Who is the Steam Machine's Audience?

Reviewtech Rich seems to think too many Steam Machine's, and too overly priced.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7uMjQpwEj8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I'm not getting v who this is for. PC panhandlers already have their rigs. Cows and Lems aren't interested in pc games..... so who's left?

Steam Machine already a fail?

Casual PC gamers like Jankarcop.

@princessgomez92: no casual pc gamer is going to pay those prices.

@xboxdone74: they are targeting current steam users, the recent survey they did found most hermits have $hit pc so they are providing them an easy upgrade option. the cheap ones could do well but the $700+ are probably doa as most people who spend that much on pc are usually enthusiasts who could build their own at a cheaper price.

if steam can subsidies the alienware steam machine and provide good specs for competitive price, $500-600, it could do well but depends how much steam is willing to dish out. i think they should offer a heavily skinned windows option because linux games library is just not on the same level but that would add licence cost. oh well, if the alienware is good i will buy and install windows for free

1) PC gamers who want the benefits of console gaming

2) Console gamers who want the benefits of PC gaming

I see it being a moderate success as it sells to tech guys, hardcore gamers, and PC fanboy nutballs but once it goes through those guys it will slow drastically because it has no purpose or appeal to the vast majority of people who play games.

Hell I have 20 some systems and thousands of games and even I don't give a shit about it. I have a computer and I have consoles, I don't want something that is half of each. Only way I will buy one is the day they get super cheap so I can add it to my collection but I honestly haven't even the slightest bit of interest in it.

The video game market is bloated enough with the new xbone and ps4, then you have the 360 lingering somewhat, the ps3 will continue to get support from sony for awhile, the wiiu is limping along, the 3ds/2ds, playstation vita, and tablets/smartphones. Then of course you have the PC landscape. Do we really need something else clogging up the works? Not really.

Besides, people groaned at the price of the xbone and it was a major game system from Microsoft with a history in making game systems. Even people who never play games know what a xbox is. What interest will people have in a steam box that costs even more and something they don't even know what it is?

I'm the audience. I don't game on PC's. I do want to play steam games. And that controller looks sweet.

Lol. Everytime consolites complain that everything over 600 bucks is too expensive for them, it rembembers me the father from the movie Bad Grandpa when he, holded by bikers, yells "You costed me six hundred bucks a month!!!".

Get a job.

but it doesn't give you any console benefits....

i have a job, i just dont want to spend 500+ on a damn computer to play aaa exclusive indie games. sh^t aint that serious for me

Console gamers that might want to get into pc gaming with a reasonable priced pc ( some of those steam machines are priced great ), pc gamers that might want a cheap 2nd pc for either streaming or to serve as an HTPC with some gaming ( those $500 ibuypower steammachines fall in that category ), people that might want to get into pc gaming and dont want the hustle of building a pc ( not that is much of a hustle but still there are people that dont want to do it )

Whether or not the whole project will succeed or fail it depends alot on the price of those steam machines ( some like the ibuypower seem to be priced quite good while others seem way overpriced )

No, people spend that to have top noch gaming experience. You know, when you want something top notch, you go and spend more than the minimum on it. If you like music, you go and buy a Gibson or Fender guitar, instead of a chinese immitation.

Couch PC gaming on your HD TV in the living room and Big Picture mode are the console-like benefits.

@jhonMalcovich: guaranteed my motion computing tablet pc cost more than any of you pc panhandlers rigs. but thats besides the point. you can have a job, and look at these steam machines and conclude the price isnt worth it. is called being financially responsible. but young, newb gamers like yourself, dont believe in that, which is why your kind rack up huge amounts of debt, and need guys like me to bail you out.

Hopefully they'll have some success because they'll be a good option to have. I may get one in about two and a half years. I'm excited to try Oculus Rift eventually and I'd like to get a powerful Steam Machine to connect to my TV and speakers (hopefully with no issues like I had with my current PC) as well as Oculus Rift. It will have the Digital Out I need for my receiver, and will be a nice little box under my TV.

The other option could be to get a much cheaper Steam Machine just for streaming and upgrade the GPU in my current PC, which would work out cheaper, but there's the inconvenience of having to turn on both machines and set up the stream every time, and I don't know if that could have slight issues of its own.

In the mean time, I'll be busy with the PS3, PS4, Vita and current PC, and will continue with those last 3 for a long time as well.

It's only for PC hardcore gamers, and there aren't that many of them. Not many would pay over 1k bucks just for a pc when they can build it themselves. Who is this audience?

?

The tablet pc is used to run the side business... that makes money. Yes, I know, the concept is foreign to you pc panhandlers.

True, but this isn't the same, these are pc's. Way more expensive than that keyboard. And not everyone buys gaming mouses and keyboards for 500 bucks.

Console gamers.

i am getting one.... i will spend maximum 1300....

I guess it's people that don't build their PCs themselves... (*_*;)

Who?

Same people that bought neogeos, 3dos and cdis back in the day, spoiled brats that like to brag. Doubt they reach a million before everyone pulls the plugs.

Are you prostituting yourself ? I can't think of another side business that you can have XD

You can to both of that with any PC...

I tried it but was very unhappy with the shadow like effect I get from my computer to the 2 seperate LCD TVs I attempted it with. It doesn't appear on my LCD monitor, so on a desk with my 23" LCD monitor it remains :( It seems like it's a refresh rate issue but both the TVs and monitor are 60Hz so no clue. Not worth the hassle.

People that would like to game on their PCs, but who don't want to build one--ie the people that keep companies like Alienware, Digital Storm, and iBuyPower afloat (more people than you'd think). Also, people that would like a gaming PC specifically designed to look good in their living room; even though I am perfectly capable of building one, I would be tempted to buy one if it was well priced--why? Because fucking ITX mobos are annoying as **** to work with, and even more annoying when you're having to wire front panel connectors, fans, and other fucking cables in such a small enclosure. Shit, they must have 8 year old asian kids building these things!

The audience of the Steam Machine is anyone who would like to try PC gaming in their living room:

- Valve developed a game controller that simulates a mouse and keyboard better than normal controllers. This could be a big thing, although I do wonder about the lack of buttons compared to a keyboard

- Steam OS is designed to be push PC gaming onto Linux. It may also give some performance benefits because it is a simpler OS.

- Steam Machines use Steam (obviously) which means lots of cheap games compared to other living room systems

- Steam Machines are, in some cases, EXTREMELY small even compared to other consoles

Generally speaking, I see most of the appeal being casual console users - ones that aren't in love with console exclusives. Most PC gamers like the fact their PC is more than just a machine for playing gamepad-friendly games. I don't see myself surfing the net, image editing, or composing emails on a TV.

I am puzzled by the absurd number of companies manufacturing the machines, as well as the loose standards in terms of CPU, and the comically high prices of some models. Anything more than 2 or 3 manufacturers and a $800 price limit seems like something that can only hurt the device.

On the other hand, most of these companies are not well known anyway, and the average shopper may only encounter one-or-two steam certified machines.

The upgradeable $500 model is the only one that can compete with consoles. At the price of some of those models you might as well just buy a tower.

If SteamOS gets more support I can see this being a limited success. Until then Windows games dominate the market.

Can't you download the SteamOS for free anyways?

And Sniper.

To me, the Steam Machine is for an audience in the minority and by minority I mean people who cannot PC video game using a PC and have to rely on the Steam Machine to play PC video games. For example I would want the Steam Machine because I lack the ability to learn how to build my own video gaming PC or how to do something as simple to some, like install a graphics card; so I have to heavily rely on the Steam Machine and even then, the Steam Machine works similar to a PC, it would just seam easier to me in terms of upgrading the parts etc. Overall, I probably prefer an already built video gaming PC over the Steam Machine, like Alienware as I like their products for cosmetic reasons; the Steam Machines do not look good to me, it looks like something cheap and poorly built, but cost a lot.

People who want a gaming pc but don't want to build one themselves.

Don't we already have Alienware for that? And we know how much it sucked

Alienware is a brand name which you are paying a marked up price for. Its like the reason why apple products are much more expensive than their competitors such as android on mobile or most windows PCs even though they use similar and often times much weaker components.

And the Steam Machine isn't? Did you look at the list of Steam Machines? Some are north of $1000 for a mid range GTX760, albeit with SSDs and a 16GB RAM. But which gamer would put SSDs as a higher priority over their GPU?

No fucking clue but HTPC gaming builds have been around for awhile and are much better and cheaper. The chassis' of these things are all what I care about. Don't see how this is any different from buying a pre-built. Just Valve promoting their OS I bet.

I mean, just look at this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL91t2ggcIo&list=FL0Hm4q6tfSPGWomB_VUKjdg

Yeah you are right, some of them are a rip off. Some of them aren't that bad though.