game-o-holics

Why Valve's big Picture puts Apple on alert

Video game developer and publisher Valve is bringing gaming and distribution software Steam to the living room, with its new Big Picture mode now available in beta form.

This new mode for Steam allows users to plug their PC or laptop into their TV and access all that Steam has to offer - games, a digital store, internet browsing, communication and more - from the comfort of their sofa.

Big Picture also enables users to play PC games, traditionally operated using a keyboard and mouse, with a game controller.            While this was already possible on a PC, Valve has designed Big Picture specifically with the controller in mind, even going so far as introducing a Daisywheel, a tool for typing with the thumb sticks and buttons of a control pad, which initial reports suggest runs much smoother than expected.

While the idea of playing PC games from the comfort of the lounge - rather than at a desk elsewhere in the home - might be appealing, what is really interesting is the introduction of a smooth user interface for Steam designed for big-screen televisions. This interface is introduced along with what Valve is calling "the world's first first-person web browser", with a cursor moved across the screen thanks to the flexibility of game controller analogue sticks.

Valve describes its reasons for creating Big Picture as a way to allow people to do more from the comfort of their own homes.

"Sometimes, you just want to hang out in the living room. Why should you have to give up all your games, your community of friends and all the things you love about Steam when you're there? With Big Picture mode, you don't have to," it said, citing customer demand for a living room-friendly Steam client as further motivation for introducing it.

There have long been rumours that Valve has interests in the living room space, with reports earlier this year suggesting it is preparing to challenge Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo with a home console.

The introduction of Big Picture potentially offers more than just a games system. The user interface could be mistaken for Apple TV - the iPhone maker's own entertainment hub - which Steam's television-friendly software has arguably taken some inspiration from.

Entertainment and computing collide

And while Steam is currently focused on video games, with Apple TV on the other hand offering access to music, movies and apps, it is not so far fetched to think that what was once only a PC game developer founded by disgruntled Microsoft employees might now have Apple firmly in its sights.

After all, Steam users will soon be able to purchase non-games software, such as video and photo editing tools, enabling them to use Big Picture to perform multimedia editing through their TV screen rather than on the much smaller display of a MacBook. Videos also currently run through Steam, although predominantly, if not only, in the form of game trailers, but this at least proves that the technology is capable.

The key element that could work in Valve's favour here is cost; Apple's TV box is priced at £99, but Steam's Big Picture is completely free. There is no need for consumers to go out and buy extra products in order to bring Steam into their living room; they just need to connect their desktop or laptop to the TV. The trick Valve has up its sleeve here is that Big Picture will be Mac compatible, potentially allowing it to acquire users from directly under Apple's noses.

It seems that what at first glance might just appear to be Valve implementing a new way of playing video games for their loyal users, is actually a lot more when examined in depth. It marks a bold first step for the video game publisher and operator of the Steam digital distribution service away from the bedroom into the living room, and it is a move that could make it a major player in the increasingly converged areas of home entertainment and home computing.