The Steam Machine

Sean Hollister, writing for The Verge (gift link): Since the Magnavox Odyssey came out in 1972, game consoles have been built with the same basic goal: to effortlessly play proprietary games on a TV screen. Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft have spent decades essentially selling the same product. A few consoles could do more, but the formula you know and love remains buy box, plug into TV, insert game, play . The Steam Machine aims to be something bigger. It’s a vision of a box with fewer restrictions and an al