FlatulentWallaby t1_j0c6mm0 wrote
Because the last one sold so well...
Downvote me all you want. The steam controller sold so poorly they basically gave them away for free.
kshack12 t1_j0cb2qo wrote
Can’t argue with the numbers, but I bought a couple of them. Actually really liked them for their customization options, but the construction was a bit cheap and the bumpers broke really easily.
DudesworthMannington t1_j0cja6w wrote
It was really a solution in search of a problem. Why set up some goofy system (that also ties up your rig) to play Civ 6 in the living room?
The controller was okay, but that's the only situation where it makes sense over keyboard+mouse or a 360 controller. They really should have just adopted the 360 controller and picked a single manufacturer for the official "Steam Machine". Letting various manufacturers duke it out shot them in the foot as nobody really embraced it.
I play Lego games with my kids all the time. That's the demographic they should have shot for.
goodnames679 t1_j0e33cp wrote
Living room gaming is a significant portion of gaming, and trying to find ways to expand the library of games that are playable on the couch wasn't a bad idea.
Everything they've done over the last couple decades - launching Steam, getting people invested in their libraries, expanding their catalogue, improving Linux support in gaming, learning about controller manufacturing, selling gaming systems - it was all basically a practice run for getting the Steam Deck on the market, and the experience they gained paid off in the long term.
As for why the controller would sell better now vs how poorly it sold back then... the assumption would be that this one was improved, and that the fact that the Steam Deck is successful while the Steam Link was a flop is probably a fairly large difference maker. Valve views Microsoft as a potential threat in the long term, which is why they're promoting Linux gaming, so there's no way they'd officially recommend giving MS money instead of buying a peripheral that puts money in their own pocket.
zombieman2088 t1_j0crn3c wrote
The steam deck fixes where the steam controller failed. If they base the steam controller 2 on the steam deck it would sell infinitely better.
Hakairoku t1_j0eao9p wrote
Every failed Valve project has it's DNA in the Steam Deck
Even the losses such as Steam Link and Steam Machines ultimately contributed to the culmination that is the Deck. I think the only one that did well that became a part of the Deck was the Index's sound system being applied to the Deck.
jazir5 t1_j0fm82l wrote
And that's the best way for a company as big as valve to do it. Take all of their failures which had a solid foundation at their core, roll up all of the fixes into one ultimate product like the Deck that sells well. Too many companies have a failure and just abandon the idea entirely. Valve uses their failures as learning experiences
danielv123 t1_j0gjtma wrote
Was steam link a failure? Isn't it basically the same thing as in home streaming, which has been great since it launched?
Hakairoku t1_j0gr1h1 wrote
The common sentiment with the Steam Link was that it was rendered redundant by just buying a really long ethernet cable.
It was a harsh sentiment, since I believe there's a genuine use case for the Link for situations where a long Ethernet cable won't cover.
danielv123 t1_j0gttww wrote
That doesn't make sense to me. In what way can an Ethernet cable replace the steam link? You use steam link over the Ethernet cable, or wifi or wan if you feel like it.
GimpyGeek t1_j0d1js2 wrote
I think the problem there is the size, it works on deck with the screen, but without it, getting that much in a reasonable space is rough.
FlatulentWallaby t1_j0cuf67 wrote
I'd rather they base it on the PS5 controller with adaptive haptics triggers.
H1ld3gunst t1_j0dqr8c wrote
It was great, I bought it for 5 Bucks. It’s just so god damn loud. Not the vibration, the buttons click so loud you wake your neighbors.
Did that for most steam stuff (steam machine aswell, still use it) I’m really bummed the Deck didn’t bomb, so I could get it for basically nothing
YourMatt t1_j0f283c wrote
The loud button clicks were my only complaint too. If they just made a new one the same as the old one, but heavier and silent buttons, I'd definitely buy another.
H1ld3gunst t1_j0g1n8n wrote
Same. Even though I rarely use it, just the few times I do and not needing a mouse and keyboard on my couch is worth a lot to me.
[deleted] t1_j0foygg wrote
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YourMatt t1_j0hy0az wrote
I'm rocking box navies. I love a heavy click in my keyboard, but it's distracting on the steam controller. Also, I'm only playing games after my kid goes to bed and I want the house to be quiet. The controller clicks overpower the volume of the TV.
It's not loud enough to hear from my kid's room. It's just annoying to me. I still like the controller quite a bit though, and I still use it.
qualov69 t1_j0dc4mn wrote
Facts, though I love mine, and when my first one stopped working temporarily they sent me a new one no questions asked. Fixed the 1st and gave it to a friend.
LewAshby309 t1_j0dkcv7 wrote
At the end they wanted to clear storage space.
I think they could make a great controller. The problem with the steam controller was that they were too stubborn about the touch pads.
I'm glad they learned. You can see that on the Valve Index. The first prototype controllers they publicly showed were with big TouchPads and no thumb sticks. Awful. They kept the little touchpads but honestly full sized thumbsticks would have been better.
The steam deck showed a continuation of the process with the touchpads topic.
I think valve is now ready for a proper controller. They are not stubborn about touchpads anymore.
workThrowaway459837 t1_j0dykxe wrote
But I liked the touchpads :C
MattVanAndel t1_j0fflfw wrote
I did, too. But I still wanted a second stick on there.
[deleted] t1_j0fp3df wrote
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cunningmunki t1_j0dj8zw wrote
It's pretty standard for manufacturers to clear stock from storage when they're about to launch new hardware.
But please, do share your source on the Steam Controller's "poor" sales.
goodnames679 t1_j0e4cta wrote
hey I loved the steam controller and still have two, but that's definitely not what happened - Valve discontinued the Steam Controller after only 4 years and sold off stock for $5 a piece, then proceeded to not launch any new comparable products for a long while.
StarGaurdianBard t1_j0f5x2f wrote
They sold it for $5 years before the steam deck released. It was basically its normal price too considering they made it $5 during every sale possible.
Don't get me wrong, I loved them and own a couple even still, but it's a bit disingenuous to claim it was to get rid of stock before the Steam Deck' release when it was discontinued 3 years before the Steam Deck and started going on sale for $5 a whole ass 6 years before the steam deck lol
FlatulentWallaby t1_j0djuww wrote
About to launch new hardware? Where's that new controller 3 years later?
"Out of nearly 60 million controllers, the Xbox 360 gamepad was the most prevalent by a very large margin (27.2 million), with the PS4 Dualshock and the Xbox One controller in second (12.2 million) and third place (11.5 million), respectively. On the other hand, it seems only about 1.5 million players registered Steam Controllers, just barely putting the total ahead of the rest of PC-specific gamepads — and the controller had been on the market for three years at that point."
So, there's your poor sales.
https://thenextweb.com/news/steam-controller-valve-discontinued
cunningmunki t1_j0dly3g wrote
The new hardware was the Steam Deck you tit.
Also, of course the SC wasn't going to sell as much as the main console's controllers, that's not a measure of success. Use your head ffs.
FlatulentWallaby t1_j0dmmdu wrote
You realize that's like saying apple gave away their stock of iphones before releasing a new MacBook right? What a stupid response.
I show you poor sales and your response is to say you were talking about a device that has nothing to do with a standalone controller? You're really stretching to try and be right when you're objectively wrong.
What's the measure of success then? How many units should they have sold to be considered a success?
Fun-Performer3988 t1_j0e58j7 wrote
Just admit you’re wrong bro
cunningmunki t1_j0ds9xv wrote
"objectively wrong" that always makes me chuckle.
Look, you're clearly quite young so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. When it comes to hardware, Valve are not Apple. And neither are they Microsoft or Sony.
They've only ever sold three (or four if you count the dock) bits of hardware which means their manufacturing, sourcing, storage, supply chain and logistics are small fry compared to the console hardware giants. I worked in inventory management and supply chain for a few years so I have some experience, and I've seen lots of expensive hardware, that sold very well, discounted to next to nothing. There comes a point where holding stock is more costly than selling it at a loss. It's called clearance.
When Valve started selling off the Steam Controllers for a "clearance" price, I immediately knew that something else was coming along (I'd hoped for the SC2, but what we got was much better).
And as for sales, by your logic the Steam Deck must be a huge failure because it's only sold a million units, which is a fraction of what the Switch sold in its first year. But I don't see anyone calling the Deck a failure, do you?
I have no idea what the Steam Controller was forecasted to sell and how much money it made, and neither do you. So I'm not going to claim it was a success (which you seem convinced I'm trying to do) or a failure.
But what's for absolute certain is that the feedback Valve got from the users of the Steam Controller was used in the design of the Steam Deck, so from that point of view it was definitely successful. Whether it was financially successful will probably never be known, but then Xboxs and Playstations are sold at a massive loss, so they're also financial "failures", if you use that particular measure.
FlatulentWallaby t1_j0dua1p wrote
> by your logic the Steam Deck must be a huge failure because it's only sold a million units
It hasn't even been out a year and that 9 months has been plagued by supply issues. That point is meaningless. It's hilarious you think that's even a valid point considering your "experience".
I still haven't seen you provide anything concrete that remotely shows the steam controller was a success. Feedback doesn't make you money. Sales make you money. Show me numbers that prove the steam controller was even close to a success. Until then, meaningless speculation proves nothing.
There was 1 feature they took from the steam controller and put into the steam deck. That's it. And that feature has been around since the PSVita, going forward with the playstation 4 controller so any "valuable feedback" doesn't mean much because the touch pads on the steam deck and steam controller aren't much different than the ones on the Vita or PS4/PS5 controllers.
And you resulting to personal attacks with assumptions about my age prove you don't actually have any meaningful proof against my claim.
randomguy987654321 t1_j0ed385 wrote
Not for free!
...they charged $5 (plus $14 s&h).
Funny enough, I never used it and just eBayed it for $100.
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