A few months back there were rumors flying all over the place that Valve was going to be involved with the hardware side of things going forward. However, the rumors back then centered on Valve making a Steam Box that was more of a console version of a computer. These more recent rumors focus on Valve trying to reinvent the computer as apposed to moving into the console space. Here is the job description that was posted on Valves’s official website:
“Valve is traditionally a software company. Open platforms like the PC and Mac are important to us, as they enable us and our partners to have a robust and direct relationship with customers. We’re frustrated by the lack of innovation in the computer hardware space though, so we’re jumping in.”
“We’re frustrated by the lack of innovation in the computer hardware space though, so we’re jumping in, Even basic input, the keyboard and mouse, haven’t really changed in any meaningful way over the years. There’s a real void in the marketplace, and opportunities to create compelling user experiences are being overlooked.”
Valve has yet to comment on the job listing, but you probably wouldn’t hire someone saying you want to jump into the hardware side of the industry and actually be lying about it. The job listing goes on to say candidates are required to have “6+ years of professional experience shipping world-class, high-tech hardware products” and “a thorough understanding of product design principles.”
Ever since the rumors popped up earlier this year people have been drooling at the thought of a Valve console. Although it now appears they are more interested in creating the next generation of computers than they are a console, but you never know. The description is vague enough that the hardware they are working on could still be translated into a console as well as a PC but until Valve makes a formal announcement it is all just speculation.
Valve is the one company that I believe can still be successful in the console or computer hardware division. Almost any other company in the world would probably fail miserably, but Valve has a big enough following that they could make this work. On a scale of one to ten how excited are you for Valve hardware and tell us why you are or aren’t?
