Is Valve making a console?

[Raiden]

Is This a Photo of Valve's Rumored Console, Or At Least a Prototype?

I know some of you dislike Gawker, but Kotaku is still one of the best all-around (and least biased source, so far) source of general gaming news.

Anyway, what do you think?

[Helicoradian]

It's more like a simplified small form factor pc than a console, which isn't a bad thing tbh. Valve could be hugely successful with it if done right.

[Crickett]

I think the market wouldn't be able to support a fourth home video game console. Even in a good economy, no, that wouldn't work.

[Fosus]

Originally Posted by Crickett

I think the market wouldn't be able to support a fourth home video game console. Even in a good economy, no, that wouldn't work.

Keep in mind that Valves console has a different target audience. It would be the first console to attract the so called "serious gamers" who only use PC's at the moment. It wouldn't be competing with other consoles, but gaming PC's.

[Raiden]

Originally Posted by Fosus

It wouldn't be competing with other consoles, but gaming PC's.

This is what I'm wondering.

What I also wonder is if this device will be able to connect to Valve's multiplayer network for games like TF2 and L4D. That would be interesting.

[Cyvaris]

^The problem there is "serious" gamers build their own PCs and as such wouldn't really care about it. Knowing the internet "serious gamers" would take the console as an insult.

[Human No More]

Looks like a small form factor PC to me

Originally Posted by Raiden

This is what I'm wondering.

What I also wonder is if this device will be able to connect to Valve's multiplayer network for games like TF2 and L4D. That would be interesting.

Valve like to take advantage of new technologies in a way they couldn't really with a console, and having console and PC gamers playing against each other wouldn't really work - the main reason it's only done with co-op is that PC gamers with keyboards and mice have a big advantage over console controllers for everything except racing games, where it's the other way around (unless they buy a wheel).

Originally Posted by Helicoradian

It's more like a simplified small form factor pc than a console, which isn't a bad thing tbh. Valve could be hugely successful with it if done right.

Exactly. I recently set up a very similar (if much less powerful) PC at work to run as a headless unit to display some stats.

It could well be a move into their own branded gaming PCs, perhaps with bundled games or something, maybe to make PCs a bit more like consoles for casual users in terms of buying and upgrading, but still running their PC games.

[Raiden]

Originally Posted by Human No More

Looks like a small form factor PC to me

Valve like to take advantage of new technologies in a way they couldn't really with a console, and having console and PC gamers playing against each other wouldn't really work - the main reason it's only done with co-op is that PC gamers with keyboards and mice have a big advantage over console controllers for everything except racing games, where it's the other way around (unless they buy a wheel).

What I meant is that valve is making a proprietary PC platform; I was using "console" as a definition for the object, not what it stood for. I agree; it would not be like an Xbox or something, but more like a PC built entirely for playing their games, then you would only need a mouse, monitor, and keyboard.

[Aaron]

Yeah, I'm with Crickett. There is no room for another proprietary console on the market. Valve-branded PC? Maybe. But, except for the high-end stuff like Alienware, PCs are a volume business--sell a lot of them, or you fail. The margins are just so miniscule.

On top of that, Valve is a 250-person company. I've driven by their one-building headquarters many a time. Do I see them getting into the hardware business? In this economy? When people are still buying six-year-old gaming consoles?

I do not.

[Isard]

They're building an OS for an outsourced alienware level PC.

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by Isard

They're building an OS for an outsourced alienware level PC.

I just don't see what it gets them. They already have a game engine, "Source," which has been ported to just about every major gaming platform out there, and which they already license to third parties. That's like having an OS with only half the responsibility. Building a new OS, particularly one that targets existing PC hardware, is a whole new world of support pain. If they were planning on shipping a console, then building a new OS might mean fewer licensing fees and higher profit margins (in the long term). If they're not planning on shipping a console, then a gaming OS makes no sense. Nobody will want to run yet another OS on their existing machine just to play a game. That'd be a throwback to the days of booting off of game floppies. Ick.

[Fosus]

I too believe that they are building a new OS in case they are really going to do a console. I'm pretty sure the developers are tired of Windows crap anyway.

[Raiden]

Huh, didn't think of that.

Well either way, this should prove interesting.

[mikkowilson]

Can you image the tech support hold times for Valve hardware?


Though, on the flip side; their shipping department is quite speedy.

- Mikko

[Isard]

Originally Posted by mikkowilson

Can you image the tech support hold times for Valve hardware?


Though, on the flip side; their shipping department is quite speedy.

- Mikko

Valve isn't building the hardware. I think its being subcontracted through Dell.