News Steam Machines appear on the Steam Store

if these were released with VR and HL3 at the same time I think it could be massive point for PC Gaming

 

Why?

 

exclusive title like half life could make an impact, console fan boys have bought rival consoles for less.

 

Am I missing something - had a look at the specs / prices - they don't seem that cheap...

 

I don't recall anyone ever saying they'd be cheap.

 

They've already messed this up, it's clearly been designed by people that take their systems knowledge for granted. Existing PC users shouldn't really be the key target audience here, it should be about making a dent in the console market.

There's too much choice, too many different specs, too many manufacturers in play here.

The joy of consoles is that they are simple and you don't need any technical knowledge to buy one!

Everyday I hear people talk about their phones being great spec because they have 16GB of memory (confusing storage space for ram or processing power), the average person won't have the foggiest what all those specs and choices will mean, and so they'll either go for the cheapest version expecting it to be the same as any steam box or they'll play safe and stick to their consoles.

A huge missed opportunity.

 

Without a single spec and standard price, you may as well just buy a Valve sticker for your PC and call it a 'Steam Machine'.

..all pretty pointless TBH.

 

So nothing new from most other OEM machines then ? After all that's all a so called Steam machines is, it's a PC intended to run Steam OS, I'm not sure why people keep saying the don't understand the Steam machines, or that there pointless, too expensive, low specced, high specced, or any of the other reasons people give as to why they don't like them.

If you have the Steam client installed on your PC you already have a Steam Machine, for people that don't have a PC or have one that's gathering dust then they can buy a Steam Machine from one of the OEM's

Since when has choice been a problem and since when have you needed technical knowledge to buy a PC ? Don't most people set themselves a budget and then see what that budget get's them.

While there's no doubt some people will stick to consoles and some people will buy the cheapest available machine expecting it to run the latest and greatest game, how is that any different than what happens now ?

Steam machines aren't intended to compete directly with consoles there intended for people that want to play PC games sitting on the sofa, for people that haven't bothered buying a new PC for the last 10+ years because it's a PITA updating drivers, sitting at a desk, dealing with BSOD, crashes, and all the other reasons they haven't been using a PC for gaming.

Nail meet head.

 

I hope that these do really well. Not because I will buy one, but because it will help the PC gaming market. Hopefully console gamers will see the value in these.

 

I was playing around with a GR8 in the office last week, and Steam OS or no Steam OS, they are really nice PCs.

Obviously if you're really into building, as most of Bit-Tech will be, then you're not really the target audience - but from my prior experience with building HTPCs, I think you'd struggle to get something equally powerful, compact and good looking from an off-the-shelf ITX case (scratchbuilds obviously may be different).

As the market develops I'm sure we'll start to see more of a range of options as well. If it brings more people into PC gaming, as silk186 said, I'm really happy for it.

 

Yup, bang on

 

Where do I get this sticker?

 

You built your own computer, making a sticker should be easy.

 

I agree. I already have a good gaming PC and an ok HTPC. There should have been a SteamBox small medium and large, and that's it. And it needed to be competitive with a new HTPC I could build myself otherwise PC people will continue to do their own thing and console people will stick with their consoles, they probably don't even know what this thing is or what it does.

To win over console players they need to be easy to understand and buy, and easy to use. They are also going to need to do a great job of advertising all the PC only games this steambox will be able to play, and explain how it will work in their living room.

 

I'm not sure I want console players rushing to PC gaming.

 

TBH i see them differently, Steam Machines were never intended to 'compete with the consoles' at least not directly, not in terms of specs or price, if you want a cheap and relatively low specced gaming machine for your living room go buy a console.

Steam Machines are intended for people that want a console like experience without the hassle that comes with owning a PC, ask anyone with a 10+ year old PC gathering dust in the corner why they decided to swap to consoles, why they don't use a PC for gaming anymore.

Those are the reasons and people that Steam Machines are targeting.

Then either buy a Steam controller or maybe add the Steam link and jobs done, you have a so called Steam machine.

Valve or the OEM's don't want to sell you on the idea of gaming on the PC, if you use the Steam client you're already a customer of Valve, you're already sold on the advantage of gaming on a PC and don't mind the hassle that comes with that.

Steam Machines are targeted at people that gave up on gaming on the PC in favor of consoles many years ago, if you want a cheap, low specced gaming machine for the living room go buy a PS4 or Xbox, if you're willing to spend more but don't want the hassle that goes with gaming on a PC then look at getting a Steam machine.

 

The obvious solution here would be something based around the latest AMD APU then, which is essentially what a console is anyway, just packaged better.

 

Good point - I guess that's checkmate, game to you! Rematch?