Steam's Big Picture and Building Your Own Console

[Cyanotical]

those who have signed up to steams beta access may have noticed a new thing in the corner:


what this does is switch to a fulscreen mode that is similar to a console or media center menu:


you can access pretty much all of your games, and launch them from this menu:


the menu notates when a game is controller compatible, as well the menus are designed to be navigated with a standard Xbox360 USB controller:



and when you press the home button:



it's obvious that this is UI testing for Valve's upcoming console, but are they going to keep it in the standard PC client?
this also brings up a very interesting idea, is valve going to allow users to build their own console?


personally i think it would be awesome to have the choice of either buying a console at walmart, or building my own to my own spec, perhaps even combining it with WMC or XBMC for the ultimate home entertainment box

if you were to build a console for steam games, what kind of hardware would you run? keep in mind that current gen consoles only run at 720p when rendering games, and next gen will probably only render at 1080p

[BicycleMafioso]

What platform is this, to begin with? I'm assuming Linux, because of the mention of the beta?

[siafu]

i believe ur reading to much into this. i have tested it before and i got the impression that this just the new steam designed to work on windows 8 like an app.

[Cyanotical]

What platform is this, to begin with? I'm assuming Linux, because of the mention of the beta?

those are taken from the windows client

but linux would make sense considering how much gaben hates W8

[vesseblah]

Steambuntu. It's no secret they're developing something on top of Ubuntu, just nothing announced yet.

That's why they've been so whiny about Win8 and the integrated game store because it's direct competition sold to millions of people.

[bals]

demo of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFrL6-OhN94

Check out Big Picture, Steam's new mode that lets gamers access all of their favorite Steam games on a television. With the press of a button, Steam displays a new full-screen user interface optimized for readability and interaction on TV. Big Picture has been designed to be used with a traditional game controller, while also fully supporting keyboard and mouse input. http://steampowered.com/bigpicture/

[Deleted]

it's obvious that this is UI testing for Valve's upcoming console, but are they going to keep it in the standard PC client?

HTPCs. It makes no sense not to keep support for it.

[Drunkenvalley]

To me this is pretty obviously not meant for Linux in and of itself. To me it's obvious it's intended for something with a controller, and last I checked that isn't really Linux in any way.

[Badpaladin]

Yeah definitely looks like they're putting their eggs in the Linux basket. Here's to hoping it doesn't fuck 'em over.

[insmek]

I would dual-boot a Steam-flavored Ubuntu alongside Windows any day.

[Berserker Cronus]

Why are people still discussing rumors that were squashed about Big Picture months ago? It's simply a UI designed to be used on televisions connected to computers with a controller (like a 360 one) as an input device. It's not the UI for Valve's nonexistent console, or anything to do with linux. And it's been available in the beta client since September. I honestly checked multiple times to make sure I hadn't opened a necro thread from months ago.

A lot of people play PC games on their televisions, and a lot of games play better with controllers, so they've added this functionality to accomodate that. It was a pain before to set everything up whenever you wanted to go from playing on your monitor to your TV, and after that you couldn't access any of the other features with the alternative input device, like communicating with friends or using server browsers. Big Picture is just a solution to that problem. It's not a replacement UI or anything like that.

Anyway, considering my current television is 720p I probably wouldn't put anything too beefy into a Big Picture box. I would probably go with one of the smaller motherboard form factors, and not worry about an easily overclocked CPU. I'd probably toss a 7770 or similar in there, as well as a 32-64GB boot drive and a 2.5" 500GB or so HDD, and be done with it. I figure it would be useful as an HTPC as well with something like XBMC.

[Cyanotical]

Yeah definitely looks like they're putting their eggs in the Linux basket. Here's to hoping it doesn't fuck 'em over.

I think this is something where both sides need to give a little, game developers are going to have to take more risks and accept that they may have to support a distro of linux, and the linux community will have to accept the fact that in order to grow, not everything will be open source

Honestly, i see them using this design across all 4 platforms (PC, Mac, Linux, and "Steambox") just so that the continuity is there no matter where you play from. Looking at the screenshots, i will say that it's quite an interesting design. It does seem that design is heading into something it'll potentially run with for the rest of the decade (much like 2000-2009 was the era where "Web 2.0" took over, i can see design heading this way until 2020). Then again, i'd probably say this is more to do with the fact that Consoles, Mobile and PC's are coming closer together as companies try to maximize their profit.

I don't mind the simplified look to newer applications, the problem i think is when simplified turns into dumbed down, which is how many people view W8, while most desktop users (by most, think of your mom) are perfectly fine with plug and go applications, the majority of power users (who's spending funds R&D) prefer complex and unique

Why are people still discussing rumors that were squashed about Big Picture months ago? It's simply a UI designed to be used on televisions connected to computers with a controller (like a 360 one) as an input device. It's not the UI for Valve's nonexistent console, or anything to do with linux. And it's been available in the beta client since September. I honestly checked multiple times to make sure I hadn't opened a necro thread from months ago.

.....I figure it would be useful as an HTPC as well with something like XBMC.

hmm, i didn't realize it had been around that long, but then again, i've been focused on other things lately, (my priest is still lvl 88 )

the fact that it is designed for TVs is what brought up this whole idea in the first place, but it's well known that valve is working on a console, so my thinking is that they are beta testing the UI and adding a massively cool feature to the pc client at the same time

as far as HTPC goes, the problem is the software, HTPC software hasn't received the support the developers thought it would, MS has basically given up on WMC, it hasnt changed much since XP-MC, but, ATM its the best software to use, XBMC just doesnt really compare to WMC, i would love to see integration between WMC and big picture, but with the current standing of MS and Valve, i just dont see it happening, but, there is nothing to stop valve from integrating HTPC software into steam

[Milkshake86]

All tho it is not impossible, it will be a huge battle to even remotely step in the way of the new Xbox Console w/e it is to be named. All the information Ive gathered so far screams toward the concept of a Valve console. Now I'd like to say that this would be a great console but, VAC or Valve Anti Cheat is kinda crappy, Xbox is quite a bit harder to bypass in a "permanent" sense, realistically there is no way to 100% stop cheaters but still VAC's been really sketchy for a while.

[Wries]

as far as HTPC goes, the problem is the software, HTPC software hasn't received the support the developers thought it would, MS has basically given up on WMC, it hasnt changed much since XP-MC, but, ATM its the best software to use, XBMC just doesnt really compare to WMC, i would love to see integration between WMC and big picture, but with the current standing of MS and Valve, i just dont see it happening, but, there is nothing to stop valve from integrating HTPC software into steam

Aside from TV tuner functionality I just don't see how xbmc in any way wouldn't compare to WMC. I'd opt out from using wmc altogether if it wasn't for the TV-tuner.

That said I do welcome a remote/x360 controller friendly game-chooser interface for my htpc. I already play a lot of controller-friendly games on it so it'd be yummy to have this and perhaps it'd be swaying more people to build their own Gaming-HTPCs, giving up on those stone age consoles.

[Milkshake86]

Aside from TV tuner functionality I just don't see how xbmc in any way wouldn't compare to WMC. I'd opt out from using wmc altogether if it wasn't for the TV-tuner.

That said I do welcome a remote/x360 controller friendly game-chooser interface for my htpc. I already play a lot of controller-friendly games on it so it'd be yummy to have this and perhaps it'd be swaying more people to build their own Gaming-HTPCs, giving up on those stone age consoles.

Unfortunately the console will always rule the gaming world, as it is games can look really good not as good as PC but pretty good. Now thats current gen consoles, which infact do look better than a lot of peoples PC gameplay. Halo 4 is pretty stunning looking texture wise, so is Blops 2 Im not done downloading it for pc yet but like all COD its assuredly better on pc, but Halo CE pc or xbox IDK about that call I liked both.

[Lilfrier]

Ideally, they'd work to get Steam to current consoles. I use Steam a bit now (read: I'm a console gamer, but have some PC games), but I wouldn't touch a Steam console, no reason to. I also wouldn't go to Linux for them, as I love Windows 8.

Honestly, I love Steam and Valve and all, but I'm not switching platforms I like for them. They'd get a LOT of money from people if they went to Xbox LIVE and PSN, though.

[Milkshake86]

Ideally, they'd work to get Steam to current consoles. I use Steam a bit now (read: I'm a console gamer, but have some PC games), but I wouldn't touch a Steam console, no reason to. I also wouldn't go to Linux for them, as I love Windows 8.

Honestly, I love Steam and Valve and all, but I'm not switching platforms I like for them. They'd get a LOT of money from people if they went to Xbox LIVE and PSN, though.

Too get into the club theyd have to pay a massive amount of money, this is why companies dont do business in certain places, i.e you might get 2-4 ISP's available but cant seem to get Verizon ???? It is because verizon isnt willing to cough up the money to get into your market area.

[Cyanotical]

Unfortunately the console will always rule the gaming world,

not really, that sentiment was started when PC shifted to online digital distribution and everybody stopped going to gamestop, at current trends it will overtake consoles:


thats why i like the idea of building your own console, you can get the best of both worlds, why settle for the xbox crappy graphics of Crysis2 or COD when i can drop a gtx-690 in my pc-console and play them on maxed graphics with unbelievably smooth framerate

going along with that, if my friend wants to join me, he wouldn't have to be an expert in computer building or software setup, he could just go to walmart and buy a steambox

and, if i want to play on my 1440p monitor, or possibly in a few years a 4k monitor, i can still go back to my computer, and still play with my friend on his console

---------- Post added 2012-11-13 at 12:47 PM ----------

Ideally, they'd work to get Steam to current consoles. I use Steam a bit now (read: I'm a console gamer, but have some PC games), but I wouldn't touch a Steam console, no reason to. I also wouldn't go to Linux for them, as I love Windows 8.

Honestly, I love Steam and Valve and all, but I'm not switching platforms I like for them. They'd get a LOT of money from people if they went to Xbox LIVE and PSN, though.

most pc enthusiasts like linux though, what keeps almost all of us from dropping windows is the fact that you cant really game on linux, and its not like much would change in terms of releasing games, developers already code for windows and linux (xbox uses winxp and PS3 uses linux for their OS), so the porting process is relatively easy

also, MS and Sony do not want steam on their consoles, they are competitors, thats like Toyota letting Honda sell cars at the Toyota dealership

[Milkshake86]

not really, that sentiment was started when PC shifted to online digital distribution and everybody stopped going to gamestop, at current trends it will overtake consoles:

Problem is consoles do deliver a constant that you just get from customization. PC's and Tablets have come a long way, we havent had a new console in a long long time, technology wise.

6 years into ps3/xbox 360 we had a growth in software sales thats a long time, assuming salesgrowth doesnt change w/ a Next Gen console pc would be unstoppable but we have atleast 3 new ones incoming. Factor in multiplatform sales and software balance would change, market predictions are accurate to the possibility w/ the trending moment.

[Berserker Cronus]

Unfortunately I feel like console gamers are going to switch building their own set-top gaming PCs any time soon. It's hard enough to convince most of guys wanting prebuilts how easy it is, and how much more they get out of building it themselves.

I do think it would be interesting if these building sites start offering boxes with better performance than consoles for around or a bit more money (and then less, over time) and greater performance than the next generation of consoles. But I figure there will still be that apprehension to switch to something most people consider more troublesome (and sometimes it is) than the consoles they're used to. It could be a good bridge between the two demographics though.

For current PC gamers though, it could be a possible outlet for extra parts coming from upgrades. Not bad to have a box like that for certain games in the living room when you just want to lay back and play a platformer or hack-n-slash or (anything produced by Ubisoft) something.