Even With Steam Machines, Steam Linux Usage Stays Below 1%

[Ray Ingles]

Since Steam came out for Linux, I've been starting up the client at least four times a week, usually more. Today is the first day the Steam Survey popped up. I know it has happened at least twice for Windows in that time, and I've run it on Windows much less frequently. I really do think there's a systematic sampling issue.

[gnaag]

Actually the headline is misleading. The biggest problem of the claim is the fact that the survey is not for november, but the period from june to november. And since june to october there were no steam machines. Therefore it would be very surprising if the results solely from november influenced the overall results.

[johnc]

Microsoft made windows store distribution mandatory for metro apps and Valve is afraid that they could take that direction with games too. All that may be paranoid and valve being stupid or whatever but that is Gabe's line of thinking. He want to move to a world where the ecosystem is such that releasing cross-platform games is the norm and we are not reliant on Microsoft proprietory technology. He wants Redmond to hold less cards...

That appeared to be the public Valve statement early on but after MS demonstrated that they won't be closing the PC platform Valve went pretty much AWOL on the whole Steam Machines project, etc. Notice that all of the work they've done in the years since has been in their closed, proprietary Steam client, which has no attachment to SteamOS, etc.

My view is that Valve got worried, fired a salvo, MS got the message loud and clear and now Valve has moved on and gone back to making hats or whatever. Maybe I'm completely misreading the situation but it seems plainly clear that Valve is done pursuing this any further. I admit I could be wrong, but I'm just acknowledging the fact that Valve has showed absolutely no public interest in this effort since after Steam Dev Days. And the fact that so many hardware partners dropped out is probably evidence that things behind closed doors are not much different.

[HenryM]

Everyone knows that a PS4 is better than a PS3, and you need a PS4 to play PS4.

PC gaming is not so straight forward, and you need to do your research. eg the fact that a GTX 680 is way better than a 9800GTX is not especially obvious by name.


What Valve really needs to do is simplify the whole system requirements thing. I think it would get more attention to Steam gaming from the average consumer. just an easy way to check system capability, and recommend upgrade parts as needed.

it would be a matter of cataloging all relevant computer hardware and assigning a grade. let's say "you need C-2010 class GPU or better" (letter for performance and year for GL/DX capability etc.) and do the same for the CPU. Ram is pretty obvious.

I figure a "system class" could be automatically tallied by the individual part grades. bottlenecks/weak parts would be pointed out in an easy-to-understand way.

[bitman]

Because SteamOS works and looks like a CONSOLE. Meaning it is plug and play, making things work and updates silently.

I do not personally want to manage another Windows box with antiadware, antivirus, antispyware, dotnet, programs updated one by one by hand, use a mouse and a control panel fo fix things etc. etc.

Plug, start, have fun. Valve do the rest of the work like Sony, MS and Nintendo do already. And guess what? This console can be very cheap and already have a HuGE catalog, far more than the 3 official consoles.

Once windows box is set up there is no managing to be done. No ativirus even.. I dual-boot windows on my laptop. I press the power button and by the time it boots up im already on the couch with steam controller in hands connecting to that laptop via steam link. Steam machines with windows should be not much different. All you need is to make steam start in big picture mode and i bet there is command line flag or something. And then its just like console.

But i get what you are saying. In the long run i think what benefits most is SteamOS taking hold of gaming market. I sure hope that plays out well. We just need drivers that are not crappy..