The next few days are ringing in more than just slot machine cranks and winning alarms because the Consumer Electronic Show is now in full swing down in the city of sin. Wearable computing, and its meager appeal, 4K televisions, and Steam Machines seem to be the trinity of news this year.
Steam Machines are not just boxes for your next foggy concert, but are ideally the next generation of gaming devices for your living room. With Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo currently trading blows for your gaming needs, it feels like the living room is going to explode. Can we really squeeze another box under the TV?
Steam comes from a savvy company named Valve that has intelligently overhauled the distribution of computer games online. Download a Steam client, and you get a fully featured online store and personal library for games. Click to buy, click to install, and within minutes, your game is ready to play. Very easy, very smooth.
Traditionally, Steam has always been something you download onto your computer. These new Steam Machines are computer systems built specifically to take advantage of Steam and easily integrate into Valve's services. So instead of buying a general computer, or building your own gaming computer system, you would purchase a Steam Machine from a hardware maker and have everything you need to start gaming in the living room. Once again, I think Valve is looking for that very easy, very smooth experience.
This idea works and thinking it over there is only a few things that don't add up, but Valve could care less.
Hardware
The first problem is hardware. The Steam Machines are built with gaming in mind and the ones that have released specifications for hardware are pretty impressive. That comes with a steep price to match though. So what you have to consider is, do you buy or build, a general computer that can run games from Steam and do everything else, or only spend money on a system built specifically for Steam?Traditionally, if you take the time, building your own computer will reap the most benefits. For people in this group, a Steam only machine makes no sense.
For people who want a machine that does more than just play games, once again, a Steam Machine makes no practical sense.
If someone has the disposable income for a machine that only does steam, this could be something they want to look into.
So after significantly limiting the ideal purchasing group, we come to the next problem, Software.
Software
For the current generation of games, and the foreseeable future, there is an unsaid law that goes something like this, "Your game is only as good as the lowest common denominator." Take Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag for instance. This game looks good on the computer, but with the team size and monetary backing from Ubisoft, this could have been a game light years beyond it's current incarnation. The problem is simply that they wanted to maximize profits, so they choose to release it on a number of different platforms to reach the greatest number of consumers.Therefore, the computer version which could benefit from so much more power has to be watered down on so many levels to match the console version and create a product on a similar level. It doesn't matter that you have more power available on the computer side of things, it needs to match the weaker hardware configurations of home consoles.
Take a look at the current top PC games on Steam as of this morning,
| Title | PC Only | Other Platform |
|---|---|---|
| DayZ | Yes | NA |
| Rust* | Yes | NA |
| Starbound | No | PS3, PS Vita, PS4 |
| Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance | No | XBox 360, PS3 |
| 7 Days to Die* | Yes | NA |
| Counter Strike: Global Offensive | No | Xbox 360, PS3 |
| Kingdom Rush | No | iPad, Android |
| PayDay 2 | No | Xbox 360, PS3 |
| Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag | No | Pretty much every system ever |
| Left 4 Dead 2 | No | Xbox 360 |
Of the top 10 selling games on Steam currently, only three are exclusive to personal computers. Home consoles from Microsoft and Sony carry an incarnation of almost all of the other games and their own exclusives.
So from a gaming perspective, owning a more expensive Steam Machine compared to a home console means you're not going to miss out on much.
Summing up, you pay more for less with a Steam Machine and miss out on very little from traditional consoles.
Honestly though, Valve doesn't care. They have a kick butt online gaming service that integrates with your PC OR your Steam Machine. They don't lose out if a hardware maker can't make their sales goal. They simply built an operating system for them to use and Steam gets free marketing and a larger user base.
Rebuttal: Oh Yeah? What about ...
R1. Steam Machines are made to game in the living room. Therefore, they will run quieter than a regular computer.A1. True, but you get what you pay for. A well designed computer will run quieter as well but you always pay for it in the end. Price outweighs the benefit. ( True to the point, when I'm alone the volume goes way up and covers all hardware sounds. With other people in the house the headphones go on, and once again, covers hardware sounds. )
R2. Some Steam Machines will be upgradable and have a longer life than traditional consoles.
A2. True, just as it is in regular computer systems, but the price once again will skyrocket for minimal benefit since most games are released on consoles as well. You will get a visual upgrade on games through the lifespan of consoles, which is nice but it will cost you.
R3. These systems are for people just getting into PC gaming, not long time gamers.
A3. Once again, a home console makes more sense because you get a similar gaming experience spending less money and having access to their respective exclusive console libraries. If I met someone who wanted to know more about computers and get into gaming, I would tell them to build their own computer for the learning process. If I met someone who didn't want to worry about anything technical, I would tell them to buy a console. Just put the disc in and it always works, you never have to worry about anything else.
*Of note, Rust and 7 Days to Die are currently unfinished products and sold as early access to alpha/beta releases.
