Valve Announces Steam Dev Days Conference

[-smash-]

Valve has announced their next step in their pursuit of a creating a "grand unification" between the living room, desktop, and mobile platforms. They are going to host the first Steam Dev Days game developer's conference, located at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, January 15-16, 2014.

The conference is for "video game professionals to meet in a relaxed, off the record environment and share their design and industry expertise, participate in roundtable discussions and attend lectures by industry veterans." The topics to be discussed, according to the Steam Dev Days FAQ, are virtual reality, user generated content, and OpenGL - to name a few. Attendees will also be given the opportunity "to test-drive and provide feedback on SteamOS, prototype Steam Machines and Steam Controllers."

This is not like E3 or GDC, and space is limited; this is invite-only. Valve wants to keep the conference as productive as possible, so even the media is barred from this "off the record event."

Looks like Doug Lombardi wasn't joking when he said in 2012 that "[a PC conference] might be something that would be cool. I think that maybe having someone maybe like Blizzard there, maybe someone like Nexon there, could be an interesting thing." It could be interesting, indeed.

For more information on Steam Dev Days, visit its website http://www.steamdevdays.com

 

[BabyHeadCrab]

My skepticism is overwhelming, but I'm all in. Problem is, I don't think a lot of their fan base spends much time in a traditional living room and if they're trying to start a trend I haven't the foggiest idea what it is.

 

[Exdread]

My skepticism is overwhelming, but I'm all in. Problem is, I don't think a lot of their fan base spends much time in a traditional living room and if they're trying to start a trend I haven't the foggiest idea what it is.

Plenty of people would love to play from the comfort of their couch.

Just because you don't understand it doesn't mean its unnecessary.

All of us who love to sit in a chair not slouch on a couch would continue to do so.

 

[BabyHeadCrab]

But I already do both, with devices almost identical to what they're touting, and it's already a seamless experience. I'm not the target audience here, just hoping things work out for Valve. Who knows, they're the one with the research $ to scope demographics.

 

[MFL]

I always find it amusing to think that their target demographic is people too lazy to move their furniture.

 

[Mogi67]

My skepticism is overwhelming, but I'm all in. Problem is, I don't think a lot of their fan base spends much time in a traditional living room and if they're trying to start a trend I haven't the foggiest idea what it is.

You kidding? The average gamer is either fat, a pothead, or a virgin. Now they don't have to ever move from the couch. A pathetic and lazy person (a gamer) will pick laying down over sitting straight up in a chair 99% of the time. Also, if they happen to have any friends, when they come over there will be the option of showing them their game collection on steam. Having a game-console type system is way more inviting than having a gaming PC.

 

[Exdread]

You kidding? The average gamer is either fat, a pothead, or a virgin. Now they don't have to ever move from the couch. A pathetic and lazy person (a gamer) will pick laying down over sitting straight up in a chair 99% of the time. Also, if they happen to have any friends, when they come over there will be the option of showing them their game collection on steam. Having a game-console type system is way more inviting than having a gaming PC.

Scary statistics. Did you by any chance pull them out of your behind?

 

[-smash-]

But I already do both, with devices almost identical to what they're touting, and it's already a seamless experience. I'm not the target audience here, just hoping things work out for Valve. Who knows, they're the one with the research $ to scope demographics.

It's not that seamless. You can't log in to Steam and play Portal 2 on a mobile, console, or desktop platform. And that's because, typically, each of those areas are on different operating systems. Developers do not want to waste resources by spreading themselves thin over multiple areas. So the Linux operating systems for all 3 platforms is the way to go.

 

[BabyHeadCrab]

I mean, what I have right now never really bothered me, no matter how many... seams I'm encountering. I guess I should have just stuck with my prior statement: I'm having trouble getting excited about this, because it's not for folks like me.

 

[killer89]

A pathetic and lazy person (a gamer)

Thats why nature gave us, the humans, mortality: we are simply way too pathetic to live forever.

 

[-smash-]

I mean, what I have right now never really bothered me, no matter how many... seams I'm encountering. I guess I should have just stuck with my prior statement: I'm having trouble getting excited about this, because it's not for folks like me.

I got you. Different strokes for different folks, type of thing.

But, if you watch Gabe's LinuxCon keynote, you'll understand why Linux is important.