4 replies to this topic

[fireside]

There seem to be a lot of new game device plans coming out recently. This one sounds kind of interesting, especially because it will have Linux loaded by default. Could be a major break for Linux as a game system.

http://www.joystiq.c...rated-paradise/

[TheNut]

Gaben said:

Any PC can serve multiple monitors, so over time, the next-generation (post-Kepler) you can have one GPU that's serving up eight simulateneous [sic] game calls. So you could have one PC and eight televisions and eight controllers and everybody getting great performance out of it.

Someone's got to pull Gabe out of Pyroland because all those happy hours are messing up his processor Personally I don't see the logic in this with all things considered in the living room and other technologies being pushed, like Internet TVs and newer consoles. Anyone can take a PC, slap Linux on it, install Steam, and get the same output. Hardcore PC gamers will reject this because they will want the latest and greatest hardware and OS to run their games. Casual gamers couldn't care less and will be content with their simple setups and mobile devices. Competition with digital distribution is growing fiercely between Amazon, Origin, and GoG. It's literally a price war that separates them now. There's also Origin, which currently has the lead in mobile gaming and is expanding to more publishers. If it were me personally, I would put greater focus on mobile distribution and work with existing Internet TVs to bring a great service. The last thing families want is another box sitting beside the TV.

[touch_the_sky]

Hmmm..

That..is..weird

On a philosophical level;)

I mean, I thought stuff like Steam, Battlenet, etc. are like the very essence of gaming.. for those who like to play games while sitting in front of an actual PC. Not just the controller, but also having keyboard and mouse are part of the charm of PC gaming. That and the fact your kit is only as old as you want it to be (unlike a console locked to its specs for years of its lifecycle), so the Crysis maniacs have something to talk about all the time.

So what they do instead they get rid of the whole "PC-ness" of Steam (or do they leave the option to upgrade components?).

Interesting. Will we see StarCraft 2 for XBox360 soon as well (would be hilarious to see some micro champions kicking the fuck out of controllers)?

But then again, browser games of all sorts, shapes and sizes are totally legit now, while it was a fairly laughable concept not so long ago..

[fireside]

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Anyone can take a PC, slap Linux on it, install Steam, and get the same output. Hardcore PC gamers will reject this because they will want the latest and greatest hardware and OS to run their games.

Yeah, I think it will be aimed at midcore gamers. The price will have to be low with pretty good specs. I think they will get some market share, how much is hard to say. It's kind of strange how the market is suddenly spitting up, but I think it is because of downloadable content and streaming. These could all end up failures and everyone just stay with xbox, ps3, etc, or we could see some changes. Valve has a market already, so it would just augment theirs, kind of like Amazon and the Kindle tablets. I thought the kind of nutty stuff from Gabe was everyone having their own store. How could you manage something like that?

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But then again, browser games of all sorts, shapes and sizes are totally legit now, while it was a fairly laughable concept not so long ago..

It's a market shift. Eventually, browsers will even run hardcore games, but they will go last.

[imerso]

Linux is becoming a very interesting (and cheap) dev platform lately...