Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last seven days, rumors have taken over video game websites in regards to Valve’s “supposed” console. Whether it’s all one big coincidence or not, there appears to be a few details pointing heavily that Valve is working on the “Steam Box”.
While Valve’s Steam Box could change the face of gaming and how consoles are thought of, it could also have a rather large impact on Microsoft. Rumors have circled for awhile that Microsoft and Valve were working on a Steam deal. However, the deal has never really come full circle.
Imagine that Valve launches the “Steam Box” at some point late this year or early next year. PC gaming is still in full force and the fans behind Valve will definitely support the system. Having Steam integration would leave Microsoft’s Xbox 360 as the only major competitor without some form of Steam in their system.
Sony took a small step with Steam integration in Portal 2 which allowed PS3 players to play with PC gamers. Microsoft could take this a step further and work on having Steam integrated with some of their first party titles that release on the PC as well. A prime example would be having the next Gears of War title, which is being developed by People Can Fly, released on the PC as well as the Xbox 360. Gamers could link up with friends who own the title on the PC but play on the Xbox 360 or vice versa.
Windows 8 is set to launch in the very near future and Steam would be the perfect step for Microsoft to take. Microsoft has stated that Windows 8 and Xbox Live would be heavily integrated. Allowing Steam and Xbox Live to receive integration would be the perfect step for Microsoft.
Valve is a huge player in this world of video games and to deny Steam going into Microsoft’s Xbox Live service doesn’t seem to make much sense. Valve’s Steam Box will receive support from fans all over and could take away a chunk of Xbox Live’s activity. While it won’t have the steam to do it initially, over time Valve could easily be a serious competitor in the hardware market.
Rather than continue to let small disagreements in a contract keep Microsoft and Valve apart, we hope Microsoft can help ink a deal to bring Steam to Xbox Live. What do you think about the possibility of Valve bringing Steam to Xbox Live? Be sure to let us know what you think by leaving us a comment below, or discuss Steam in our forums.