Steam Dev Days Reports

Posted by Rampant Coyote on January 20, 2014

I can’t comment on the details, as I wasn’t there. But here are some of the bits coming out of Valve’s big (industry-only) developer conference:

Cliff Harris: Steam Dev Days Afterthoughts

Gamasutra: Steam Dev Days Tweets, Day 1

Gamasutra: Steam Dev Days Tweets, Day 2

Valve’s Michael Abrash shares his Steam Dev Days VR slides and talk

SteamDB Steam Dev Days Day 1 Highlights

SteamDB Steam Dev Days Day 2 Highlights

Lars Doucet on playing Defender’s Quest with the new Steam Game Controller

I’d like to know more. Sounds like a heck of a lot is of value to me, as a tiny indie developer. My own reactions to some key bits, based on what is being reported:

1. Linux gaming. It is going to be a big deal. Makes me happy I’m now working with a truly cross-platform engine.

2. Virtual Reality is “coming.” It’s been “coming” for twenty years already, so I’m not holding my breath. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t at all geeked out by the possibilities.

3. Steam Box – they are bagging the weird button layout in the center in favor of a more traditional button layout; they *will* have exclusive content, and … well, they aim to be a player. But for me, the primary difference between console gaming and PC gaming is the controller and playing it on the desktop instead of on the couch. So to me, this is just another console (another 3DO?). When you play it with a controller instead of mouse and keyboard, and on a TV instead of on an HD monitor, you are playing a console, no matter what the hardware underneath. And aren’t the PS4 and XBone also just PCs on the inside? The XBone is even running a stripped-down version of Windows underneath. So… I’m still not sure how the Steam Box will compete. But I’ll still cheer it on.

4. Microtransactions – I’ve never been opposed to these, I’ve just always thought they’ve been done “wrong.” I like that this seems to be Valve’s attitude as well.

5. And, as they keep promising – Greenlight will one day be obsolete. But they just haven’t gotten something better. It’ll probably happen the day my game finally goes to the top of the list for being greenlit.

6. Finally, if you haven’t figured it out by now – Valve / Steam *IS* the 800 pound gorilla in the indie space and PC space. While I have my doubts on the Steam Box, I think as a company they are well-suited to go toe-to-toe against Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo.

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