Thank you Feral for keeping this older title updated, even if it took a while:-)

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Quoting: KoshiHaven't picked this game up yet, but on the wishlist. Excited about controller support. Curious, how is the UI when using a controller on the couch? Text easy to read? Interface easy to follow?

I played it with my steam controller on my TV months ago, and I would say it is big screen friendly, text and UI is big enough.

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World of Warcraft would blow my mind

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Thanks for the info. Could you maybe add that this is for Steam beta only for now?

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Quoting: barotto

Quoting: wleoncioit's up to Valve to create a suitable competitor

Valve cannot create a suitable competitor to Windows.
Why the hell should I use SteamOS, which is nothing more than a crippled console OS, when I can use Windows, a full blown operating system??? Which, by the way, allows me to play the entirety of the Steam library at full speed.

We need a polished and complete desktop OS.
Ubuntu was promising 10 years ago, now it's a clusterfuck.

SteamOS has its flaws, but being a crippled console OS is not one of them.
Its based on Debian 8 and you get root access so you can change almost everything except the proprietary drivers from Nvidia, AMD etc.

They could have done something similar as Google with Android, using the Linux Kernel and some libraries but then no way for users to escape the Steam client. Instead the bundle a desktop too which is very spartan, but its open to install every Linux program you want and have access too.

I have installed some GOG games for example.

Steam Big Picture is limited compared to the window mode, but also that is possible to run steam in window mode if you want.

It is in fact the first console since the Amiga CD32 I got interested in and bought for above reasons, and also that it is PC hardware, so if I at some point should want to then I can install another Linux or even Windows.

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Quoting: PixelPiFrom a German site:

https://vrodo.de/valve-virtual-reality-ist-die-finale-plattform-steamvr-fuer-osx-und-linux/ [External Link]

Money quote and translation:

Valve is investing both in hardware and software and is convinced that the combination of virtual and augmented reality is "the final computer platform," says Ludwig in his presentation at the Steam Developer Conference in mid-October.

"It is difficult to imagine what could still follow a platform that controls everything you hear and see."

Therefore it is important that the new technology is built on open systems, according to Ludwig. Its definition of an "open platform" is as follows: It must run several devices from different manufacturers with the same software. Hardware and software should not be interdependent.

This helps to prevent gatekeepers from deciding which software and hardware may be made and published. According to Ludwig, an open platform promotes the will of all participants to engage in experiments.

I think Valves Linux's commitment is very sustainable and has a lot to do with VR. At this point Steam Machnines will become much more useful.

Also I think that Valve and the big publishers make already profits with Linux games. Nothing which finances the games themselves, but Linux ports creates additional revenue. One percent additional sales is very much. For many games this is maybe the profit margin. See Alien: Isolation for example. If you program games so that they are easily portable, you get an additional source of income. Large publishers calculate this way. They have to port their games on many platforms to be profitable. So I do not worry about more games, as long as our community does not shrink.

On the other hand Windows and the consoles are very important for the development of sophisticated games. Only if you have new developments you can port something to Linux. Obvious. Linux is much to small for primary development, but clearly big enough for high quality ports.

Interesting article, thanks for the link.

I like how the Valve Programmer states that they believe in open platforms.

“Man kann sich schwer vorstellen, was noch auf eine Plattform folgen könnte, die alles kontrolliert, was man hört und sieht.”

Quoting: Google Translate"It is difficult to imagine what could still follow a platform that controls everything you hear and see."

Next stage could be smells and taste, and further and that is scary if it can control what people think.
Lets hope that companies like Microsoft, Apple and Google will not build brain implants in the future.

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Quoting: skinnyraf

Quoting: Crazy Penguin

Quoting: SketchStickWas the Steam Machines even available outside of the US? I wanted to buy one but none of them appeared in Australia.

Yes, at least in Europe you could buy the ones from Alienware and the ZBox from Zotac.

And not just from Steam but through regular Zotac and Dell sales channels, which means basically all major PC shops.

And you also still can, don't use past tense:-)

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Quoting: ElectricPrismThis thing sells for $20? :\ StaeamSpy says that there were 111,707 ± 8,641 sales.

Is it true those versions came out 1 year after the Windows version?

So the combined 5% is equal to $55,853.50 of extra income in 1 year or $4,654 a month.

If I was a game developer I wouldn't minimize 55 thousand dollars just because my game netted $2,233,022.93 (2.3 mil)

You forget about sales and the cut that Steam and other shops like Humble take. And I believe the prices around the world differ a lot from US and EU prices too. So the numbers he got a probably a lot lower.

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Hi WorthlessBums,

Thanks for your informative post and Linux support.

Quoting: WorthlessBumsDeveloper here ;)
Estimating is hard. I'd like to address the entire "2% is really good because we're 1% of the user base" argument. Not every game on Steam has Linux support. You'd expect the average number of Linux sales to be higher than the average percentage of Linux users, per game that does support Linux. If Linux was 10% of Steam's userbase but there was only 1 Steam game with Linux support you would not expect that game's userbase to be only 10% Linux users; the Linux users are simply flowing into fewer games than Windows users are. That said the Mac percentage numbers are low as well - maybe I'm missing something here.

While there are fewer games for Linux, there still are over 2000 now to compete for sales. And I am sure it goes for Linux too that a few bestsellers count for the bulk.
There might be a formula to get a "expected" sale, but I am sure its not a simple one.
A gamer looking for a new game will not put an equal chance on all available games not owned yet and do a roll to decide.
We decide after previous experiences, taste, whats getting positive mentions from friends and in the medias we follow etc.

And for what its worth you getting mentioned here on GOL and posting in the thread got my attention and I look into the game now. No promises that I buy it though:-)

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Quoting: wintermute

Quoting: Mountain ManThis would be one of the many reasons Valve does not recommend people use the beta version if you want stability.

And yet they explicitly recommended using the beta version if you have a Steam Controller.

They stopped recommending the beta a few months ago but did not announce that as far as I know. They sure did not tell those opted in.
I noticed it when plugging my steam controller in my laptop I usually don not use my controller with that often and did not get prompted for that. Then I checked on my steamos machine and that didn't recommend it either after opting out.

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