Steam OS: The Big Debate

As soon as I heard about Steam OS, my first thoughts were:

• I already own hundreds of games for it.
• I hate Windows, and since switching to Mac, the only reason I've had to install it is to play games.
• Getting rid of the bloat of Windows should mean more efficiency out of CPU, RAM and graphics cards.
• With the update cycles of the consoles, I've stopped buying console games in favour of investing in my Steam library, and now I feel smug.
• Someone who can let me play all my games on my TV without me needing to kneel in a pile of cables, awkwardly using a keyboard and mouse to launch games and dismiss HP popups is alright in my book.

I wasn't sure what the tone of the greater debate would be, but I found this video from Polygon made some interesting points.

• If the Steam Machines and OS are widely adopted, it could mean a return to relevancy for the PC gaming market.
• Comparisons to Android are dangerous:
  • Android proliferated due to a lower price, Steam Machines are going to be more expensive than consoles.
  • Android has been a pain to develop for with so many different screen sizes and pixel densities, on Steam OS games will be playing on 720p or 1080p (or for the HD nerds, 4K) screens.
• While it sounds very open and easygoing, there's a danger that other platforms (I love) like GOG.com or (I hate) like Origin would be excluded, giving us some of the restrictions of the console world without the benefit of subsidised hardware.
• Comparisons to 3DO are dangerous:
  • 3DO had very few games when it came out.
  • STEAM HAS GAMES ALREADY
• If it's as open as it sounds, they could leave the door open to piracy, which would make this less a giant leap, more of a babystep forward.

I'm still quite excited, though I'm inclined to agree with Chris Grant that it'll take quite a while for SteamOS-based machines to reach the same level of legitimacy that consoles have, especially among non-PC gamers.

Oh, and anybody who was wondering about the 3DO, the timeless video below should answer all of your questions.

*Spoiler Alert* It didn't work out so well for those guys.