If valve themselves aren't going to do it, they should at least give dbrand or someone a licence to sell a companion cube skin. It's too obvious not to.
I'm fairly certain that if dbrand had asked first, they would've been able to reach an agreement with Valve.
That being said, the way they went about it basically made it guaranteed that Valve would refuse and never change their mind, since allowing it would signal that others can use Valve's IP to develop a product without authorization and then use public interest to pressure Valve in allowing the use.
I'm convinced that Valve must have been waiting for contact from dbrand. Valve probably already decided what their terms would be, but needed dbrand to contact them and not the other way around. Since dbrand failed to do that, they had no choice but to send a C&D.
What are you talking about? Their privacy policy/etc seems pretty good by modern web standards, and they specifically say that the only case which might result in another company buying their user data is if it's part of the entire company being purchased.
This checkbox implies that they'll sell my personal info by default. If it's only needed in case they get sold, cool, but still weird that they plan for that.
They're a pretty small team, I think a lot of that text was just boilerplate. Here's the specific privacy policy section:
WHEN AND WITH WHOM DO WE SHARE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?
In Short: We may share information in specific situations described in this section and/or with the following third parties.
We may need to share your personal information in the following situations:
Business Transfers. We may share or transfer your information in connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of company assets, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of our business to another company.
If you email support they may be able to help you. I tried buying during the window, but my credit card company blocked it as suspected fraud, and then I forgot about it until after the deadline. I emailed support and they moved me back up to the front.
Form factor and CEC are the big ones. There's no PC you can build that will come anywhere close to the performance:size ratio of the steam machine. And getting CEC to work is possible, but not the easiest.
Exactly this. We were trying to spec a small PC for my partner before the Machine got announced. A Fractal Designs Terra was the case we landed on
For the price, the deck is smaller, quieter, and reasonably spec'd. Plus instead of doing drivers and stuff myself, it's done for me. And we have a warranty. Great deal for our teeeeeny desks
An optional function of HDMI that allows the device and tv to send/receive commands to each other. All modern TVs have it, and just about no PC hardware does.
Can't answer for everyone but I already have a PC. I got the steam machine mostly for the convenience of having a dedicated device for playing my games on the TV with a compact form factor.
Can the machine still breath with these on tho? I remember my friend bought very similar looking skins on their Xbox and the poor console overheated multiple times before they took of the skins.
It should be fine, the Steam Machine uses fans to cycle air through, so as long as the vents are uncovered it should cool fine. The body is plastic as well, so not very effective for shedding heat that way.
Although tbf an xbox shouldn't have overheated from a skin either, since they also use fans and have a plastic body. Any chance your friend blocked the vents or something when the put the skin on?
And if it was a 360, those had an inherent overheating issue regardless of what you did, but adding another layer that insulates more than conducts heat wouldn't help, even if the vents are free and clear.
35 Comments
trinsec@piefed.social · 35 pts · 34d
And they're legit this time? 😋
Jokes aside, that orange one is pretty cool. You could claim to have bought the Steam Orange Box, literally!
Thassodar@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 34d
Get your own Steam logo vinyl, and boom.
MystValkyrie@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 21 pts · 34d
Some of these designs are, um, unexpected? Like, I want to know which nerd is making their Machine look like a square basketball xD.
The orange box one is pretty nice though.
IrateAnteater@sh.itjust.works · 8 pts · 34d
If valve themselves aren't going to do it, they should at least give dbrand or someone a licence to sell a companion cube skin. It's too obvious not to.
DarkSirrush@piefed.ca · 26 pts · 34d
They probably would have if dbrand had asked in the initial design phase.
charles@lemmy.ca · 15 pts · 33d
I'm fairly certain that if dbrand had asked first, they would've been able to reach an agreement with Valve.
That being said, the way they went about it basically made it guaranteed that Valve would refuse and never change their mind, since allowing it would signal that others can use Valve's IP to develop a product without authorization and then use public interest to pressure Valve in allowing the use.
NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.de · 2 pts · 26d
I'm convinced that Valve must have been waiting for contact from dbrand. Valve probably already decided what their terms would be, but needed dbrand to contact them and not the other way around. Since dbrand failed to do that, they had no choice but to send a C&D.
whatsisface@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 34d
Do you have a source that doesn't inform you it wants to sell your personal info?
Fubarberry@sopuli.xyz · 3 pts · 33d
What are you talking about? Their privacy policy/etc seems pretty good by modern web standards, and they specifically say that the only case which might result in another company buying their user data is if it's part of the entire company being purchased.
whatsisface@sh.itjust.works · 7 pts · 33d
This checkbox implies that they'll sell my personal info by default. If it's only needed in case they get sold, cool, but still weird that they plan for that.
Fubarberry@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 33d
They're a pretty small team, I think a lot of that text was just boilerplate. Here's the specific privacy policy section:
Stampela@startrek.website · 2 pts · 33d
It’s a California specific GDPR kind of thing.
nocturne@slrpnk.net · 5 pts · 34d
I hesitated on my Steam Machine purchase and missed my deadline, now i am back in the queue. ðŸ˜
Hope@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 34d
If you email support they may be able to help you. I tried buying during the window, but my credit card company blocked it as suspected fraud, and then I forgot about it until after the deadline. I emailed support and they moved me back up to the front.
bonn2@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 33d
I had a similar experience with my steam controller. Give support a shot, the worst they can say is no.
nocturne@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 32d
I ended up using most of the steam machine money to buy a new Roland Keyboard (musical kind), but this is a great suggestion.
deepfriedchril@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 34d
At the price the steam machine is, why not just build a PC?
IrateAnteater@sh.itjust.works · 20 pts · 34d
Form factor and CEC are the big ones. There's no PC you can build that will come anywhere close to the performance:size ratio of the steam machine. And getting CEC to work is possible, but not the easiest.
frank@sopuli.xyz · 14 pts · 34d
Exactly this. We were trying to spec a small PC for my partner before the Machine got announced. A Fractal Designs Terra was the case we landed on
For the price, the deck is smaller, quieter, and reasonably spec'd. Plus instead of doing drivers and stuff myself, it's done for me. And we have a warranty. Great deal for our teeeeeny desks
PostaL@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 34d
What is CEC?
IrateAnteater@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 34d
An optional function of HDMI that allows the device and tv to send/receive commands to each other. All modern TVs have it, and just about no PC hardware does.
nocturne@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 32d
It is what allows a TV to switch to the correct input when you turn on a device correct?
Aurenkin@sh.itjust.works · 11 pts · 34d
Can't answer for everyone but I already have a PC. I got the steam machine mostly for the convenience of having a dedicated device for playing my games on the TV with a compact form factor.
Lemmchen@feddit.org · 3 pts · 34d
Okay, some of these look genuinely cool.
gedfromgont@piefed.ca · 1 pts · 33d
I'll contrast your opinion by saying they look all terrible. I mean the basketball is funny but who wants to see that every day on their computer.
Lemmchen@feddit.org · 1 pts · 32d
I think those two look neat, ¯\(ツ)/¯
manuremy@sopuli.xyz · 3 pts · 33d
Can the machine still breath with these on tho? I remember my friend bought very similar looking skins on their Xbox and the poor console overheated multiple times before they took of the skins.
Fubarberry@sopuli.xyz · 1 pts · 33d
It should be fine, the Steam Machine uses fans to cycle air through, so as long as the vents are uncovered it should cool fine. The body is plastic as well, so not very effective for shedding heat that way.
Although tbf an xbox shouldn't have overheated from a skin either, since they also use fans and have a plastic body. Any chance your friend blocked the vents or something when the put the skin on?
manuremy@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 32d
Oh, alright, thanks! And yes, very likely my friend blocked the vents or that the skin was just very badly designed.
Kolanaki@pawb.social · 2 pts · 32d
And if it was a 360, those had an inherent overheating issue regardless of what you did, but adding another layer that insulates more than conducts heat wouldn't help, even if the vents are free and clear.
manuremy@sopuli.xyz · 1 pts · 32d
It was probably One, but likely just a cheap and crappy skin from Wish or somewhere like that. User-error now that I think of it.
yumyumsmuncher@feddit.uk · 1 pts · 34d
Nah I'll pass. I'll wait until someone release coloured cases
Arcane2077@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 34d
Good news! dbrand just launched preorders for coloUred cases. Link in op
yumyumsmuncher@feddit.uk · 1 pts · 33d
No, those are skins, stickers. I meant real plastic case
Nindelofocho@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 32d
Would love a transparent case