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As another year passes, more and more people are listing their predictions for the gaming industry. So far in 2013 we witnessed the official death of the PS2, the reveal of a new Android based handheld, and now we are learning much more about Valve's new pet, the "Steam Box." In an exclusive interview, CEO Gabe Newell exposed the upcoming hardware and has faith in its ability to compete with Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo.
Newell announced:
We’ll come out with our own [hardware] and we’ll sell it to consumers by ourselves. That’ll be a Linux box, [and] if you want to install Windows you can. We’re not going to make it hard. This is not some locked box by any stretch of the imagination. We also think that a controller that has higher precision and lower latency is another interesting thing to have.
The Steam Box is also going to be able to open up web browsers, support Netflix, and grant audiences the possibility of a user-generated Steam. This is incredibly ambitious and Valve rarely disappoints with its releases, but naturally there are people who hesitate to brand it The Console Killer just yet. Microsoft Studios executive and former Sony executive Phil Harrison warned, "Entering the hardware business is a really tough business. You have to have great fortitude to be in the hardware business and you have to have deep pockets and a very strong balance sheet. It's not possible for every new hardware entrant to get to scale."
Ladies and gentleman, we are now spectating the official 2013 Dick Measuring Contest. This is the year we are expecting new consoles, new content, and better technology. If the Steam Box is affordable, and my gut tells me it won't be, I'll strongly considering moving away from my console. Due to finances I am limited to one console at a time, and I'm sad to say that I've missed out on the incredible deals found at Steam. A combination of Valve's software and now hardware would definitely be a worthy opponent against The Big Three's, but perhaps Harrison's warning holds merit. We're still not sure exactly when this PC hardware will be released, so only time will tell if its debut adds pressure on the current consoles.
Where do you think we'll go next?
Comments
11 years, 3 months ago
2013 is going to be a cluster-fuck no matter what happens in this industry. If not in the Hardware department in the development department. I can't wait for the articles to start rolling out quoting angry members of the industry for one reason or another.
11 years, 3 months ago
So uh I'm guessing no news on the Ouya or Onlive (if that even has a chance anymore) ?
11 years, 3 months ago
I don't really like predicting the future, but I do see a new console war about to abrupt and the Wii U will be the console to struggle the most. On the software side, I hope to see more on the Fox Engine.
11 years, 3 months ago
So if's just a PC with linux installed, is it any better than buying a pre-built desktop and connecting it to your TV?
11 years, 3 months ago
Am I alone when I say that I don't want another console announcement until E3 2014? Don't get me wrong I wouldn't say 'no thanks' to two new consoles this year, but I think we could atleast make it with what we got for another year.
Not matter when these coming announcements happen, it will be exciting and fun. Just wondering if I'm going to buy a Microsoft or Sony product this time, since I can't afford both day 1.
11 years, 3 months ago
I'm thinking the consoles are here to stay, at very least another generation. Keeping a PC relevant and capable is more expensive in the long run than having a console, especially when we're seeing longer life cycles.