All the rumors says that in a week the steam box will be unveiled.
In those days i cannot stop thinking about what probably its going to be my next gen console and pc, so I just have let my mind go free, and see how i would design a next gen machine, if i would rule that company and would have to face the fierce competition against the other 3 consolidated companies. So, here is my steam box-like guidelines, they re half invented, and half imagined with the information that has been released. Later we will see if the things i have posted here are right, when finally gets presented.
The problem:
Sony factures 14 billions per year.
Microsoft factures 20 billions per year.
Valve 'only' factures 3 billions per year (stimated). So the problem: to win against well consolidated trademarks of much more, capable and richest companies that have a great base of loyal customers that see this console/pc machine as an 'weird experiment', and that can manouver with more money, and power, and also convince players and developers that your system is better.
The scenario:
The other companies have consolidated exclusive games (killzone, uncharted, halo, gears of war), have presented a range of price, have alrady presented their machines, so in the customer's mind the 'choose' factor have been stablished, and valve stills has to show a thing that have never have done in the past. A hardware.
Also, it wants to do it in linux. An opearating system taht have proven to not to be very popular among gamers, and that still have a very poor game catalog, though for sure, some of us believe that is going to be the future of gaming, for its good conditions for developing. It only needs to be helped to be more popular, among gamers and developers, and to achieve this a lot of work has to be made. The thing cannot be more difficult. So what... how we do it?
DO NOT HAVE A FORM THE ENEMY CAN FACE. BE FORMLESS
Not make a console. The steam box is more a design directive. Any pc manufacturer can do it. It is just a kind of pc that follows those certain guidelines with the main purpose of being spetially prepared for and by gamers. It will have in this way, less costs, because you are not wasting so much money. The others will be producing it. Youre just having deals with them to benefit them, if they make it.
MAKE YOUR WEAK POINTS, BE YOUR MOST STRENGH POINTS
It is a console hybrid pc, and this is not bad. In fact, is the best thing in the world. You can have a console that offers you to play games as easy as 1,2,3. The grapics drivers are installed automatically and comes with the regular OS ugrades. The games are installed on the fly, while you make other things. The games runs flawlesly with no crashes, and you can play with the controller, or with any pc \mouse of the market. Then use it for productivity changing to a writing software for school, see videos of youtube, search the web, or do everything you want as with any pc.
An open system will make developer life easier. Forget registerings. Forget calling someone other. Developers will not have to ask for permisson to release a game on it. You can, of course, try to release your game on steam, with the convenient ways, but also, the system is so open, that you can make your game, and then publish it independiently with no asking to anyone, and then sell it on your own web store. If you can make it, the steam box wants to play it.
USE YOUR BETTER STRENGHS IN YOUR ADVANTAGE, ALSO.
Steam has the largest catalog in digital games. The full catalog must be available. Period.
If the full catalog is not used, then one of its best strengths will not be assured.
USE YOUR OWN EXCLUSIVES.
Other companies have put their good money in buying exclusivities, and then use those exclusives in their best advantage. You have to put good money in your big strenght too, and then put it in your advantage. So the aggressiveness on the sales could come for: Half life 3 could be released for all next gen platforms, but in the steam box could come for free. Also, if cannot put so much money in the phisical, should you be able to afford a big investiment on the digital, because it cost you less money to use what you actually own, so make a big deal: If the Steam box owners have to waste the same money that for a ps4, and do not have exclusives, give them a big discount, a 100 dollars discount on your steam account to get the games you desire from the full catalog. The game has not been released yet? Wait until gets released, the discount doesnt expire. Want to have more profitability? Use the 100 dollars in the next steam's christmas rebate, then buy a couple AAA titles, or a ton of indies... you choose! Cannot do this? Well, give the full valve catalog released to this date for free, or make at least the buying of the console activate a kind of chritmas-like offer on the pricing of a given numbers of products ( valve could make 33% of discount on 3 or 4 games, boughts from the console, by not taking their fees for distribution, so at least they are giving you for free, the part they take).
DO SOMETHING THAT NEVER HAVE BEEN DONE BEFORE.
The definitive console has been something gamers have been dreaming on for years. The definitive console is some kind of system where you can play to ALL, past, present and future games. With the exclusivities of the other consoles, it is pretty obvious the steam box cannot be that console, but it is clear that this system is going to be the nearest thing to this concept. You can play all the past and present games that are on your steam catalog. You can use emulators to play older games, just like in other pcs, so you can play all the previous generations, since the 8 bit era. And you will be able to play most of the games of the future. If the system prevails, maybe even other companies can at last, be ending with the publication of their games. A dream come true.
A SYSTEM TO PLAY. A SYSTEM TO BE PRODUCTIVE.
An open system guarantees taht not only games can be played. An option to switch to traditional desktop could assure the system can be used as an traditional pc, in the case the user wants to use it, to make works for the school with text editor software, using photoshop, or even, install compilers, and 3d software, to develop games... develop it, and play it in the same machine!
A NEW ERA IN MODULARITY.
The basic model comes with an i5, and 4 gigs of ram. And that amount of ram has been chosen carefully. Currently, the cost of the machine will be cheaper, and currently, this is the most amount of ram than even the most higher profile games demand (battlefield 4, arma3, dota2...) So you are not wasting money unnecesary. Then the time passes, and games get better, and requieres more memory. You can save money, and install more memory at later moment, when games demands it, so youre only wasting the money at the given time you need to.
Also, as you can see in the hp's z1 workstation,
you can open the case, without touching an screw. It has a button that lets you open the case, and then install and uninstall parts, also as easy as inserting pieces on a lego. You can, without touching an screw, to increase the ram, change the processor, and change the graphic card, then close the case, and get playing again. Its so easy that a child can do.
And also, this can be convinient to achieve an increased potence. A console can only last for ten years. This machine can be updated with new graphic cards, and get better and better every year. Forget about the limits that a closed, every year more obsolete system, is going to give you. WIth this, you can improve withouth wasting money on a completly newer system.
A NEW WAYS OF FREEDOM
You can have even more benefits because:
.can grab it, and take it you your friends house, then connect it on lan. Play on lan without internet conection, like the old times lan partys. Its much more easier to take it, and displacing it on a backpack, than doing the same with a traditional pc case. Can also take it with you and go to gaming conventions.
.can use it, download game and use in offline mode forever, so you can go to your village house in summer, and play offline with no problem for days, weeks, months and years...
. in other companies you have to pay to upgrade your game. Want to play a ps3 game on a ps4? Have to pay 10 bucks more. Forget about this on the steam box. What is yours, is yours. You have paid for your previous games, and do not have to pay more for them. Also, if you buy it for an OS, and want to play it on another OS, you can do it for free. For sure, other companies would charge you for 'upgrading' the game to a different OS.
.in other companies you have to pay to play online, with this you can play online freely.
.can use a wide range of peripheals... want gesture? its a pc, use leap motion. Want vr? its a pc, install the occulus rift. Want hardcore simulators? its a pc, you ve got a wide range of joysticks... you got everything a pc can give you. You have no limits...
OK, SO...AFTER ALL OF THIS... what last for the other companies?
The exclusives... the exclusive games is all they have. If this model thriumphs, in the future, ms and sony will be making their own pc\hybrid system, cos this is the future.
In those days i cannot stop thinking about what probably its going to be my next gen console and pc, so I just have let my mind go free, and see how i would design a next gen machine, if i would rule that company and would have to face the fierce competition against the other 3 consolidated companies. So, here is my steam box-like guidelines, they re half invented, and half imagined with the information that has been released. Later we will see if the things i have posted here are right, when finally gets presented.
The problem:
Sony factures 14 billions per year.
Microsoft factures 20 billions per year.
Valve 'only' factures 3 billions per year (stimated). So the problem: to win against well consolidated trademarks of much more, capable and richest companies that have a great base of loyal customers that see this console/pc machine as an 'weird experiment', and that can manouver with more money, and power, and also convince players and developers that your system is better.
The scenario:
The other companies have consolidated exclusive games (killzone, uncharted, halo, gears of war), have presented a range of price, have alrady presented their machines, so in the customer's mind the 'choose' factor have been stablished, and valve stills has to show a thing that have never have done in the past. A hardware.
Also, it wants to do it in linux. An opearating system taht have proven to not to be very popular among gamers, and that still have a very poor game catalog, though for sure, some of us believe that is going to be the future of gaming, for its good conditions for developing. It only needs to be helped to be more popular, among gamers and developers, and to achieve this a lot of work has to be made. The thing cannot be more difficult. So what... how we do it?
DO NOT HAVE A FORM THE ENEMY CAN FACE. BE FORMLESS
Not make a console. The steam box is more a design directive. Any pc manufacturer can do it. It is just a kind of pc that follows those certain guidelines with the main purpose of being spetially prepared for and by gamers. It will have in this way, less costs, because you are not wasting so much money. The others will be producing it. Youre just having deals with them to benefit them, if they make it.
MAKE YOUR WEAK POINTS, BE YOUR MOST STRENGH POINTS
It is a console hybrid pc, and this is not bad. In fact, is the best thing in the world. You can have a console that offers you to play games as easy as 1,2,3. The grapics drivers are installed automatically and comes with the regular OS ugrades. The games are installed on the fly, while you make other things. The games runs flawlesly with no crashes, and you can play with the controller, or with any pc \mouse of the market. Then use it for productivity changing to a writing software for school, see videos of youtube, search the web, or do everything you want as with any pc.
An open system will make developer life easier. Forget registerings. Forget calling someone other. Developers will not have to ask for permisson to release a game on it. You can, of course, try to release your game on steam, with the convenient ways, but also, the system is so open, that you can make your game, and then publish it independiently with no asking to anyone, and then sell it on your own web store. If you can make it, the steam box wants to play it.
USE YOUR BETTER STRENGHS IN YOUR ADVANTAGE, ALSO.
Steam has the largest catalog in digital games. The full catalog must be available. Period.
If the full catalog is not used, then one of its best strengths will not be assured.
USE YOUR OWN EXCLUSIVES.
Other companies have put their good money in buying exclusivities, and then use those exclusives in their best advantage. You have to put good money in your big strenght too, and then put it in your advantage. So the aggressiveness on the sales could come for: Half life 3 could be released for all next gen platforms, but in the steam box could come for free. Also, if cannot put so much money in the phisical, should you be able to afford a big investiment on the digital, because it cost you less money to use what you actually own, so make a big deal: If the Steam box owners have to waste the same money that for a ps4, and do not have exclusives, give them a big discount, a 100 dollars discount on your steam account to get the games you desire from the full catalog. The game has not been released yet? Wait until gets released, the discount doesnt expire. Want to have more profitability? Use the 100 dollars in the next steam's christmas rebate, then buy a couple AAA titles, or a ton of indies... you choose! Cannot do this? Well, give the full valve catalog released to this date for free, or make at least the buying of the console activate a kind of chritmas-like offer on the pricing of a given numbers of products ( valve could make 33% of discount on 3 or 4 games, boughts from the console, by not taking their fees for distribution, so at least they are giving you for free, the part they take).
DO SOMETHING THAT NEVER HAVE BEEN DONE BEFORE.
The definitive console has been something gamers have been dreaming on for years. The definitive console is some kind of system where you can play to ALL, past, present and future games. With the exclusivities of the other consoles, it is pretty obvious the steam box cannot be that console, but it is clear that this system is going to be the nearest thing to this concept. You can play all the past and present games that are on your steam catalog. You can use emulators to play older games, just like in other pcs, so you can play all the previous generations, since the 8 bit era. And you will be able to play most of the games of the future. If the system prevails, maybe even other companies can at last, be ending with the publication of their games. A dream come true.
A SYSTEM TO PLAY. A SYSTEM TO BE PRODUCTIVE.
An open system guarantees taht not only games can be played. An option to switch to traditional desktop could assure the system can be used as an traditional pc, in the case the user wants to use it, to make works for the school with text editor software, using photoshop, or even, install compilers, and 3d software, to develop games... develop it, and play it in the same machine!
A NEW ERA IN MODULARITY.
The basic model comes with an i5, and 4 gigs of ram. And that amount of ram has been chosen carefully. Currently, the cost of the machine will be cheaper, and currently, this is the most amount of ram than even the most higher profile games demand (battlefield 4, arma3, dota2...) So you are not wasting money unnecesary. Then the time passes, and games get better, and requieres more memory. You can save money, and install more memory at later moment, when games demands it, so youre only wasting the money at the given time you need to.
Also, as you can see in the hp's z1 workstation,
you can open the case, without touching an screw. It has a button that lets you open the case, and then install and uninstall parts, also as easy as inserting pieces on a lego. You can, without touching an screw, to increase the ram, change the processor, and change the graphic card, then close the case, and get playing again. Its so easy that a child can do.
And also, this can be convinient to achieve an increased potence. A console can only last for ten years. This machine can be updated with new graphic cards, and get better and better every year. Forget about the limits that a closed, every year more obsolete system, is going to give you. WIth this, you can improve withouth wasting money on a completly newer system.
A NEW WAYS OF FREEDOM
You can have even more benefits because:
.can grab it, and take it you your friends house, then connect it on lan. Play on lan without internet conection, like the old times lan partys. Its much more easier to take it, and displacing it on a backpack, than doing the same with a traditional pc case. Can also take it with you and go to gaming conventions.
.can use it, download game and use in offline mode forever, so you can go to your village house in summer, and play offline with no problem for days, weeks, months and years...
. in other companies you have to pay to upgrade your game. Want to play a ps3 game on a ps4? Have to pay 10 bucks more. Forget about this on the steam box. What is yours, is yours. You have paid for your previous games, and do not have to pay more for them. Also, if you buy it for an OS, and want to play it on another OS, you can do it for free. For sure, other companies would charge you for 'upgrading' the game to a different OS.
.in other companies you have to pay to play online, with this you can play online freely.
.can use a wide range of peripheals... want gesture? its a pc, use leap motion. Want vr? its a pc, install the occulus rift. Want hardcore simulators? its a pc, you ve got a wide range of joysticks... you got everything a pc can give you. You have no limits...
OK, SO...AFTER ALL OF THIS... what last for the other companies?
The exclusives... the exclusive games is all they have. If this model thriumphs, in the future, ms and sony will be making their own pc\hybrid system, cos this is the future.