton and it's fans crank like a jet engine (though I get some beastly results in terms of graphics). Maybe it's just my kinda cheapo HDTV... but the resolution gets all messed up, games struggle to pick up the right resolution when launching, the coloring is all off, I still need a mouse and keyboard plugged in... I spend more time trying to get things looking and working right then I actually spend playing, for what is typically a less visually pleasing result then simply playing with a console or back on my PC monitor. The real downside to all of this is the fact that one day Valve will make one too many bad decisions and/or get the service taken out by hackers for an extended period of time... and people will start jumping ship to one of the MANY other services that are picking up speed like uPlay, Origin, Rockstar Social Club or GOG... making all of these Steam specific devices even more niche and outdated than they already are. Edited June 7, 2015 by PleaseHoldOn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hailst0rm_2 Posted June 7, 2015 Author Share Posted June 7, 2015 Holy crap that thing is huge. I think it is high time to pull this comic out again I still don't get the point of the steam box. Can't you just hook your PC up to a TV with an HDMI cord? I know that is what we do when I go to my brothers and then we use X360 controls. This seems like a needlessly pointless device (like the Ouya) and I can't see it selling well to the public. Try convincing Mom that she should buy a console to play the PC games on...she will just say "we already have a computer that does that" I think it's necessary at this point because so many people are uneducated about PC they avoid them for reasons that aren't even true or relevant anymore. I actually had a friend I built a PC for who had paid nearly 3x more for shadow of mordor on PS4 because he didn't know how to set up his controller and thought it would be complicated lol It works well for bringing in the casual audience and simplifying things so those people can understand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damon8r351 Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Wait wait wait... wait. So PC gaming is so much more awesome than console gaming, that Steam decided to inexplicably make... a console, for some reason, complete with a gaming controller? Am I the only one picking up on this? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hailst0rm_2 Posted June 7, 2015 Author Share Posted June 7, 2015 (edited) PC gaming is about freedom and customization, this is just the next step forward (binding you to a desk and monitor goes against that) It has nothing to do with Console vs PC, it's just a new option for people. Valve isn't even manufacturing the console, just providing the software and controller lol Edited June 7, 2015 by Hailst0rm_2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damon8r351 Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 (edited) Rather than giving people another option, what this looks like to me is a weak cash grab attempt on the part of Valve to get more people onboard with their service. They can't convince die hard console gamers to leave Xbox, Playstation, or Nintendo, buy a gaming PC and join Steam, so they're trying to meet them on their own terms by giving them another console to choose from. It would be like if Sony decided to expand the PSN to include selling PC games (and also made PC laptops that weren't complete pieces of crap), they'd be viewed as trying to grab some of that Valve money. Edited June 7, 2015 by damon8r351 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hailst0rm_2 Posted June 7, 2015 Author Share Posted June 7, 2015 (edited) Rather than giving people another option, what this looks like to me is a weak cash grab attempt on the part of Valve to get more people onboard with their service. They can't convince die hard console gamers to leave Xbox, Playstation, or Nintendo, buy a gaming PC and join Steam, so they're trying to meet them on their own terms by giving them another console to choose from. They have never tried to convince people to do that, when have they ever launched an multi million dollar advertising campaign like the "Greatness Awaits" or Kevin Butler commercials lol? Some people are console gamers that want to try PC gaming but are too intimidated by its complexity to get into it. You cant just jump in and buy any PC, it takes a bit of prior knowledge so you understand whats required and the best way to go about it with your budget. A steambox console that's plug and play removes this barrier. And you are aware that up until recently, Sony had a PC gaming division called Sony Online Entertainment that was responsible for many popular PC exclusive titles like Planetside and Everquest right? Edited June 7, 2015 by Hailst0rm_2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PleaseHoldOn Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Some people are console gamers that want to try PC gaming but are too intimidated by its complexity to get into it. You cant just jump in and buy any PC, it takes a bit of prior knowledge so you understand whats required and the best way to go about it with your budget. A steambox console that's plug and play removes this barrier. I agree with this... but I feel the number of people that fall into this category and are actually willing to invest $400-500 in this idea... is small enough that I'm not sure why Valve is spending the time and money coordinating with manufacturers, building operating systems and controllers, etc. Seems like one of those bad ideas I mentioned before that will ultimately spread Valve too thin and drive people into the arms of one of the many other services vying for Valve's spot as king of the PC hill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Mayus Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 (edited) Has the pricing changed? This Reviewtech Video is from March and it is saying these consoles range from 500-over 5000$? That is a lot of money for a console that A) PC Users don't need and B ) Moms are not going to buy. What's funny is I just watched this video today (looked up some stuff on the Steam Machine) and he is saying everything I had kind of thought..Who is this for? It is the same question I brought forth with the Ouya...who is it really for? I know the Internet explodes and gets excited about stuff like this but I have worked retail for a lot of years. I know that what the Internet wants is not what 99% of the population wants. Sure you will see in Anime subforums people begging companies to release more JRPGs in the West because "shut up and take my money" but they forget that that subforum consists of like 50 people and that is not enough to turn a profit for these companies. I don't know, maybe I will be proven wrong but I can just see the average family not knowing what the fuck this is. They already have a console (probably two) and they already have a PC. Do you think they are going to buy little Johnny another console that plays the exact same games as his PC. And for all PC gamers if you really want to game on a TV as I have said, just unhook your PC and move it the couple of feet towards your TV. Get a little TV tray to put your Keyboard/Mouse on and you are good to go. If it is really that complicated to unhook your PC then invest in some Zip-Ties and clean up your wire situation. It should never take more than 30 seconds to unhook the wires from the back of your PC. Edited June 7, 2015 by Dr_Mayus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEMON Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 I dunno.. that controller just looks awkward as hell to use. I'll just stick to my Xbox 360 controller/keyboard/mouse for PC gaming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomato Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Only die hard steam fans will buy it, I honestly see no reason for it if you already have a controller for pc, customizable buttons? Big deal this been available for a long time with 3rd party software. Also regarding the 'steam machine' which is just some pre-built pc with steam os, good luck attracting console gamers when the cheapest pre-built is $450 for an i3 and 4gb ram, and the actual pc gamers won't buy it since they most likely won't be able to upgrade it, laughable at best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satoshi Ookami Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 (edited) Wait wait wait... wait. So PC gaming is so much more awesome than console gaming, that Steam decided to inexplicably make... a console, for some reason, complete with a gaming controller? Am I the only one picking up on this? So they can say they are doing consoles better than console distributors. Pretty visible marketing. Edited June 7, 2015 by Satoshi Ookami Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeroXOF Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Wait wait wait... wait. So PC gaming is so much more awesome than console gaming, that Steam decided to inexplicably make... a console, for some reason, complete with a gaming controller? Am I the only one picking up on this? Well consoles have being following pc as well. Console never use to have video games until PC made it popular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hailst0rm_2 Posted June 7, 2015 Author Share Posted June 7, 2015 (edited) Has the pricing changed? This Reviewtech Video is from March and it is saying these consoles range from 500-over 5000$? That is a lot of money for a console that A) PC Users don't need and B ) Moms are not going to buy. What's funny is I just watched this video today (looked up some stuff on the Steam Machine) and he is saying everything I had kind of thought..Who is this for? It is the same question I brought forth with the Ouya...who is it really for? I know the Internet explodes and gets excited about stuff like this but I have worked retail for a lot of years. I know that what the Internet wants is not what 99% of the population wants. Sure you will see in Anime subforums people begging companies to release more JRPGs in the West because "shut up and take my money" but they forget that that subforum consists of like 50 people and that is not enough to turn a profit for these companies. I don't know, maybe I will be proven wrong but I can just see the average family not knowing what the fuck this is. They already have a console (probably two) and they already have a PC. Do you think they are going to buy little Johnny another console that plays the exact same games as his PC. And for all PC gamers if you really want to game on a TV as I have said, just unhook your PC and move it the couple of feet towards your TV. Get a little TV tray to put your Keyboard/Mouse on and you are good to go. If it is really that complicated to unhook your PC then invest in some Zip-Ties and clean up your wire situation. It should never take more than 30 seconds to unhook the wires from the back of your PC. The pricing has lowered just a bit, the cheapest one is $450 by alienware. Though you can certainly build a PC better than it for the same price is not a bad deal considering some of the hardware. The i3 is a blazing fast CPU in comparison to the competition, what it lacks in cores it makes up for in single core performance which is most important for PC gaming as of now. Modern i3's perform favorably in new games and DX12 will further alleviate the load. The only regrettable thing is the 4GB of RAM which will definitely need to be upgraded to 8 at one point and the limited upgradablility of the console as a whole is disappointing. The family you described also probably owns an integrated graphics Dell PC that struggles to run ancient games like TF2 on high settings lol. This opens the doorway to modern PC games for them, the initial investment is higher but the free online and cheap games alleviate the long term cost. I personally would never buy one because I build my own and have a TV setup but they do have a micro console aimed at people who own a PC but don't want to move it from their desk which streams to your TV for a reasonable asking price of $50. Edited June 7, 2015 by Hailst0rm_2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Mayus Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 (edited) The pricing has lowered just a bit, the cheapest one is $450 by alienware. Though you can certainly build a PC better than it for the same price is not a bad deal considering some of the hardware. The i3 is a blazing fast CPU in comparison to the competition, what it lacks in cores it makes up for in single core performance which is most important for PC gaming as of now. Modern i3's perform favorably in new games and DX12 will further alleviate the load. The only regrettable thing is the 4GB of RAM which will definitely need to be upgraded to 8 at one point and the limited upgradablility of the console as a whole is disappointing. The family you described also probably owns an integrated graphics Dell PC that struggles to run ancient games like TF2 on high settings lol. This opens the doorway to modern PC games for them, the initial investment is higher but the free online and cheap games alleviate the long term cost. I personally would never buy one because I build my own and have a TV setup but they do have a micro console aimed at people who own a PC but don't want to move it from their desk which streams to your TV for a reasonable asking price of $50. No the family I described are buying X360s to play Minecraft (happens way more than you might think). They are the ones trying to buy Mario on PS3 and purchasing a Kinect thinking it is its own system. Trust me they have no idea what they are doing. Edited June 7, 2015 by Dr_Mayus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galactic Hyper Balls Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Honestly I'd rather buy a new Pc with a sweet case and better specs then use steam on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hailst0rm_2 Posted June 7, 2015 Author Share Posted June 7, 2015 No the family I described are buying X360s to play Minecraft (happens way more than you might think). They are the ones trying to buy Mario on PS3 and purchasing a Kinect thinking it is its own system. Trust me they have no idea what they are doing. LOL, thats terrible. I'm sure not all casual gamers make blind purchases like that though, the minecraft thing is understandable but the rest is just being irresponsible with your money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeroXOF Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 What do you guys think of the new Steam controller and this new push for PC gaming to enter the living room environment? I think they did a great job, I was orignally skeptical about it but it seems like a nice alternative to my dualshock 4 that I normally use. I've also had a living room setup with my PC awhile now and its been working out pretty nicely, I can't wait to see the improvements this is going to bring. Pretty decent for their first official attempt. I do think they should have stuck to 360 or One controller support, they look like they feel better. I'm optimistic so I'll keep my eyes on these machines when they come out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hailst0rm_2 Posted June 8, 2015 Author Share Posted June 8, 2015 Pretty decent for their first official attempt. I do think they should have stuck to 360 or One controller support, they look like they feel better. I'm optimistic so I'll keep my eyes on these machines when they come out. The problem I have with the 360/XBO controller is they aren't optimized for navigation and more advanced use in PC gaming, they have less buttons, a mouse and keyboard is still required to use them to navigate in some games and you have to use third party programs to map controls in games that don't have support (though most do) The steam controller works without a mouse and keyboard and controls can easily mapped by the community. I think the PS4 controller is a nice alternative with its touchpad for mouse control, but it probably wasn't possible to promote that. This at least seems to be more accurate than the touch pad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remilia Scarlet Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 I like Steam. It's an excellent service, but I am not investing hundreds of dollars into that awkward thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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