Steam Box - Biggest Hope for 3D and Gaming Innovation?
1 / 2
For those of you who don't know, the Steam Box is a rumoured PC fixed architecture that is the brain child of Valve's Gabe Newell. Recent layoffs of key people suggested that the Steam Box may have been canned. However, a recent BBC article (including a short interview with Valve's head honcho) shows that this is not the case.
[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21677119[/url]
Gabe is apparantly looking at different forms of input devices, but we have to assume that the Oculus Rift is a main possibility with Valve's ongoing interest and discussion of the device. Evidence to support this is Valve's employee Michael Abrash's Blog which is OR/VR tech heavy:
[Url]http://blogs.valvesoftware.com/abrash/[/url]
This would appear to be fantastic news for all hardcore gamers out there, and give hope that a system designed for VR and 3D is in the development pipeline.
Prototypes should be in the wild within the next few months. Does anyone else share the excitement that Valve may very well be at the forefront of the 'impending' VR revolution? Or is it simply too soon to speculate?
Half Life 3-3D VR anyone?
For those of you who don't know, the Steam Box is a rumoured PC fixed architecture that is the brain child of Valve's Gabe Newell. Recent layoffs of key people suggested that the Steam Box may have been canned. However, a recent BBC article (including a short interview with Valve's head honcho) shows that this is not the case.
Gabe is apparantly looking at different forms of input devices, but we have to assume that the Oculus Rift is a main possibility with Valve's ongoing interest and discussion of the device. Evidence to support this is Valve's employee Michael Abrash's Blog which is OR/VR tech heavy:
This would appear to be fantastic news for all hardcore gamers out there, and give hope that a system designed for VR and 3D is in the development pipeline.
Prototypes should be in the wild within the next few months. Does anyone else share the excitement that Valve may very well be at the forefront of the 'impending' VR revolution? Or is it simply too soon to speculate?
The big problem with steambox is that apparently it's going to use Linux, and that's suicide, since your games won't work and it will need support from devs for ports.
Lately I've been thinking that the sudden surge of 3d support for AMD is basically devs testing the waters for 3d in next-gen, since both next-gen consoles are AMD based. There no single good reason to support AMD over 3d vision on PC, where it's the dominant force, and only supporting 3d on next gen consoles would somehow explain it, together with the sudden lack of interest of Nvidia regarding 3d vision, since the 3d war is lost to AMD.
About the oculus rift, every day has better news than the day before, and apparently EA is thinking on adding support for their frostbite engine : http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/03/05/ea-may-bring-dragon-age-battlefield-to-oculus-rift . OR future looks really good, and the Steambox supporting it would ensure day 1 purchase for me no doubt, no matter if it's linux or not.
BTW prototypes are already out in the wild, minecraft creator already has one: http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/19/4004956/minecraft-creator-notch-receives-one-of-the-first-oculus-rift-kits. It may not look like much, but minecraft support for OR would be HUGE for OR popularity since millions play it.
The big problem with steambox is that apparently it's going to use Linux, and that's suicide, since your games won't work and it will need support from devs for ports.
Lately I've been thinking that the sudden surge of 3d support for AMD is basically devs testing the waters for 3d in next-gen, since both next-gen consoles are AMD based. There no single good reason to support AMD over 3d vision on PC, where it's the dominant force, and only supporting 3d on next gen consoles would somehow explain it, together with the sudden lack of interest of Nvidia regarding 3d vision, since the 3d war is lost to AMD.
About the oculus rift, every day has better news than the day before, and apparently EA is thinking on adding support for their frostbite engine : http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/03/05/ea-may-bring-dragon-age-battlefield-to-oculus-rift . OR future looks really good, and the Steambox supporting it would ensure day 1 purchase for me no doubt, no matter if it's linux or not.
All hail 3d modders DHR, MasterOtaku, Losti, Necropants, Helifax, bo3b, mike_ar69, Flugan, DarkStarSword, 4everAwake, 3d4dd and so many more helping to keep the 3d dream alive, find their 3d fixes at http://helixmod.blogspot.com/ Also check my site for spanish VR and mobile gaming news: www.gamermovil.com
I've been playing Minecraft in 3D (Nvidia) thanks to a mod for a year now. Anyone who experiences it in proper 3D (not the anaglyph mode included in the game) is going to love it. Some speculate that the low-res texture and blocky nature of the game wouldn't lend itself to 3D, but really the opposite is true. Seeing your hard work and creations realized in 3D is phenomenally rewarding. Head tracking would make it even better. I think Minecraft is a 3D killer app. It just needs better availability.
I've been playing Minecraft in 3D (Nvidia) thanks to a mod for a year now. Anyone who experiences it in proper 3D (not the anaglyph mode included in the game) is going to love it. Some speculate that the low-res texture and blocky nature of the game wouldn't lend itself to 3D, but really the opposite is true. Seeing your hard work and creations realized in 3D is phenomenally rewarding. Head tracking would make it even better. I think Minecraft is a 3D killer app. It just needs better availability.
Oculus integrated with frostbite? Yes please.
As for linux being suicide, even 6 months ago I would have been in complete agreement. However, windows 8 imo is a colossal failure in OS design, and surface pro was not the killer tablet that set the world on fire that I so wanted it to be. MS has really done a great deal to kill of PC gaming with xbox exclusives, GFWL, and lack of support with other businesses (e.g. Putting games on steam). They have also done a great deal to fracture and destroy a 'hardcore' or 'jump in and play' gaming focus on the xbox via its disgusting mess of trying to be everything at once. The xbox dashboard is a conglomerate sprawl of advertisements and eye-catching crud. Even Rare, the star developer bought for a fortune was gutted of all it's talents with microsoft's, or rather Ballmer's heavy handed direction. Now it only produces kinnect games.
It is becuase of these reasons, coupled with ms applications like office 2013's continued absurd pricing schemes, that I hold little faith in microsoft and windows as a long term platform for Gaming, PC, and consoles. I write that as a user of windows 8, and with an xbox and xbox 360 in my possesion.
So maybe Gabe's obsession with linux is not crazy. Also could direct x not be forced to be licensed at a reasonable price, considering it is a tech festure needed to run the majority of published games? Is there any reason why linux could definitely not be running an up to date dx at some point in the future? It would seem odd if the steam box wasn't compatible with close to 100% of all of the games on steam... It would quickly become a laughing stock...
So glad to hear the OR is out there though! I can't wait for mass user feedback on it. I never played minecraft, i either love great plot driven games or super high octane fun and minecraft seemed to be a potentially HUGE time killer. Strap me into a rift and I could be incredibly tempted to dive in and make some life sized replicas of the star-ship enterprise and maybe a huge picard head on which it balances on.
As for linux being suicide, even 6 months ago I would have been in complete agreement. However, windows 8 imo is a colossal failure in OS design, and surface pro was not the killer tablet that set the world on fire that I so wanted it to be. MS has really done a great deal to kill of PC gaming with xbox exclusives, GFWL, and lack of support with other businesses (e.g. Putting games on steam). They have also done a great deal to fracture and destroy a 'hardcore' or 'jump in and play' gaming focus on the xbox via its disgusting mess of trying to be everything at once. The xbox dashboard is a conglomerate sprawl of advertisements and eye-catching crud. Even Rare, the star developer bought for a fortune was gutted of all it's talents with microsoft's, or rather Ballmer's heavy handed direction. Now it only produces kinnect games.
It is becuase of these reasons, coupled with ms applications like office 2013's continued absurd pricing schemes, that I hold little faith in microsoft and windows as a long term platform for Gaming, PC, and consoles. I write that as a user of windows 8, and with an xbox and xbox 360 in my possesion.
So maybe Gabe's obsession with linux is not crazy. Also could direct x not be forced to be licensed at a reasonable price, considering it is a tech festure needed to run the majority of published games? Is there any reason why linux could definitely not be running an up to date dx at some point in the future? It would seem odd if the steam box wasn't compatible with close to 100% of all of the games on steam... It would quickly become a laughing stock...
So glad to hear the OR is out there though! I can't wait for mass user feedback on it. I never played minecraft, i either love great plot driven games or super high octane fun and minecraft seemed to be a potentially HUGE time killer. Strap me into a rift and I could be incredibly tempted to dive in and make some life sized replicas of the star-ship enterprise and maybe a huge picard head on which it balances on.
Yeah, hopefully Gabe will give us a good explanation about how they are going to make Linux work with the current library of games, right now I don't get it, but still I don't know if there's even any kind of 3d support on Linux, so I don't think it will be a feature on their console, I really hope I'm wrong.
Yeah, hopefully Gabe will give us a good explanation about how they are going to make Linux work with the current library of games, right now I don't get it, but still I don't know if there's even any kind of 3d support on Linux, so I don't think it will be a feature on their console, I really hope I'm wrong.
All hail 3d modders DHR, MasterOtaku, Losti, Necropants, Helifax, bo3b, mike_ar69, Flugan, DarkStarSword, 4everAwake, 3d4dd and so many more helping to keep the 3d dream alive, find their 3d fixes at http://helixmod.blogspot.com/ Also check my site for spanish VR and mobile gaming news: www.gamermovil.com
[quote="birthright"]Yeah, hopefully Gabe will give us a good explanation about how they are going to make Linux work with the current library of games, right now I don't get it, but still I don't know if there's even any kind of 3d support on Linux, so I don't think it will be a feature on their console, I really hope I'm wrong.
[/quote]
I hope your wrong too :-) but NVidia 3D pro works on Linux, so there is definitely hope:
[url]http://www.nvidia.com/object/3d-vision-pro-requirements.html[/url]
Also, Gabe has been talking so much in the past 6-12 months about a lack of progression in input devices on consoles and PC's. He has an unbridled hatred towards motion sensor (e.g. Kinect), which I think is unfair as it's still a tech yet to mature. So if Gabe is against:
Mouse & Keyboard (as its old and stale)
Games Controller (hasn't evolved)
Motion Controls, Kinect explicitly.
what do we have left? Surely some form of tracking device. If your tracking your head, then you need a screen attached to your face for it to make sense.
Can anyone ponder what else Valve might be thinking of if not OR or head tracking VR?
birthright said:Yeah, hopefully Gabe will give us a good explanation about how they are going to make Linux work with the current library of games, right now I don't get it, but still I don't know if there's even any kind of 3d support on Linux, so I don't think it will be a feature on their console, I really hope I'm wrong.
I hope your wrong too :-) but NVidia 3D pro works on Linux, so there is definitely hope:
Also, Gabe has been talking so much in the past 6-12 months about a lack of progression in input devices on consoles and PC's. He has an unbridled hatred towards motion sensor (e.g. Kinect), which I think is unfair as it's still a tech yet to mature. So if Gabe is against:
Mouse & Keyboard (as its old and stale)
Games Controller (hasn't evolved)
Motion Controls, Kinect explicitly.
what do we have left? Surely some form of tracking device. If your tracking your head, then you need a screen attached to your face for it to make sense.
Can anyone ponder what else Valve might be thinking of if not OR or head tracking VR?
[quote="foreverseeking"]Can anyone ponder what else Valve might be thinking of if not OR or head tracking VR?[/quote]
Hmm let me think ... "Mama's got a [steambox] ... [Gabe] never sleeps at night"
I am super excited about possible Occulus support... Basically been waiting for it since I saw Total Recall all those years ago, actually I didn't think it would have taken this long!!!
I am super excited about possible Occulus support... Basically been waiting for it since I saw Total Recall all those years ago, actually I didn't think it would have taken this long!!!
Around the same time Sega was working on VR Headset addon for the Genesis, I remember seeing it in a gaming magazine. I was so excited about it ... unfortunately it never materialized.
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_VR[/url]
"The company claimed to have terminated the project because the virtual reality effect was too realistic."
Lol. Too realistic! If only they knew!
Around the same time Sega was working on VR Headset addon for the Genesis, I remember seeing it in a gaming magazine. I was so excited about it ... unfortunately it never materialized.
[quote="Schmeltzer"]Right now, the Oculus Rift is the one thing I am looking forward to.
I ordered a dev-kit, and can't wait to try it out!!![/quote]
Please let us know how it's like when you get it! I have been so tempted to order one, but would rather jump in when all bugs are ironed out and res is a little better. Still I imagine the experience will potentially be amazing. It's 9/10 of the reason I'm learning how to program. I really want to be creating content for potentially the biggest technological movement since the internet (lets face it, true VR's potential is limitless). I know it will be a slow start, maybe take a decade to get anywhere worth writing about, but the OR seems to be the possible 'true' birthplace of consumer VR.
[quote="TsaebehT"]Around the same time Sega was working on VR Headset addon for the Genesis, I remember seeing it in a gaming magazine. I was so excited about it ... unfortunately it never materialized.
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_VR[/url]
"The company claimed to have terminated the project because the virtual reality effect was too realistic."
Lol. Too realistic! If only they knew!
[/quote]
I believe it. I used to feel doom was like VR.... DOOM...lol. Crazy how much the industry has progressed. Doom is still great imo, but it really does look like someone took a dump and smeared it on your screen. But hey, that was hardcore graphics once upon a time!
Schmeltzer said:Right now, the Oculus Rift is the one thing I am looking forward to.
I ordered a dev-kit, and can't wait to try it out!!!
Please let us know how it's like when you get it! I have been so tempted to order one, but would rather jump in when all bugs are ironed out and res is a little better. Still I imagine the experience will potentially be amazing. It's 9/10 of the reason I'm learning how to program. I really want to be creating content for potentially the biggest technological movement since the internet (lets face it, true VR's potential is limitless). I know it will be a slow start, maybe take a decade to get anywhere worth writing about, but the OR seems to be the possible 'true' birthplace of consumer VR.
TsaebehT said:Around the same time Sega was working on VR Headset addon for the Genesis, I remember seeing it in a gaming magazine. I was so excited about it ... unfortunately it never materialized.
"The company claimed to have terminated the project because the virtual reality effect was too realistic."
Lol. Too realistic! If only they knew!
I believe it. I used to feel doom was like VR.... DOOM...lol. Crazy how much the industry has progressed. Doom is still great imo, but it really does look like someone took a dump and smeared it on your screen. But hey, that was hardcore graphics once upon a time!
You know, I'm excited and afraid about oculus, if indeed they get the consumer model at 1080p, we now need our rigs to dual render full HD at 60 fps no matter what. That's going to need some serious hardware.
You know, I'm excited and afraid about oculus, if indeed they get the consumer model at 1080p, we now need our rigs to dual render full HD at 60 fps no matter what. That's going to need some serious hardware.
All hail 3d modders DHR, MasterOtaku, Losti, Necropants, Helifax, bo3b, mike_ar69, Flugan, DarkStarSword, 4everAwake, 3d4dd and so many more helping to keep the 3d dream alive, find their 3d fixes at http://helixmod.blogspot.com/ Also check my site for spanish VR and mobile gaming news: www.gamermovil.com
Could be interesting I suppose (half life 3 on the box?) but i'm more looking forward to the Playstation 4 gaming console, well, that's if the PS4 hardware specifications are indeed correct? :), rumours say 8 GB of DDR 5 RAM, if so, wow, faster than PC RAM, I wonder if PC memory makers are designing new DDR 5 sticks of ram now? :)
Could be interesting I suppose (half life 3 on the box?) but i'm more looking forward to the Playstation 4 gaming console, well, that's if the PS4 hardware specifications are indeed correct? :), rumours say 8 GB of DDR 5 RAM, if so, wow, faster than PC RAM, I wonder if PC memory makers are designing new DDR 5 sticks of ram now? :)
Windows 10 home x64
P9X79
i7-3820 @ 3.6-3.8 GHz
GTX 970 SSC
16GB 4x4 DDR3 RAM
SSD 850 PRO 256GB
VG248QE 144Hz
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21677119
Gabe is apparantly looking at different forms of input devices, but we have to assume that the Oculus Rift is a main possibility with Valve's ongoing interest and discussion of the device. Evidence to support this is Valve's employee Michael Abrash's Blog which is OR/VR tech heavy:
http://blogs.valvesoftware.com/abrash/
This would appear to be fantastic news for all hardcore gamers out there, and give hope that a system designed for VR and 3D is in the development pipeline.
Prototypes should be in the wild within the next few months. Does anyone else share the excitement that Valve may very well be at the forefront of the 'impending' VR revolution? Or is it simply too soon to speculate?
Half Life 3-3D VR anyone?
OS: Win 8 CPU: I7 4770k 3.5GZ GPU: GTX 780ti
Lately I've been thinking that the sudden surge of 3d support for AMD is basically devs testing the waters for 3d in next-gen, since both next-gen consoles are AMD based. There no single good reason to support AMD over 3d vision on PC, where it's the dominant force, and only supporting 3d on next gen consoles would somehow explain it, together with the sudden lack of interest of Nvidia regarding 3d vision, since the 3d war is lost to AMD.
About the oculus rift, every day has better news than the day before, and apparently EA is thinking on adding support for their frostbite engine : http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/03/05/ea-may-bring-dragon-age-battlefield-to-oculus-rift . OR future looks really good, and the Steambox supporting it would ensure day 1 purchase for me no doubt, no matter if it's linux or not.
BTW prototypes are already out in the wild, minecraft creator already has one: http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/19/4004956/minecraft-creator-notch-receives-one-of-the-first-oculus-rift-kits. It may not look like much, but minecraft support for OR would be HUGE for OR popularity since millions play it.
All hail 3d modders DHR, MasterOtaku, Losti, Necropants, Helifax, bo3b, mike_ar69, Flugan, DarkStarSword, 4everAwake, 3d4dd and so many more helping to keep the 3d dream alive, find their 3d fixes at http://helixmod.blogspot.com/ Also check my site for spanish VR and mobile gaming news: www.gamermovil.com
As for linux being suicide, even 6 months ago I would have been in complete agreement. However, windows 8 imo is a colossal failure in OS design, and surface pro was not the killer tablet that set the world on fire that I so wanted it to be. MS has really done a great deal to kill of PC gaming with xbox exclusives, GFWL, and lack of support with other businesses (e.g. Putting games on steam). They have also done a great deal to fracture and destroy a 'hardcore' or 'jump in and play' gaming focus on the xbox via its disgusting mess of trying to be everything at once. The xbox dashboard is a conglomerate sprawl of advertisements and eye-catching crud. Even Rare, the star developer bought for a fortune was gutted of all it's talents with microsoft's, or rather Ballmer's heavy handed direction. Now it only produces kinnect games.
It is becuase of these reasons, coupled with ms applications like office 2013's continued absurd pricing schemes, that I hold little faith in microsoft and windows as a long term platform for Gaming, PC, and consoles. I write that as a user of windows 8, and with an xbox and xbox 360 in my possesion.
So maybe Gabe's obsession with linux is not crazy. Also could direct x not be forced to be licensed at a reasonable price, considering it is a tech festure needed to run the majority of published games? Is there any reason why linux could definitely not be running an up to date dx at some point in the future? It would seem odd if the steam box wasn't compatible with close to 100% of all of the games on steam... It would quickly become a laughing stock...
So glad to hear the OR is out there though! I can't wait for mass user feedback on it. I never played minecraft, i either love great plot driven games or super high octane fun and minecraft seemed to be a potentially HUGE time killer. Strap me into a rift and I could be incredibly tempted to dive in and make some life sized replicas of the star-ship enterprise and maybe a huge picard head on which it balances on.
OS: Win 8 CPU: I7 4770k 3.5GZ GPU: GTX 780ti
All hail 3d modders DHR, MasterOtaku, Losti, Necropants, Helifax, bo3b, mike_ar69, Flugan, DarkStarSword, 4everAwake, 3d4dd and so many more helping to keep the 3d dream alive, find their 3d fixes at http://helixmod.blogspot.com/ Also check my site for spanish VR and mobile gaming news: www.gamermovil.com
Mb: Asus P5W DH Deluxe
Cpu: C2D E6600
Gb: Nvidia 7900GT + 8800GTX
3D:100" passive projector polarized setup + 22" IZ3D
Stereodrivers: Iz3d & Tridef ignition and nvidia old school.
I hope your wrong too :-) but NVidia 3D pro works on Linux, so there is definitely hope:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/3d-vision-pro-requirements.html
Also, Gabe has been talking so much in the past 6-12 months about a lack of progression in input devices on consoles and PC's. He has an unbridled hatred towards motion sensor (e.g. Kinect), which I think is unfair as it's still a tech yet to mature. So if Gabe is against:
Mouse & Keyboard (as its old and stale)
Games Controller (hasn't evolved)
Motion Controls, Kinect explicitly.
what do we have left? Surely some form of tracking device. If your tracking your head, then you need a screen attached to your face for it to make sense.
Can anyone ponder what else Valve might be thinking of if not OR or head tracking VR?
OS: Win 8 CPU: I7 4770k 3.5GZ GPU: GTX 780ti
Hmm let me think ... "Mama's got a [steambox] ... [Gabe] never sleeps at night"
[MonitorSizeOverride][Global/Base Profile Tweaks][Depth=IPD]
OS: Win 8 CPU: I7 4770k 3.5GZ GPU: GTX 780ti
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_VR
"The company claimed to have terminated the project because the virtual reality effect was too realistic."
Lol. Too realistic! If only they knew!
[MonitorSizeOverride][Global/Base Profile Tweaks][Depth=IPD]
I ordered a dev-kit, and can't wait to try it out!!!
Please let us know how it's like when you get it! I have been so tempted to order one, but would rather jump in when all bugs are ironed out and res is a little better. Still I imagine the experience will potentially be amazing. It's 9/10 of the reason I'm learning how to program. I really want to be creating content for potentially the biggest technological movement since the internet (lets face it, true VR's potential is limitless). I know it will be a slow start, maybe take a decade to get anywhere worth writing about, but the OR seems to be the possible 'true' birthplace of consumer VR.
I believe it. I used to feel doom was like VR.... DOOM...lol. Crazy how much the industry has progressed. Doom is still great imo, but it really does look like someone took a dump and smeared it on your screen. But hey, that was hardcore graphics once upon a time!
OS: Win 8 CPU: I7 4770k 3.5GZ GPU: GTX 780ti
All hail 3d modders DHR, MasterOtaku, Losti, Necropants, Helifax, bo3b, mike_ar69, Flugan, DarkStarSword, 4everAwake, 3d4dd and so many more helping to keep the 3d dream alive, find their 3d fixes at http://helixmod.blogspot.com/ Also check my site for spanish VR and mobile gaming news: www.gamermovil.com
Windows 10 home x64
P9X79
i7-3820 @ 3.6-3.8 GHz
GTX 970 SSC
16GB 4x4 DDR3 RAM
SSD 850 PRO 256GB
VG248QE 144Hz