Gabe has confirmed a new PC/Console being made by Valve

[Iceman]

For some reason I was thinking that statement was going to clear everything up, silly me!

Having just bought a pc pretty much exclusively for gaming I don't think I'll be getting the Steam Box. Although I quite possibly would have otherwise. Valve are on to a good thing but I don't know for sure if they can pull it off. They have the know how to deliver the product; I just don't know if this company is suitable for bringing hardware to the global market.

Unlike with software, deadlines are important! Having the creative, laid back, unstructured style that they are famous for with flexibility on release dependant on new ideas & perfecting everything is ok for software but you're working with a lot of other companies with hardware and multiple balls are set rolling (eg component manufacture, marketing planning & co-ordination, arrangements with & provision of tools & resources to 3rd party developers) that make delays a BIG problem.

[zenith16]

this is what will be most likely on it. As far as games go.


Project Awakened brings super powers to Steam Greenlight

(12 hours ago)
11

Project Awakened, the super-powered action game that Phosphor Games resurrected on Kickstarter, now has a Steam Greenlight page, hoping to eventually sneak onto that service. As Phosphor told us earlier this month, Awakened is a PC, next-gen game heavy on customization and kicking dystopic booty with a myriad of interchangeable powers.

Get a glimpse of some early super-human combinations in the demo video below, and if you're intrigued, check out Awakened on Kickstarter and Greenlight. Continue Reading

• Via: Project Awakened on Kickstarter
• Source: Steam Greenlight

[zenith16]

Microsoft: Valve isn't a threat to consoles; everyone is wary of Apple

(2 hours ago)
76

Microsoft doesn't view Valve as a competitor in the console universe, Microsoft President of Interactive Entertainment Business Don Mattrick said during Microsoft's TechForum. Valve is "doing some innovative stuff," Mattrick says, but when it comes to direct competition, "no."

"The scale of products and things that are being brought to market are probably a little bit richer when I look at Sony, Nintendo, Apple and Google," Mattrick says.

Valve boss Gabe Newell recently noted that Apple is the Steam Box's biggest threat, since it already controls such a large portion of the market with the App Store. Nat Brown, the man who gave the original Xbox its name and former Microsoft leader, also sees Apple's potential to own the console game.

"Apple, if it chooses to do so, will simply kill PlayStation, Wii U and Xbox by introducing an open 30 percent-cut app/game ecosystem for Apple TV," Brown writes.

Valve's foray into the console space includes an emphasis on cheap, in-home streaming systems and Linux. Valve's PC distribution client, Steam, launched its Linux service in February and during that month it claimed 2.02 percent of all Steam users. By comparison, Mac users accounted for 3.07 percent in February.

• Via: Develop
• Source: Steam, The Verge

[zenith16]

Valve’s “Steam Box” prototypes could be shipping to customers within three to four months

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Comments 54
at 04:15pm March 6 2013
In a BBC interview ahead of last night’s BAFTA Game Awards, Gabe Newell revealed that prototypes of Valve’s “Steam Box,” their planned living-room friendly PC, could be ready to ship to customers within the next three to four months.
“We’re working with partners trying to nail down how fast we can make it,” Newell said. “We’ll be giving out some prototypes to customers to gauge their reactions, I guess, in the next three to four months.”


Source: Pc gamer

[Destructus86]

how do I get in on that??

[Iceman]

Apple should have done this already. They've lost a lot of market share now though so it wouldn't be the guaranteed winner it might have been.

And there will always be at least one platform for playing top end games however big casual gaming gets. Even though hardcore gamers might enjoy casual stuff as well alongside the rest of the population, it's just not something that can fully replace the high end experience to a large enough percentage of gamers.

[zenith16]

Originally Posted by Destructus86

how do I get in on that??

this was just put up after I was done with the marvel heroes beta just now.

• 
  
• 
  Pre-Order The First Living Room PC Gaming Console
  
  News
  on Mar 09, 2013 at 06:35 PM
  4,311 Views
  
  
  27
  Xi3's Piston gaming PC, designed specifically for use with your living room television, is available for pre-order right now.
  ... More
  

source: GI

[Ipodman]

$999?!

[zenith16]

yeah lets just remember it's their partners and not valve them selves. not sure who their "target sponsors " they are looking for with that cost but it I think it's only people with game publisher companies that don't have consoles that they are looking for . We'll see if other versions will be done for the normal public with better more affordable price .

[The Squirrel]

Hahaha, $999.99. Fat chance of selling that to anyone but the hardcore PC users, wait scratch that, they don't want it either.

[zenith16]

Originally Posted by The Squirrel

Hahaha, $999.99. Fat chance of selling that to anyone but the hardcore PC users, wait scratch that, they don't want it either.

As I said I don't think it's aimed at normal pc users like you or me. It might be for those that have publisher companies that want to put their own games on it and can actually afford that. otherwise it's just too insane. Anyway this isn't gonna the only run with this, I'm sure cheaper deals will be given to us as an option. By valve them selves not this company that's partnered with them. Then again I'll just wait for a response from valve to clear this up as well at whom this is from these partners of theirs that this really aim at.

[Poetic Chaos]

Most gaming PC's are $1000+ so seems right to me. Same range as the Alienware stuff.

[Nathan]

For $1000 I'd just buy a regular PC.

[zenith16]

Xi3′s Piston Modular Computer Will Come With Windows On It. March 11, 2013 . 9:30am

VIDEO-CLick to Watch!:

But you’ll be able to install Linux or Android to the device if you want, and run any X86-based application on it, says Xi3′s Chief Marketing Officer, David Politis.

VIDEO-CLick to Watch!:

source:Siliconera

[LuisTX85]

..I'll wait for a price drop.

[zenith16]

Originally Posted by LuisTX85

..I'll wait for a price drop.

don't worry they will be varying price's, and when it's actually ready for the public it will be at an fordable price as gabe said on the former of what I just said.

Right now this is not the final price and this is one of many. any way yeah it's best to wait and see til then.

[Upset Spideyfan]

I don't see the point of this machine at that price point.

[zenith16]

Another version with a lower price will be made. Now to clear up the confusion.
This is not the official "Steambox". Valve will be releasing their own Steambox with Linux installed on it (although, you will be able to put Windows on there yourself) sometime this year.

Xi3′s Piston launches for pre-orders – $899 for the console-PC hybrid

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Comments 87
at 12:48pm March 11 2013


It’s not the “Steam Box”, but Piston – Xi3′s living-room friendly small form PC – is a box with Steam in it. Technically all PCs have the potential to be boxes with Steam in them, but most aren’t designed both specifically for gaming and to fit in the palm of your hand. In fact, I’ve just attempted to lift my PC with one hand and now my fingers hurt.
At this weekend’s SXSW Gaming Expo, Xi3 unleashed pre-orders of the device. It’s a pricey proposition: $899.99 gets you the base version, with 8GB RAM and a 128GB internal solid state hard drive. And that’s the special SXSW price. When the expo ends on March 17th, the standard cost of $999.99 takes effect

source: Pc gamer

Also

Update: A Valve spokesperson has clarified to IGN that "Valve began some exploratory work with Xi3 last year, but currently has no involvement in any product of theirs."

http://ca.ign.com/articles/2013/03/1...-for-pre-order
source: Pc gamer and IGN

This is a separate Steam-optimized PC/console hybrid (ie; "Steambox" in that sense of the term) being developed by a third-party company that Valve had once invested in and are no loner apart of . But it isn't the same as Valve's own Steambox. So they have claimed



Any way I'll stop at that, before it looks like I'm siding with them on the price as it stands right now. which I'm not.

Here's info on the spec's


Piston Has Three Boards For Hardware Upgrades. March 11, 2013 . 12:20pm

Xi3 Chief Marketing Officer, David Politis, explains how Piston hardware upgrades will be possible and the possibility of third-party upgrades for the device.


here are the full details

Spoiler!!! Click to Read!:

Xi3 Corporation’s upcoming Piston PC-meets-console hybrid aims to combine the open-ended nature of the PC with a smaller, portable form factor and custom UI that’s comparable to that of a game console.

Using the UI, Piston users will be able to access game services like Steam, as well as services for movies and music.

Custom UI aside, Piston will come with the Windows OS (although Xi3 haven’t announced which version of Windows), essentially making it capable of functioning like a regular PC that you can play games on. That begs the question: how will hardware upgrades work? We got in touch with Xi3 to ask.

“As we have stated before, the Piston Console is based upon the forthcoming X7A Modular Computer that we have previously announced. As such the Piston Console is also at its core a modular computer and has been designed to be readily updatable, upgradeable and modifiable,” Xi3’s Chief Marketing Officer, David Politis, replied to Siliconera in an e-mail. Politis elaborated:

“This starts with the ability to mod the external metal casing with customized artwork and/or to exchange it for a new casing of a different color or pattern. And it extends to all internal pieces, including the:

• Processor Board (the middle of the three boards in the tri-board layout),
• Primary I/O Board (the board containing the majority of the I/O ports and holding the SSD),
• Secondary I/O Board (the board containing video ports and the power connector and on/off button),
• The APU itself (the integrated processor and GPU), which is possible because the APU is socketed into place and not soldered, and
• The RAM

“As new technologies are introduced into the marketplace (USB, eSATA, video standards/ports, etc.), we will evaluate these, and as we feel appropriate, we will create new Boards that will be available for purchase by our customers. This also holds true for new RAM and APUs.

“We may also allow other companies to create their own I/O Boards (if the opportunity makes sense to all involved).”

Xi3 Corporation are looking to have the grapefruit-sized Piston out in time for the 2013 holiday season. Prices will start at $1,000, although pre-ordering a Piston before March 17th will knock $100 off the price.

source:Siliconera

[zenith16]

Here’s What Happened With Valve And Xi3 And The Piston. March 13, 2013 . 4:00pm

“We were asked to build a product specifically for Valve,” says Xi3 founder and CEO, Jason A. Sullivan.

Then, Valve’s Doug Lombardi recently stated to Eurogamer: “Valve began some exploratory work with Xi3 last year, but currently has no involvement in any product of theirs.”

Today, Xi3 Corporation released an official statement of their own, which sheds further light on the former and current relationship between the two companies.

“We reaffirm the fact that we received an investment from Valve Corporation (as we previously disclosed during the 2013 International CES trade show), and we did so with Valve’s written permission,” Xi3 founder and CEO, Jason A. Sullivan, said in a written statement today.

“Second, we were asked to build a product specifically for Valve, and both companies showcased this product—the Piston Console—in their respective booths at CES 2013.”

Sullivan continued: “Then, during a meeting with Valve at CES, [Valve founder] Gabe Newell personally asked me that we not disclose additional information about our relationship with Valve. We have honored that request and will continue to do so.”

Sullivan goes on to mention that there’s been some confusion as to whether the Piston is the official “Steambox” or not. As previously reported, it isn’t, and Valve are currently preparing their own version of a Steambox-type device that will run on Linux, as opposed to the Piston, which will use Windows.

“Contrary to Valve’s vision, Xi3 believes that the way to take this to market today is to do so with a Windows OS at the core, coupled with the ability to not just get to one platform/store for games, but to get access to all game stores/platforms,” Sullivan explains.

“Studios should have the option to go through Steam if they choose or to go direct to the end-user if they so choose. That will be the difference between Piston and other Steam Boxes. You’ll be able to access Steam if you choose, but you’ll also be able to access other platforms as well—all through the Piston Console.”

Finally, Sullivan mentions that Xi3 are “amazed” at the interest and amount of pre-orders the company has received for the Piston so far. “This just reaffirms to us our decision to open pre-orders, because we are seriously concerned we will not be able to meet the demand for Piston Consoles for the 2013 Holiday Season,” he says. “"In closing, what Valve does or doesn’t do with its Steam Box will be up to them. So Gabe, it’s up to you. The ball is in your court.

source:Siliconera