Valve Starts Listing The Steam Machines In The Steam Store

[slalomsk8er]

As you said, the ZOTAC EN760 is what remains of what seemingly was going to be ZOTAC's first gen Steam Machine, until delays made that unfeasible. As such, it isn't officially branded or marketed as a Steam Machine, and ZOTAC has announced the SN970. The barebone (no memory, no HDD) EN760 was launched at $549.99, and the EN760 Plus (8GB DDR3L-1600MHz SODIMM, 1TB 5400RPM HDD) was launched at $699.99.

The aforementioned aside, a few follow-up research questions:
Do you have SteamOS installed?
If SteamOS is installed, do you use desktop mode regularly?
You are dual-booting with Windows and were already a Steam customer, correct?

No I didn't install SteamOS but with Debian and Steam client it is close I guess.
I spend quite some time watching streams and checking Emails so guess I'm more on the Desktop then in Bigpicture mode this said I really enjoy the Bigpicture to use Steam with the PS3 controller.
Yes I'm dual-booting with Windows and I'm a existing Steam customer.

[eidolon]

Some of them are actually great value:
https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrac..._to_pc_builds/

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

[moilami]

Those platforms actually have game exclusives to set them apart and, more importantly, they are the first target for new game releases.

Steam Machines have five-year-old retreads.





The point is................ there is a catch-22 here. Developers are not going to target Steam Machines unless it's an important platform, and that requires a lot of immediate interest up front so that it would take off rather than crash land. So Valve needed to generate a lot of interest in Steam Machines. But they didn't. They brought a knife to a gunfight.

I might guess Shitbox have the most shitty gamers. That said, things might depend a bit on what games you play. Stop playing CoD

[tehehe]

Some of them are actually great value:

https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/2y8093/steamboxes_compared_in_price_to_pc_builds/

[AnonymousCoward]

5. When factoring in their costs, of which labor is only one, the manufacturers have to profit from what they sell. For a historical example, "Unfortunately since the profit for manufacturers had to come from the sale of the hardware itself ? all other consoles were sold at a reduced price for a loss and software sales would close the gap for profits ? and the 3DO sold for the staggering price of $700." While the 3DO manufactures didn't have the benefit of build-to-order, they didn't have to contend with DIY system builders either. People may rightly contend that Steam Machines aren't consoles, but they are marketed as gaming platforms, so I don't think the 3DO example is completely without merit.

Regardless of how the Steam Machines fare, Valve will continue to do gangbusters. Valve's future isn't the elephant in the room.

Interesting observations.

[MartinN]

GabeN made very clear since the beginning he didn't want to create new lock-ins. SteamOS exists for that one purpose!

They are out to slay Goliath. And Goliath was slayed. Valve will slay Goliath. My bet anyway...

[r1348]

Too expensive and little game selection so you're going to be streaming anyway -- might as well just get the Steam Link.

Now if Valve had done something to make SteamOS amazing and given it a clear advantage over Windows, or did something really incredible like bundle some amazing highly-anticipated games with their console, people would be excited.

But they didn't.

GabeN made very clear since the beginning he didn't want to create new lock-ins. SteamOS exists for that one purpose!

[eidolon]

Most steam machines have terrible price/performance ratio.

I have multiple theories:

1. It's bundled with hardware +/or software like a console is
2. Niche: low stock, higher price
3. Size. Some of these are really compact
4. Labour to get these set up and working okay

5. When factoring in their costs, of which labor is only one, the manufacturers have to profit from what they sell. For a historical example, "Unfortunately since the profit for manufacturers had to come from the sale of the hardware itself – all other consoles were sold at a reduced price for a loss and software sales would close the gap for profits – and the 3DO sold for the staggering price of $700." While the 3DO manufactures didn't have the benefit of build-to-order, they didn't have to contend with DIY system builders either. People may rightly contend that Steam Machines aren't consoles, but they are marketed as gaming platforms, so I don't think the 3DO example is completely without merit.

Regardless of how the Steam Machines fare, Valve will continue to do gangbusters. Valve's future isn't the elephant in the room.

[iniudan]

Most steam machines have terrible price/performance ratio. It's insane to say that the alienware steam machine is the best price/performance there is, when alienware is well known for beefy machines that cost an arm and a leg, and even that one is a bit mediocre (2GB of VRAM, really?).

http://store.steampowered.com/app/353430/

$700 for a pentium dual core and a 960?

http://store.steampowered.com/app/353460/

This costs about the same as the alienware but has a god damn 250X with 1GB of VRAM

http://store.steampowered.com/app/353480/

$900 machine with a 960 when you could very well do one with a better card from AMD

http://store.steampowered.com/app/353490/

$800 for a 750GTX!?

How does Valve even allow this?

Where did I say the Alienware Alpha was a good price/performance, I commanded it on it size, I'm personally unable to make something as small with off the shelf part at that price, that thing got a custom motherboard, GPU, cooling and case.

[eidolon]

I bought a Zotac en760 - you could call this a last gen Steam Machine if you will.

As you said, the ZOTAC EN760 is what remains of what seemingly was going to be ZOTAC's first gen Steam Machine, until delays made that unfeasible. As such, it isn't officially branded or marketed as a Steam Machine, and ZOTAC has announced the SN970. The barebone (no memory, no HDD) EN760 was launched at $549.99, and the EN760 Plus (8GB DDR3L-1600MHz SODIMM, 1TB 5400RPM HDD) was launched at $699.99.

The aforementioned aside, a few follow-up research questions:
Do you have SteamOS installed?
If SteamOS is installed, do you use desktop mode regularly?
You are dual-booting with Windows and were already a Steam customer, correct?

The alienware steam machine seems to come with games and a controller already.

"Every Steam Machine runs SteamOS and ships with a Steam Controller..."

The current Alienware Alpha (what would have been Alienware's first gen Steam Machine) comes "bundled with free bonus content including the complete versions of Anomaly: Warzone Earth, Awesomenauts, Magicka, Metro: Last Light, PAYDAY 2 and Strike Suit Zero. Alienware Alpha will also include an exclusive Gauntlet in-game item, the Magicka: Dungeons and Daemons DLC, as well as Alienware exclusive demos of Defense Grid 2 and Super Splatters." I imagine the Alienware Steam Machine will offer something comparable.