Right now the rumor is that it would be like Apple TV but also a game capable pc. On the one hand, it could be the one thing that would keep me interested in getting a console. On the other hand, they would have to start making PC games with split screen.

What about you. Would that be welcome to the market or is it too much.

Interesting. A fourth addition into the console market is a challenge indeed. Valve would need to develop a lot of it's own library, so I wonder if they are up to the task.

Hmm This is the second topic of this sort on the front page, and made within minutes of each other. BUT this one has a Poll attached, so it's more likely to go somewhere (internet psychology in action!)

So, I'm just going to repost what I've already said (amended slightly for clarity):

It would be an interesting turn of events if nothing else.

I am wary about the consequences this would have on PC gaming for a number of reasons (namely that I do not own a current gen console, unless you count the *snicker* 3DS); Steam is one of the biggest players in the PC market, and it's largely a beneficial one (economically, it follows the demand curves to the Marginal Cost much more closely than the console oligopoly does).

For its parent company to make that kind of commitment, well, it's pretty big and the possibility of the impact it could have must be considered. You don't just enter the console market assuming that the existing oligopoly (the Big Three) will be welcoming.

If it is a consoles with exclusives I would be interested. If it is a retarded computer that has the same library as the other 2 retarded computers and the actual computer I wouldn't be. I'd rather have steam make an OS that devotes more resources to games so less capable computers could run them.

Yes, a console with a standard PC architecture might finally annihilate the absurdity that is the "console exclusive".

As long as it's just a packaged PC that runs PC games, then it will benefit me as a PC gamer. I play most of my games with an Xbox 360 controller, so if a valve console leads to more games with controller support then I'll see it as a good thing.

Also, valve is a privately held company. Usually tech companies are at their best before they go public, not having shareholder demands for short-term profit means they can make decisions that are better for the long-term.