Valve's Super Gabe lands in the "Big Easy"

Valve's Gabe Newell traveled to New Orleans to address LinuxCon. He teased a "hard-ware related announcement for next week according to IGN. I like this quote from IGN about why Gabe feels Linuex is ideal for PC gamings future.

"Earlier this year, Newell discussed how Linux can reinvent gaming, noting that Linux helps Valve “make sure we have the freedom to innovate and pursue the opportunities all of us see,” and saying that “Linux is kind of a get out of jail free pass for our industry if we need it.” He added that “our company wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the openness of PC. Steam wouldn't exist if it weren't for the openness of the internet. Our industry will be best in the long run if there’s an open platform for innovation and competition.”"

Ars Technica site has a little better article on Gabes speach and a video of it!

I embarrassingly admit that I don't know much about Linux, but it might be time to get my feet wet. So what do you guys think? Will Linuex be the go to platform for PC gamers? What do you guys think of Linuex in general?

www.ign.com/articles/2013/09/16/valve-hi...m-box-news-next-week
arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/09/gabe-newe...ardware-coming-soon/

One thing I don't want to see is a Half-Life 3 exclusive to Steambox, but I think I'm just being paranoid. I seriously don't believe that will happen; however, it would generate a lot of "Steambox" demand. Like I said paranoid. What would be some performance advantages to Linux assuming your GPU drives work properly and everything?

Wooderson wrote: What would be some performance advantages to Linux assuming your GPU drives work properly and everything?

A custom Linux kernel can be compiled for the Steambox to make it very memory efficient. That way the games can get as much RAM as they need. This may help with performance when designing a system around a lower powered/cost CPU to help keep prices in line with what would (for the most part from what I can tell) probably compete against the console market.
The other off-the-top-of-my-head advantage of Linux would be security. But, just like OSX, as it gains popularity, it makes it a more attractive target for hackers and virus writers.

Wooderson wrote: One thing I don't want to see is a Half-Life 3 exclusive to Steambox, but I think I'm just being paranoid. I seriously don't believe that will happen; however, it would generate a lot of "Steambox" demand. Like I said paranoid. What would be some performance advantages to Linux assuming your GPU drives work properly and everything?

I don't think that HL3 will be exclusive to Steambox. I would say that at least at first that it would be on Steambox and PC only. He has built up a huge business with Steam and to see the sales of the game fly out the window, just in hopes that people bite on a brand new product, when there are two brand new nex gen consoles coming out this holiday season.

I don't know. I hoope there is an announcement next week so we can finally start getting some detils on this thing.

What do you think the chances are that the steambox will let you play games that you already own in your steam library, if they announce that I will be like: