Valve Won't Subsidize Steam Machine, Pricing at PC Market Rates

Valve's return of the Steam Machine marks a philosophical departure from the console industry's long-standing tradition of subsidized hardware — a practice built on the belief that market share today justifies losses absorbed now. Pierre-Loup Griffais, speaking on behalf of Valve, has signaled that the company trusts its product to stand on its own merits, pricing the device in line with open PC market rates at a moment when rising RAM costs make that a meaningful commitment. It is a bet not on volume or desperation, but on the perceived value of integration — the idea that a machine designed