Valve launches SteamOS [LWN.net]

Valve launches SteamOS

Posted Sep 24, 2013 4:36 UTC (Tue) by lamawithonel (subscriber, #86149)
In reply to: Valve launches SteamOS by Cyberax
Parent article: Valve launches SteamOS

It also mentions that users will be able to replace components of software. What that means remains to be seen, though. The only mention of the word *open* is in quotes, where they write,

Steam is not a one-way content broadcast channel, it’s a collaborative  many-to-many entertainment platform, in which each participant is a multiplier of the experience for everyone else. With SteamOS, “openness” means that the hardware industry can iterate in the living room at a much faster pace than they’ve been able to. Content creators can connect directly to their customers. Users can alter or replace any part of the software or hardware they want. Gamers are empowered to join in the creation of the games they love. SteamOS will continue to evolve, but will remain an environment designed to foster these kinds of innovation.

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Valve launches SteamOS

Posted Sep 24, 2013 6:47 UTC (Tue) by k8to (subscriber, #15413) [Link]

It's certainly not quite the Free Software ideas of freedom and openness, as one of the more significant features of Steam is DRM. Games don't actually have to use the DRM features, but almost all of them do.

Valve launches SteamOS

Posted Sep 24, 2013 7:18 UTC (Tue) by swetland (subscriber, #63414) [Link]

None of these "features" require OS support as far as I'm aware (Steam on Linux doesn't need any special privileged bits to work, Steam on Windows seems pretty standalone, etc). Their model has not required platform-level DRM and hopefully they're not going to change directions on that. It's a big headache that doesn't actually "solve" piracy, and they haven't needed it so far, so I'd be surprised if they decided they needed it now.

Valve launches SteamOS

Posted Sep 24, 2013 18:23 UTC (Tue) by k8to (subscriber, #15413) [Link]

Yes, I wasn't implying anything otherwise.
But it makes it clear that there are some limits to the openness.

I rather expect the platform to be pretty much entirely transparent, but we'll see.