Steam Box - Valve's console

[Neil]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19475312


Valve Software has started searching for hardware engineers.

The game maker has posted an ad seeking applicants for the post of "industrial designer".

The job description on the ad said Valve was "frustrated" by the lack of innovation in computer hardware and wanted to change that state of affairs.

It is not yet clear what gadgets successful applicants will be working on but the ad suggests it could involve replacements for mouse and keyboard.

Before now Valve has let it be known that it wants to expand beyond games into hardware but has revealed few details about those plans.

[Danny]

Theres been constant rumours of them making a console or working with apple for years i wouldnt be surprised if they were making some 'console/mac'-esque gaming rig as a uniform affordable platform for pc gaming.

[Neil]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21677119


Valve expects to offer prototypes of its upcoming video games console for testing within four months time.

[Tricky]

I hope it can run more than the Half Life 2 engine, its served them well but they've flogged the bejesus out of it!

[Neil]

Well I suspect it will be as powerful as the other next gen consoles.

[shootemindehead]

Ugh...Apple and Valve.

A little bit of puke just entered my mouth.

:barf:

[Mr. Clean]

$1,000 dollars is pretty steep.

http://kotaku.com/5989727/the-first-steam-box-will-launch-this-holiday-season-starting-at-1000


Xi3's Piston—the first unofficial Steam Box console (http://kotaku.com/5973986/here-we-go-valve+backed-pc-hardware-will-be-shown-off-tonight)—will launch this holiday at a starting price of $1,000, the hardware manufacturer announced today.

If you preorder (http://www.xi3.com/news.php?id=907) it before March 18, you'll get a $100 discount.

The Piston is the first PC designed specifically to play games in your living room using Steam's Big Picture mode. Valve is helping finance the machine, although the Steam makers are developing their own Steam Box that will also be released this year (http://kotaku.com/5988757/valve-will-give-out-prototype-steam-boxes-within-the-next-few-months-gabe-newell-says), according to Valve boss Gabe Newell.

"Clearly, the computer/video gaming market is huge, both in the personal computer and traditional console markets," Xi3 CEO Jason Sullivan said in a press release. "That being said, we believe there is a crying need for a machine that captures the best of both worlds, with the upgradeability of computer gaming rigs and the design and form factor of consoles. We believe our Piston Consoles do exactly that-deliver the beauty and small size of consoles with the upgradeability of computers."

[Neil]

Wow! It had better be something uniquely epic for that surely!?