Hilarious 'Web 3 Console' Will Never, Ever Happen
kotaku.com
kotaku.com
The website has no details on games, tech, or platform, but it knows exactly what cryptocurrency platforms it'll use. It looks like the creators don't actually know what TouchID is because they seem to assume that they can just use it for their console (I expect them to add a normal fingerprint scanner to the controller).
In theory, this should all be quite doable. Throw SteamOS onto a PC in a special box, add some blockchain software, find some devs that are willing to write more blockchain crapware to market your platform. I don't think it's a viable business, but it's technically feasible.
This company ain't it, though. It's a vague idea and a 3D render of a console used to sell some kind of NFTs to the biggest suckers they can find in the crypto space.
I can't tell whether they're actual scammers or just earnest people with a stupid product, but I definitely associate web3 culture with huckster types whose motives—and products—I don't trust.
This belief is based on my not-so-expert, but also not-so-layman's experience of the lack of regulation and transparancy in the blockchain space.
Americas new motto
A realistic idea along these lines would be like, a custom OS for the Steam Deck.
This project markets itself as an 8K HDR console, so I don't think it's trying to get into the same market the Ouya tried to get into. It appears to be an Xbox for people who own NFTs.
From the README : "Is this official? No, but it may as well be 99% of the way there. The code and packages, are straight from Valve, with zero possible edits, and the ISO is being built on the official Steam Deck recovery image, running inside a QEMU instance."
You can watch it run on a variety of hardware on YouTube.
> NOTE: This image is not compatible with Steam Deck. If you are looking for the Steam Deck Recovery image, visit this link.
Where the link points to https://help.steampowered.com/faqs/view/1B71-EDF2-EB6D-2BB3
I'm not sure if the Steam Deck image can be installed on a non-Deck system.
Revolutionary.
So why should I expect this to succeed? Maybe some companies just don't learn from their mistakes and will continue to repeat them.
Entered. It exists. I've already clocked dozens of hours on mine.
> which is also another failure waiting to happen.
That remains to be seen.
The real issue isn't the idea of an open console designed to run commercial games. The issue is one of key feature differentiators that might drive consumers to buy one.
Crypto is not one of those differentiators.
Both the Ouya and the Shield suffered from the same problem: Being Android-based, they couldn't directly play PC games. You had to either stream from an existing game rig or stream from the cloud.
The Deck does not have that limitation. It's differentiator is being able to portably run PC games unmodified.
Will that be enough to keep the product around long term? I have no idea. But it's ridiculous to pretend these are all equivalent projects. And it's utterly absurd to draw parallels between those projects and this crypto disaster.
Re-entered. Their previous related product (Steam Machines) was a total failure.
> The real issue isn't the idea of an open console designed to run commercial games. The issue is one of key feature differentiators that might drive consumers to buy one.
As long as DRM is in the system with closed-source components and software, an 'open console' is a myth, marketed to many as a DIY repair and replace utopia, even when Valve discourages from modifying and opening the so-called 'open console' in the first place.
> Both the Ouya and the Shield suffered from the same problem: Being Android-based, they couldn't directly play PC games. You had to either stream from an existing game rig or stream from the cloud.
> The Deck does not have that limitation. It's differentiator is being able to portably run PC games unmodified.
Android is dead in the water and even Steam Machines ran SteamOS (modified Linux distro) and it still failed with the whole device. It doesn't matter. It seems something is eternally wrong with these systems.
The numbers sold are not even publicly shown, which tells me they are already anticipating failure in the long term compared to the mainstream consoles. There is no need to compare since Valve already failed with their previous console; so it is no different to the rest of the failed consoles before it.
Once again, where are the numbers for the total amount of Steam Decks sold? And no, 'reservations' do not count.
"Massive failure" isn't exactly how I'd term that.