Boxing up Steam

    Valve recently announced that it would be stepping into the console market with the Steam Machine. For those who do not know what Steam is; it is a PC program that allows gamers to buy and download games. All the games are then available through the Steam program from any PC you use. Simply download Steam, log in, and you are set. Every game you purchase is there, and all the save points are synced between PCs.

    What does the Steam Machine mean for the video game industry? Well I for one think that it finally bridges the gap between PC gamers and console gamers. This is also excellent news for developers because now they do not need to create four different versions of one game (PC, Xbox, PS, and the Wii). This will save on cost related to development, and cost the gamers less in purchases. Having what is essentially a PC in the living room could open up the industry to more developers as well. Which I hope it does since the current video game industry is (in my opinion) heading towards another crash. The industry needs new life breathed into it, and fast.

    What the Steam Machine is essentially a PC that will run the SteamOS. Valve also stated that the console will be able to play the nearly 3,000 games already on Steam. The company will also be releasing the SteamOS so gamers can build their own Steam Box anyway they choose. This will prove to be a significant advantage for Valve as they are the only gaming company to allow users to use an OS on custom built hardware. Valve even stated that users will be free to hack the Steam Box with no issues. The specs for the Steam Machine are random at this point since Valve has multiple prototypes out in order to test the best configuration for the Steam Machine.

    I can not wait to have this console sitting in my living room. The ability to play a PC game in my living room is a huge plus for me. Valve has already added in a “Big Picture Mode” that lets users play on large screens. This mode simply enlarges the current Steam program into a new layout that is easy to navigate on a large screen. To accomplish this, users have to hook up his/her TV to a computer. It can be done, but in my example my computer is in another room and would look out of place in my living room. However, a console dedicated just to run Steam is enough for me to pre-order one next year.

    Valve is out to shakeup the console wars with their Steam Machine. If Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo do not watch out, their consoles could go the way of Blockbuster. 

Copy of Paste: The Reusing

    As the holiday season approaches video game studios are pumping out their new investments. Enter Call of Duty: Ghost by Activision, which as of now has sold more than $1 billion on its first day out. Now there is impressive no matter how you look at it. However, being the big franchise that Call of Duty is, it must put a lot of pressure on a company to produce a high quality game.

Planning for Business

    Earlier in the month I took a look at two experts in the world of business plans, Carl Schramm and Chuck Blakeman. These gentlemen had decidedly different views on how to deal with business plans, and took into account what they both had to offer. While Carl was in favor of small business plans, Chuck said that there is no need to have one.

Opposing Plans

          Starting a business is likely one of the toughest choices one will have to make. It involves a lot of planning and research before the business is even launched. Along with that, a potential business owner needs to find the capital in order to get their business off the ground. So to get the capital, one needs to find investors. However, to get investors a solid business plan is required to help sway the investors into lending out the money that is needed.

Half-Dead 3: Steamy Valve

    It looks like Valve is back at it again with tease its fan base about upcoming releases. Valve just stated that it has three big announcements. Their teaser site currently has a countdown, which ends on Monday. What these announcements are anyone’s guess, but the saying it has three is leading something to think it could be tied to its Half-Life or Left 4 Dead

Opening the Valve

    In 2007 Valve released the long awaited squeal to Team Fortress Classic, simply named Team Fortress 2. This online game features two opposing sides (Red vs Blue) in a never ending war with each other. At first launch, Team Fortress 2 was a simple first person shooter that had the standard capture the flag and defense type maps. Soon after Valve began to update the game and started including unique weapons that plays could unlock and use. Each weapon having its own unique abilities, but what Valve did next was expected by no one.

An Eye On Gaming

    With my recent post dealing with the Rift and virtual reality, I felt it was an opportune time to have a look into Google Glass.

    Google has been developing a wearable mini display that allows the user to watch and record videos, take pictures, make phone calls, send text messages, view emails, and more. What Google has not truly touched on, is the use of video games being played on the device. Google Glass has the potential to expand the mobility of video games.