Valve's Gabe Newell Talks Linux Steam Client, Source Engine

[doctoren]

It would be awesome for a native Linux Steam client but I suspect that Valve long term goal is to create their own platform and basing it on Linux makes perfect sense.

[Haruhi]

This:


And This:

Are huge. Based on the above, it certainly does sound like steam/source for linux isn't their end-game for linux, but rather a beginning. A Linux based steam-box is the most obvious mid-term answer to this as has been suggested before in some phoronix threads.
Now for some wild speculation -- perhaps it's even just the start of a whole new VALVE games platform that they will be pushing... begin with steam/source for linux, iron out the bugs, lobby game devs to use it, then release a steam-box based on it when there's enough of a games catalog. From there they could go into handhelds, and perhaps other types of wearable computing (which we already know they're interested in) and who knows what else...

I also find it very interesting that Gabe apparently detests Windows 8. Having not used it, can anyone shed any light on why that would be the case? (coming from a steam/gaming/VALVE point of view I mean) I would have guessed that he was starting to feel like too many platforms are being locked down into walled garden type setups locking out companies like VALVE from parts of their core business (e.g. distribution), but that doesn't have any direct bearing on Win8, does it?

lol, I think your readership may have formed a lynch mob if you'd done that.

I saw quite a bit over videos and reviews. Well, is not inmediatly with Windows 8 but in a near future is obvious enought Microsoft wants something similar to an Apple closed model. They deleted the classic Windows menu, and you must use the Metro ui Start Menu, for example, as well if possible Windows will use the metro ui interface when provided, taking out the desktop as now we know it. The new interface is easy to use, but with your fingers, while with mouse/keyboard works too but simply not that well. And most probably it will keep changing to something more tablet-based, so in the end the hardware will be closed, and you will be bound to use the software it came with. Obviously, that way Microsoft will probably change the Games for Windows Live to Xbox (something) or even more a global App Store, and it will try to limit the distribution to it. At least is my point of view.

[RussianNeuroMancer]

Seeing Haruhi talking about Windows 8 make me remember Endless Eight.

[alexThunder]

Great plans? Let me guess: VUBUNTU!

[GreatEmerald]

Well, if it is going to be a Linux-based console, then I don't care in the slightest. Although if GNU/Linux gets some games in the process, that's good news, as that can attract more game makers to go for it.

As for Windows 8, yeap, the biggest downside of it is that it's no longer a PC OS, but rather a tablet OS. So its competition would more likely be Android...

[dagger]

That all sounds great. Let's only hope they won't mess it up by shipping ubuntu-only binary - addressing only fraction of Linux users. It would be nice to see same approach as Desura.

[Kivada]

I think it's pretty obvious what's happening in the industry. Apple with the new Mac App Store, and Microsoft with their similar plans for a store (Plus their Games for Windows Live), the two big players are essentially trying to squeeze Valve out of the market. On top of that, there is increased competition from EA's Origin.

Valve can really do whatever they want on Linux, and it's probably making a lot of sense in their eyes. They have such a strong library of in-house games, it's hard to see them not succeeding.

That has been the rumor for a while that Valve was thinking og building their own console. If they partnered with AMD for CPU and GPU they could have something on the market within a month. Think a custom mobo using an FX4100 or an A10 or faster and an HD7970 or 2, it'd be dirt simple to port games to, backwards and forwards compatibility and AMD ensures that far fewer games will use Nvidia's PhysX or CUDA. computer gaming as a whole wins as it pushes the GPU power goalpost further up.

Updating the console but keeping the same performance is trivial, in a year they'd be able to slash the price using a midrange HD8000 GPU and an equivalent CPU unlike consoles with completely custom hardware found on traditional consoles.

[Kivada]

*Calls his post "Valve's Gabe Newell Talks Linux Steam Client, Source Engine"*
*Doesn't actually provide any concrete transcription of what was said*

*Pretends he had his hands on the game client*
*Doesn't show any game footage video*

I facepalm.
Of course, no need to say I don't believe it.

Yep, If Valve does bring Steam to OSS it'll be on BSD on a custom kernel on a console. Sure L4D may run on Linux in house, but thats likely just for ease of development and it will never see the light of day.

[Kivada]

I am trying to read this article at work.
Please refrain from posting pictures of beer.

Can you play this at work? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awzyLJFh1lQ

[Kivada]

That all sounds great. Let's only hope they won't mess it up by shipping ubuntu-only binary - addressing only fraction of Linux users. It would be nice to see same approach as Desura.

Yeah, but Ubuntu represents 95% of the Linux target audience. While Gentoo's target audience is sadists.