Alienware Steam machine

#2
#2
Agreed.

I still don't know what market "steam machines" are looking to fill. I still don't think they will do very well. Too many options, too many manufacturers with different setups.

Guess we'll see.
 
#3
#3
For some reason I have a feeling that this is the direction Microsoft is going to go in next generation with Xbox. I think instead of making a closed architecture "console" they are instead going to opt to make an open-ended set top box like this and focus on their Live service to digitally distribute content like they originally wanted to do with Xbox One. If you look at the moves they are making right now with Windows 10 scalability, streaming X1 games to PC, the partnership with Occulus Rift, Xbox exclusive franchises going to PC, etc it makes total sense that this is the direction they are going in. I think MS sees their future in competing with Valve and their Steam service more than competing with PlayStation.
 
#4
#4
Agreed.

I still don't know what market "steam machines" are looking to fill. I still don't think they will do very well. Too many options, too many manufacturers with different setups.

Guess we'll see.

What it seems like they are pushing is to play PC games on your tv. A $20 HDMI cable can do that for you.
 
#6
#6

But most PC towers don't fit neatly into someone's entertainment center, and most people don't want an unsightly tower sticking out like a sore thumb.

I think set top boxes can find a market as long as they a.) have a good price/performance ratio, b.) the interface is simple to use, and c.) the components are upgradeable

I don't have an expensive gaming PC but for next generation, I may take a serious look at one of these things because I don't care about gaming at my desk and I don't have any interest in spending 3000.00 on a robust gaming PC. If these had been available at the launch of this past generation, I probably would've bought a PS4 and one of these instead of getting an X1. Like I said before, my feeling is that the next version of the Xbox we see will fall more in line with this type of design rather than a closed architectured console.
 
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#7
#7
I see what you're saying. But, I think another option MS would really like is going back to a mainframe type setup. Let the games run on their servers and they just sell you a box to stream it. Games in the cloud. They are trying to do this now days with games like Titanfall.
 
#8
#8
They're targeting the console gamer demographic; the guys who think PC gaming is for nerds.
 
#9
#9
I see what you're saying. But, I think another option MS would really like is going back to a mainframe type setup. Let the games run on their servers and they just sell you a box to stream it. Games in the cloud. They are trying to do this now days with games like Titanfall.

God I'd hate to think of a gaming future where everything is streamed and phsyical or digital ownership isn't even an option! I'm already not a fan of an all digital future but if it ever gets to the point where I can't even download my own games, I may just check out of gaming altogether.
 
#11
#11
But most PC towers don't fit neatly into someone's entertainment center, and most people don't want an unsightly tower sticking out like a sore thumb.

I think set top boxes can find a market as long as they a.) have a good price/performance ratio, b.) the interface is simple to use, and c.) the components are upgradeable

I don't have an expensive gaming PC but for next generation, I may take a serious look at one of these things because I don't care about gaming at my desk and I don't have any interest in spending 3000.00 on a robust gaming PC. If these had been available at the launch of this past generation, I probably would've bought a PS4 and one of these instead of getting an X1. Like I said before, my feeling is that the next version of the Xbox we see will fall more in line with this type of design rather than a closed architectured console.

I agree. But the problem is the specs of that box. I built a pc in 2010 and put two AMD cards in it that was 4gb each. Those specs are saying 2Gb.

I didnt read that much into it after that but if it is upgradable and the box retails at $500 and you add a card for todays games that is $500 your getting right back to building a sweet tower and buying a HDMI cable for the tv at that price.

The cloud based games a few years back wouldn't work because the internet highways hadn't caught up. Not that way now but most people I know love having that disk and box in their hand. The intriguing thing to me is the controller ditching the analog sticks for basically a revolving dpad on both sides.

Edit: Let me say also I haven't seen a price on it the $500 was just a guess. But with it having the "Alienware" brand it could be even more. If it isnt competitive with console prices it will flop.
 
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#12
#12
I agree. But the problem is the specs of that box. I built a pc in 2010 and put two AMD cards in it that was 4gb each. Those specs are saying 2Gb.

I didnt read that much into it after that but if it is upgradable and the box retails at $500 and you add a card for todays games that is $500 your getting right back to building a sweet tower and buying a HDMI cable for the tv at that price.

The cloud based games a few years back wouldn't work because the internet highways hadn't caught up. Not that way now but most people I know love having that disk and box in their hand. The intriguing thing to me is the controller ditching the analog sticks for basically a revolving dpad on both sides.

Edit: Let me say also I haven't seen a price on it the $500 was just a guess. But with it having the "Alienware" brand it could be even more. If it isnt competitive with console prices it will flop.

That's probably true amongst console gamers but I wouldn't think so with PC gamers. I'd say PC gamers have already fully embraced digital distribution. Who knows, maybe set top boxes will be what bridges that gap between console and PC gamers and gets more console gamers to embrace a digitally distributed model.
 
#13
#13
That's probably true amongst console gamers but I wouldn't think so with PC gamers. I'd say PC gamers have already fully embraced digital distribution. Who knows, maybe set top boxes will be what bridges that gap between console and PC gamers and gets more console gamers to embrace a digitally distributed model.

I was addicted to BF2142 on my pc and had the digital copy myself. Alot of people are scared to death to type on a keyboard much less play a game and all the button configurations. But consoles I think will always be behind in textures, modeling and shadowing. Thats why I was excited about the steam machine because I thought great, a shelf top PC. Then you look at the specs and it's like meh.

If they can ever bridge the console and PC that would be the ultimate goal.

Im a war game guy and love to move and cover as a sqaud. But even the perfect scenario of setup doesnt help you when the 11 year old is running around shooting at everything.

https://youtu.be/sQw65XZ9Tm8

https://youtu.be/zYPPYxuHFfw
 
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#14
#14
Most of my shooters I do on the console, gotta have the analog sticks. Anything else and its on my PC. except for large open world games.

I would definitely say all PC guys are just doing digital. go to any game shop and try and find games for the PC. the selection is terrible. If MS figured out a Steam type platform I could get behind that, but the question again is updates.

The big thing for me and Steam is that I can still play my games offline, i am betting anything MS does you won't have that ability.
 
#15
#15
I was addicted to BF2142 on my pc and had the digital copy myself. Alot of people are scared to death to type on a keyboard much less play a game and all the button configurations. But consoles I think will always be behind in textures, modeling and shadowing. Thats why I was excited about the steam machine because I thought great, a shelf top PC. Then you look at the specs and it's like meh.

If they can ever bridge the console and PC that would be the ultimate goal.

Im a war game guy and love to move and cover as a sqaud. But even the perfect scenario of setup doesnt help you when the 11 year old is running around shooting at everything.

https://youtu.be/sQw65XZ9Tm8

https://youtu.be/zYPPYxuHFfw

I guess that's where upgradability comes into play. That's the one advantage a set top box could have over a console. Plus a set top box wouldn't benefit from optimization the way a console would be, so it would almost have to be upgradable.

The question would be, would upgrading your box be a simple "do it yourself" process or would you have to take it somewhere to let an expert do it? Sticking in a larger hard drive or adding more RAM would be one thing but what about upgrading a graphics card or a CPU? Also do these set top boxes use basic off the shelf PC components or would they be specialized just for these types of systems?
 
#16
#16
PC is definitely going after the console gamers, and that is a good thing. Great competition for consoles. I still think Steam is the 110% BEST setup for gaming. Huge catalog, forums for every game, great review system, sales all most every week, etc.... Plus now with Discord PC gamers have a free chat server.
 
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#17
#17
For some reason I have a feeling that this is the direction Microsoft is going to go in next generation with Xbox. I think instead of making a closed architecture "console" they are instead going to opt to make an open-ended set top box like this and focus on their Live service to digitally distribute content like they originally wanted to do with Xbox One. If you look at the moves they are making right now with Windows 10 scalability, streaming X1 games to PC, the partnership with Occulus Rift, Xbox exclusive franchises going to PC, etc it makes total sense that this is the direction they are going in. I think MS sees their future in competing with Valve and their Steam service more than competing with PlayStation.

I could see Google and Apple really throwing their hats into the hardcore gaming market as well.

Mobile graphics are still quite a bit behind modern consoles, but they've improved so much since even 2010:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byyMnfb2ouw

Given the fact that mobile CPUs/GPUs are where all the progress is taking place right now (and the desktop market has completely stagnated), I think we can expect mobile devices to have graphics that rival current PS4/Xbox One games by 2018-2019. And at that point, it will be really tough to convince people to buy $400 dedicated consoles when their phones and tablets can already output excellent graphics (which can be streamed to their TVs).
 
#18
#18
I could see Google and Apple really throwing their hats into the hardcore gaming market as well.

Mobile graphics are still quite a bit behind modern consoles, but they've improved so much since even 2010:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byyMnfb2ouw

Given the fact that mobile CPUs/GPUs are where all the progress is taking place right now (and the desktop market has completely stagnated), I think we can expect mobile devices to have graphics that rival current PS4/Xbox One games by 2018-2019. And at that point, it will be really tough to convince people to buy $400 dedicated consoles when their phones and tablets can already output excellent graphics (which can be streamed to their TVs).

Will these mobile devices have a controller and unified online service like Xbox Live, PSN, or Steam? There are also way too many crappy cash grabs and clones on the mobile game stores to give anyone I know more than a few days of entertainment before they delete. Can mobile devices offer us the Fallouts, Witchers, CODs, Battlefronts, Dark Souls types games? The best thing I've seen on a mobile device has been remakes of 20 year old games that don't run as well as they did on the PlayStation 1.

Maybe I'm just an old timer, but console gaming, including things like Steam machines, will always trump the streaming devices offered by Google and Apple. But I can see, with the attention span of young kids, companies investing in such an idea. Which depresses me haha
 
#19
#19
PC is definitely going after the console gamers, and that is a good thing. Great competition for consoles. I still think Steam is the 110% BEST setup for gaming. Huge catalog, forums for every game, great review system, sales all most every week, etc.... Plus now with Discord PC gamers have a free chat server.

Agreed. Steam offers sales Live and PSN rarely do and I don't understand why they don't. I guess they know we console guys are suckers. I'd use a Steam machine if I weren't already 10 years invested in Xbox Live and knew the hardware would last long enough to get my money's worth. Graphics don't mean a damn thing to me though, when listing criteria in a good game. I'm likely a minority.
 
#20
#20
PC is definitely going after the console gamers, and that is a good thing. Great competition for consoles. I still think Steam is the 110% BEST setup for gaming. Huge catalog, forums for every game, great review system, sales all most every week, etc.... Plus now with Discord PC gamers have a free chat server.

Agreed. Steam offers sales Live and PSN rarely do and I don't understand why they don't. I guess they know we console guys are suckers. I'd use a Steam machine if I weren't already 10 years invested in Xbox Live and knew the hardware would last long enough to get my money's worth. Graphics don't mean a damn thing to me though, when listing criteria in a good game. I'm likely a minority.
 
#21
#21
I could see Google and Apple really throwing their hats into the hardcore gaming market as well.

Mobile graphics are still quite a bit behind modern consoles, but they've improved so much since even 2010:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byyMnfb2ouw

Given the fact that mobile CPUs/GPUs are where all the progress is taking place right now (and the desktop market has completely stagnated), I think we can expect mobile devices to have graphics that rival current PS4/Xbox One games by 2018-2019. And at that point, it will be really tough to convince people to buy $400 dedicated consoles when their phones and tablets can already output excellent graphics (which can be streamed to their TVs).

I do not see this scenario at all. When the ps4 came out its graphics card was years behind a desktop. Is it because of space? Maybe, but I do not see anyone playing a game with their phone, even if it's thrown on the tv, and controlling by leaning their phone over a keyboard or console controller.

Here's the controller I want!

Virtusphere Home page
 
#22
#22
I do not see this scenario at all. When the ps4 came out its graphics card was years behind a desktop. Is it because of space? Maybe, but I do not see anyone playing a game with their phone, even if it's thrown on the tv, and controlling by leaning their phone over a keyboard or console controller.

Here's the controller I want!

Virtusphere Home page

Not necessarily a phone but I'd be all for one of these companies being able to produce an all in one home console/mobile solution. That is what Nintendo is rumored to be doing with their "NX" machine. I just love the idea have having a powerful mobile gaming device that can communicate with my TV and allow me to play on my couch. I'm thinking have the controller either have a screen and it be the mobile component that communicates with the console via WiFi or 4G or have the mobile unit plug into some kind of HDMI-connected docking station and you have a separate controller for gaming at home.
 
#23
#23
I do not see this scenario at all. When the ps4 came out its graphics card was years behind a desktop. Is it because of space? Maybe, but I do not see anyone playing a game with their phone, even if it's thrown on the tv, and controlling by leaning their phone over a keyboard or console controller.

Here's the controller I want!

Virtusphere Home page

now if they can just take this concept and shirk it to a device that will fit in the standard living room... nerds will be the new jocks!
 
#25
#25
Agreed. Steam offers sales Live and PSN rarely do and I don't understand why they don't. I guess they know we console guys are suckers. I'd use a Steam machine if I weren't already 10 years invested in Xbox Live and knew the hardware would last long enough to get my money's worth. Graphics don't mean a damn thing to me though, when listing criteria in a good game. I'm likely a minority.

I do not understand why they do not have sales similar to Steam either. Almost every big sale, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring the traffic nearly shuts down their servers. One random sale today is The Stick of Truth for $7.49
 
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