This thing has been popping up at CES rumored to be the steam pc in combination with big picture mode to create a sort of console PC hybrid
interesting if not really new idea but with someone like valve potentially supporting it there is some chance of it working.
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I'm not sure on this... I went through a long-ish phase of really enjoying console/sofa gaming, however in the last few years I've moved back to PC gaming, and specifically mouse/keyboard controls.
Though...
...at the same time you could argue a gaming laptop is effectively a super-console. There is nothing stopping me linking it upto the TV via HDMI, getting a bluetooth controller (or plugging in an XBOX controller via USB), and playing the games on the TV. I just don't think I want to.
Here's an interview with Gabe on the matter
http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/8/3852144/gabe-newell-interview-steam-box...
I'm more interested in the Miracast stuff... I love the idea of having something on a phone/tablet/laptop, and being able to throw it to a larger screen. That works for me from the very basics ("look at this photo" or "look at this stupid cat video") right the way up to games...that works even more if you think about the number of technologies currently about turning tablets into games controllers (the WiiU, whatever the fuck it is that Razer have just released).
Think of this as an example...GTA multiplayer on a tablet, as you all sit around of sofas (same house/different house) slating each other...then a big moment occurs and you can throw up a view on the TV in the corner so everyone can watch.
I'm with Pete on this one. I love the idea of Miracast - that would work brilliantly in our house but having a console attached to it is pointless. A set top box that cheaply consumes internet stuff is definitely cool but the Mrs and I would both need to be gamers for it to be worthwhile.
I think you've hit the nail on the head there. This would only really be used if everyone in the household plays the same games. I somehow doubt I'll get Gill to settle down for a nice, relaxing game of UT3.
It might be different in the States (where households tend to be significantly bigger, due to cheaper construction and more land to dick about with), and so it's more common to have multiple TV-areas in a house, however in the UK the living room also tends to be the TV room, which also tends to be the sofa-room, dining room etc etc. Not really an environment for a 5 hour Torchlight 2 session normally.
//edit...it's retail is $999! That is...exceptionally expensive for a TV add-on. You could get a serious gaming laptop for that money, and that would include;
1) Screen
2) Keyboard
3) Battery and portability
4) a HDMI out, allowing it to do everything this little box does.
I am probably missing something, but given it is PC hardware ... it is just an xbox with an upgradable design and different OS.
The saving of using a Linux OS is massively offset by top of the range hardware mixed with a proprietary form factor and probably a limited production run which can combine to force the price to stupid levels. Oh, and because they don't licence the games they can't offset the price against the a premium on the games either.
There is a very real chance it will be out of date within a year when the next xbox arrives.
part of their pitch is that the hardware is modular and upgradable so even if the next big thing comes out 6 months after you get it you can swap out what ever part needs a boost to keep up with the state of the art.
The price would seem to be a sticking point it may be dinky and portable but a thousand plus for a machine seems out of the usual price range where it's trying to compete.
Making it linux based is all very well but at the moment there is a lack of native support for games on linux sure a load of indie games will work but almost all of the triple a titles are essentially windows only so that means you need to upgrade the thing to windows as soon as you unbox if you want full access to steams cataloge. Of course some of this comes from valves beef with windows 8 but that is a problem with steam it's run by developer and tailored to their needs which may not be the same as the general market it's getting to the point valve should spin it off decouple it's own internal politics from the selling of games.
WOW $999. Shitfuckinghellbiscuits.
That's... what, £600 ish?
And as for Linux, that's a massive mistake. The problem with Linux is that no-one single corporation owns it. I'm all for the open source movement but important changes/refactoring/improvement needs investment and the open source community is too volatile for that. Linux won't have a good set of graphics drivers (like DirectX) that are optimised for the game. For that you need big investment.
£622 (with current exchange) + Trans-Atlantic Upsell Tax. I tend to work on £1=$1 as a typical gadget price conversion rule.
it's worth bearing in mind that consoles typically cost in that region to make if not more we just don't see it as consumers as the hardware is subsidised the logic being they make their money back on the games.
I would imagine linux and graphics would use something like opengl which is a standard set in stone no one mucks about with that and all the graphics cards support it it predates directx as a standard. It also would allow easier porting to pc or mac as both of those have it as well. It's waht things like minecraft use for their 3d.