Travis | Cheerful Ghost

Valve's console, codename Piston.

http://cdn0.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/6224955/xi3-piston-03.0_cinema_960.0.jpg

Look at that thing. Just look at it.

Not many details as of yet, but I had to share it, because look at it! But some hardware specs for the demo unit are here: http://www.polygon.com/2013/1/7/3849284/piston-valve-steam-box-xi3

jdodson Admin wrote on 01/09/2013 at 01:12am

Its beautiful. Plus has some really awesome hardware that comes with it. Looks to be on the expensive side now but ... that could come down as the mass produce them?

Regardless, this is awesome news!

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 01/09/2013 at 02:13am

There's no way this goes to market at 1k. It would just get laughed at.

jdodson Admin wrote on 01/09/2013 at 02:19am

I agree. Ill pick one up as soon as I can for anything around $300.

SignalWarden wrote on 01/09/2013 at 08:39pm

They are saying you can upgrade it easily which is good because when they pulled it apart the video card didn't look all that powerful. I can't see how you can install a card with more juice that isn't made specifically for it though because the form factor is pretty tight. Wait and see I suppose.

jdodson Admin wrote on 01/09/2013 at 08:48pm

I think we are entering a zone where the current tech we have now is ridiculously powerful. I don't mean the PS3 or XBox, you can cram much more power in a smaller device.

But even if it were just a PS3 or perhaps 2X a PS3 it would be beefy enough to play all the games out now plus the games going forward. I think Carmack said in a recent Quakecon that they would make games for the current consoles for another generation or so. I think the current PS3 power scale has some legs on it yet even if it is pretty underpowered by the standard the PC I am using sets. Or my Macbook for that matter.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 01/09/2013 at 09:25pm

Sig-- maybe they'll give us one of these.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/3117g8sD8hL._SL500_SS500_.jpg

jdodson Admin wrote on 01/10/2013 at 02:00am

Hahahaha, double the RAM with all the style of fire engine red!

SignalWarden wrote on 01/10/2013 at 05:23pm

Hahaha. You better believe I had one of those. Donkey Kong Country wouldn't run without it!

Teodor_Spiridon wrote on 01/15/2013 at 06:22am

So, I checked out their website and what they currently sell is not that impressive. They're using older AMD Processors and pretty low end RAM and HDD parts. It is a neat looking product, but like others have said, it is just a really small form factor. I think something like the Intel NUC might be a better starting point for a game content consumption device.

jdodson Admin wrote on 01/15/2013 at 04:21pm

Ah, well then its good others are building versions of this. I imagine the first generation might not be as powerful as it could be. Then again, it doesn't take much to get to the point of the current gen consoles. That said, I would like to see a Steam Box that would do 1080p and do it well for most games.

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Steambox coming in 2013, Linux-based

It's official, folks. Or as official it can be before an officially official announcement comes around. The Steambox (not the official name, but they should totally use it) is going to be out in 2013, based on Linux, and Valve has other hardware in mind as well.

Valve engineer Ben Krasnow sat down with German gaming site golem.de to discuss their plans. This news comes as no surprise as people have been speculating the Steambox for years now. With all the Windows 8 criticism coming from Newell, and the push for Linux support and Big Picture mode, this was the natural way of things.

This brings up some questions and revelations for me. First, while this is obviously in part a reaction to Windows 8, is this just the way things are going? At this point, while Desktop Linux has less than 2% market share, the Linux kernel itself is on over 40% of consumer computing devices (mostly due to Android phones, tablets, and hell, refrigerators), and is far and away the most used operating system around when all devices are considered. This is telling in many ways-- "computing devices" is a broad term, but usefully so. Computing is moving far from its roots, and into a more device-based model. A Steam console based on Desktop Linux gives Valve a way to keep the desktop while expanding into the device market. I think Valve's business model is evolving to compensate for that.

Second, this is another big platform to support. There are plenty of amazing games to play on Linux currently, but will developers embrace another platform? Steam is a big name, for sure, and if developers want their games on the next big thing from Valve, they'll have to. The question is, what role will this new console fill that the others don't? Personally, the Steambox combined with Steam Cloud would fill a desire I've had for a while-- being able to play a game on my PC in the back with a keyboard and mouse, then continue it on my couch with a controller. You can already do that with a second PC, but presumably the hardware will be standardized and cheaper, and better suited for couch play.

Third, a subject dear to my heart, as many of you know-- what does this mean for Linux in general? If the games released for Steam's new console are Linux games, that means the long-ignored platform will be getting an influx of awesome games. One major reason cited for people choosing to stick with Windows is gaming. Plus, the new push for gaming could mean better drivers, something we've already started to see. Don't get me wrong-- I'm in no way proclaiming 2013 to be the year of the Linux desktop. People have been saying that for a decade now, and it has never come to pass. I don't think 2013 will be any different. But maybe Linux can move from 1.6% to 2.6%, or even 3.6%. Certainly not the grand migration everyone has been hoping for, but enough for it to be considered a valid, important platform.

This is exciting news, and I can't wait to see specs and launch titles.

References:
http://www.golem.de/news/pc-spielekonsole-steam-box-ohne-windows-1212-96609.html
http://www.gamechup.com/steam-box-confirmed-by-valve-engineer-for-2013-will-be-linux-based-report/

SignalWarden wrote on 01/06/2013 at 05:00am

I've been rather curious as to how Valve intended to implement a Steambox. Realistically, it's not too hard to convert a game over from win to linux, but will it be worth it for the game producers? Of course there is always the very outside chance that Valve will be building a custom emulator on the back end of Steam. That would be tricky as all hell, but for the price of a Steambox (which isn't looking too cheap) it could be feasible. No matter which way it falls, as a PC gamer this situation will work out to my benefit.

Oh. Obligatory Half Life 3 comment.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 01/06/2013 at 05:15am

Steambox in 2013. 2+0+1+3=6. 6/2=3. Half-Life 3 confirmed!

Seriously though, one thing they could do for *some* Windows games is to have custom Wine configs. Not all games would work like this, of course. It would be similar to what GOG does with DOSBox, and what gogonlinux does for GOG games as well, but on a bigger scale. I think they're pushing pretty hard for native Linux support though (or at least developer supported Wine support, like with Psychonauts) from comments I've read from Gabe.

SignalWarden wrote on 01/06/2013 at 05:39am

I feel like they're holding their cards until an official Dota 2 release and another large release so they can turn around and say, "Look what we can do. Work with us and this will all be yours."

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 01/06/2013 at 06:35am

I seriously wouldn't be surprised if it was Half-Life 3. I would squeal like a little schoolgirl, but I wouldn't be surprised. A Blue Box would be awesome. Half-Life 3, Portal 3, Team Fortress 3, and Left 4 Dead 3, but that's surely far off.

What would be highly likely is "Buy this and receive our entire catalog for free."

jdodson Admin wrote on 01/07/2013 at 12:55am

Its really about if the platform gains traction enough to warrant attention for a developer or publisher. In reality, the PS3 is a low powered PC with Open GL etc and some Sony stuff included. It isn't too nuts to port that kind of game to Linux beyond how hard it would be to port it to the PS3 or XBox or whatever. I mean games now days are written with PC, PS3, Xbox & Mac in mind.

My bet is that the Steam box will gain traction because Steam is THE platform for PC games. Why not the console too? It makes a obligatory PSX or XBox 1080 less relevant if gamers have a PC and a Steam box. In a way, I wonder if Valve will obliterate the competition. I mean, it is a possibility I guess.

Anyways also consider making the game available on PC and Steam box might not mean Desktop Linux to a publisher. Especially if Valve ships a non x86 chip in the Steam box. But whatevs in most cases I bet a Linux port would come too. Or maybe I just hope :D

The next few years should be awesome and right now I am holding off on ANY console choices until I see what Valve does. Even if its just a way to get Portal 3 and music, it might be good enough for me.

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The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct

UPDATE: This is not a real trailer. It's really the game, it's just a very early version that was never meant to be shown to the public. This was posted all over gaming news sites and even the social media manager at Activision posted it, so I don't feel so bad.

http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/the-walking-dead-trailer-we-ran-earlier-is-a-fake-our-apologies-and-an-expl

So here's another game for The Walking Dead. There's the Telltale adventure game, the Facebook game, and now this first-person survival game published by Activision. None of these are related at all except by the source material. I worry this will be confusing for some consumers.

I'll be fair and say that, no, I haven't played this game. And this may be super-early production for all I know. But this trailer for the new Walking Dead game just looks bad. You play as fan-favorite and heart throb Daryl Dixon, a character from the show. It doesn't appear to do him justice.

I'll wait for the final cut to come out before making any real judgments, but I'm not sold.

Jurassic Life

This is a video for Jurassic Life, a new Source mod coming out "when it's ready." This is currently a work-in-progress, entirely fan-made, with tons of new... everything! New AI, new textures, models, environments... and it could be the great Jurassic Park game we've been waiting for. I'm always curious in situations like this whether the IP owners will have anything to say about it. I'd be surprised if Universal doesn't go after them, but maybe they'll be nice about it. Free publicity right?

The joys of couch multiplayer

WARNING: This video is from James Rolfe. If you're unfamiliar with him or his character the Angry Video Game Nerd, there is a lot of adult humor and language. You've been warned! :)

I was catching up on some AVGN when I found a new series with James Rolfe and Mike Matei just playing games and chatting about them. This one in particular got me thinking about the old days with friends all crowded around the TV in the floor, playing the new game you just rented obsessively. Much has changed with games getting huge and the internet enabling remote multiplayer, and not all for the better.

I can remember so many hours spent playing so many games, including but not limited to Mortal Kombat, NHL, Double Dragon, and of course Super Mario Bros. 3 with friends. There's something special about sitting next to someone that is lost entirely in the internet multiplayer days. The experience just isn't personal. Even with voice communication, it's hard to really focus on everything at once. It's considered a distraction to just talk about whatever and react to things you find interesting or funny as you play.

It seems like there's a resurgence of this lately, to an unfortunately small degree. Games like Borderlands 2 allow split-screen on consoles. Serious Sam 3 even allows split-screen on PC with multiple keyboards and mice. And Nintendo is one major player that still keeps this going strong. Even in Super Mario Galaxy there were minor things a second player could do to influence the world. I couldn't have gotten all the stars without my wife's help!

But for the most part, multiplayer is online-only these days, taking social gaming into a less social place than where it could be. It's amazing that we can play games with people all across the world, but it's sad that some people will never experience the joy of couch multiplayer. Perhaps I'm just being a bit of a gaming hipster, and my gaming proclivities haven't kept up with the times. Maybe I'm wrong, and it's just that I'm nostalgic for a time when gaming was a brave new world to me. What do you think?

Torchlight II Contest Complete!

We've done the tallying and come up with the winners!

We had a lot of amazing entries. Some funny and heroic name entries, and some great personal stories and epic tales from the world of Torchlight. It was tough, but Nayelianne was our favorite! Her entry really put us in her mind while playing Torchlight, and showed us how important and awesome her experience was, as well as the disappointment with not having multiplayer. She evoked feelings we've all had gaming at one time or another, I'd imagine.
http://cheerfulghost.com/Nayelianne/posts/790

The random number generator at random.org gave us Pavel_Krzystyniak's post. His epic tale of heroism was also high up in our list when trying to choose our favorite, so it was very serendipitous that random.org chose him.
http://cheerfulghost.com/Pavel_Krzystyniak/posts/848

Congrats to both of you, and congrats to TheCrimson on winning the SteamGifts giveaway! http://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/9ev8Y/torchlight-ii

The War Z Kerfuffle.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/dd/Warzlogo.jpg/250px-Warzlogo.jpg

And WHAT a kerfuffle it is.

Kotaku has a great run-down of everything that's wrong, but to briefly summarize:

* It looks a lot like a Day Z ripoff. That's negotiable, but it's incredibly similar.

* They have a game you have to pay for, is still in beta, but has a multitude of microtransactions like Free-to-Play MMO's. Including one to respawn. If you don't pay a microtransaction when you die, apparently you have to wait hours before you can play again.

* They lied about the features of the game.

* They didn't mention that they were in beta still when they went on the Steam store.

* They wrongfully banned tons of people.

* They are blocking bad things being said about them in the forums.

* Thousands of people are signing petitions about the game.

* They ripped (at least part of) their terms of use from League of Legends.

* They apparently stole some images from The Walking Dead.

* Not related to The War Z directly, but amusingly the guy who made the game is responsible for one of the worst games of all time, Big Rigs Over The Road Racing: http://www.gamespot.com/big-rigs-over-the-road-racing/videos/big-rigs-over-the-road-racing-video-review-6086530/

The full breakdown is on Kotaku. I want to be fair about this, I really do, but it's obvious that this is incredibly shady at best. Developers shouldn't be allowed to treat people like this. Vote with your wallets, people.

http://kotaku.com/5969784/the-war-z-mess-every-crazy-detail-we-know-so-far?utm_source=Kotaku+Newsletter&utm_campaign=80ee1f4356-UA-142218-8&utm_medium=email

UPDATE: If you want to see some gameplay, totalbiscuit's review is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RtKAm3nzg6I

UPDATE 2: Electric Boogaloo: This thread on reddit has a similar breakdown, with some different stuff. http://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/152tbh/warz_patch_unleash_the_true_moneywhoring/

Thursday Game Night! Vote for the game!

This Thursday, Dec 20, we will be having a game night at 9PM EST, 6PM PST. A few games to choose from-- Starcraft 2, Left 4 Dead 2, or Team Fortress 2. Hit up the comments to vote for which one you want to play, and we will meet up Thursday night to kick ass and chew bubble gum, only we'll be all out of gum. We'll make another post once the game is decided.

gogonlinux: Games from GOG in Linux made easier

A community of GOG fans has released the first beta of gogonlinux, a tool to make playing your GOG games easier in Linux.

http://www.gogonlinux.com/about/

Installing it requires a few steps (you can read up on them on the "Getting Started" page) but using the software seems straight-forward. Just log into your GOG account, and it handles downloading and installing the games for you.

There are currently only a few games present. It isn't currently using Linux ports, but things like Wine, Dosbox, and Scummvm to run games with the most compatible configuration.

Hopefully with Steam's Linux client looking toward release, and Desura's presence for some time now, GOG will do something official for Linux soon. They recently started a Mac section, and this project combined with other providers supporting Linux shows that the demand is there. Until then, though, this is another tool for your Linux gaming arsenal.

Street Fighter X Mega Man to release Dec 17

You read that correctly. A new 8-bit Mega Man game that pits our blue hero against the characters from Street Fighter.

It drops Dec 17 on PC, FOR FREE, in celebration of both franchises' 25th anniversary.

I feel like I should say more but at this point you should probably just drool over the video. Enjoy!

Travis4

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