As we near the month of November, the vast majority of the discussion within the gaming community will be dominated by Xbox One and PS4 chatter. From arguments regarding which console is more powerful, to which has the stronger launch lineup and feature set, PC gaming (and Steam in particular) has taken a backseat.
That said, you'd be foolish to think that the folks at Valve are simply sitting on their hands with the intention of merely spectating from the sidelines as the war for the living room rages on. In fact, earlier last week, company bossman Gabe Newell went so far as to tease several impending announcements regarding Valve's plans for the future. Better yet, the company took things one step further on Friday by straight up announcing that three announcements are on the way, with the first surfacing on Monday.
So the question that's on everyone's mind: What could Valve possibly be planning? Is the long-awaited Steam Box finally going to be revealed? One would be inclined to think so, no? After all, Valve has made it clear that it's going after the living room, which is by all accounts a declaration of war against both Sony and Microsoft. The Steam platform is going to expand far beyond the reaches of personal computers, and given Valve's track record, Xbox One and PS4 could have a serious competitor on their hands.
Let's also not forget about three of Valve's biggest properties, all of which are due for a third installment. Wait… make that four. Just imagine the impact Valve would have if Left 4 Dead 3, Portal 3, Team Fortress 3, or dare I say, Half-Life 3 were announced, and would be arriving first on Steam Box. Having a game like Half-Life 3 be a Steam timed-exclusive would be huge and would have many gamers springing for a Valve-branded console. I know that if the company managed to bring a Steam-powered console to market in the sub-$600 range, I'd seriously consider shelling out the cash—and this is coming from someone who isn't even picking up a PS4 or Xbox One at launch.
Of course, Valve doesn't have a long-standing history in the hardware business, so what this supposed Steam Box will look like and how it will presumably perform is still a major question mark. That said, the Steam platform itself is easily better than anything Microsoft or Sony currently has, and I'd be shocked if either Xbox One's or PS4's marketplace will be able to outshine the incredible online store Valve has created.
With enticing sales, an interesting and forward-thinking approach to indie games, and new user-friendly features like family sharing, Valve continues to push the envelope and raise the bar for the online gamer-centric shopping experience. Will Sony and Microsoft be able to catch up? We'll just have to wait and see, but in the meantime, you can bet that Valve will continue to innovate. Bearing all that in mind…
