New Operating System by a game developer for gamers

[EnDash]

Valve, the creator for groundbreaking games such as the Half Life Serres, Portal Series and Left 4 Dead Series has announced their own operating system, to be competed with Microsoft and Google on the OS side and with Microsoft and Sony on the consoles side. The new OS which is based on Linux (just like Android by Google) is claimed to be more optimized then other operating systems and should run games better, and offer the ability to stream your games to the TV for full console experience. There is also the ability to "take turns" between you and your family members playing a game, where save games and achievements are kept separate for each user. Valve also claims the OS will be more "open" and be able to replace or upgrade much quicker software or hardware parts.

Because of the Linux open source license the OS is obliged by law to be free and open sourced forever, again the same as android. which means it will not only be free but hefty programmers can modify and create their own versions of it, and they too must release those for free and as open source. which means a slew of community created operating systems can be made like in android (cyanogen mod for steam anyone?).

on their website valved shows pictures of 5 games that will probably be playable from launch, those are Trine 2, Metro: Last Light, Europa Universalis IV, Rome II: Total War, and Football Manager 2013.

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-- EDIT --
Valve just finished announcing their third product, a game controller for steam.

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the new controller was designed to reliably emulate mouse and keyboard functionality for games on the steam library the require them. for instance rts games, point and click adventure games or old games from the 80's and 90's.

the controller has 2 large high resolution trackpads that can track thumb movement and act as analog sticks or as a mouse. the trackpads each have a super-precise haptic feedback that allow developers to control frequency, amplitude, and direction of movement for the "vibration" effect. the haptic feedbacks can also create soundwaves and act as speakers.

the controller also has a small touchscreen on the front, similiar to the dualshock 4, but seems to mainly be used for secondery actions like quicksave or taking screenshots, and probably for menus as well.

alongside those new features the controller have 4 action buttons (XYAB) and 4 back buttons, as well as two large buttons on the downside of the controller. the controller also have 3 "select and start" buttons under the touchscreen.

the controller will be fully hackable, and valve is planning on releasing tools that will help in the design and changing of the controller.

you can see the official announcment here:

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P.S.: All hail Valve, All hail Gabe Newell!

 

[FireBird Marco]

lol @ that title gg D

 

[Ōkami]

**** Valve.

And wrong section.

 

[3 Tomoe Rinnegan]

This is why I love Valve. I can't even imagine the possibilities for devs.

 

[Bimbonium]

It's gonna be lovely.

 

[EnDash]

lol @ that title gg D

thanks lol

**** Valve.

And wrong section.

i think it's right, but if i'm wrong then mods please move to better section.

This is why I love Valve. I can't even imagine the possibilities for devs.

i know right? Just the ability to replace official OS with user made OS is exciting for me!

It's gonna be lovely.

indeed it will be!

 

[Aim64C]

Interesting.

Valve just re-invented DirectX and is, more or less, the inverse of OpenCL (rather than a computing standard that works across multiple platforms, create a platform that works across a narrow set of computing standards).

What I do find disturbing, however, is how few PC games are produced outside of Steam, these days. They are a literal monopoly - and it's going to bite us in the ass.

 

[Trollasaur]

I literally could not give two shits.

 

[EnDash]

Interesting.

Valve just re-invented DirectX and is, more or less, the inverse of OpenCL (rather than a computing standard that works across multiple platforms, create a platform that works across a narrow set of computing standards).

What I do find disturbing, however, is how few PC games are produced outside of Steam, these days. They are a literal monopoly - and it's going to bite us in the ass.

well considering valve's history, releasing TF2 for free, releasing Dota 2 for free, and giving us at times 75% discount on games. not to mention they can never and will never be able to ask money for SteamOS or stop others from creating their own from their code. i think valve will remain true to its fans.

I literally could not give two shits.

and you you gave enough shit to post here. point EnDash.

 

[Trollasaur]

well considering valve's history, releasing TF2 for free, releasing Dota 2 for free, and giving us at times 75% discount on games. not to mention they can never and will never be able to ask money for SteamOS or stop others from creating their own from their code. i think valve will remain true to its fans.



and you you gave enough shit to post here. point EnDash.

And what does that have to do with anything?

Just stating my opinion.

 

[EnDash]

And what does that have to do with anything?

Just stating my opinion.

lol i immediatly regret answering you. i'm ruining my own thread with spam. sorry Trollasaur lol

 

[Trollasaur]

lol i immediatly regret answering you. i'm ruining my own thread with spam. sorry Trollasaur lol

ummm mkay?

 

[Aim64C]

well considering valve's history, releasing TF2 for free, releasing Dota 2 for free, and giving us at times 75% discount on games. not to mention they can never and will never be able to ask money for SteamOS or stop others from creating their own from their code. i think valve will remain true to its fans.

This is the same company that installed a root-kit on your computer that enabled low-level access to hardware resources and consequently bricked a few thousand disk drives.

I don't trust Valve any farther than I can throw them.

Sure - the going is good, now. They still have about 40% of the market share to gain. But once they have hit about 80% market share - it will ultimately lead to a dark age in PC gaming.

Before you try to argue with me - it's a mathematical and logical certainty that it will happen. So long as Valve operates a decent business - there will be no room for competition. The costs associated with getting involved in online retail are immense. Steamworks, itself, with its integrated social networking and voice coms makes any serious competition for market share impossible.

Unless you are talking about a developer that flat-out doesn't like steam to the point that they don't like making money on a game they develop - there's no reason to opt for a competitor to Steam, as you are asking gamers to remove themselves from the integrated social network of Steamworks.

You have to have the market share to be competitive. You have to be competitive to get the market share.

We're already passed the point of no return with this. Steam will become a monopoly. That is inescapable. Gamestop had their shot when they acquired Impulse - and blew it. There are no competitors. From there - it is also unavoidable that the company will be mismanaged and become abusive. It is only a matter of time. Years... maybe even a decade or more. Eventually - it will happen.

When that happens, it will destroy the face of gaming. Competitors will be realistically nonexistent. Game developers will have to either develop for steam (which will have simplified huge portions of their code through the use of steamworks and future proprietary extensions) ... or have to foot the bill to code their own versions of things that will be isolated from the backbone of the steamworks social networks.

"Big title" games will pretty much collapse. New game prices will inflate beyond Steam's prices (even if steam is being abusive) in order to cover the increase in development costs... It will wipe out PC gaming for at least a full decade when it happens.

 

[amarusboobs]

Cool, I might actual buy this lol

 

[Darthlawsuit]

Yup heard about it from steam

What I do find disturbing, however, is how few PC games are produced outside of Steam, these days. They are a literal monopoly - and it's going to bite us in the ass.

No there are competitors out there. However steam summer sales attract soooo many people. Steam has perfected harvesting money from people by getting people to willingly give them their money.

competitors:
gog.com
gamefly.com
gamersgate.com

I don't use them because they are less stable than steam and offer less. I don't want to lose my games.

"Big title" games will pretty much collapse. New game prices will inflate beyond Steam's prices (even if steam is being abusive) in order to cover the increase in development costs... It will wipe out PC gaming for at least a full decade when it happens.

(Reuters) - Grand Theft Auto V has crossed the $1 billion sales mark after three days in stores, a rate faster than any other video game, film or other entertainment product has ever managed, its creator Take Two Interactive Inc said on Friday.

 

[Aim64C]

No there are competitors out there. However steam summer sales attract soooo many people. Steam has perfected harvesting money from people by getting people to willingly give them their money.

competitors:
gog.com
gamefly.com
gamersgate.com

If by "competitors" you mean: "have 3% of the volume capita market and 80% of purchases through their store front require Steam."

That's why GameStop is dead. You can't survive very long when you're trying to sell games that require your customers to install advertisements for your competitor who can shred your in-store prices.

The closest thing to a competitor will be the indie development network that has spawned around Desura from Mod Database. And I wouldn't consider those projects to be real competition to Steam from a large-title developer standpoint.

I don't use them because they are less stable than steam and offer less. I don't want to lose my games.

Read your Steam EULA. Those aren't your games. Those are Valve's games (or Steam's ... I'm trying to remember if they've spun off as a separate legal entity, yet). You paid for a conditional service agreement allowing you to use that license key.

At Valve's discretion, that service agreement can be rendered null and void and use of the key will be re-sold to another paying individual (though it is not often necessary). This is doubly true for games built upon the Steamworks IP. Since the game calls Steam's own libraries and executable files - there is very little ability to bypass Steam's authentication system.

Games that simply use Steam as their distribution platform can relatively easily be stripped of the authentication procedures. It's the ones that actually have calls to Steam's libraries and authentication procedures interlaced through their entire code (though use of the Steamworks API) that are next to impossible to 'crack.'

I prefer the platforms that allow me to 'burn a copy' of the game with its activation key and I am actually considered to have purchased the license to use that game (rather than paid for authorization to use a license).

Although, anymore, I am finding that I don't have time to really play my library of games like I used to (which is actually a good thing, since my income has taken quite the spike upward). Arma 3 is the only game I'd consider getting on Steam... ... but at the same time - I've got a few hundred dollars of electronics components arriving and I'm looking to push the limits of plasma speaker design.

Then there's my gauss rifle and particle cannon projects (those will have to wait until I'm on my own property and not in an apartment, though - a particle-cannon point-defense system would probably not receive the same enthusiasm from the land-lord as it would from me. "But... it can track, prioritize, and engage up to 30 target tracks per second with 75-degree off-bore slewing and a 250 kilometer range... why wouldn't you want that mounted in place of the skylight? NSA drones will FEAR this place!")

Plus, my cat has been biting the shit out of me in her quest for attention.

(Reuters) - Grand Theft Auto V has crossed the $1 billion sales mark after three days in stores, a rate faster than any other video game, film or other entertainment product has ever managed, its creator Take Two Interactive Inc said on Friday.

That'd be a console game.

When it is released for the PC - you can almost bet it will be released as a Steam exclusive - like everything else these days.

 

[EnDash]

@Aim64C well i'm tired of grim predictions, i hear it to much. either the economy is going to break, or there will be war, or companies are going to control us or global warming will extinct us. i like to maintain a diffrent view just so have balance, the economy will survive and we will all have jobs and enough money, there will be no war, companies will destroy each other, and global warming will resolve itself like nature does best.

i hope Valve becomes a monopole, they are a great company that listens to it's fans, care about developers and does everything it does to the benefit of the consumer first and making money second. the reason monopoles turn greedy is because (understandably) they start to prefer money over their original intention of making good products and gaining support from fans. when you lose hundreds of dollars every second it's hard not to feel like you need to make a lot of money very fast. but some companies remember why they founded themselves. i believe valve is like that.

 

[Aim64C]

@Aim64C well i'm tired of grim predictions, i hear it to much.

If you knew as much as I did - you would understand why the grim predictions regarding human affairs are always more accurate.

Common sense does not prevail. There is no such thing as public education. Cross-platform isn't. Joint ventures aren't.

There are very small pockets where these things hold true - and people must be confronted with the intent to kill them by the hundred in order to create them. You don't have to kill hundreds (may not have to kill any) but their lives must be forfeit in your eyes.

i hope Valve becomes a monopole, they are a great company that listens to it's fans, care about developers and does everything it does to the benefit of the consumer first and making money second. the reason monopoles turn greedy is because (understandably) they start to prefer money over their original intention of making good products and gaining support from fans. when you lose hundreds of dollars every second it's hard not to feel like you need to make a lot of money very fast. but some companies remember why they founded themselves. i believe valve is like that.

That's like saying: "I hope Obama becomes a dictator. He's for the poor people and giving everyone a better life."

Nevermind that the man is incompetent and wouldn't know how to accomplish those goals if the method bit him in the ass. Or the fact that the man is mortal and will eventually pass away - leaving the power he once held open to others.

The same applies to Valve and Steam.

Valve doesn't care about the player. They care about gaining market share.

Making the players feel appreciated and welcomed is how one gains market share (and retains it within a competitive environment).

But here's the newsflash - Steam is anti-competitive by design. When you actually read the EULA - you see what Valve has done. You don't own your games. You aren't gamers. You are service clients. Valve owns your games - you are simply renting them from Valve - who retains complete authority over the terms of your service.

In a couple years - expect to see Valve offer a subscription plan. You will pay ever-how-many dollars a month for a service plan. You can install and play as many games as you want - but those games lock at the end of the subscription period (provided it is not renewed).

Developers will be given the option of making their games "subscription" or "purchase" titles.

Naturally - almost all games will become subscription-exclusive titles through Steam.

 

[EnDash]

valve announced their last product, a game controller for the entire steam library, check in the original post.