Valve Coming To Retail Ahead of Steam Machine Launch

Now that the Steam Machines are finally launching, they will need a unified retail presence if they hope to compete in the market. And it is good to see Valve finally take a decisive step when it comes to the otherwise scattershot Steam Machine initiative this time around- Valve today announced dedicated Steam Sections launching this fall in GameStop (USA), GAME UK, and EB Games (Canada) stores. These sections will feature the Steam Hardware devices launching November 10 (Steam Controller, Steam Link, and Steam Machines), as well as a variety of Steam prepaid cards.

“GameStop, GAME UK, and EB Games are leading retail destinations for core gamers and early adopters,” said Gabe Newell of Valve. “Creating a ‘store within a store’ across North America and the UK is a significant win for getting the first generation of Steam Hardware products into gamers’ hands.”

Steam has helped grow PC gaming into a leading platform for games,” said Bob Puzon, senior vice president of merchandising at GameStop, the exclusive retail partner in the U.S. for Steam Hardware. “With millions of gamers already enjoying the Steam desktop experience, we anticipate a strong demand for the upcoming Steam Hardware products and are looking forward to serving as the exclusive non-digital retail launch partner.”

“Steam continues to grow and has become synonymous with PC gaming, and as the UK’s number 1 gaming specialist retailer we are excited about bringing these products to GAME in UK,” said Charlotte Knight, managing director at GAME. “With the innovation that the Steam Controller, Steam Link, and the Steam Machines give gamers in the living room, we expect to see significant demand for these new products. The first signs of this can be seen with the sold out Early Bird launch of both the Steam Link and Controller on October 16th exclusively at GAME in the UK. GAME are delighted to be partnering with Valve on the new technology and support the continuing growth of this category.”

The Steam Machines launch on November 10. They will ship with the Steam Controller, and run the Linux based SteamOS. Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more coverage and information.