After Dark Ep15: Thoughts on the new Valve Console 'Piston'?

Written by: Mike Schaffnit (@MikeSchaffnit) | January 9, 2013 1:39 pm

32 Comments

The new Valve console “Piston” has been officially announced. Will it be worth the money?

The holidays are over and Mike Schaffnit, Josh Allen, and Darnell are back to answer your questions on the latest episode of After Dark!

We’re back just in time for CES and one of the big announcements is the Valve console, “Piston”. Of course, everyone is interested in this new little console which would bring PC gaming to the PC without the need of dragging an actual PC into the living room.

In fact, our very first viewer asks the guys what they think of the new Valve console.

Caller lines open every Tuesday night at 9PST on Skype… so be sure to tune in live and let YOUR voice be heard!

Questions in this week’s show:

What do you guys think of Valves console?
Where do you think the story of Warcraft will go towards the end of it’s lifespan?
Can a game without a gear grind compete with the current generation of MMOs?
What game of 2013 are you looking forward to? And what was your New Years resolution?

After Dark Ep15: Thoughts on the new Valve Console 'Piston'?

1:22:33

World of Warcraft

Legendary Ep126:
Raiding Ra-Den Revelations!

This week the Legendary crew are talking patch 5.3, raiding, and more with World First raider Treckie!Read more »

23 comments
45:25

Guild Wars 2

GuildCast Ep71:
Blue Flowers

The Secret of Southsun update has arrived, a Guild Wars 2 expansion has been confirmed, and more.Read more »

27 comments
57:02

Live Call-In Show

After Dark Ep32:
Could Bolvar “Lich King” Fordragon Return?

Could the Lich King return to help defend Azeroth against the Burning Legion?Read more »

13 comments

DavidGrue

“Pokemon isn’t relevant” It’s the 2nd best selling franchise of all time, selling 219 million units. The Warcraft franchise, which I’m sure you would all agree is relevant, has sold 19 million units.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_video_game_franchises A new pokemon game, Pokemon Black and White 2, came out in 2012. So this idea that because a franchise isn’t relevant to you “hardcore” gamers doesn’t mean that it’s not relevant to other people and the industry overall.
- http://twitter.com/MikeSchaffnit Mike Schaffnit
  
  I don’t think I ever came out and said it didn’t sell. I simply asked if it was relevant to any of us? And personally I think we all have grown out of the hype for Pokemon.
  
  Sell away Nintendo, and take that cash cow to the bank.
  - DavidGrue
    
    I’ll have to rewatch the first part but what I got out of it was that the consensus of the three hosts was that Pokemon isn’t really relevant anymore.
    
    I played Pokemon Red in middle school and then nothing until I got Black 2 on a Black Friday (hah) sale. I really enjoyed it and got very excited by the announcement yesterday. Then I come to watch this show and it kind of rained on my parade. Anyway I still loved this show, always do, keep up the good work.
- http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
  
  You got my hopes up. I’ve been looking for the all time unit sales of World of Warcraft.
  
  The wikipedia entry for 19 million units for Warcraft does not include World of Warcraft unit sales.
http://twitter.com/KrionStudio Krion Studio

Lol. Pokemon is one of the most played games with far more balanced and diverse battles than PvP in WoW
Niewy .

Pokemon Black / White Version 2

Total UnitsNorth America:1.84m30.0%+ Europe:1.06m17.3%+ Japan:2.91m47.4%+ Rest of the World:0.33m5.3%= Global6.14m
Greibach

Haha, I have to admit that I was a bit surprised by your reaction to the pokemon announcement. I mean, I expected Darnell and Josh to not care, but I would have taken Schaff to be a pokemon fan. Ah well, it’s not for everyone. Personally, I still play the “regular” pokemon games when they come out because they are still fun, remind me of childhood, and have strong mechanics.

I mean, am I out of the hype? Sure, but then again, I just don’t really get all that hyped for MOST games, even if I know I will play them. I literally can’t muster any hype for games like Halo, but that doesn’t mean I won’t still buy the new one and co-op it with my friends. In that way, it’s still relevant, even if I’m not hyped for it. Anyway, good show.
- http://twitter.com/MikeSchaffnit Mike Schaffnit
  
  I definitely hear ya on this. I think “hype” is a product of age. And as you get older you learn to control it a little better instead of needlessly crying out like a fan boy.
  
  Honestly Pokemon I think is a great game, but it’s not something that I care to spend the time investing in learning the world all over again.
  - http://www.facebook.com/ThHailStorm MrRabbit Tatoo
    
    I will find where you live and while you’re sleeping I will smother you to death with my Snorlax plushie.
Krzysztof Kotarba

exclusives are the worst thing that can be done.

About steam box, It won’t be specific console it will be softwere for console, so even shaffnit can make console and it will be steam box. Nvidia’s shiled is also steam box.
Krzysztof Kotarba

Maybe drop skype and go for teamspeak, mumble or something else.
Ravenstorm

Fix Skype.

I bet on Blizz going sub fee with Titan, because Blizz wants the money and allready has the players from WoW paying. They’ll probably give some sort of special deal for those, when they go play Titan. Or a unique mini pet or something.
http://www.facebook.com/veselin.cvetkov.35 Veselin Cvetkov

15+8=38
http://www.facebook.com/nbedo Nicolas Bedo

Interesting that most of the ‘games for education’ discussion revolved around traditional indicators of education (i.e. reading and math). Games –particularly strategy games– can teach ideas such as future planning, patience, and problem solving, which are crucial to cognitive maturation.
http://www.facebook.com/veselin.cvetkov.35 Veselin Cvetkov

lol so many pokemon fanboys in comments
http://www.facebook.com/people/Brandon-Davis/100000286723150 Brandon Davis

oh..my…gawd….SHAFNIT!
ITS sar GAR is

and lore
its ore ee GUN
so much butt clenching
Zumime

I thought this show was supposed to be a “call in and ask your question” show. Why do these callers try to hijack the air time? Ask your question and then hang up please and thank you.
- InvaderMig
  
  Hahaha yea, that one dude tried to become the 4th host.
- http://twitter.com/MikeSchaffnit Mike Schaffnit
  
  Here is the thing you gotta remember tho. This is a call in show. Not a Q/A show. Watch many of the different podcast/radio talk shows and they bring people in to “talk” not just ask a question.
  
  I think if people can bring interesting conversation to the show then it’s important to keep them on. This show is just as much the audiences as it is the hosts and I want to try to facilitate that.
  - Zumime
    
    I understand why you allow callers to stay on the line, however I seeva difference between them interacting and them trying to use the show as a soapbox to the internet. The first caller in this show asked good questions and maybe Q knew he was going to ask a bunch, but to me it seemed like he asked one and you discusssd it then he got bold and kept throwing out questions. My concern is that the show might (on a busy night) get backed up because of callers that each ask four or five questions. This show seemed fine because there were a few less callers than normal. Heck, Eduardo didn’t even call in!! But on those busy nights multi-question callers might steal time from later callers.
    
    Thanks for reading and considering comments Shaff…and for the hawt yellow dress picture.
http://profile.yahoo.com/FPXO267IVAHL3MK4HRRNRQPNDA Bush Swanson, The American Dre

I hope Titan is free to play because I don’t have a job and when i get money i usualy spend it on food
http://www.facebook.com/keith.moody.923171 Keith Moody

I have a feeling that Xbox 720/8/Infinity which ever one it ends up being and maybe ps4 will be modular just like steam box. I got that that idea after watching legendary when they opened talking about Titan and said that it would be cross platform. The announcement of the steam box makes it more likely that it will close to a mini computer.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1343065340 Michael John Hogan

slim schaffnit
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=529945286 Timothée Vanier
  
  VR might be closer and more affordable than you think!!! Check out the oculus rift technology and project on kickstarter!!!
Passio1

Biggest failure from the game industry was lores maths.
Dekin

Everybody knows that Digimon far surpasses Pokemon….oh you prolly mean the card game…

I stopped looking at Pokemon when I discover MTG…..OH you mean the video games….

Yep….
robotadventures

another fun show. both my parents are from mexico. i was born in texas. its more about stereotyping nationalities than racist. Now im living in Tokyo, and one of my german freinds was making fun of americans and how they add ketchup to everything.
- http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
  
  Are the Germans still eating french fries with mayonnaise? *shake head, will never understand.*
http://twitter.com/zerconi Samuli Rauatmaa

15 + 8 = 38
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=529945286 Timothée Vanier

About VR MMOs, there is actually Star citizen which is kind of an mmo hybrid that is planning to have Oculus Rift support when it comes out. The Star citizen project looks solid as a standalone imagine with VR. From what I’ve seen, the reactions to oculus technology which is still in its really early stage of development, are more than encouraging. They have a kickstater campaign to ship toolkits to devs, and the integration to unreal engine and unity engine is supported by the devs. There is already a couple of game in devellopment that will support the tech. I have to say I’m pretty excited about this. Imagine playing Hawken or Star citizen in VR!!!
http://profile.yahoo.com/F2XRQU4GOV52OTKES2ZLGRBOOE rusty

OMG Rick from Texas @dekin:disqus 27min made me lol to the point of tears!
http://twitter.com/MiZTiiX MiZTiiX

i dont really see the point in it. You can just get a decent PC instead

After Dark Ep15: Thoughts on the new Valve Console 'Piston'?

The new Valve console “Piston” has been officially announced. Will it be worth the money?

Legendary Ep126:
Raiding Ra-Den Revelations!

GuildCast Ep71:
Blue Flowers

After Dark Ep32:
Could Bolvar “Lich King” Fordragon Return?

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