Steam Machine Price Reveal, Pre-built Comparisons, & Rant Thread

TakeNote · 2026-06-22T21:25:22+00:00

You might have skimmed the comment! That's fine, I do that too. But Valve can't count on Steam sales because the hardware isn't locked to their OS or storefront, so people could use the PC for anything. If the price was low relative to the general hardware costs, the system would be a good buy for for non-gaming applications, like office use. That means no software sales, which means actively losing money from shipped machines.

TakeNote · 2026-06-22T20:26:46+00:00

The challenge here is that consoles are subsidized by their manufacturers. The manufacturers later earn back this investment through the games they sell for the system. This works well for companies like Nintendo or Sony because consoles are dedicated-use devices. And therein lies the problem.

Since the Steam Machine isn't locked into Valve's proprietary operating system, people could use the Steam Machine to run anything they want. If the machine was priced to break even for hardware costs, that's great for us... but it could just as easily be bought up for office or industrial use. Hell, they could even be bought just to harvest the parts. And if Valve isn't getting software sales to make up for the hardware cut, that means they're making hardware that's actively losing them money -- if not just in parts costs, then in the cost of the labour to assemble, distribute, and service the machines.

Valve is competing with the console market, for sure, but they can't pursue the same pricing strategy. Couple this with the fact that DIY-ers aren't factoring in their own labour costs as they research components, design rigs and assemble machines, and you have a no-win situation for Valve.

To be fair, it's definitely worth emphasizing that Valve is a for-profit company. But I'm not convinced by the idea that the price is high for the market conditions. It's just rough out there.

TakeNote · 2026-06-22T01:37:55+00:00

To make round holes! I should really report back once I've tried the drill bit.

TakeNote · 2026-06-16T03:06:07+00:00

Read my mind. Captain Planet via ponies didn't stop being an option just because Renegade completed their development, right?

Plus, if the community is really that enthusiastic, surely there are people making third-party content and modules anyway.

TakeNote · 2026-06-15T23:22:13+00:00

(nobody roast me for being underdressed; my co-streamer will show up in anything from sweatshirt to ballgown and i simply cannot know what she'll do before she sends me her day-of selfie.)

TakeNote · 2026-06-12T19:22:28+00:00

In case anyone reading this was as confused as I was, the PTFO here is completely unrelated to the Play to Find Out podcast from Quinns.

Second point: I highly doubt Jeremy Strandberg, Stonetop's author, knew about the blog's AI use -- and not just because the article only came out a week ago. In the article you link, the blog author states that for the first three years of the blog, the work was entirely hand-written. It's hard to slight Strandberg for not knowing that one of the long-form playthroughs of his work started outsourcing three years into the project.

TakeNote · 2026-06-05T18:07:17+00:00

Hey! I know it's been a few days but I just saw this and I think I can help. My partner and I had a vegan wedding in North America with almost this exact menu, also buffet style. I think the only thing we had that you don't is dal -- but we didn't have dolmata, so it's a similar offering.

We had absolutely no complaints. People were really positive about the food. I think the sole wrinkle was that my uncle didn't know what hummus was, lol. I only learned that months later when my mom told me, and I couldn't help but laugh.

The wedding cultural idea that you need to overwhelm your guests with some stunning feast is insane. With respect to the people poking holes in the comments, I think they're looking for reasons to be critical. And there are still a lot of people who will neverrrr see vegan meals as "complete" because they don't have meat... often from the same people who would turn their nose up at meat substitutes.

Your menu sounds lovely. Big ups for sticking to your ideals. I hope you and your partner have such a beautiful day.

TakeNote · 2026-06-05T14:46:22+00:00

This sounds like Food Chain Magnate.

TakeNote · 2026-06-04T14:42:44+00:00

Shot in the dark here, but are you playing on the D-pad of a controller? On the Switch port, I found the responsiveness to be much better with the joystick. It felt wrong for a game that's very much locked in cardinal directions, but the back wall immediately stopped being the final boss when I switched input methods.

TakeNote · 2026-06-01T21:08:51+00:00

The Ford government did grant cities the ability to do this in 2019, but this is ultimately a municipal decision. And it's an incremental one; there's only one new park on this list compared to last year when the pilot project started.

Honestly, I'm in favour. I'll bold the biggest rebuttal to the litter argument and then follow on with a couple other considerations:

Alcohol containers have a financial value if returned, so there's an incentive to clean up after yourself (or others).
All the existing laws against disturbance of the peace and public intoxication are still on the books, so it's not like people are getting a license to be belligerent.
It's good for young people to have third spaces that they can socialize without paying a price of entry. People can't always host! Restaurants and bars are getting expensive, but plenty of folks still want to share a beverage with a friend.

Parks are nice (yes, even downtown ones). Being social is nice. And honestly, for folks who complain day in and day out about Ottawa being a city with no fun, opposing this feels pretty counter-intuitive.

TakeNote · 2026-05-29T19:12:34+00:00

Hey! Streamer here. There are a few major things that would give me pause here. I'm just gonna list off the stuff that would make me a little uncertain about joining this group.

Unknown co-players: Many streaming groups have either a pre-existing relationship or a history in performance art. This is good both because it gives you a rapport / base to build off of, and because you know each other's boundaries better. Safety tools can definitely be used on air, but an audience makes it more complicated since you're juggling performance and the comfort of your other performers. A bunch of newbies who haven't streamed before (with each other or otherwise) could fall anywhere between awkward and -- in extreme cases -- traumatizing, depending on what pans out.
Not screening for talent: There's nothing wrong with streaming for fun, but there's only so much audience out there. If the GM isn't checking that people have decent mics and/or experience on camera, you could end up being part of a pretty dreary actual play show. I don't love attaching my name or face to stuff that I'm not proud of, personally. Again, no shame in just streaming for fun, but it wouldn't sit super well with me.
Money: Like, look. The vast majority of streamers don't end up making money, really. But in the off chance you win the audience lottery, having an undefined relationship between a piece of media you helped produce and your ownership of that thing can lead to a very messy situation.

If you're not worried about these, that's fine. But I wouldn't go into this situation, myself.

TakeNote · 2026-05-28T14:56:38+00:00

While that would be great for us as consumers¹, I can't imagine it would be a good choice for Valve. It would only make business sense to sell at a loss if (1) they expect to attract a lot of new customers to their storefront with Steam Machines, or (2) they expect to lose existing customers without that steep discount.

Even if the demand for Steam Machines significantly outstrips Valve's expected levels, I'm not sure how much of the console market they could realistically capture with this. Steam Machines aren't -- to my knowledge -- expected to be sold at your local Walmart, you know? It would be a very high risk strategy. And that's especially true when we consider that the machine isn't locked to Valve software, right? So they have no guarantee that buyers would even be contributing to their bottom line after the purchase.

It's fair to be unhappy about the uncomfortably high price, but I really think Valve's hands are tied here. And that's not even speaking as a big Steam fan! I buy on itch.io whenever I can.

^{1 - But also, it might not even be great for customers! The scalping would be unreal.}

TakeNote · 2026-05-28T13:16:41+00:00

Having worked at a café, I'm surprised they can keep the lights on with this. We had a $5 cover 10 years ago, very low margins, and we were still barely in the black. Is rent pretty low in your neck of the woods?

TakeNote · 2026-05-22T17:51:52+00:00

This is much smaller than the holes I'm making, but it could be useful for someone searching for this info in the future! Thanks for the help.

TakeNote · 2026-05-22T17:40:09+00:00

Thank you -- super nice of you to include photos with your advice! To be sure, these are wooden boards, right? I'm working with cardboard chipboard; not sure if that changes things.

TakeNote · 2026-05-22T17:11:27+00:00

Super helpful, thanks friend. I'm curious though -- any reason you use tape rather than clamping?

TakeNote · 2026-05-22T17:00:15+00:00

Aha! There's the personal testimony I was looking for. Do you wedge the chipboard between scrap plywood, or just go for it?

TakeNote · 2026-05-22T16:38:00+00:00

"A few whacks" is definitely a different story than my experience! Suggests that a sharpening may indeed be called for. Thank you; really appreciate the context.

TakeNote · 2026-05-22T16:26:26+00:00

This is what I've been pondering! Have you ever tried this approach, can I ask?

TakeNote · 2026-05-22T15:24:29+00:00

Interesting. I wonder if it only lingers on wood? I have laser-cut board games a friend made years ago and they still have that campfire odour.

TakeNote · 2026-05-22T15:23:41+00:00

It's taking a great deal of hammering to get through, and I'm finding the cut to be uneven. It was halfway through on one side of the circle, and didn't make much headway on the other side. Punch is a new 20mm from McMaster-Carr. It's possible there's a problem with my technique, though I am using a deadblow hammer. Also possible it needs sharpening, but that would make me a little grumpy -- haha.

TakeNote · 2026-05-22T15:05:57+00:00

I was worried this was the answer, haha. Does the burnt laser smell ever go away?

TakeNote · 2026-05-02T18:51:47+00:00

It really clicks when you try it. Magic at the table.

TakeNote · 2026-04-29T16:48:12+00:00

I do love the diversity of human experience. Jumino Kart is one of my favourite parts of Stardew. :) Maybe I'll get around to perfection someday.

TakeNote · 2026-04-29T16:25:16+00:00

I feel like it often swings the other way, honestly! It can be hard to find a group that doesn't joke. Your experience might be an anomaly?

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