1 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 1: Get in test with technology with text stuff from dot com. Heyl, everyone, 2 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:15,680 Speaker 1: and welcome to tex Stuff. I'm Jonathan Strickland and I'm 3 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 1: Lauren and Lauren, you pulled an interesting quote that I'm 4 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:22,320 Speaker 1: going to read out at the top of this episode 5 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 1: before we really get into the topic. This is a 6 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 1: quote from a fellow named Greg Komer who said, there's 7 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: a strong desire from our customers that we've heard for 8 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,519 Speaker 1: a long time. They love all those game titles, but 9 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:35,839 Speaker 1: they also like their families, and whenever they had to 10 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 1: go into the living room, they've had to abandon everything 11 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 1: they loved about the games in the other room of 12 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: the house. So here's a problem, right, I mean, if 13 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:47,880 Speaker 1: you erode serious video gamer, particularly if you're a serious 14 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 1: PC gamer and you love those games, but you also 15 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: want to you know, not strange yourself from your family. 16 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 1: Occasionally you have to move away from the gaming computer. 17 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:01,080 Speaker 1: Sometimes you have to stay end up from your from 18 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 1: your game chair, leave all of your you know, cans 19 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 1: of mellow yellow behind. Yeah, and your your your Frito's 20 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:12,399 Speaker 1: and Derrito's and other salty snacks. Okay, we are officially 21 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:15,400 Speaker 1: talking down to the statement of the population. This is 22 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 1: me actually talking about myself. I don't mean to suggest 23 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 1: that there is a stereotype. I'm just saying that if 24 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:25,320 Speaker 1: there is, I fit it at any rate. Now, what 25 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:27,039 Speaker 1: if you could solve this problem? What if you were 26 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:30,040 Speaker 1: able to bring the joy of the video games, of 27 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: PC games, specifically into the realm of the living room 28 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:38,039 Speaker 1: with the rest of your family. That, in fact, is 29 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 1: the promise that we hope the steam box will deliver upon, 30 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: or at least that's what they're hoping. But that is 31 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 1: certainly what they're hoping. So we're talking about steam boxes, y'all. Yeah, 32 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 1: this is this is Valve's entire crazy idea, or maybe 33 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: not so crazy idea. We will find out soon because 34 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 1: the first ones are debuting this year. Will definitely talk 35 00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 1: about some of the perceived pros and perceived cons. But 36 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 1: before we get into all of that, it probably would 37 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 1: help us to give a quick rundown on what Valve is, 38 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 1: who they are, why are they a big deal, and 39 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 1: why they're trying to produce this living room console for 40 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: PC gamers. Yeah, so let's let's first of all, obviously 41 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: this is gonna be another video game episode, so everyone 42 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: who hates video games stick with it, because This is 43 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:28,959 Speaker 1: actually kind of interesting from an industry point of view, right, 44 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:31,600 Speaker 1: this is talking about trying to create a new market. 45 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,799 Speaker 1: So let's talk about Valve. For those of you who 46 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: are not into computer games, you may not know that 47 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: much about Valve. You might have played a few of 48 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: their titles because some of the titles have been ported 49 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 1: two consoles, things like Left or Dead and you know, 50 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 1: even the Half Life games. Obviously kind of portal, Yeah, 51 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 1: a little game called Portals Still Alive. Uh So in 52 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:55,919 Speaker 1: nine six, that's when Gabe Newell and uh and and 53 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:59,240 Speaker 1: Mike Harrington both had left the company they had worked 54 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 1: for for several years, Microsoft. Both of them had made 55 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 1: boot Cous of Cash. They were very successful at Microsoft. Yes, yes, 56 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 1: uh And so they left Microsoft and they launched a 57 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: gaming company called Valve l l c. That was right 58 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 1: there in Bellevue, Washington, just a few miles away from 59 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 1: the headquarters of Microsoft. And their first title they started 60 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:25,080 Speaker 1: to develop was Half Life. They collaborated with another former 61 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:29,799 Speaker 1: Microsoft employee named Michael Abrash who was working at ID Software, 62 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:33,399 Speaker 1: and so he helped Harrington the Newell get a license 63 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 1: for a little thing called the Quake Engine to act 64 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 1: as the physics engine for Half Life kind of the 65 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: backbone exactly. So that gave them a big leg up, right, 66 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 1: you know, they had this licensing agreement so they didn't 67 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: have to build their own physics engine from the ground 68 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 1: up for this. Half Life would launch two years later, 69 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 1: and in fact the publisher was Sierra Online because Valve 70 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 1: was not a publisher at this point. They were a developer. 71 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: And so the game, um, you probably have heard of it, 72 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:05,840 Speaker 1: Half Life turned out to be a huge hit. They 73 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 1: also in acquired a company called TF Software p t Y, 74 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 1: which was a company that had developed a mod for 75 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:15,600 Speaker 1: the Quake engine called Team Fortress. This would come in 76 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:19,279 Speaker 1: handy later on. Team Fortress also another big title that 77 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 1: a lot of gamers are are fond of. I've watched gameplay. 78 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:25,800 Speaker 1: That game moves faster than I can think, so I've 79 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 1: never actually sat down for it. So another thing that 80 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 1: made Valve really important really early on. You know the title. Yeah, 81 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:40,240 Speaker 1: so the title resonates with the gamer community. But beyond that, 82 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 1: Valve actually opens up a software developer kit for free 83 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: that people can download, which would allow them to create 84 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:52,840 Speaker 1: their own mods of Half Life. So they're they're trying 85 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:56,479 Speaker 1: to create a community of players that are not just 86 00:04:56,560 --> 00:04:59,600 Speaker 1: players but creators. And that was that was really innovative 87 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:02,680 Speaker 1: for the time. Not that many video game companies were 88 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 1: willing to do that with their code, and especially not big, 89 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 1: big titles. Right. You could see it in things like Doom, 90 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 1: Like there were Doom mods out there, and there were 91 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 1: some mods that were completely unauthorized mods that came out. 92 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:18,600 Speaker 1: But this was a company saying, you know, please, we 93 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 1: want to see what you're gonna do. Ye make stuff 94 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 1: and uh and people did. In fact, you started to 95 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 1: see some pretty incredible ones, including one that would become 96 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 1: an insanely popular game in its own right, counter Strike. 97 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:36,080 Speaker 1: Um So. In two thousand, Harrington left Valve, so Newell 98 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 1: was left behind to be kind of the head and 99 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 1: ahead of the company and as well as you know, 100 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:47,280 Speaker 1: very public facing figure. Right. He's somewhat controversial. Sometimes he 101 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:50,040 Speaker 1: likes he likes saying things a lot, and and and 102 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 1: frequently they're very energizing, wonderful things, and sometimes they're very 103 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 1: inflammatory there. They can be a little brassy, you know, 104 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:00,719 Speaker 1: he's not he's not necessarily one of those who speaks 105 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: in a corporate uh speak. You know, he's very plain spoken. 106 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:08,919 Speaker 1: Two thousand two at the Game Developer Conference that's g 107 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:15,599 Speaker 1: d cum big big event for video games, Valve unveiled Steam, 108 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:17,840 Speaker 1: which obviously is going to be very important in this 109 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:20,920 Speaker 1: in this episode to talk about steam boxes. The Steam 110 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 1: it was really as an online digital platform. It was 111 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:28,280 Speaker 1: meant as a digital distribution platform originally mostly for things 112 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 1: like putting out game patches and updates. Right, it wasn't 113 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:34,200 Speaker 1: a full store to begin with. These days it's a 114 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 1: it's a store. But then it was really just to 115 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:41,360 Speaker 1: have a smoother interface for forgetting those important little bits 116 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 1: of update to games that people were playing. Right, So 117 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 1: if a game goes out and there is something to 118 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:50,160 Speaker 1: address either a vulnerability or a glitch, it made it 119 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 1: easier for players to get that. Well, hypothetically, it didn't 120 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: actually work that way for several years where there were 121 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:59,160 Speaker 1: there were a lot of problems upon launch um there 122 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:02,200 Speaker 1: was a rip server overload most of the time. Yeah, 123 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:04,599 Speaker 1: that was that. That meant that the entire service was 124 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:07,360 Speaker 1: somewhat unsteady. It could crash at a moment's notice. But 125 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 1: and they furthermore were including a bunch of DRM and 126 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 1: an online authentication kind of things just coming up the system. Yeah, 127 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:19,320 Speaker 1: and and the Valves. Valves history with DRM is one 128 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:21,680 Speaker 1: of those things that a lot of players have cited 129 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 1: as a negative about the company. Now that's really something 130 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 1: in the industry as a whole. It's you know, industry 131 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:32,120 Speaker 1: trying to make sure that people are not exploiting the system. 132 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 1: But you know, depending upon how you implement that, it 133 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:39,440 Speaker 1: can be restrictive, like beyond what it was intended to do. 134 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:43,880 Speaker 1: There are ways where this system can restrict a person 135 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:46,720 Speaker 1: who has a legitimate copy of the game from playing 136 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 1: that game. We'll talk about that a little bit as well. 137 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 1: So it also was a system that allowed for multiplayer 138 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 1: modes on several games. You know, that was another purpose 139 00:07:56,680 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 1: of the Steam plat right it could It could again 140 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:02,760 Speaker 1: hypothetic connect users for for those multiplayer matches in those 141 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 1: early days. It was certainly more hypothetical than than realistic. 142 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:10,680 Speaker 1: In two thousand three, Valve l l C. Becomes Valve Corporation, 143 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 1: which in my notes I wrote, no longer would its 144 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: liability be limited. Thundercrash. That's a thundercrash noise um or 145 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:22,720 Speaker 1: maybe a kitten. I don't know either one. I'm bad. 146 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 1: I'm bad at sound effects, y'all. But in two thousand 147 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 1: three was also the year that that Steam officially launched, 148 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 1: because it was just an unveiled the previous launched right 149 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:37,080 Speaker 1: and in two thousand four, Valve made an announcement that 150 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 1: was met with some criticism. I think that this is 151 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:43,839 Speaker 1: more the thundercrash moment. Actually, yeah, this is when Valves 152 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:46,839 Speaker 1: said that all future games from from that company would 153 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:50,760 Speaker 1: require Steam to play. So even if it were a 154 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:54,640 Speaker 1: single player, offline game that you bought on a disc, 155 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:57,679 Speaker 1: you would have to have Steam as an authentication tool 156 00:08:58,040 --> 00:08:59,720 Speaker 1: to be able to play, which of course means that 157 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:03,839 Speaker 1: if Steam is not completely reliable, then you could have 158 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:07,680 Speaker 1: a game on your computer that is single player, there's 159 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 1: no online element to it at all, need to get 160 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 1: online that you cannot play because the service itself is down. 161 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:17,959 Speaker 1: And a lot of gamers said that doesn't sound right. 162 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 1: So this was one of the things that was kind 163 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:24,520 Speaker 1: of a little um controversial. I mean, ultimately, the Steam 164 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:28,080 Speaker 1: service got better. Uh. It took some time for it 165 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:30,320 Speaker 1: to get up to speed, but once it did, and 166 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:33,320 Speaker 1: once it got better, uh and started to add more 167 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 1: value to games, And that was when gamers started to 168 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:40,840 Speaker 1: kind of come round. Sure, but but that wouldn't happen 169 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:43,000 Speaker 1: for another couple of years. Back in these early days 170 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:46,839 Speaker 1: at half Life two also launched that year, and um 171 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:50,720 Speaker 1: it took players in some instances hours or even days 172 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:54,199 Speaker 1: to just get online to authenticate because of the server overload. 173 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:57,400 Speaker 1: Yeah now, but half Life two would end up giving 174 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:00,920 Speaker 1: us things like Gary's mod, which ind up being huge 175 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:04,079 Speaker 1: in Mashinima circles. People were using Gary's mod to create 176 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:08,959 Speaker 1: uh little Mashinima movies. Mashinima. For those who do not remember, 177 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:12,040 Speaker 1: I text stuff to an episode ages ago about Mashinima. 178 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:18,000 Speaker 1: It's essentially a machine animation. It's using uh, computer generated 179 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:21,439 Speaker 1: characters that are pre generated by something like a video 180 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:24,560 Speaker 1: game as sort of digital puppets, and you use those 181 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:26,679 Speaker 1: to tell your stories. And then there are a lot 182 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:29,040 Speaker 1: of different examples out there. The one I always cite 183 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:32,080 Speaker 1: because it was what introduced me to Mashinima is Red 184 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:35,439 Speaker 1: versus Blue from Rooster Teeth. But there are lots of 185 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:39,080 Speaker 1: different examples, and in fact, Gary's mod ended up being 186 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:41,280 Speaker 1: kind of a you know, kind of a renaissance for 187 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:43,720 Speaker 1: that are really a launching point for a lot of 188 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 1: people to create these, uh, these creative projects. Two thousand five, 189 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 1: Valve ended up making agreements with third party publishers to 190 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:55,120 Speaker 1: allow non Valve games in the Steam Store. And this 191 00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:58,200 Speaker 1: is really where things are starting to pick up for Steam, 192 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:02,440 Speaker 1: because it's becoming a viable marketplace, not just not just 193 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:04,680 Speaker 1: a thing where you could get patches and fit the 194 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:07,360 Speaker 1: systems up, or just a thing that allows you to 195 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:09,840 Speaker 1: play your game. Because of the d r M. Now 196 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:12,200 Speaker 1: you have a store where you can go and buy 197 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:15,600 Speaker 1: games and have and download the game, and you never 198 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:20,520 Speaker 1: end up getting a physical copy at all, exactly, you 199 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:23,280 Speaker 1: just you just buy it on. In fact, most gamers 200 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:26,080 Speaker 1: I think these days, as long as they have a 201 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:29,160 Speaker 1: decent Internet connection, this is how they buy games. Now. 202 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:32,360 Speaker 1: You know, they're buying them online, downloading them, and usually 203 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:34,880 Speaker 1: you have some sort of cloud element. This is certainly 204 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:37,040 Speaker 1: true with Steam. But you have a cloud element where 205 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 1: you can buy a game, install it on your computer, 206 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:42,080 Speaker 1: play it, and then if you ever were to need 207 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 1: that space, you could delete it from your hard drive 208 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:49,439 Speaker 1: and then maybe later down the road, you think, along 209 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: with your saves. Yeah, because because it's all cloud based, right, 210 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:54,800 Speaker 1: because if it weren't cloud based then you'd really be stuck. 211 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:57,360 Speaker 1: But that was another thing that Steam did that again 212 00:11:57,400 --> 00:12:00,640 Speaker 1: added value to the service and to the game themselves. 213 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:03,400 Speaker 1: And I think partially because they started becoming accountable to 214 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 1: third party publishers, they really got their act together. I 215 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:08,840 Speaker 1: think that that was the tipping point of them going like, oh, 216 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:11,319 Speaker 1: I guess that we need to have more servers and 217 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 1: uhstability for our services, make it stable. And yeah, they 218 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 1: also added in achievements, which for some people is the 219 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:22,520 Speaker 1: only reason to play games. Uh. And then also that 220 00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:24,959 Speaker 1: was a little bit of commentary. Well, I mean, I like, 221 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:27,920 Speaker 1: I like achievements. I like the feeling I get when 222 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 1: I unlock an achievement, but I don't like feeling. There's 223 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:34,680 Speaker 1: some players who treat it so like it's such an 224 00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 1: important part of the game that it almost feels like 225 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:41,360 Speaker 1: they're concentrating on getting the achievements and not experiencing the game. 226 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:44,120 Speaker 1: And then I feel like I get talked down to 227 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:46,640 Speaker 1: if I don't get all the achievements. Well, don't don't 228 00:12:46,679 --> 00:12:49,160 Speaker 1: don't hit on their version of gameplay, let live and 229 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:51,439 Speaker 1: let live. I don't hate on the fact that they're wrong. 230 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:56,120 Speaker 1: I just point out that they're wrong anyway. So they 231 00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:58,560 Speaker 1: also introduced chat clients, things like that. So there are 232 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:03,000 Speaker 1: a lot of different elements to stee besides just the store. Uh, 233 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:07,160 Speaker 1: we're gonna jump ahead to So between two thousand five 234 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 1: and twenty ten, a lot of stuff developed, But twenty 235 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,640 Speaker 1: ten was when Steam got a makeover. Uh. The user 236 00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:16,040 Speaker 1: interface was retooled, so it made it more attractive and 237 00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:20,680 Speaker 1: easier to use. They also released versions for Mac and Lennox. Yeah, 238 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:23,800 Speaker 1: big deal there, because before that it was PC only, 239 00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 1: Windows based PC only. You know, PC we use as 240 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:30,360 Speaker 1: just shorthand for Windows machine, but obviously personal computer could 241 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:34,120 Speaker 1: mean anything. Um. The store also began to carry stuff 242 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:39,600 Speaker 1: besides games, like user generated content, so again expanding the 243 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:44,080 Speaker 1: offering of Steam itself. And in eleven, that's when a 244 00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 1: bad story happened. Yeah, there was a big hack hack attack, yeah, 245 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:51,440 Speaker 1: right on Steam. I mean it was and it was huge. 246 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:53,520 Speaker 1: I remember when this happened. I mean I wasn't a 247 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:57,280 Speaker 1: Steam user at the time because and we'll get into 248 00:13:57,280 --> 00:13:59,120 Speaker 1: this when we talk about the Steam boxes themselves. I 249 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:02,040 Speaker 1: was one of those gamers who had migrated away from 250 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 1: PCs and towards consoles, and we'll talk about kind of 251 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:07,360 Speaker 1: the reasoning behind that, which is one of the reasons 252 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:09,640 Speaker 1: why Valve is behind the steam box thing in the 253 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:13,120 Speaker 1: first place. Anyway, I was aware of this, but I 254 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:17,479 Speaker 1: wasn't affected by it directly. So hackers ended up defacing 255 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:21,520 Speaker 1: the forums over at Valve. But then beyond that, the 256 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:25,680 Speaker 1: Valve employees discovered that the hackers had access some databases, 257 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:29,000 Speaker 1: which meant they potentially got their hands on things like 258 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 1: credit card information and personal identification. So that raised a 259 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:39,720 Speaker 1: big scare, and months after it happened, Newell went public saying, uh, 260 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 1: we still haven't found any evidence that they actually took 261 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:48,320 Speaker 1: any recent personal information. However, they probably access to database 262 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:51,200 Speaker 1: which gave them access to all transactions that took place 263 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:54,360 Speaker 1: between two thousand four and two thousand eight. This is 264 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:58,240 Speaker 1: in early twelve when he made this announcement, so again 265 00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:01,360 Speaker 1: these were transactions that were four years old, so you know, 266 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:03,280 Speaker 1: for a lot of people, I'm sure the credit card 267 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 1: information was no longer accurate. But still when you have 268 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 1: that personal identification the trouble there is identity theft. Not 269 00:15:10,160 --> 00:15:13,440 Speaker 1: just someone's used your credit card, which is minor in 270 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:16,240 Speaker 1: the grand scheme of things, but someone has access to 271 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:18,560 Speaker 1: your personal identification, which means they can do a lot 272 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 1: more harm. So that was definitely a black mark against Steam. 273 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:27,120 Speaker 1: So but then in two thousand twelve, UM, that's when 274 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:30,640 Speaker 1: we start really getting towards the steam box movement. That's 275 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 1: when Valve announced that they were going to have Big 276 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:37,680 Speaker 1: Picture Mode in Steam, which means that you would be 277 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:42,040 Speaker 1: able to enable this and that would optimize whatever game 278 00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:44,200 Speaker 1: you were playing, whatever Steam based game you were playing 279 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:49,600 Speaker 1: for a television display, not a computer display. So if 280 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:52,400 Speaker 1: you were to hook up your computer to a TV 281 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:55,280 Speaker 1: and put big Picture mode on, it would actually optimize 282 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 1: that to show on your big television. So this was 283 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:01,000 Speaker 1: the first step towards the steam box movement, and in fact, 284 00:16:01,040 --> 00:16:03,560 Speaker 1: some people started calling any sort of PC that you 285 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:05,880 Speaker 1: would hook up to your computer and use this a 286 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 1: steam box, right, And previously people had found kind of 287 00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:12,640 Speaker 1: kind of jakie workarounds to making this happen. Yeah, but 288 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:15,920 Speaker 1: it wasn't optimized. It wasn't optimized, and and you know, 289 00:16:15,960 --> 00:16:18,200 Speaker 1: this was still a little bit, a little bit clunky. 290 00:16:18,280 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 1: You know, you still had to have a PC keyboard 291 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:22,360 Speaker 1: and mouse rigged up in your living room. You can 292 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:25,040 Speaker 1: play some games with a controller, but it's it was 293 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:29,800 Speaker 1: a relatively maybe somewhere between fifty games, but that's still 294 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:31,640 Speaker 1: left a lot of games out, oh sure. And even 295 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:34,560 Speaker 1: if something was controller compatible, you usually have to set 296 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:37,360 Speaker 1: them up with the mouse and keep right right. So 297 00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:43,560 Speaker 1: you know, it wasn't something that your average player who 298 00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:45,880 Speaker 1: is not a PC player like, like you know, we 299 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:50,160 Speaker 1: we think of gamers in different buckets, often like different populations, 300 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:52,760 Speaker 1: and to some extent that's true. I mean, there are 301 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 1: some gamers who identify themselves as console gamers, and it's 302 00:16:57,080 --> 00:17:00,000 Speaker 1: not that they looked down on PC gamers some of them. 303 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:02,200 Speaker 1: Some of them do. But but it's just that, you know, 304 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:06,080 Speaker 1: they're the consoles are more attractive to them than a PC. 305 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:09,280 Speaker 1: Either the PC is too intimidating, or they don't like 306 00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:12,879 Speaker 1: the idea of a system that they need to upgrade 307 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:15,440 Speaker 1: fairly regularly in order to keep pace with the games 308 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:18,120 Speaker 1: that come out. There are a lot of different reasons. Meanwhile, 309 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:21,840 Speaker 1: you have the the PC gamers who kind of they 310 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:24,359 Speaker 1: may some of them look down on console gamers because 311 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 1: they like to be able to run stuff that is 312 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:31,159 Speaker 1: constantly pushing the envelope of what is possible graphically and 313 00:17:31,160 --> 00:17:34,040 Speaker 1: and sound and all other aspects of gaming. And they 314 00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:37,000 Speaker 1: might be a little bit more um technologically inclined in 315 00:17:37,119 --> 00:17:39,879 Speaker 1: terms of being really excited about those specific bits of 316 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:42,919 Speaker 1: hardware and building the best machine right. And also, you know, 317 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:45,120 Speaker 1: you've got the whole Twitch based argument of the fact 318 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:47,880 Speaker 1: that you know, keyboard and mouse gives you precise control 319 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:51,360 Speaker 1: compared to a game pad. So there's a lot of different, 320 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:54,800 Speaker 1: you know, things between these different populations. But one thing 321 00:17:54,840 --> 00:17:58,720 Speaker 1: that PC gamers do envy about console gamers is that 322 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:02,600 Speaker 1: it's really easy the play console game on a big 323 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:05,480 Speaker 1: screen television. Not that it's impossible to play a PC 324 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:08,720 Speaker 1: game on a big screen television, it's just not generally speaking, 325 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:12,000 Speaker 1: optimized or as easy, you know, because it wasn't it 326 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:14,920 Speaker 1: wasn't built with that purpose in mind. And that's where 327 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:18,000 Speaker 1: Steam starts going huh yeah, And and that's that's where 328 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:20,119 Speaker 1: they you know, it was really exciting that they were 329 00:18:20,119 --> 00:18:22,679 Speaker 1: getting into this space, and they wanted to let everyone 330 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:24,840 Speaker 1: know that they were really excited about it, even even 331 00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:28,880 Speaker 1: in these relatively early days of they were teasing the 332 00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:32,280 Speaker 1: concept of steam boxes pretty hard. Yeah, So there was 333 00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:35,960 Speaker 1: a lot of speculation when Big Picture Mode came out, 334 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:39,119 Speaker 1: it is Valve making some hardware. Are they going to 335 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:42,600 Speaker 1: get into the console game by building what is essentially 336 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:45,280 Speaker 1: a computer but has all the benefits of a console, 337 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 1: and that it's simple to set up, you know, even 338 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:51,159 Speaker 1: if you are intimidated by building your own computer, this 339 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:53,199 Speaker 1: is something. This is a different avenue you can go 340 00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:56,560 Speaker 1: to that will give you access to all the benefits 341 00:18:56,720 --> 00:19:01,159 Speaker 1: of the Steam library, but without the the hardship of 342 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:05,800 Speaker 1: either planning out or building a gaming PC. But that 343 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:08,760 Speaker 1: was before we actually knew any details about steam Box. 344 00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:11,600 Speaker 1: So we got a lot more to say about steam boxes, 345 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:13,320 Speaker 1: you know now that we're actually getting into the topic. 346 00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:16,200 Speaker 1: But before we do that, let's take a quick break 347 00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:20,320 Speaker 1: to thank our sponsor. Al Right, back to steam boxes. 348 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:24,240 Speaker 1: So we've teased it, but it wasn't until last year, 349 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:29,960 Speaker 1: that's spoiler alert now, but the last year and that 350 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:35,160 Speaker 1: we finally start to hear more details about a an actual, 351 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:38,400 Speaker 1: honest to goodness steam Box, and that was mostly through 352 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:42,040 Speaker 1: valves announcement that they were creating a Steam OS. Yeah, 353 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:45,399 Speaker 1: so Steam operating system, so that this is beyond the 354 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:49,280 Speaker 1: platform that's online where you can you know, shop for 355 00:19:49,359 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 1: games and and uh have your DRM authenticated. This is 356 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:56,639 Speaker 1: actually an operating system that sits on top of another 357 00:19:56,680 --> 00:20:01,399 Speaker 1: operating system, Linux, So Linux is an open source operating system, 358 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:04,280 Speaker 1: meaning that people are free to get at that source 359 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:07,520 Speaker 1: code and alter it and make their own versions of Linux. 360 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:12,879 Speaker 1: These are called distributions or distros um and so SteamOS 361 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:15,280 Speaker 1: is sort of a flavor of Linux, or at least 362 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:19,600 Speaker 1: it's built on top of an Ubuntu based Linux operating system. Now, 363 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:23,080 Speaker 1: this is interesting. It definitely hearkens back to their days 364 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:25,960 Speaker 1: of half life and opening up the Software Developer Kit, 365 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:28,960 Speaker 1: saying that they like the ability of people if they 366 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:32,399 Speaker 1: want to get down and dirty and modify stuff, then 367 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:35,080 Speaker 1: this is kind of in line with that. Sure, and 368 00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:37,960 Speaker 1: they also were making sure that that by using Linux, 369 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:40,760 Speaker 1: they could offer SteamOS as a free download. Yes, because 370 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:44,720 Speaker 1: you didn't have to worry about paying a licensing fee 371 00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:46,600 Speaker 1: like you would if you were buying something that was 372 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:51,359 Speaker 1: Windows based or mac Os based. Uh. There are some limitations. 373 00:20:51,359 --> 00:20:54,040 Speaker 1: Will get into those in a little bit, but you know, 374 00:20:54,320 --> 00:20:58,600 Speaker 1: it was it's an interesting approach. They also announced that 375 00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:01,800 Speaker 1: that both the Steam MOS and the desktop platform would 376 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:07,040 Speaker 1: be gaining some features right streaming, uh family sharing, which 377 00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:09,560 Speaker 1: which means that it's it's like a digital borrowing system 378 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:12,080 Speaker 1: that will let up to ten Steam accounts pull from 379 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:15,760 Speaker 1: the same library um, just not simultaneously, Like you can't 380 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:17,840 Speaker 1: have more than one account working on the same game 381 00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:20,000 Speaker 1: at the same time. This is this is a big 382 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:24,000 Speaker 1: deal for you know, families or you know, maybe groups 383 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:26,280 Speaker 1: of friends or whatever, where you've got you know a 384 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:31,399 Speaker 1: bunch of people who are interacting often Like I just 385 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:33,320 Speaker 1: think of like your typical family where you might have 386 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:35,040 Speaker 1: a couple of you know, a couple of kids you've 387 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:38,159 Speaker 1: got maybe maybe the adults like to play too. If 388 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:40,800 Speaker 1: you're going with an old system where it's one account 389 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:44,960 Speaker 1: per console, then that really can limit, you know, what 390 00:21:45,119 --> 00:21:47,760 Speaker 1: each person can do, especially if you are interested in 391 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:50,320 Speaker 1: things like achievements. Right, So, Lauren, if you and I 392 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:53,800 Speaker 1: share an account on Xbox, like if we're sharing a 393 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:56,040 Speaker 1: tech Stuff account, which by the way, does not exist, 394 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:58,200 Speaker 1: so don't go looking for it, or if it does exist, 395 00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:01,320 Speaker 1: it's not us um. And if we were sharing that account, 396 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:03,280 Speaker 1: and then you went in and played a game, and 397 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:05,000 Speaker 1: then later on I'm like, oh, I want to play 398 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:07,239 Speaker 1: that game too, And I keep wondering why I'm not 399 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:09,800 Speaker 1: good at this game because I haven't unlocked any achievements, 400 00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:11,280 Speaker 1: And then I go and check and I see, oh, 401 00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:14,160 Speaker 1: it's because Lauren unlocked all the achievements when she went 402 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:18,399 Speaker 1: on that marathon gaming spree three days ago. That's, you know, 403 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:21,480 Speaker 1: not a very satisfying experience. So this digital borrowing or 404 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 1: sharing program allows multiple people to have that kind of 405 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:28,000 Speaker 1: experience on their own. And yet because it doesn't allow 406 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:31,720 Speaker 1: simultaneous play, it also doesn't you know, end up making 407 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:36,359 Speaker 1: game developers feel like they're they're being taken to advantage. Um. 408 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:38,960 Speaker 1: And then in addition to those things also some some 409 00:22:39,080 --> 00:22:43,800 Speaker 1: parental restriction abilities and more media playback kind of stuff, 410 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:46,000 Speaker 1: which is really important these days. I mean, you've got 411 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:48,359 Speaker 1: a lot of consoles when when you're doing something in 412 00:22:48,359 --> 00:22:51,840 Speaker 1: in that living room space, you're expected to have media capacity, 413 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:54,919 Speaker 1: especially with the president that's been set. I mean, the 414 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:58,720 Speaker 1: fact that you can access all sorts of different streaming 415 00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:02,399 Speaker 1: options on various souls, I mean, everything has at least 416 00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:06,880 Speaker 1: a few options. That was really important. So, um, yeah, 417 00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:09,879 Speaker 1: this is the basis. The steam Os was really what 418 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:12,040 Speaker 1: got people talking about the fact that there was gonna 419 00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:15,000 Speaker 1: be a steam Box. Now, at that time, there still 420 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:18,480 Speaker 1: was no official word on whether or not Valve was 421 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:20,639 Speaker 1: going to make one sell for if it was going 422 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:23,400 Speaker 1: to be a third party thing. Valve did end up 423 00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:27,840 Speaker 1: making three hundred steam boxes. The prototypes that they were 424 00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:30,440 Speaker 1: releasing as a or I guess are kind of currently 425 00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:33,760 Speaker 1: releasing as a beta. Yeah, and those three hundred, as 426 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:36,439 Speaker 1: far as we know, that's all there ever will be. 427 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:38,480 Speaker 1: Valve has not said that they are ever going to 428 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:41,520 Speaker 1: make more. They might, but they have not, at least 429 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:44,560 Speaker 1: as the recording of this podcast, they have not said 430 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:47,000 Speaker 1: that they're ever going to make anymore. So those three 431 00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:50,200 Speaker 1: hundred that's it. Yeah, Um, but then they they are 432 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:52,560 Speaker 1: of course, Um, I mean, since they're not making their 433 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:54,920 Speaker 1: own hardware, that means that they are opening that license 434 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:58,280 Speaker 1: up to any number of hardware partners. Yeah, and steam 435 00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:01,080 Speaker 1: os because it's free to download. Technically, you can build 436 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:02,879 Speaker 1: your own you can build your own steam Box. You 437 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:06,440 Speaker 1: don't have to go out and buy a branded steam 438 00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:10,280 Speaker 1: Box computer. So but here's here's kind of the reasoning 439 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:13,479 Speaker 1: behind it. So we talked about how console players. One 440 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:15,920 Speaker 1: of the things that they benefit from is the fact 441 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:19,480 Speaker 1: that it's really easy to set up and play a console. 442 00:24:19,760 --> 00:24:23,480 Speaker 1: Right the consoles are made with a certain set of specifications. 443 00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:27,200 Speaker 1: They plug directly into your entertainment center. Yeah, it's it's 444 00:24:27,280 --> 00:24:29,160 Speaker 1: really simple it's plug and play. You just go out, 445 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:31,640 Speaker 1: you buy a box. You you open the box, and 446 00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:34,000 Speaker 1: it's all the stuff that you need right off the bat. 447 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:36,679 Speaker 1: You don't need to fox with wires and worry about 448 00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:39,120 Speaker 1: you know, oh, is this bit compatible with that bit? 449 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:41,120 Speaker 1: And is it the best bit that I can possibly buy? 450 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:43,160 Speaker 1: It's just nope, that's it. That's what you get, right. 451 00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:45,080 Speaker 1: And then if you buy a game for that system, 452 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:49,320 Speaker 1: it'll work on that system. Yeah, there are a course 453 00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:53,879 Speaker 1: exceptions when some manufacturing flaw happens, but you know, generally speaking, 454 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:55,600 Speaker 1: you buy a game for a system, it'll work on 455 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:59,520 Speaker 1: that system. So that comes in a premium. Yeah, it 456 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:03,439 Speaker 1: does well. It also it depends too, because there's another 457 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:07,080 Speaker 1: benefit that these companies have in that Microsoft, Sony, and 458 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:10,360 Speaker 1: Nintendo they all are not just in the hardware business. 459 00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:13,440 Speaker 1: They're also in the game business, right, So that means 460 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:17,679 Speaker 1: that these games, these companies can mark down those consoles 461 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:20,040 Speaker 1: so that they can sell them for less money than 462 00:25:20,119 --> 00:25:22,439 Speaker 1: they can essentially sell them at a loss, but they 463 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:26,280 Speaker 1: can make up that loss in game sales because they're 464 00:25:26,320 --> 00:25:29,680 Speaker 1: also in the business of producing games. Now, this puts 465 00:25:29,680 --> 00:25:34,280 Speaker 1: them in an advantage over steam box manufacturers, which for 466 00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:37,600 Speaker 1: the most part, they're just making the hardware. So a 467 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:41,919 Speaker 1: steam box manufacturer cannot mark down the steam box without 468 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:44,520 Speaker 1: just taking the hit because there's nowhere else for them 469 00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:47,800 Speaker 1: to make money. So yeah, that that's one of the 470 00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:51,119 Speaker 1: big challenges for steam box manufacturers as being able to 471 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:55,400 Speaker 1: price their products so that they are making a profit. 472 00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:58,000 Speaker 1: But you know that means that these are in general 473 00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:00,640 Speaker 1: probably gonna be a little more expensive than or average 474 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:03,520 Speaker 1: video game console is because they can't they can't discount 475 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:05,160 Speaker 1: it and then make it up in the video games 476 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:08,240 Speaker 1: themselves because they're not in the video game business. Right. Sure, 477 00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:10,879 Speaker 1: although you know, I would argue that steam boxes have 478 00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:14,320 Speaker 1: a have advantage is a species here because you know, 479 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:18,440 Speaker 1: top of the line for hardware changes what like hourly um, 480 00:26:18,800 --> 00:26:21,639 Speaker 1: and even with with modern consoles, for more updates and 481 00:26:21,680 --> 00:26:24,760 Speaker 1: storage upgrades and and that undercut of prices that they 482 00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:28,720 Speaker 1: can that they can accomplish just by being vertical. Um, 483 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:33,920 Speaker 1: you know, the big three we and uh, you know, Nintendo, 484 00:26:34,119 --> 00:26:37,879 Speaker 1: Xbox and PlayStation. I'll have to design something that is 485 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:40,840 Speaker 1: going to last for years, for the five plus years, 486 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:44,480 Speaker 1: meaning that that even games like five or six years 487 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:46,920 Speaker 1: down the road, they're still going to be capped by 488 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:51,639 Speaker 1: whatever whatever hardware right you had on the original console, 489 00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:54,720 Speaker 1: right right, Whereas steam Box, at least in theory, you 490 00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:57,960 Speaker 1: could have a machine that could be upgradeable. Now some 491 00:26:58,119 --> 00:27:01,240 Speaker 1: of the manufacturers have built it into or at least 492 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:03,760 Speaker 1: we assume that's being built in because they've unveiled them 493 00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:06,520 Speaker 1: at CS two thousand fourteen. But these are things that 494 00:27:06,520 --> 00:27:10,080 Speaker 1: are going to become available throughout two thousand fourteen, like 495 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:12,560 Speaker 1: and beyond. I mean, I'm sure that you know. And 496 00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:15,159 Speaker 1: that's kind of my my other concept here, that is, 497 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:17,960 Speaker 1: as a species, your steam boxes are going to be 498 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:23,120 Speaker 1: able to evolve, whereas the Xbox one is what it is. Yeah, 499 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:25,920 Speaker 1: and if it's a box that is allowed that allows 500 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:28,720 Speaker 1: the user to upgrade it, that makes perfect sense, right, Well, 501 00:27:28,720 --> 00:27:30,679 Speaker 1: not not even not even upgrades I'm talking about, but 502 00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:32,639 Speaker 1: but just you know, the fact that a company can 503 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:34,600 Speaker 1: come out with a new steam Box and capture a 504 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:37,439 Speaker 1: new segment of the of the audience that it perhaps 505 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:40,040 Speaker 1: had not captured before the danger of that, though, I 506 00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:44,800 Speaker 1: would argue, is that you might confuse the conser like 507 00:27:44,920 --> 00:27:47,480 Speaker 1: that all depends on who the steam boxes is aimed at. Right. 508 00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:51,600 Speaker 1: If the steam boxes aimed at at console players who 509 00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:54,879 Speaker 1: so far have not really gotten into PC games. Then 510 00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:57,199 Speaker 1: you run the risk of confusing the market because you 511 00:27:57,240 --> 00:28:01,080 Speaker 1: have so many different choices with different capability. Whereas you know, 512 00:28:01,119 --> 00:28:03,600 Speaker 1: the old console game one size fits all. I mean, 513 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:06,120 Speaker 1: you might have different models that have different hard drive 514 00:28:06,359 --> 00:28:09,600 Speaker 1: space size, and some people might not be tolerant. I 515 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:12,720 Speaker 1: I totally see your point of getting in there and 516 00:28:12,840 --> 00:28:17,040 Speaker 1: figuring out which box to purchase. And because the discussion 517 00:28:17,080 --> 00:28:18,879 Speaker 1: we're having right now is actually making me think a 518 00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:22,560 Speaker 1: lot about smartphones. So for example, an iPhone user and 519 00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:26,639 Speaker 1: an Android user have different experiences and that iPhones come 520 00:28:26,680 --> 00:28:30,600 Speaker 1: out once a year usually I assume so far that's 521 00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:32,040 Speaker 1: going to be the case, because it's not like the 522 00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:34,560 Speaker 1: iPad where occasionally three of them come out in a year. 523 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:37,280 Speaker 1: But iPhones come out once a year. So even if 524 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:40,880 Speaker 1: you are upgrading every year and you're paying extra money 525 00:28:40,880 --> 00:28:43,640 Speaker 1: so that you can do it, um, it's once a year. 526 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:48,040 Speaker 1: Whereas Android, if you buy an Android smartphone, the next week, 527 00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:50,840 Speaker 1: you could have a newer phone come out that blows 528 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:53,160 Speaker 1: the one you just bought out of the water. So 529 00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:55,560 Speaker 1: but you also, I mean, you know, for using the 530 00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:58,040 Speaker 1: two of us as an example, I have a very 531 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:03,920 Speaker 1: I don't care that much about about customizing my smartphone experience, 532 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:06,240 Speaker 1: So an iPhone is just fun. Like, I'm fine with 533 00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:08,680 Speaker 1: keeping one for three or four years because that's that's 534 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:11,600 Speaker 1: all I need. I don't really anything fancier, whereas I, 535 00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:14,840 Speaker 1: you know, you took a much more personalized approach about 536 00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:17,920 Speaker 1: it and found have found ones that you're excited about 537 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:20,960 Speaker 1: from very specific brands, right. I just think that as 538 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:24,960 Speaker 1: a gamer, that makes it really tricky because because you're 539 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:28,280 Speaker 1: you know, as a gamer, I want to have personally, 540 00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:30,880 Speaker 1: I want to have a system that's going to run 541 00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:35,080 Speaker 1: the best games at the best the best settings for 542 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:37,440 Speaker 1: as long as I possibly can. And in this approach, 543 00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:41,480 Speaker 1: that's tricky because even if you are buying a top 544 00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:44,040 Speaker 1: of the line steam Box for by the way, a 545 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:47,880 Speaker 1: huge premium, you could end up building a computer much 546 00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:50,800 Speaker 1: less expensive than some of the high high end steam Box. 547 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:52,280 Speaker 1: I mean, the top of the line is like six 548 00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:57,560 Speaker 1: thousand dollars. That's a really expensive computer. Um, if you know, 549 00:29:57,640 --> 00:29:59,680 Speaker 1: you could go out and buy the most expensive one, 550 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:04,240 Speaker 1: but you do so knowing that because of this rapid development, 551 00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:09,360 Speaker 1: it's going to be outdated before too terribly long. So 552 00:30:09,520 --> 00:30:13,880 Speaker 1: it's tough to justify that kind of investment for a 553 00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:17,920 Speaker 1: certain population, right. I mean, I'm sure there's some people 554 00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:20,959 Speaker 1: out there who six thousand dollars. They're like, yeah, I'm 555 00:30:20,960 --> 00:30:23,280 Speaker 1: gonna be paying another six thousand dollars in six months. 556 00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:26,600 Speaker 1: But hey, I have a gold Jet, So what do 557 00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:28,840 Speaker 1: I care that? That's that? I think for the vast 558 00:30:28,840 --> 00:30:31,760 Speaker 1: population that's not true. It's but see, here's the other 559 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:34,640 Speaker 1: thing is that if this is actually aimed at PC gamers, 560 00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:41,680 Speaker 1: the steam boxes, then then you have other questions, right, like, Okay, uh, 561 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:45,440 Speaker 1: I'm a PC gamer. I've got a tower, you know, 562 00:30:45,680 --> 00:30:49,680 Speaker 1: at home where it's my PC rig. It maybe I 563 00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:51,520 Speaker 1: don't want to bring that rig into the living room. 564 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:54,520 Speaker 1: And that's what's preventing me. Because technically I could just 565 00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:57,880 Speaker 1: download SteamOS, I could use big picture mode. I could 566 00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:01,280 Speaker 1: just port that entire machine over into the living room 567 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:03,680 Speaker 1: and hook it up and everything be cool. Maybe it 568 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:06,680 Speaker 1: wouldn't look so nice because it's an enormous tower. Maybe 569 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:09,080 Speaker 1: then I would want a steam Box because I could 570 00:31:09,760 --> 00:31:12,640 Speaker 1: use that as a secondary gaming device hooked up to 571 00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:15,640 Speaker 1: the television. It would also address one of the other 572 00:31:16,120 --> 00:31:19,960 Speaker 1: problems of Steambox that I'll get into in a second. Um, 573 00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:22,360 Speaker 1: that would, I guess makes sense, except that if I'm 574 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:25,560 Speaker 1: if I'm a PC gamer and I've got a long 575 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:28,840 Speaker 1: history of either building a gaming rig or knowing exactly 576 00:31:28,880 --> 00:31:31,480 Speaker 1: what I want, I'm not sure that I would go 577 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:37,680 Speaker 1: out and buy a h a Steambox, a branded Steambox, 578 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:41,240 Speaker 1: rather than build my own. So in other words, I'm 579 00:31:41,280 --> 00:31:43,080 Speaker 1: not sure who the steam box is for, is what 580 00:31:43,120 --> 00:31:45,200 Speaker 1: I'm getting at, Because if it's for the console gamer, 581 00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:48,560 Speaker 1: it's really confusing to have so many flavors. If it's 582 00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:51,720 Speaker 1: for the PC gamer, a lot of them already have 583 00:31:51,720 --> 00:31:53,800 Speaker 1: built their own gaming rigs, so I don't know that 584 00:31:53,880 --> 00:31:56,960 Speaker 1: they'd be tempted, right, I see what you're saying, And 585 00:31:56,960 --> 00:31:59,040 Speaker 1: I think that what they're hoping to do here is 586 00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:03,160 Speaker 1: utilize all the best parts of both console and PC gaming. 587 00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:08,280 Speaker 1: There therefore, uh, you know, marketing this to everybody, and 588 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:11,080 Speaker 1: and what they're hoping and again this might be, this 589 00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:13,520 Speaker 1: might be a pretty high hope, is that they're going 590 00:32:13,560 --> 00:32:17,760 Speaker 1: to avoid all of the downfalls of each Also, and 591 00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:19,680 Speaker 1: I'm not you know, I'm I'm not positive how well 592 00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:22,080 Speaker 1: that's gonna work out, But you know, they've they've got 593 00:32:22,120 --> 00:32:25,480 Speaker 1: some good things going for them. They've they've potentially they're 594 00:32:25,520 --> 00:32:28,640 Speaker 1: potentially connecting a huge list of established gamers. You know, 595 00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:33,040 Speaker 1: they've got like sixty five million active gamers on Steam 596 00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:37,600 Speaker 1: circa from from as of November. In fact, they've even 597 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:41,600 Speaker 1: poked fun at other companies saying, Oh, it's so nice 598 00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:43,840 Speaker 1: that you've got ten million. I remember when we hit 599 00:32:43,920 --> 00:32:47,760 Speaker 1: ten million. Yeah. Yeah, they're they're certainly not above a 600 00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:50,560 Speaker 1: wee bit of snart snark there, um, but but they're 601 00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:54,200 Speaker 1: you know, they're potentially connecting this this list of established 602 00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:58,160 Speaker 1: gamers with a new console market. And as we've all 603 00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:00,440 Speaker 1: seen with stuff like this, it can be really hard 604 00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:03,200 Speaker 1: for new hardware to gain adopters unless it has an 605 00:33:03,240 --> 00:33:08,280 Speaker 1: exciting game library at launch, right right right, simple example, 606 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:10,160 Speaker 1: I have yet to buy an Xbox One because I'm 607 00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:11,840 Speaker 1: still waiting for the game that I really want to 608 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:14,680 Speaker 1: play absolutely um. And conversely, it can be really hard 609 00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:17,920 Speaker 1: to convince developers to create games for new hardware unless 610 00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:22,920 Speaker 1: they're assured a large player base. Um. Steam already has 611 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:26,000 Speaker 1: at least three hundred games available that run on Linux, 612 00:33:26,320 --> 00:33:29,040 Speaker 1: which is a small portion of their overall game library, 613 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:32,160 Speaker 1: which is like three thousands, still a huge library to 614 00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:35,240 Speaker 1: start for launch. If you think of a typical game 615 00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:38,720 Speaker 1: company launching a console, you're talking about launch titles that 616 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:42,760 Speaker 1: usually you're maybe a couple dozen maybe, so three is 617 00:33:42,960 --> 00:33:46,240 Speaker 1: pretty impressive. H and their their blockbuster games are basically 618 00:33:46,560 --> 00:33:48,840 Speaker 1: the Valve games, but they do have a lot of 619 00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:54,200 Speaker 1: of really popular indies involved in that. Yeah, I think, um, 620 00:33:54,560 --> 00:33:59,160 Speaker 1: Don't Starve, perhaps as I remember hearing about Don't Starve. 621 00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:02,160 Speaker 1: I haven't played that one, but uh, I know that. Um. 622 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:05,160 Speaker 1: I think Gone Home was on Steam and uh yeah, 623 00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:08,360 Speaker 1: definitely Gone Home by the way, I just downloaded the 624 00:34:08,360 --> 00:34:11,160 Speaker 1: other day. I Yet, I won't spoil it for you. 625 00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:14,520 Speaker 1: I've heard great things about Phenomenal. I think it's more 626 00:34:14,560 --> 00:34:17,680 Speaker 1: of an interactive story than the game maybe, but it's 627 00:34:17,719 --> 00:34:20,319 Speaker 1: a great story, which sounds good because I I'm one 628 00:34:20,360 --> 00:34:23,080 Speaker 1: of those people that genuinely enjoyed, not only missed, but 629 00:34:23,200 --> 00:34:28,800 Speaker 1: also riven. It's really well done, very highly recommended. Cool. Okay, 630 00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:32,239 Speaker 1: another good point that I think the Steam steam boxes Steam. 631 00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:34,920 Speaker 1: But I keep wanting to say boxing. That's what I 632 00:34:34,920 --> 00:34:37,239 Speaker 1: always I end up saying calling it that too. I'm 633 00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:41,080 Speaker 1: just gonna call it that's the plural steam boxing. There 634 00:34:41,120 --> 00:34:43,560 Speaker 1: we go. We are we are making decisions here tex 635 00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:47,120 Speaker 1: stuff today. Um, you know they can. One of the 636 00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:50,239 Speaker 1: things about Valve is that they can really undercut the 637 00:34:50,239 --> 00:34:55,680 Speaker 1: big three consoles game prices. Yes, because Steam is isn't 638 00:34:55,719 --> 00:34:58,279 Speaker 1: beholden to brick and mortar stores the way that they are. Um, 639 00:34:58,600 --> 00:35:00,920 Speaker 1: you know, there's an advantage for brick and mortar stores 640 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:04,080 Speaker 1: to keep game disc prices above a certain minimum and 641 00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:07,480 Speaker 1: steams sales. If you guys have never been on Steam sales, 642 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:10,680 Speaker 1: they are the best things ever on the entire I mean, 643 00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:14,680 Speaker 1: you can get incredible games for a dollar, couple dollars. Well, 644 00:35:14,719 --> 00:35:16,480 Speaker 1: and see, here's the thing is that they count on 645 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:20,479 Speaker 1: the fact that people will indulge in impulse buys during 646 00:35:20,480 --> 00:35:22,759 Speaker 1: those sales. I know people who have bought games that 647 00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:25,319 Speaker 1: they had never intended to buy, but they were so 648 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:27,600 Speaker 1: cheap that it was one of those things that I 649 00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:29,360 Speaker 1: have to act on it now because it's a sale, 650 00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:31,560 Speaker 1: So eventually it's gonna the price is gonna go back up, 651 00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:34,120 Speaker 1: and even though I may never play this game, it's 652 00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:36,560 Speaker 1: never gonna be this price again, so I'm gonna buy it. 653 00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:39,560 Speaker 1: It's kind of an incredible play on psychology. Also, it 654 00:35:39,600 --> 00:35:42,000 Speaker 1: means that people get access to games that they might 655 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:46,480 Speaker 1: not ever have played otherwise, and they broughten their gaming horizons. Sure, sure, 656 00:35:46,719 --> 00:35:49,400 Speaker 1: you know. And so furthermore, I think that Valve is 657 00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:52,200 Speaker 1: really hoping that with with steam Os, games will be 658 00:35:52,239 --> 00:35:55,359 Speaker 1: able to get more out of the hardware than your 659 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:58,719 Speaker 1: average gaming PC since the system can be more streamlined, 660 00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:02,399 Speaker 1: um thus help and keep box prices down a little bit. 661 00:36:02,440 --> 00:36:05,520 Speaker 1: Although certainly everything that you were saying earlier, Jonathan about 662 00:36:06,040 --> 00:36:08,480 Speaker 1: about the fact that the manufacturers don't have a direct 663 00:36:08,520 --> 00:36:10,960 Speaker 1: stake in the video games makes it a lot harder 664 00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:13,600 Speaker 1: to absolute. And plus, you know, here's another thing. You know, 665 00:36:13,640 --> 00:36:16,040 Speaker 1: I mentioned that I don't know who these steam boxes 666 00:36:16,040 --> 00:36:19,600 Speaker 1: are for or steam Boxing are for. Uh, that's really 667 00:36:19,640 --> 00:36:22,560 Speaker 1: not valves problem either. You know, they're they're just making 668 00:36:22,640 --> 00:36:25,160 Speaker 1: the platform. They're not making the hardware, so they're not 669 00:36:25,239 --> 00:36:28,680 Speaker 1: running any risk. Really, they're just creating yet another way 670 00:36:28,719 --> 00:36:31,319 Speaker 1: for their games to become available and playable in the 671 00:36:31,360 --> 00:36:34,960 Speaker 1: living room space. I mean, so hypothetically, if anybody adopts this, 672 00:36:35,200 --> 00:36:37,920 Speaker 1: it's time well spent. And even if even if all 673 00:36:37,920 --> 00:36:41,400 Speaker 1: the manufacturers who are building branded steam boxing, even if 674 00:36:41,440 --> 00:36:45,440 Speaker 1: those never take off, if if players, if gamers go 675 00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:48,760 Speaker 1: out and they build their own living room PCs running 676 00:36:48,760 --> 00:36:51,839 Speaker 1: Steam os. That's still a win for Valve. So in 677 00:36:51,880 --> 00:36:54,759 Speaker 1: a way, it's a brilliant strategy because there's very little 678 00:36:54,880 --> 00:36:59,200 Speaker 1: risk and huge reward. Sure. So okay, so what are 679 00:36:59,239 --> 00:37:02,920 Speaker 1: some of these other problems that we're looking at for 680 00:37:03,160 --> 00:37:05,839 Speaker 1: wide adoptions? Okay, so Lauren, I'm in my I'm in 681 00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:08,600 Speaker 1: my living room and I want to play me some games, 682 00:37:09,040 --> 00:37:11,360 Speaker 1: but I don't want to be doing that w A 683 00:37:11,560 --> 00:37:15,960 Speaker 1: s D and mouse click scheme for controlling? What do 684 00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:20,640 Speaker 1: I do? You use a controller? Yeah, but we're talking 685 00:37:20,680 --> 00:37:23,839 Speaker 1: PC games, you know? Do they make controllers that work 686 00:37:23,880 --> 00:37:27,720 Speaker 1: with PCs? Actually, Valve makes their own controller that works 687 00:37:27,719 --> 00:37:30,439 Speaker 1: with this PC. That is the only hardware I think, 688 00:37:30,719 --> 00:37:36,680 Speaker 1: mostly OTAs um that they are actually producing in house. 689 00:37:36,800 --> 00:37:41,399 Speaker 1: And there are some excellent galleries of their prototypes up online. Yeah. 690 00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:44,960 Speaker 1: I know that they changed it recently, recently as of 691 00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:47,600 Speaker 1: the recording of this podcast, that there was a they 692 00:37:47,680 --> 00:37:50,560 Speaker 1: kind of it underwent a makeover where I think they 693 00:37:50,600 --> 00:37:53,360 Speaker 1: even added some more buttons and removed some other stuff. 694 00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:56,400 Speaker 1: There's so many buttons, um, it's they settled on this 695 00:37:56,520 --> 00:38:00,520 Speaker 1: two track pad design, using track pads instead of stem 696 00:38:00,640 --> 00:38:04,600 Speaker 1: six sure, UM, and the track pads include haptic and 697 00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:07,640 Speaker 1: audio feedback so that you can feel and hear what 698 00:38:07,680 --> 00:38:11,160 Speaker 1: they're doing. UM, which sounds pretty cool to me. I 699 00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:13,239 Speaker 1: haven't seen it, but that's but that's the kind of 700 00:38:13,480 --> 00:38:15,560 Speaker 1: that's the kind of sentence that makes me excited about 701 00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:18,640 Speaker 1: see and I saw it at CES, but their line 702 00:38:19,160 --> 00:38:21,040 Speaker 1: to actually use it with so long that I didn't 703 00:38:21,040 --> 00:38:22,800 Speaker 1: have a chance to play with it, and I really 704 00:38:22,840 --> 00:38:25,319 Speaker 1: wanted to because I was like, I want to. I 705 00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:27,400 Speaker 1: understand that it takes a little getting used to the 706 00:38:27,400 --> 00:38:30,319 Speaker 1: track pad, but once you do, it's natural. It's not 707 00:38:30,400 --> 00:38:34,200 Speaker 1: like something where after five or six game sessions you're 708 00:38:34,239 --> 00:38:37,480 Speaker 1: still thinking like this is terrible. Apparently, like within half 709 00:38:37,480 --> 00:38:40,840 Speaker 1: an hour you're thinking, oh, this is this makes perfect sense. Yeah, 710 00:38:40,880 --> 00:38:42,560 Speaker 1: and it's different, but it works. I've heard that it 711 00:38:42,640 --> 00:38:46,439 Speaker 1: is a very design specific experience that that right takes 712 00:38:46,440 --> 00:38:49,240 Speaker 1: you a little bit of getting used to. But UM 713 00:38:49,480 --> 00:38:51,880 Speaker 1: also in order to solve some of the problems of 714 00:38:51,960 --> 00:38:55,959 Speaker 1: pouring a keyboard into a controller, since there are many 715 00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:58,359 Speaker 1: more buttons on a keyboard than you could possibly ever 716 00:38:58,400 --> 00:39:01,799 Speaker 1: fit on even an extreme only fancy controller, you know, 717 00:39:01,840 --> 00:39:03,479 Speaker 1: they do have a bunch of buttons. But they also 718 00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:08,800 Speaker 1: have a a little a little customizable display screen so 719 00:39:08,920 --> 00:39:12,120 Speaker 1: that you can program virtual buttons in there. And and 720 00:39:12,200 --> 00:39:15,960 Speaker 1: players can even create I mean, like like with anything, 721 00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:20,239 Speaker 1: players can create for any given game button configuration. Right, 722 00:39:20,239 --> 00:39:23,200 Speaker 1: they can map buttons to specific functions, but then they 723 00:39:23,200 --> 00:39:26,319 Speaker 1: can share them online and um and and it'll have 724 00:39:26,360 --> 00:39:28,600 Speaker 1: a little ranking for the most popular one, so that 725 00:39:28,680 --> 00:39:30,759 Speaker 1: if you don't want to spend that half an hour 726 00:39:30,880 --> 00:39:32,959 Speaker 1: or forty five minutes at the beginning of your game 727 00:39:32,960 --> 00:39:35,920 Speaker 1: experience setting up a customer control, you can download a 728 00:39:35,920 --> 00:39:38,400 Speaker 1: few popular ones and see what works for you. So, gamers, 729 00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:42,040 Speaker 1: here's my advice for you. First, become the best at 730 00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:48,480 Speaker 1: any given video games. Second, create a fake controller configuration 731 00:39:48,520 --> 00:39:51,840 Speaker 1: that you claim is what gives you that amazing ability. 732 00:39:52,239 --> 00:39:55,880 Speaker 1: Put that online. Anyone who downloads it will be worse 733 00:39:55,920 --> 00:39:59,160 Speaker 1: than you are because you're using the real configuration that 734 00:39:59,239 --> 00:40:03,279 Speaker 1: you keep just for your own purposes. Also, having a 735 00:40:03,360 --> 00:40:08,120 Speaker 1: friends to up vote that crappy thing. Yes, yeah, you may. 736 00:40:08,120 --> 00:40:11,200 Speaker 1: It may require you to actually make lots of friends, 737 00:40:11,960 --> 00:40:14,880 Speaker 1: which maybe if you're the kind of person who is 738 00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:17,719 Speaker 1: doing this sort of underhanded gaming scheme, you're not the 739 00:40:17,760 --> 00:40:19,799 Speaker 1: kind of person who has a lot of Maybe if 740 00:40:19,840 --> 00:40:23,000 Speaker 1: you're a host on a popular podcast and you have 741 00:40:23,120 --> 00:40:26,520 Speaker 1: this plan, your listeners will totally back you up on 742 00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:30,719 Speaker 1: it and you will dominate in at least one video game. 743 00:40:30,760 --> 00:40:32,799 Speaker 1: Come on, people, give me this one thing. It's all 744 00:40:32,800 --> 00:40:37,120 Speaker 1: I'm asking. I've heard you let out peels of megalomaniachel 745 00:40:37,239 --> 00:40:40,440 Speaker 1: laughter before, and actually that was the most like Bond 746 00:40:40,520 --> 00:40:42,680 Speaker 1: villain that I've ever heard. You sound a little blow 747 00:40:42,719 --> 00:40:47,880 Speaker 1: filled occasionally. Oh uh, this is not cat hair on me, 748 00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:51,160 Speaker 1: it's actually dog hair. But otherwise I'm very very close 749 00:40:51,239 --> 00:40:54,719 Speaker 1: to my specter friends. Uh So, yeah, that that that's 750 00:40:54,760 --> 00:40:57,520 Speaker 1: controller was certainly a challenge. How do you make a 751 00:40:57,560 --> 00:41:02,279 Speaker 1: controller that will work with the computer based games but 752 00:41:02,480 --> 00:41:05,120 Speaker 1: within the context of a living room. And you know, 753 00:41:05,280 --> 00:41:07,759 Speaker 1: I have that twitch capacity that people talk about for 754 00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:12,279 Speaker 1: for preferring the mouse and keyboard decision exactly. So you know, 755 00:41:12,360 --> 00:41:14,600 Speaker 1: I haven't used it yet, so I don't know personally 756 00:41:14,640 --> 00:41:17,040 Speaker 1: what it's like, but the reports I've seen have said 757 00:41:17,080 --> 00:41:19,520 Speaker 1: that it's really you know, once you get the hang 758 00:41:19,520 --> 00:41:22,320 Speaker 1: of it, once you get over that learning curve, it's 759 00:41:22,360 --> 00:41:26,880 Speaker 1: it's pretty natural. So, uh, now we're going on to 760 00:41:27,200 --> 00:41:30,680 Speaker 1: some other some other challenges the the big one that 761 00:41:30,760 --> 00:41:33,960 Speaker 1: I think is this one's getting a little technical, folks, 762 00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:36,640 Speaker 1: but uh so, a lot of PC games, a lot 763 00:41:36,640 --> 00:41:39,239 Speaker 1: of games rather are being made specifically for Windows based 764 00:41:39,280 --> 00:41:43,239 Speaker 1: PCs because that tends to be the operating system that 765 00:41:43,360 --> 00:41:46,759 Speaker 1: most gamers are using. So if you're a game developer 766 00:41:46,840 --> 00:41:49,879 Speaker 1: and you want the largest potential audience, you're obviously going 767 00:41:49,960 --> 00:41:52,960 Speaker 1: to develop games for that platform, and then if you 768 00:41:53,080 --> 00:41:56,080 Speaker 1: have the capacity and time, you'll develop it for other 769 00:41:56,120 --> 00:41:59,560 Speaker 1: platforms as well. Right, but if if you know, if 770 00:41:59,560 --> 00:42:03,800 Speaker 1: you're looking out there and of your intended audience is 771 00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:07,120 Speaker 1: using one platform, that's what you developed for. Well, there's 772 00:42:07,160 --> 00:42:12,760 Speaker 1: this collection of application programming interfaces that are all collected 773 00:42:12,840 --> 00:42:17,560 Speaker 1: under a label of direct X, which is from Microsoft. 774 00:42:18,120 --> 00:42:21,160 Speaker 1: So this is lots of different stuff that is involved 775 00:42:21,160 --> 00:42:24,440 Speaker 1: in video games and other multi media applications, but in 776 00:42:24,440 --> 00:42:27,359 Speaker 1: particular Direct three D would be a good example. So 777 00:42:27,600 --> 00:42:31,200 Speaker 1: you're talking about like rendering engines, things like that that 778 00:42:31,440 --> 00:42:35,040 Speaker 1: video game developers use, and that means that in order 779 00:42:35,040 --> 00:42:36,759 Speaker 1: for you to play those video games, you have to 780 00:42:36,800 --> 00:42:40,799 Speaker 1: run an operating system that's that's uh compatible. So here's 781 00:42:40,800 --> 00:42:44,120 Speaker 1: the thing. It's a Microsoft product. So take a wild 782 00:42:44,280 --> 00:42:47,719 Speaker 1: guess at what operating system is compatible with it? That 783 00:42:47,719 --> 00:42:50,479 Speaker 1: would be Windows. So if you are running a game 784 00:42:50,520 --> 00:42:54,440 Speaker 1: that has UH that relies on direct X and you 785 00:42:54,480 --> 00:42:57,279 Speaker 1: want to run it on Lenox, you can't. Lennox has 786 00:42:57,320 --> 00:43:01,279 Speaker 1: its own open source approach called open l which is 787 00:43:01,640 --> 00:43:04,640 Speaker 1: its own rendering engine. So that would if it's a 788 00:43:04,640 --> 00:43:07,279 Speaker 1: game that's been developed for Linux, then you're fine. Right. 789 00:43:07,320 --> 00:43:09,640 Speaker 1: If it's any Linux based game that will run on 790 00:43:09,680 --> 00:43:12,720 Speaker 1: a steam Box, just fine. But if it's a Windows 791 00:43:12,719 --> 00:43:15,040 Speaker 1: based direct X game, it won't. So how do you 792 00:43:15,080 --> 00:43:17,200 Speaker 1: get around that? Because, like you were saying, Lauren, three 793 00:43:17,280 --> 00:43:21,239 Speaker 1: hundred titles are so on Steam are Linux compatible right now, 794 00:43:21,360 --> 00:43:25,680 Speaker 1: and the other uh two thousand, seven hundred plus games 795 00:43:25,719 --> 00:43:28,279 Speaker 1: are not. So how do you how do you get 796 00:43:28,280 --> 00:43:32,040 Speaker 1: around that problem? Well, the way that they're suggesting that 797 00:43:32,120 --> 00:43:34,080 Speaker 1: this works, and this is why I think it makes 798 00:43:34,080 --> 00:43:37,319 Speaker 1: sense that this is what makes me feel like they're 799 00:43:37,360 --> 00:43:41,439 Speaker 1: marketing it toward a PC gaming population already, is that 800 00:43:41,480 --> 00:43:45,520 Speaker 1: they you could stream the content from one computer that 801 00:43:45,719 --> 00:43:48,480 Speaker 1: is Windows based or even Mac based, if you're a 802 00:43:48,520 --> 00:43:51,080 Speaker 1: max Steam player, and there are max Steam players out 803 00:43:51,120 --> 00:43:54,400 Speaker 1: there too, But if you're Windows based, you'll be running 804 00:43:54,400 --> 00:43:58,080 Speaker 1: the game on your Windows based computer and streaming it 805 00:43:58,320 --> 00:44:00,680 Speaker 1: to the steam box that's in your living room. So 806 00:44:00,719 --> 00:44:04,799 Speaker 1: it's a a multi step process. You're you're kind of 807 00:44:04,880 --> 00:44:07,880 Speaker 1: running not really an emulator, but you know, you're putting 808 00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:10,120 Speaker 1: all the commands through the steam box, but that's sending 809 00:44:10,120 --> 00:44:13,680 Speaker 1: it to your main computer which is running the actual game. 810 00:44:14,400 --> 00:44:17,279 Speaker 1: It's not the most elegantive solutions because it requires you 811 00:44:17,360 --> 00:44:19,919 Speaker 1: to have at least two computers. You have a box 812 00:44:19,960 --> 00:44:21,520 Speaker 1: in the PC, and that's also going to be a 813 00:44:21,560 --> 00:44:23,759 Speaker 1: little bit of a bottleneck i'd imagine with with your 814 00:44:23,800 --> 00:44:26,560 Speaker 1: network system. Yeah, if you're if you are not, you know, 815 00:44:26,640 --> 00:44:30,280 Speaker 1: if you're running an old version of the wireless uh, 816 00:44:30,560 --> 00:44:32,920 Speaker 1: the wireless standards will first of all, just go and 817 00:44:32,920 --> 00:44:35,440 Speaker 1: get a new router because they're not that expensive and 818 00:44:35,640 --> 00:44:37,759 Speaker 1: it will really help you out. But if there are 819 00:44:37,800 --> 00:44:39,680 Speaker 1: a lot of demands on that router system, then that 820 00:44:39,680 --> 00:44:43,400 Speaker 1: could be a problem. If you don't have a good connection, 821 00:44:43,520 --> 00:44:47,120 Speaker 1: like if either hardwired or wireless in your home, that 822 00:44:47,160 --> 00:44:48,960 Speaker 1: could be a problem. It can be spotty or go 823 00:44:49,000 --> 00:44:51,120 Speaker 1: in and out, even even if you've got really good 824 00:44:51,120 --> 00:44:53,479 Speaker 1: equipment in there. And it's also expensive because it means 825 00:44:53,480 --> 00:44:56,520 Speaker 1: that you have to have two computers capable of doing 826 00:44:56,560 --> 00:44:58,880 Speaker 1: this stuff. So you have to have one that's capable 827 00:44:58,960 --> 00:45:01,319 Speaker 1: of running the game, one that's capable of being hooked 828 00:45:01,400 --> 00:45:03,600 Speaker 1: up to your your living room. Which is why again 829 00:45:04,040 --> 00:45:06,160 Speaker 1: that I think that a lot of players are going 830 00:45:06,200 --> 00:45:09,160 Speaker 1: to take it upon themselves to build their own devices. 831 00:45:09,400 --> 00:45:11,400 Speaker 1: Now you could if you built your own device, you 832 00:45:11,440 --> 00:45:15,040 Speaker 1: could in theory dual boot, so you could run Linux 833 00:45:15,160 --> 00:45:18,440 Speaker 1: operating system and Windows on the same computer because you 834 00:45:18,760 --> 00:45:23,640 Speaker 1: create essentially a virtual partition. But that also would mean 835 00:45:23,719 --> 00:45:26,360 Speaker 1: that you wouldn't be necessarily running steam os, but you 836 00:45:26,360 --> 00:45:28,160 Speaker 1: can maybe run big picture modes, So in other words, 837 00:45:28,200 --> 00:45:30,919 Speaker 1: there are a lot of different workarounds. It's also why 838 00:45:30,960 --> 00:45:34,160 Speaker 1: I really feel ultimately that a lot of gamers are 839 00:45:34,200 --> 00:45:37,000 Speaker 1: going to go would build your own people who don't 840 00:45:37,040 --> 00:45:40,040 Speaker 1: want to really take that time. Obviously, the steam boxes 841 00:45:40,080 --> 00:45:43,280 Speaker 1: the easier approach, but you still need that secondary computer 842 00:45:43,360 --> 00:45:45,040 Speaker 1: if you want to take advantage of all those Windows 843 00:45:45,040 --> 00:45:48,040 Speaker 1: based games. Sure, I think that what Valve is banking 844 00:45:48,080 --> 00:45:50,919 Speaker 1: on here is that big developers are going to see 845 00:45:50,960 --> 00:45:55,480 Speaker 1: potential in steam boxes and um and have the resources 846 00:45:55,560 --> 00:45:58,239 Speaker 1: to do ports of all of their popular ships that 847 00:45:58,280 --> 00:46:00,440 Speaker 1: they're going to want to do ports well. And also 848 00:46:00,520 --> 00:46:03,080 Speaker 1: they're they're creating a new market to this way. So 849 00:46:03,239 --> 00:46:06,640 Speaker 1: if they create a market that's incredibly attractive to gamers, 850 00:46:07,080 --> 00:46:09,400 Speaker 1: then the developers are going to follow suit. They're going 851 00:46:09,440 --> 00:46:13,319 Speaker 1: to start developing games specifically for the Linux platform, not 852 00:46:13,440 --> 00:46:16,960 Speaker 1: necessarily for Windows. So in the long run, this could 853 00:46:16,960 --> 00:46:21,680 Speaker 1: be a power play that hurts Microsoft because if they 854 00:46:21,719 --> 00:46:25,879 Speaker 1: shift the balance over to Linux based systems and game 855 00:46:25,880 --> 00:46:28,799 Speaker 1: developers say, well, now our audience is here, we don't 856 00:46:28,840 --> 00:46:30,920 Speaker 1: need to worry about Windows so much, that could in 857 00:46:30,960 --> 00:46:35,000 Speaker 1: the long term hurt you know, PC manufacturers, Oh definitely. 858 00:46:35,440 --> 00:46:39,200 Speaker 1: Valve has also talked about being less worried about about 859 00:46:39,280 --> 00:46:43,000 Speaker 1: Microsoft and Sony as they are about Apple. Um, they've 860 00:46:43,000 --> 00:46:46,719 Speaker 1: they've talked about, you know, the potential of Apple to 861 00:46:46,760 --> 00:46:48,839 Speaker 1: come out with a with an Apple TV update that's 862 00:46:48,880 --> 00:46:50,879 Speaker 1: going to bring the app store to the living room, 863 00:46:51,000 --> 00:46:55,480 Speaker 1: and you know, citing the fact that the iPad has 864 00:46:55,520 --> 00:46:58,040 Speaker 1: had such a huge upset on PC sales and that 865 00:46:58,160 --> 00:47:01,279 Speaker 1: you know, if if Apple chose to, they could absolutely 866 00:47:01,280 --> 00:47:04,520 Speaker 1: do the same thing in this home entertainment gaming market, 867 00:47:04,800 --> 00:47:07,239 Speaker 1: right And you know, as tech stuff has predicted for 868 00:47:07,360 --> 00:47:10,560 Speaker 1: I think five consecutive years that Apple TV is on 869 00:47:10,600 --> 00:47:13,320 Speaker 1: the way, I think did we actually make that. We 870 00:47:13,360 --> 00:47:16,959 Speaker 1: didn't do it this year, sorry, which which may mean 871 00:47:17,680 --> 00:47:19,839 Speaker 1: this is the year to see it. But yeah, this 872 00:47:19,880 --> 00:47:22,239 Speaker 1: was the first year I think in a while where 873 00:47:22,280 --> 00:47:24,080 Speaker 1: we have not predicted that Apple will come out with 874 00:47:24,080 --> 00:47:26,799 Speaker 1: a TV. You know, it's certainly a space that they 875 00:47:26,840 --> 00:47:29,640 Speaker 1: have to be watching because there's so many different players 876 00:47:29,680 --> 00:47:32,560 Speaker 1: in that in that area and no one has dominated 877 00:47:32,600 --> 00:47:35,080 Speaker 1: it yet. I mean, you could argue that the consoles 878 00:47:35,080 --> 00:47:37,600 Speaker 1: have definitely you know, they disrupted it quite a bit too, 879 00:47:37,640 --> 00:47:39,959 Speaker 1: because you know, why would you need a smart TV 880 00:47:40,120 --> 00:47:42,640 Speaker 1: If the console that you're already using is really smart, 881 00:47:42,760 --> 00:47:46,840 Speaker 1: then makes your dumb TV work just like a smart TV. Anyway, 882 00:47:47,239 --> 00:47:49,319 Speaker 1: it will be interesting to see how this plays out. 883 00:47:49,400 --> 00:47:51,759 Speaker 1: I mean, it may be that I'm just too shortsighted 884 00:47:51,800 --> 00:47:53,759 Speaker 1: and that's the problem. Maybe I just don't see it. 885 00:47:53,800 --> 00:47:56,800 Speaker 1: But like I said, I think valve strategy ultimately is 886 00:47:56,840 --> 00:48:00,760 Speaker 1: brilliant because very low risk on themselves, huge central reward. 887 00:48:01,680 --> 00:48:04,399 Speaker 1: It's the manufacturers that I worry about, although, I mean, 888 00:48:04,440 --> 00:48:06,560 Speaker 1: like like alien Ware is signed up to to make 889 00:48:06,600 --> 00:48:10,120 Speaker 1: steave boxing. So yeah, and if if if alien Ware 890 00:48:10,239 --> 00:48:13,040 Speaker 1: ends up having a couple of models of its computers 891 00:48:13,200 --> 00:48:16,960 Speaker 1: not do so well. Ultimately, isn't going to sweat that one. 892 00:48:17,000 --> 00:48:19,560 Speaker 1: I mean, that's going to be an a long has 893 00:48:19,560 --> 00:48:22,120 Speaker 1: definitely got a name for itself in the gaming space anyway. 894 00:48:22,320 --> 00:48:24,879 Speaker 1: But but I think that that the you know, such 895 00:48:24,920 --> 00:48:28,840 Speaker 1: a large company and and forward facing, popular, long running 896 00:48:28,960 --> 00:48:31,719 Speaker 1: company like that, if if they are willing to throw 897 00:48:31,800 --> 00:48:34,160 Speaker 1: in with this, then it's it's got an at least 898 00:48:34,719 --> 00:48:37,440 Speaker 1: some potential. Yeah, So we'll we'll wait and see how 899 00:48:37,480 --> 00:48:39,960 Speaker 1: it turns out. I mean, I don't know that I'll 900 00:48:40,000 --> 00:48:42,920 Speaker 1: run out and buy a steam Box immediately, but I 901 00:48:43,000 --> 00:48:47,640 Speaker 1: might actually start looking into building a living room PC 902 00:48:47,920 --> 00:48:49,919 Speaker 1: because there are a lot of games that come out 903 00:48:50,320 --> 00:48:53,560 Speaker 1: for the PC that I have not played I would 904 00:48:53,560 --> 00:48:57,480 Speaker 1: love to play on my my television. And also, uh, 905 00:48:57,520 --> 00:48:59,600 Speaker 1: there are games that come out for the consoles, and 906 00:48:59,640 --> 00:49:02,080 Speaker 1: I am fully aware that the versions that come out 907 00:49:02,080 --> 00:49:05,560 Speaker 1: for the PCs often have Yeah, they're better, they have 908 00:49:05,680 --> 00:49:09,120 Speaker 1: better graphics, they have better sometimes better gameplay, sometimes they 909 00:49:09,160 --> 00:49:13,319 Speaker 1: have additional content. So I mean, I'm fully aware of that. 910 00:49:13,880 --> 00:49:17,080 Speaker 1: I'm also lazy. So we'll see, maybe that I'm just 911 00:49:17,120 --> 00:49:20,000 Speaker 1: sticking with console, maybe that I'm sticking with the last 912 00:49:20,000 --> 00:49:23,000 Speaker 1: generation of consoles. We'll we'll have to wait. But anyway, 913 00:49:23,040 --> 00:49:25,600 Speaker 1: if you guys have any suggestions for future episodes of 914 00:49:25,600 --> 00:49:28,480 Speaker 1: tech Stuff, let us know. Send us an email. Our 915 00:49:28,560 --> 00:49:31,640 Speaker 1: address is tech Stuff at Discovery dot com, or drop 916 00:49:31,680 --> 00:49:35,200 Speaker 1: us a line on Facebook, Tumbler, or Twitter or handle 917 00:49:35,239 --> 00:49:38,600 Speaker 1: at all three locations is text stuff H. S. W 918 00:49:38,880 --> 00:49:41,360 Speaker 1: and Lauren and I will talk to you again really 919 00:49:41,400 --> 00:49:46,360 Speaker 1: soon for more on this and thousands of other topics. 920 00:49:46,440 --> 00:49:53,480 Speaker 1: Because it has to work dot com