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A Good & Honest Video About The Alienware Steam Machine

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Lon Seidman on youtube posted up a pretty decent video showing off the Alienware Steam Machine, it's worth a watch and has given me some more thoughts.

I think the hidden usb port for the wireless dongle is a fantastic idea, but apparently it can make the signal be a bit iffy which is a shame.

He does mention a few times about the lack of games on SteamOS, and he later clarifies it to be more about the AAA games. We will see a lot of complaints about this, and despite what people think about our still rather large library the bigger AAA games will be a problem for a lot of potential buyers.

It also highlights a major problem, and that is the filtering on SteamOS is quite pants. To show Windows games by default, and having to manually filter them to what is available. That, plus the featured section showing Windows games is a stupid major issue. I sincerely hope Valve have some new filtering up their sleeve for the SteamOS/Steam Machine official launch, otherwise I'm really going to be wondering if they want it to actually succeed. It's a ridiculous issue to not have solved already, and there has been a bug open on github about it for many months. You wouldn't expect to have to filter out Xbox games on a Playstation, so why do Valve think it's a good idea to leave it in for SteamOS? It just doesn't make sense to me right now.

It would work much better if Valve lumped all non-supported games into a category you manually select yourself, as that is what I would personally expect from it. It is the only way that would make sense to me, to only show games I can actually run on my hardware at the forefront.

Every time I log into Steam and view the store, or use Big Picture Mode I'm instantly hooked by the look of a game featured or "recommended for you", only to realise it's a Windows game. It's damned annoying.

This video reviewer isn't the only one who has come across that either, a few of the major PC news websites who did their take on it also noted it was weird.

I obviously want it to succeed for us all, but Valve need to sort this crap out. There's a lot of uncertainty about how anything will be handled, but as usual I'm sure Valve have something up their sleeve. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: Editorial, Video
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I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
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51 comments
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supashang Nov 2, 2015
Quoting: liamdaweI use myself as a prime example of this

Tells me to think outside of my own box, then uses an argument of his own personal gaming experience with AAA as justification of "thinking outside ones personal box"! Seriously?

Quoting: liamdaweNo, I know exactly what you said.

No, I'm sorry, I beg to disagree. See you when you get there. You know, when you decide to play "Eldritch" over "Alien: Isolation"...
Liam Dawe Nov 2, 2015
Quoting: supashang
Quoting: liamdaweI use myself as a prime example of this

Tells me to think outside of my own box, then uses an argument of his own personal gaming experience with AAA as justification of "thinking outside ones personal box"! Seriously?

Quoting: liamdaweNo, I know exactly what you said.

No, I'm sorry, I beg to disagree. See you when you get there. You know, when you decide to play "Eldritch" over "Alien: Isolation"...

You obviously don't get what I'm trying to say: I'm a prime example of the people who wouldn't go out and buy one usually because of the lack of AAA games, but I am already invested in Linux obviously.

Yeah, because Eldritch is on the same level, and the same genre, right..

You're amusing bro.
Segata Sanshiro Nov 2, 2015
The choice of GPU just blows my mind.... Why use a mobile GPU and not something like a custom 750ti or even 960? I understand that it's super small and looks cute, but if it was just a little bit bigger it could have so much more power at a similar price.

I like this guy's comments... I think the trap he does fall into though is comparing the available games on SteamOS with Windows and not with a console on launch. PC gamers really need to get their (our) heads out of their arses, the world is much, much bigger than what has today essentially become a niche.

EDIT:

also, @supashang, I agree with the sentiment that there's a lot of good indie games out there. When I first got back into PC gaming (now as a Linux user) I had a great time with them, partly because of the novelty of being able to play stuff natively on Linux. But there's only so many pixely games one can play before it all starts to feel the same and it becomes incredibly hard to separate the wheat from the chaff (and there's a loooooooot of chaff, which some might say is making the whole indie scene into a sinking ship).

Sure, I still play quite a few lower-budget games. Last one I played was This War of Mine and it was excellent. But still, there's nothing I'd like more than to be able to play Fallout 4 next week. I assume most people feel the same


Last edited by Segata Sanshiro on 2 November 2015 at 4:33 pm UTC
GustyGhost Nov 2, 2015
Quoting: Segata SanshiroEDIT:

also, @supashang, I agree with the sentiment that there's a lot of good indie games out there. When I first got back into PC gaming (now as a Linux user) I had a great time with them, partly because of the novelty of being able to play stuff natively on Linux. But there's only so many pixely games one can play before it all starts to feel the same and it becomes incredibly hard to separate the wheat from the chaff (and there's a loooooooot of chaff, which some might say is making the whole indie scene into a sinking ship).

Sure, I still play quite a few lower-budget games. Last one I played was This War of Mine and it was excellent. But still, there's nothing I'd like more than to be able to play Fallout 4 next week. I assume most people feel the same

I know myself that I shy away from pixelated 2D games and I'm sure I'm not the only one. We didn't build/buy these strong computers just to play games that even a GameBoy could run. So many indie devs say they targeted an "oldschool retro look" when in reality they just went with that because it is easier to build. Steam Machines may struggle if these types of games oversaturate the Linux library any more than they already do. That AAA to indie ratio needs to be brought into balance ASAP.
Beamboom Nov 2, 2015
Without the AAAs SteamOS is doomed. It's that simple. Let's not even try to imagine anything else.


Last edited by Beamboom on 2 November 2015 at 5:47 pm UTC
poisond Nov 2, 2015
Quoting: Segata SanshiroThe choice of GPU just blows my mind.... Why use a mobile GPU and not something like a custom 750ti or even 960? I understand that it's super small and looks cute, but if it was just a little bit bigger it could have so much more power at a similar price.
My guess ist TDP. More heat=more cooling required=more noise.
You wouldn't want those tiny fans spinning at 2000RPM, not in your living room :o)
The other option would be bigger fans, which would mean bigger case.

On another note, alienware in general seems "mildly" overpriced.
14 Nov 2, 2015
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Quoting: supashangCase in point, how many people bought and played "Witcher 2", "Alien: Isolation" or "Shadow or Mordor" on Windows months/years before they arrived on Linux? I know I did.
By the time those titles arrived on Linux many people had completed them on Windows anyway. Where is the incentive to play them again just because it feels fluffy to now have them in your Steam Linux library? Is that going to make SteamOS a success?!
You know I'm right, but can you admit it?
If AAA gaming on Linux means that all I am getting is stale old Windows AAA titles, I'd rather check out the thousands of Indie titles and be happy find diamonds in the rough there, rather that being able to say "Yep, I have that too on my Linux Steam" to Windows AAA gamers.

Now for day one release AAA on Windows/Mac/Linux, that is another matter. Full steam ahead.
You may be right about the marketing and business success of SteamOS with AAA game availability being a prime factor. That said, I wanted to mention the niche I'm in. I don't pay full release price for very many games. I wait until they're on sale because I have other financial goals. A lot of times, if a game is going to come to Linux, it's already out or around the corner when the game hits nice sale prices. Yes, I end up buying games 6-12 months after initial release. It hasn't been a problem for me. I in fact did not buy Witcher 2 or Shadow of Mordor until they released on Linux, and Linux support was a big reason I purchased (and beat) them. I don't have Witcher 3 despite good prices because I heard it was coming to Linux. I don't mind waiting at this present time because I still have a backlog of games. If I was bored of my library, which is more like a historical event than a recent memory, I probably would have Witcher 3 by now.

I also buy must-have games on Windows that the publisher has no history of porting to Linux before (MGS).
Mountain Man Nov 2, 2015
Quoting: supashangI'm sorry, but people need to understand that AAA games does not mean "must have for best gaming experience". I've had more fun playing Indie games on my Linux steam library lately than I have on any AAA (except Skyrim) that I have in my AAA Windows library. I shouldn't need to mention how many AA titles have been a complete disaster after launch on Windows. Indie FTW.
I agree, but the lowest common denominator, which Valve must appeal to in order for SteamOS to attract wide acceptance, want AAA games. While you and I might be content with the many excellent "indie" titles currently available through Steam for Linux, that's a much tougher sell for the average consumer who wants to play Fallout 4 and Mad Max.
bubous Nov 2, 2015
Quoting: liamdawe
Quoting: supashangObviously from your reply you think that I'm a Indie only fan and failed to understand the gist of my argument.
I never said that SteamOS doesn't need AAA gaming titles to be a success - I was trying to make the point that having AAA titles doesn't necessarily mean that you are guaranteed to have fun playing.

No, I know exactly what you said. I'm simply pointing out because you're having fun with indie games, it doesn't mean the vast majority will. Indie games for the most part still sell far less, and have far less of a push than the bigger budget games.

I use myself as a prime example of this, I don't put all that much time into indie games often, but I put tons of hours into the bigger games. XCOM for example is one of the highest hours playtime I have on any game (all of which are under Linux I should add).

Quoting: supashangMost AAA games that arrive on Linux are months after they have arrived on Windows anyway, which means that only new people to gaming and Steam will experience AAA titles as a success for the Linux platform.
Case in point, how many people bought and played "Witcher 2", "Alien: Isolation" or "Shadow or Mordor" on Windows months/years before they arrived on Linux? I know I did.
By the time those titles arrived on Linux many people had completed them on Windows anyway. Where is the incentive to play them again just because it feels fluffy to now have them in your Steam Linux library? Is that going to make SteamOS a success?!
You know I'm right, but can you admit it?

Where did I say anything about having delayed AAA games was a good thing? Why wouldn't I "admit it" as you phrased it that having same-day release was important? In fact I'm sure I've said it plenty of times that a same-day release is excellent and needs to happen more.

The Steam has everything to attract developers of AAA games for steamos, the steam must receive a percentage of the games sold for example 30%, is only down to 25% for developers to port the games to Linux. Remembering to any Windows and MacOS sale. But why do not they do it?

Logically should be a decent port to Linux.


Last edited by bubous on 2 November 2015 at 7:49 pm UTC
omer666 Nov 2, 2015
Quoting: supashangCase in point, how many people bought and played "Witcher 2", "Alien: Isolation" or "Shadow or Mordor" on Windows months/years before they arrived on Linux? I know I did.
Well I am one of those guys who never had such thing as a "Windows partition", as I switched directly from Mac to Linux. So when I buy a Linux game nowadays, it's always the first time I play it. To me the OS is more important than game compatibility. But I know I'm an extraterrestrial :)


Last edited by omer666 on 2 November 2015 at 8:01 pm UTC
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