14 DAY TRIAL // Sony has shared its thoughts about Valve's Steam Machines concept and how the idea might be interesting, but it won't be easy for the studio to actually promote it on the market, especially since it's relying on other hardware makers to build the PCs.
The console war is currently waged by three companies, with Sony and Microsoft duking it out via the PS4 and Xbox One, while Nintendo's Wii U is doing its own thing using the great first-party titles from the Japanese company.
However, Valve is aiming to turn the tide against traditional home console makers through the Steam Machines initiative, which sees small form factor PCs aimed at living room gaming being released with complete support for the Steam service and even the SteamOS.
Sony's Scott Rohde has talked with ArcTechnica about Valve's ambitious plans and warned that selling a device worldwide can be quite tricky, even with the help of other hardware makers.
"It's not an easy trick to get global distribution on a piece of hardware," Rohde said. "That is something that Sony is extremely great at and has been for years."
Rohde also emphasized that so many things are changing about the Steam Machine project that it's hard to say just how it will measure up to the likes of the PS4.
"[The Steam Machine concept] is an interesting device," he said. "It's in its infancy, we don't know exactly what it is, even, or when it will happen or what it will actually be. I guess they've settled on a controller. We're not even really sure. They've been bouncing around for a while."
In terms of direct competition, Rohde is reticent to outright confirm it, as it all depends on what Valve will actually do when the first Steam Machines launch on the market and how they'll target the living room.
"The short answer is 'Maybe someday.' It's not meant to be an arrogant statement. It's not something that we're saying, 'Oh yeah we're not worried about them.' I think we're always interested in anything that comes into this space because it's fascinating to all of us. It doesn't feel like [an immediate concern]. But it's an interesting technology."
Sony will be watching carefully what Valve is doing with the Steam Machines, according to Rohde, so the ball is most definitely in the court of the independent games developer. As of yet, however, Valve is quite reticent about sharing any more details about the Steam Machines, since it still hasn't nailed down many aspects.