We should really start taking points or placing bets on the things that we spitball on the GamerSushi Show. Eventually, we’d make ourselves some money or score some major Internet achievements or something. As it is, it’s nice when news comes out that we’ve already discussed.
The particular news item I’m referencing at the moment would be that of the rumored Valve gaming console, which has taken tech and gaming sites by storm over the weekend. The Verge wrote of this rumor just the other day, when writer Joseph Topolsky reported that Valve has in fact been working on a game machine for the living. While some are calling this a “console”, it actually sounds more like an affordable PC gaming rig, with Steam at its core.
According to Verge, Valve’s rumored machine “would place Steam at the center of an open gaming universe that mirrors what Google has done with Android.” Their sources have also told them that the hardware inside would feature a a Core i7 CPU, 8GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GPU. Beyond that, the controller would be something that would allow for swappable peripherals like track balls, analog sticks, etc.
So how’s that for a wild rumor? While we normally try to be careful with these kinds of things, it’s definitely picked up some steam (pun totally intended) over the last couple of weeks. People are saying that Valve was shopping this around at CES, some pictures showed up on a Valve employee’s Twitter feed and some patents have even been found regarding the controller. Some are wondering if Valve will even announce this thing at GDC.
Phew. So what do you guys think about all this? As we talked about in our podcast, I think a Steam-box would be a great addition to the gaming market. At the right price, it would give people access to an open platform like Steam without all the BS that comes with today’s home consoles.
Weigh in, gents. If you are someone that doesn’t have the money or the inclination to build your own PC, could you see this being a viable option? Go!
Source – The Verge
Oh man, I think this is one of the most exciting possibilities I’ve heard in a long long time. Even though I am already on an i7, I would absolutely buy a machine dedicated to customizable gaming. I’ve had so many problems with my nVidia cards; It would be a dream to know that when I buy a game, it has been tested on that specific set of hardware and is guaranteed to work without a hiccup. If this happens, I’m positive they would allow for mouse & keyboard play. It really would bridge the gap between my old console self and my PC-centric gaming life now.
Hallelujah.
Oh, and hilarious picture hahah.
This is a very exciting possibility to me indeed. Having not the income to afford to build my dream PC, if they make this affordable to us, I would be all over that like white on rice. It would be such a breath of fresh air over today’s console BS, as Steam has buku deals every day practically and makes gaming feel affordable. I surely hope that this seems legit.
I am very excited that Valve is releasing their own console because they view it as a specialized PC, not just a pretty cartridge toaster. The specs are better than my stone tablet from 2004, although I think I’ll be buying / getting my friend to build a more powerful tower once I head off to college. At the same time, I wouldn’t shy away from the Steam Box (or whatever hilarious and awesome steampunk pun they come up with) if it can run Microsoft Word 2003.
I was initially very opposed to Valve doing a gaming machine, but it sounds like they can pull it off. A DEDICATED gaming PC. I can still use my Facebooks and my Steams and whatnot. Do we know what it will use as an OS? I hope and pray they make something for us laptop users out there 😉
I don’t know what’s worse Eddys pun of that I read it an began laughing like a 6 year old.
On topic despite having picked up a gaming pc late last year this is an exciting prospect. Also I think we all know it’s Gonna be called the Steam Engine
I know the video game industry thrives on the various rumours and heresay, and that anything Valve-related is always top of the pile, but it surprises me how much this has been talked about in the last few days. I mean, there’s all sorts of predictions and projections and analysis going on when nobody even knows if its real or not. Sure its an interesting thought, but some sites are already treating it as gospel. Personally I’ll reserve judgement until something solid gets shown.
Just to clarify, this isn’t a shot at anyone here, just a build up of frustration with a lot of other sites. You guys are awesome 🙂