The Future Of Gaming Is Here

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It looks like Valve is hoping to expand on the incredible popularity of its Steam gaming service. For those unfamiliar with Steam, it was one of the first (and best) cloud-based software delivery and syncing schemes released long before the App Store and iCloud were on everyone’s lips. It's been dubbed the “Steam Box,” and rumors have it that the console isn’t so much a console as it is a PC hardware spec that companies can use as a base for developing their own console product. Valve won’t actually distribute anything and will just license this console-friendly version of Steam, designed with a USB gaming controller in mind, and, presumably, will take a little dosh off the top for old pop-pop. Expect Netflix to be somewhat on edge today, as it sees this as an effort to compete with OnLive, the streaming game service that has been picking up, er, steam. Also, with Apple getting into the TV biz and presumably running apps and games out of the box, companies like Samsung are going to inevitably find themselves getting into the games business to compete. A more PC-like gaming approach might be the best way to jump clear past unimpressive Android and iOS games that have been shoehorned onto a television screen. As long as I don’t have to reinstall DirectX every time I install a game -- one of the more tedious aspects of Steam on Windows -- count me in as a fan of the idea. Continue Reading

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