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So Valve's hardware project is this. It's a custom version of the Xi3 X7A running Linux. Here's Xi3's promo video for their computers:
Now I'm curious how they're going to be packaging and advertising this thing. They can't just sell that on its own in a box. There's no mention of bluetooth or any other wireless connection or a mention of controllers. They need to ship it with some type of pad in the entire point is to be an easy plug-in-and-play console-like experience. Obviously the controller Valve patented might come into it but how is it going to connect? Having a USB lead stringing from the box, which seems to be designed to be mounted on the back of a TV or monitor from the video, would be a terrible idea both in practicality and in what people expect from a modern console and using a USB dongle would seem a bit backwards, even if it does have enough USB ports to spare.
Obviously it needs more of a launch lineup too. Valve are almost certainly talking to about/paying publishers to get AAA games running on Linux for it. If not this thing is screwed and Valve isn't run by idiots. I'm just curious as to what companies will actually support it. THQ was talking about the possibility of Linux version of their games but they're being sold off bit by bit now. SEGA were eager enough to get the label of fully controller supported for Sonic Generations on Steam that they released an update to a game they'd been ignoring for a year and with the effort they seem to be putting into the PC version of Sonic & All-Stars Racing 2 (taking time to release it rather than rushing and having special PC-exclusive characters) it wouldn't surprise me if it was Piston-compatible by the time it's released (though it won't surprise me if it's not either). No developer or publisher has said anything about supporting this yet though, so we can only wait and see.
Oh and lastly of course, is anyone actually planning on buying it (depending on what the price will be)?
Now I'm curious how they're going to be packaging and advertising this thing. They can't just sell that on its own in a box. There's no mention of bluetooth or any other wireless connection or a mention of controllers. They need to ship it with some type of pad in the entire point is to be an easy plug-in-and-play console-like experience. Obviously the controller Valve patented might come into it but how is it going to connect? Having a USB lead stringing from the box, which seems to be designed to be mounted on the back of a TV or monitor from the video, would be a terrible idea both in practicality and in what people expect from a modern console and using a USB dongle would seem a bit backwards, even if it does have enough USB ports to spare.
Obviously it needs more of a launch lineup too. Valve are almost certainly talking to about/paying publishers to get AAA games running on Linux for it. If not this thing is screwed and Valve isn't run by idiots. I'm just curious as to what companies will actually support it. THQ was talking about the possibility of Linux version of their games but they're being sold off bit by bit now. SEGA were eager enough to get the label of fully controller supported for Sonic Generations on Steam that they released an update to a game they'd been ignoring for a year and with the effort they seem to be putting into the PC version of Sonic & All-Stars Racing 2 (taking time to release it rather than rushing and having special PC-exclusive characters) it wouldn't surprise me if it was Piston-compatible by the time it's released (though it won't surprise me if it's not either). No developer or publisher has said anything about supporting this yet though, so we can only wait and see.
Oh and lastly of course, is anyone actually planning on buying it (depending on what the price will be)?