Valve's first hardware beta starting by next year

[natr0n]

When asked what the team’s immediate goals are, she obliquely states, “To make Steam games more fun to play in your living room.” That’s the team’s one-year goal, at least. The challenge is making games that require a mouse and keyboard palatable to people who are used to a controller, or to people who just don’t want to migrate PC controls to the comfort of their living room. Working in tandem with Steam’s newly beta’d “Big Picture Mode,” Ellsworth’s team is creating a hardware solution to the control barriers found in many Steam games.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/18/valve-hardware-jeri-ellsworth/

 

[D007]

http://d1vr6n66ssr06c.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/00132.jpg

When asked what the team’s immediate goals are, she obliquely states, “To make Steam games more fun to play in your living room.” That’s the team’s one-year goal, at least. The challenge is making games that require a mouse and keyboard palatable to people who are used to a controller, or to people who just don’t want to migrate PC controls to the comfort of their living room. Working in tandem with Steam’s newly beta’d “Big Picture Mode,” Ellsworth’s team is creating a hardware solution to the control barriers found in many Steam games.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/18/valve-hardware-jeri-ellsworth/

Uhm, they ever heard of xpadder, pinnacle profiler, etc? I emulate M&K all the time on my controller..
Can be done in reverse with existing software/hardware.
Good move though on valves part.. Once you have momentum, keep it..

 

[happita]

I for one think that the "Big Picture Mode" itself implemented in the Steam platform is a good idea. However, if they decide to compete with the likes of Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony by becoming another player in the console race, I can only see it hurting the evolution of PC gaming. Steam is the biggest PC gaming platform the industry has ever since it began moving away from physical disks and integrating more with digital distribution. I just think they should stick with the Big Picture Mode and leave it at that. Please Valve, do not jump in with these sharks, you'll eventually become one too. The only thing I can correlate with in regards to PC gaming is the word Steam. Same with Nintendo, people correlate the name with console video games.

 

[Kreij]

Meh ... Instead of making existing games more fun to play in the living room, how about they start making new games that are more fun to play, period.

Just my 2¢

 

[Frag_Maniac]

Although I cringe at the thought of them trusting a former hacker to run their hardware team (esp considering one having stolen the code to HL2 is why Steam exists) and saying nothing is off the table regarding controller support, I have to admit it makes me wonder if they'll be the ones that FINALLY improve the tired old gamepad design so that those of us whom HATE aiming with a slow and clumsy mini toggle can actually USE one.

Then again, the reverse worse case scenario could happen, Valve ending up catering more to console type controls than KB/M.

 

[MT Alex]

In other news, Valve vows to never mention, develop or release Half Life 3.

 

[KainXS]

Meh ... Instead of making existing games more fun to play in the living room, how about they start making new games that are more fun to play, period.

Just my 2¢

I have been feeling that for a long time, the prettier these games get the more alot of developers become more lax on making fun games period, I am finding myself more and more enjoying indie cheap 10 dollar games more than the ones from the others.

 

[AphexDreamer]

Meh ... Instead of making existing games more fun to play in the living room, how about they start making new games that are more fun to play, period.

Just my 2¢

Just a BS excuse to do this...

 

[NinkobEi]

Meh ... Instead of making existing games more fun to play in the living room, how about they start making new games that are more fun to play, period.

Just my 2¢

Making a game fun to play in the livingroom opens up a HUGE selection of games for those people who want to play with their girlfriends. Why spend money on crappy new console games when there are more unique, better thought out games already created.

As to making games that are more fun to play, well, that is an opinion thing. I'd argue there are quite a few good ones out there right now.

 

[DannibusX]

Why is Big Picture Mode so interesting? Because Valve is at the cusp of possibily becoming one of the biggest content providers on the planet.

Steam already has the infrastructure to distribute any and all forms of content. All of their trailers and movies are available to be streamed or downloaded through Steam. Many game soundtracks are available to purchase and download through Steam. A vast amount of modern games are console ports which have native support of Microsoft's Xbox 360 controller. Pretty soon Steam may be a one stop shop for all of your entertainment needs, AND once the kinks are worked out, you'll be able to control it all though an off the shelf Xbox 360 controller.

And you can use it all with a custom built machine made up of spare parts laying around the house, or you can spend money to build a computer specifically for that purpose.

 

[stinger608]

As to making games that are more fun to play, well, that is an opinion thing. I'd argue there are quite a few good ones out there right now.

Your correct for the most part. I think that the numbers are dropping yearly! Not to mention the fact that many of today's PC games are console ported. Granted, the console gaming industry is huge, however there should be a strong concentration on the PC gaming market as well. It just seems that every year there are more poor PC games released and advertised than there are "fun" PC games. It seems the "fun" games are getting less and less each year.

Opinion? Probably, but I am sure if one takes a look at statistics it would probably show this to be true.

 

[cdawall]

Would be cool to have a custom pc with a steam os for tv use. Dual boot of course.

 

[NinkobEi]

Your correct for the most part. I think that the numbers are dropping yearly! Not to mention the fact that many of today's PC games are console ported. Granted, the console gaming industry is huge, however there should be a strong concentration on the PC gaming market as well. It just seems that every year there are more poor PC games released and advertised than there are "fun" PC games. It seems the "fun" games are getting less and less each year.

Opinion? Probably, but I am sure if one takes a look at statistics it would probably show this to be true.

Again, "fun" is a subjective term. I have a friend who absolutely LOVES to play Sword of the Stars 2. He talks about it constantly. When he asks to play my answer is always 'no' - because that game is absolutely terrible. But not to him!

I'd argue that there are a higher number of games, and more money being spent on creating games this year than ever before. Quick think back a decade, year 2001 - what good PC games came out that year? The top games were:
The Sims
Roller Coaster Tycoon
Diablo 2 expansion pack
followed by three more sims expansions, diablo 2 the game and age of empires
I'll add a few more:
Black and White
Civ 3
Dark age of Camelot
and there were a few good console games like Devil may cry and FFX

What have we had this year?
The darkness 2
Kingdoms of amalur
michael jackson: the experience!
mass effect 3
the walking dead
deus ex
diablo 3
civ5 expac
orcs must die 2
guild wars 2
borderlands 2
torchlight 2
more Wow crap
resident evil 6
michael jackson: the experience for MAC
and about 50 other games that are sequels/continuations of older games.

Say what you will, but gaming is much better than it was a decade ago. Sure some of us may never be able to capture that nostalgic moment from our childhood where all the stars lined up right and games were perfect. But that's our own fault for growing old and becoming adults.

And the list doesn't include all the games from the last few years that were triple-a titles being sold for $5 on steam. I know a lot of those games were new to me, so semantically they could be included in this year's releases. ;P That is what Steam is trying to do for the rest of the non-kb/m users.

 

[mediasorcerer]

Its better in one way, however, i feel theres a bit of a degeneration in the quality of story telling in some recent games.

They have become what i may loosely describe as-"generic"?

Also the difficulty seems easier than it was, what used to take possibly days now takes 5-7 hours to complete [im looking at you cod and bf3].

Im going back searching for old titles now too, as well as knew.
I wish starbreeze would make a sequel to chronicles of riddick, thats one of my all time favs!!
I think the russian games devs are doing some great stuff atm.