Steam OS announced
- Thread starter bhamv3
- Start date
figmentPez
Staff member
Damn only 300. The odds of getting one of those are miniscule... but I'm going to try anyway, it's not that difficult to qualify, so why not? It would be so sweet to test one of those.
This made me LOL big time. Mostly because that's pretty much how it is around our place when the sales come through.
That being said, Valve has explicitly said that people can install SteamOS on whatever they'd like. They'll no doubt have "1st-class" support for certain hardware combinations (drivers, etc), but I'm betting it'll basically be Linux that boots to big picture, which you then can "get out of" and run whatever normal Linux software (browsers, XMBC, etc) if you'd like to. Debian-based almost certainly, given their "preference" for Ubuntu machines to begin with for Steam on Linux.
Interestingly enough, they've also said "sure, tear it apart, etc" (I'm paraphrasing) for the beta testers of their Steam Machine. Which is kinda awesome to say to people to "go nuts" for it. Finally a "console" where Homebrew is encouraged? Though the meaning of that term loses a lot, considering "it's a Linux box" so you could run whatever anyways, but still.
And now we wait for Friday's announcement.
*crosses his fingers, shuts his eyes tight* Please be Half-Life 3. Please be Half-Life 3. Please be Half-Life 3.
*crosses his fingers, shuts his eyes tight* Please be Half-Life 3. Please be Half-Life 3. Please be Half-Life 3.
figmentPez
Staff member
Steam OS hats for TF2.
Well, the symbols for the announcements lead us to believe that the next announcement is software of some sort....so HOPEFULLY!
If Valve had the money to do that, that would be amazing, but Gabe Newell would have had to force his accountants to take blood oaths and risk the forfeiture of their first-borns to keep that kind of cash flow secret.
Soooo....in order to buy EA, you have to become EA? Devious.
Well that was a fucking pointless announcement.
Fucking called it.
Disappointed, but unsurprised. 
GasBandit
Staff member
You sure as hell did. They can't even count to 3 on announcements!Fucking called it.
I'm more console than PC as a gamer, but I was really hoping that they had something big and blow-out for the third one. Like the official launch-date for digital lending/sharing plus program details.
figmentPez
Staff member
It looks like it's going to be a pain to use on any game that isn't designed to support it. That thing won't emulate console controllers very well at all.
It's not supposed to. It's supposed to be a mouse and keyboard replacement.
And you don't know how well it does anything, none of us have used it.
figmentPez
Staff member
I realize that, but unless Valve expects everyone to keep two different controllers around, and the system is smart enough to handle both seamlessly, it had better be able to function just as well in games that have good support for existing controllers.
That's true, but it doesn't take any use to see that it physically is not up to the task of mimicking sticks & face buttons / D-pad at the same time. A lot of existing games use that setup to good effect, and while it's entirely possible that touchcreen can provide better functionality in games designed for it, it can't provide the same type of control in games that weren't designed for it.
Do you know how many fucking plastic instruments I have in my closet? People will buy all sorts of controllers.
I'm waiting to see how it works and performs before passing judgment. I realize this is CRAZY TALK on the internet, so everyone can go back to talking about how it's worse than polio now.
GasBandit
Staff member
I've read some stuff that makes me think the controller might not completely suck. But I'm still reserving judgement.
Somebody over at the PA forums said that the touchpads aren't just nonmoving analog sticks, that they're instant response input. IE, the right pad represents all possible changes of facing, with the outermost edge representing a 180 degree turn, and your camera angle changes as quickly as you move your thumb. As opposed to an analog stick with set rates of turn based on how far you move the stick.
I dunno if I'm explaining this as adequately as he did, and I've already lost track of the post.
Somebody over at the PA forums said that the touchpads aren't just nonmoving analog sticks, that they're instant response input. IE, the right pad represents all possible changes of facing, with the outermost edge representing a 180 degree turn, and your camera angle changes as quickly as you move your thumb. As opposed to an analog stick with set rates of turn based on how far you move the stick.
I dunno if I'm explaining this as adequately as he did, and I've already lost track of the post.
figmentPez
Staff member
I'm pretty sure this will be a great way to control games that are either PC shooters (or have similar controls) or are designed for this pad, I'm just skeptical of how well it will control existing platformers and other games that are more about stick & buttons than dual sticks.
Being able to control PC shooters on the TV with my thumb as the mouse?
Sign me the fuck up.
Sign me the fuck up.
I know, damn it. Force of habit. I know it's correct usage.
I must be flogged for my shame.
Wait, where are you going?
FLOG ME DAMN IT!
Actually, thinking about it, I did use it totally wrong, but the sentence could still be correct. Whereas I had thought that the issue was not open for debate before, this bridges the gap and it now IS open to debate to me.
Whew... saved that one.
I must be flogged for my shame.
Wait, where are you going?
FLOG ME DAMN IT!
Actually, thinking about it, I did use it totally wrong, but the sentence could still be correct. Whereas I had thought that the issue was not open for debate before, this bridges the gap and it now IS open to debate to me.
Whew... saved that one.
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Ready for more shame?
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go make all of these same mistakes and worse in my next post.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go make all of these same mistakes and worse in my next post.