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Comment by deletes | Hacker News Reader

We know that the circle represents the SteamOS. The brackets int the second announcement must represent SteamBox. The third announcement has two circles with a plus sign in between which has to do something with connectivity to other players. Probably an equivalent of Xbox Live. ( My bet for the name is SteamPipe :) )

If Half-Life 3 was represented it would have to be a sign inside the circle as it is mainly a singleplayer experience. Also a single game as a third announcement is way too narrow-minded as Valve already has the one of the most popular games (Dota 2).

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Steam already has most of the xbox live functionality. Friends list, messaging, voice chat, online store. I think the only major missing piece is probably 'parties' though maybe that's in there (I've never had much of a need for it personally).

The SteamPipe name is already used for their content distribution system: https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/SteamPipe

Why is the circle off to one side of the box. Maybe I'm reading too much into it... but perhaps it could be a game controller and not a set-top box?

That could be interesting... but I must say, the Xbox360 controller is fantastic, inexpensive, and easily integrates with a PC. Sort of a solved problem, if you will, so unless they have significant value to add, I'd hope they'd focus elsewhere.

but microsoft can simply make the xbox360 controller difficult to implement in other games (tho i don't know how they'd do that…), and would effectively stop indies from supporting it. Having a proprietary controller, but coded using an open library (akin to what the steam workshop does), might mean that it's easier to have games implement controller support that's not fragmented.

It's a standard USB HI device, you don't need any kind of MS code to use it. Changing it would make it incompatible with their existing xbox360 install base and games for windows. I guess they could stop selling the xbox360 controller, but why would they when it's making them money?

Valve took out a patent a while back on a gamepad where the fixed D-pads were replaced with sockets that could accept a D-pad, a trackball, extra buttons, etc: http://gamerant.com/valve-console-controller-hold-137072/

I will be so Goddamn happy if they're actually making that thing. I love modularity, and a trackball gamepad would flawlessly combine the convenience of a gamepad with the precision of a mouse. Several groups have tried to bring one to market, and studies have shown their superiority, but apparently they were too weird to get enough preorders. Hope hope hope...

The third icon could be O: Steam OS + O: Orange Box 2. Orange Box 2 may include Half Life 3 and more.

Damn now you got me exited..., No! Half-Life 3 is still far far away.

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