Valve introduces Steam Deck

[Dr. Geronimo]

The only thing I have to say to people that are still calling this a flop/hit or whatever has triggered you: what is even a flop to Valve?

As far as I can tell the only thing that they've even hinted at failing is the steam machines. They've never really talked about if something has performed well and we have no idea what their sale goal is. Hell the deck could just be a prank on accounting for all we know.

 

[ZMOT]

The only thing I have to say to people that are still calling this a flop/hit or whatever has triggered you: what is even a flop to Valve?

As far as I can tell the only thing that they've even hinted at failing is the steam machines. They've never really talked about if something has performed well and we have no idea what their sale goal is. Hell the deck could just be a prank on accounting for all we know.

it's an experiment to see if there's a market category for it, gayben talked about it in the interview. also talked about how you have to price it accordingly to get the ball running. think he was also pretty nonchalant about it might working out or not, as you said even if it "fails" (however you define it) it just some pocket change. every business does r&d, there's a lot more shit companies spend money on that never gets anywhere, valve projects are just more public.

that's why all the shortsighted "hurr it will fail because X" when those are completely different from a business perspective are pretty dumb. it's like claiming restaurants will never happen because you can cook the same food for 1/10 the price at home. the demand (portable gaming) is clearly there, question is if it's possible (and feasible) to get into it, and if so, how. gotta spend some to get some.

I hope you all apologize when I'm proven right in 18 months.

Screenshot all of it.

apologize for what, saying it will probably fail because valve is valve way earlier in the thread?
(nice argument btw)

They already have the majority of PC players and video game enthusiasts on their platform.

a good chunk being idorts, steam deck is just another system to own. and it's a PRODUCT by BRAND, so you can possibly get the non-pc players too. that's how demograpics work.

Because Apple has a dedicated customer base of retards who will pay massive mark ups on simple tech because it has a fucking Apple logo on it.

and still let's their shit built by foxconn. size doesn't equal price or production capacity, which was my point.

 

[Kane Lives]

The only thing I have to say to people that are still calling this a flop/hit or whatever has triggered you: what is even a flop to Valve?

As far as I can tell the only thing that they've even hinted at failing is the steam machines. They've never really talked about if something has performed well and we have no idea what their sale goal is. Hell the deck could just be a prank on accounting for all we know.

Yeah exactly. If it flops, well boo-hoo, Gaben gets one less mansion to add to his collection. Otherwise Valve itself isn't in danger of going under, unlike some other companies who tried pulling this stunt with far less solid financials (3DO and old THQ comes to mind, both basically got bankrupted by trying to muscle their way into the hardware business).

Myself? I'm more interested to see if it works as advertised. If it does create a new niche for handheld PC gaming, well good. It's far more innovation than whatever Big Tech is selling these days.

If it fails? Then yeah we get to make memes on Valve's continual failure, Gaben cries himself to sleep on his pool of money. I'm not sure why anyone should be mad tbh.

 

[armoreddinnerjacket]

If it fails? Then yeah we get to make memes on Valve's continual failure, Gaben cries himself to sleep on his pool of money. I'm not sure why anyone should be mad tbh.

Undercurrent of animosity towards Valve for sitting on their Steam bucks for decades and not producing more games. Also microtransactions, although it could be argued that like linear story-driven shooters no one can imitate Valve correctly.

 

[Exbein]

fail or not, I kinda want that steam deck so I can have a good and powerful handheld emulator, if they only made the controllers better, the layout is extremely retarded. they could do away with those 2 trackpads, it has a touchscreen....

Valve is extremely retarded if they think the steam deck will take off. they can only lower the price because they are backed with the software. other OEMs and manufacturers don't have that luxury to take a loss to earn through software, and they will be selling it at the standard price, mostly at 1000 USD.

its just another half-hearted attempt to enter the console wars without really understanding it

 

[Dammit Mandrake!]

Oh thank god I thought we might have lost these posts.

Deflate your ego a little bit there, pal. Maybe it'll be good, maybe it won't, but it's one of very few things to look forward to here in Super Clown World. Have some optimism for once in your miserable life.

Sorry that I'm not sucking Gabe's dick or buying his next failed piece of hardware.

 

[Pissmaster]

Oh thank god I thought we might have lost these posts.


Sorry that I'm not sucking Gabe's dick or buying his next failed piece of hardware.

Quit getting mad over video games

 

[Dammit Mandrake!]

Quit getting mad over video games

No, fuck you. Console wars for life!

 

[Pissmaster]

No, fuck you. Console wars for life!

PC doesn't count as a console

 

[SlipNHonk]

As far as I can tell the only thing that they've even hinted at failing is the steam machines.

Steam Controller and Steam Link didn't do well. You know you're not selling them as you'd hope when you had to give them away for $5 ($13-$14 if you include shipping) on Steam to clear out stock.

 

[Seasoned News Reporter]

Steam Controller and Steam Link didn't do well. You know you're not selling them as you'd hope when you had to give them away for $5 ($13-$14 if you include shipping) on Steam to clear out stock.

I thought the steam controller was pretty good for most things. It's definitely great for shooters & such however the fucked placement of the abxy buttons makes hit trash for something like Elder Scrolls online. Also the steam link hardware is a massive piece of shit. The steam link app works great from my experience but the hardware they made was dog shit. Literally kept rebooting everytime I tried to play something on it. Could maybe get 10 minutes at most before it rebooted for no reason. Fuck the steam link hardware.

 

[SlipNHonk]

I thought the steam controller was pretty good for most things. It's definitely great for shooters & such however the fucked placement of the abxy buttons makes hit trash for something like Elder Scrolls online. Also the steam link hardware is a massive piece of shit. The steam link app works great from my experience but the hardware they made was dog shit. Literally kept rebooting everytime I tried to play something on it. Could maybe get 10 minutes at most before it rebooted for no reason. Fuck the steam link hardware.

I haven't opened mine yet. I bought it when Valve was getting rid of their stock for around $13. Lo and behold its going on $150-250 for a sealed copy on Ebay. Might just go and sell it. The PS4 controller does me well for games like fighters, platformers ect.

 

[Dr. Geronimo]

The PS4 controller does me well for games like fighters, platformers ect.

This is a big reason why the steam controller never took off. It did nothing better than a standard pad and even did things worse because of the stick and button placements.

The steam deck actually solved an issue I have with the PS4 controller by moving the touchpads down. The few times I've used the PS4 touch pad (Cemu and Citra) never felt right but having the touch pads below will make it better for me. Anyone that has used the digital buttons on a DS touchscreen will understand.

 

[ZMOT]

Steam Controller and Steam Link didn't do well. You know you're not selling them as you'd hope when you had to give them away for $5 ($13-$14 if you include shipping) on Steam to clear out stock.

steam link still exists, they just made it a software solution because it's cheaper.
same problem for the controller where hardware fixed what can be done in software, it's whole point was to offer mouse+keyboard functionality in compact form, hence the touchpads. if you already had a gamepad and/or never played those games (or were fine with sitting at a desk) you simply had no use for it, even less after inbuilt gamepad support became more common with everything being multiplat.
there was also a lawsuit, can't remember the outcome but production stop and getting rid of stock might be part of it (even if it's only to not have to pay a license fee or being unfeasible afterwards).

 

[cummytummies]

This is a big reason why the steam controller never took off. It did nothing better than a standard pad and even did things worse because of the stick and button placements.

The steam deck actually solved an issue I have with the PS4 controller by moving the touchpads down. The few times I've used the PS4 touch pad (Cemu and Citra) never felt right but having the touch pads below will make it better for me. Anyone that has used the digital buttons on a DS touchscreen will understand.

I only ever use the DS4 touchpad as a mouse/trackpad when I'm using the DS4 as a remote lying on the couch watching youtube videos. Fuck touch controls in vidya. Though to be fair it does work well for what I use it.

 

[Dr. Geronimo]

I only ever use the DS4 touchpad as a mouse/trackpad when I'm using the DS4 as a remote lying on the couch watching youtube videos. Fuck touch controls in vidya. Though to be fair it does work well for what I use it.

Touch controls are great for supplemental actions but awful for main gameplay.

Honestly, and I admit it would probably end up shit, I'd love for a controller to come with some dynamic LCD buttons like some razer laptops have. Would be cool to program or alter them based on context.

 

[cummytummies]

Touch controls are great for supplemental actions but awful for main gameplay.

How? Why? Where? Post three examples.

I have never, ever in my life thought "I wish that instead of a clear and concrete button press I could try to perform a vague action and have the computer interpret it correctly."
I also never understood the hype around mouse gestures that were all the rave in the mid-2000s.

 

[Marissa Moira]

Quit getting mad over video games

You will pry my rage from my cold dead hands.

 

[Dr. Geronimo]

How? Why? Where? Post three examples.

1. Windwaker HD letting you hotswap items.

2. Map scrolling always felt better to me to since most game companies can't get scrolling acceleration right.

3. This is more touch screen, but I preferred typing on the DS than the slog that was on 360

 

[Pissmaster]

How? Why? Where? Post three examples.

I have never, ever in my life thought "I wish that instead of a clear and concrete button press I could try to perform a vague action and have the computer interpret it correctly."
I also never understood the hype around mouse gestures that were all the rave in the mid-2000s.

2/3 of the examples I can think of could be countered with "Well, yeah, but it'd be better on a dedicated button", which you'd be right to say, but these weren't particularly offensive and worked well enough with what they had:

1. Super Mario 64 DS did a thing where the camera controls were on the screen, so you could just reach your thumb over and tap them:

2. Borderlands on Vita had a thing where you could double pat the rear touchpad to throw grenades, it worked okay enough

3. Hotline Miami on consoles was honestly best controlled with the PS4's touchpad to aim, though it's one of the very few games out there that benefits from having a trackpad due to how it's an overhead shooter and you have to be very, very accurate at times.