Valve is the largest digital distributor of video games, with its Steam service, and the creator of some of the most popular and well-loved games such as Half-Life, Portal and Left4Dead. Till now they have been an exclusively software-oriented company, but now it seems that they have their own hardware gaming console in sight. Valve co-founder Gabe Newell confirmed their plans to create a PC-based console for games to Kotaku, a blog focussed on video games. Valve’s Steam client software downloads and installs games and software and keeps them up to date. Recently they launched Big Picture mode for Steam, a UI enhancement that makes it easier for people to use their gaming PCs via a television. The new UI is navigable using a game controller, and can be used not only to launch games purchased via Steam, but also to purchase steam games, chat with others on Steam and browse websites. Running on an HTPC this can already be the basis for a PC-based console. What Valve seems to have be working on is a their own turnkey console that can just be plugged into a TV and used to play games. According to Gabe Newell this will be a “very controlled” hardware environment. Hopefully this is just a way to have a baseline specification for a PC that game developers can target, and doesn’t mean that it will be a locked down device that can only run content acquired from Steam. After all Gabe Newell himself has at numerous times talked about his dislike for such locked down systems. Since it is based on a standard
PC, it is possible for anyone to make their own configuration to their requirements. In fact Newell thinks other people will make their own PC-based consoles as alternatives to what Valve plans to sell. Valve has also recently launched a beta of their Steam client for Linux. Considering Gabe Newell’s negative feelings towards Microsoft’s Windows 8 OS, and the Windows Store it brings, it is quite possible that the Steam console might also be based on Linux. Gabe Newell’s dislike of closed systems such as console and mobiles also hopefully means that the Steam box will not be be locked down and will allow other stores and sources for installing software and games. Only time will tell. There seems to be a growing number of platforms for reaching people nowdays, and it seems that televisions might just be another form-factor to look out for while creating software. Indie Games (games by independent developers or very small companies) also seem to be becoming increasingly popular and if you a reservoir of creativity, it is something you should be looking into as a developer.
