Valve Software will beta test 300 hardware boxes running its Linux-based SteamOS, a standalone operating system for entertainment appliances in consumers’ living rooms. The prototype box for the Steam platform, which is optimized for gaming in the living room, is completely upgradable and open. Beta testers are encouraged to hack or mod the box. This “will mean that there are lot more games … coming to Linux,” said Jordan Cwang, managing editor and cohost of Linux Gamecast Weekly. “The [Linux] market is damn ripe for exploitation.”
