The TMG Podcast episode 4-ish: GTA Online, BF4 Open Beta, Tom Clancy's passing

For this episode of The TMG Podcast,Carlos, Will, and Migoy had to cut things very short thanks to some technical difficulties. We discussed the issues of Grand Theft Auto Online, talk a bit of Tom Clancy's passing,experiences with the Battlefield 4 Open Beta, and other games we got to experience during last week.

Episode Breakdown:

- GTA Online - Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes - BF4 open beta - Tom Clancy's passing at 66

It was a busy week, but we were able to discuss a few topics before issues started showing up, as well as sticking with a new release every week. Check out next week for another episode every Tuesday!

For the music you hear during the intro, break, and outro throughout the podcast, all credit goes to Dan-O at http://danosongs.com

If you have any suggestions, comments, concerns, or even questions you have for us to talk about, email us at thetmgpodcast@gmail.com.

For videos, you can also check our Youtube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/TMGblog

The Steam box is a reality,will come in multiple forms on release

The second countdown has ended and Valve has announced the highly rumored Steam Box with the name "Steam Machines". This system will come in multiple forms from different manufacturers, all using the Linux-based SteamOS. They have a prototype, and Valve wants to send the prototype to 300 Steam users for testing purposes. Check out if your eligible. 

It's pretty easy to be on that eligible list, but your pretty much going against millions of users that want to be within the lucky 300. But trying won't hurt, here are the steps:

Before October 25, log in to Steam and then visit your quest page to track your current status towards beta test eligibility

1. Join the Steam Universe community group 2. Agree to the Steam Hardware Beta Terms and Conditions 3. Make 10 Steam friends (if you haven't already) 4. Create a public Steam Community profile (if you haven't already) 5. Play a game using a gamepad in Big Picture mode

Valve didn't talk about specs or anything but they did mention in the reveal that these "Steam Machines" are completely upgradable and open.

There's still one more announcement left for Valve's three-part reveal and my guess is either a new source engine, a game exclusive to this box, or the box's controller.

[Source: Steam]

Valve announces SteamOS

Someone is making a big move. Valve just announced today the SteamOS, a linux-based operating system that can run on any living room hardware. 

The big countdown from Valve ended and this is what we got. This operating system is just one of the big announcements planned, and shows their attempt to hit the living room space that's already crowded by console gaming. Aside from the Family Sharing feature and the usual videos and music media services, the biggest feature of this operating system is the ability to stream your games from your PC straight to your home network and  TV. Valve states this is as a "Cooperating System".

Steam is not a one-way content broadcast channel, it’s a collaborative many-to-many entertainment platform, in which each participant is a multiplier of the experience for everyone else. With SteamOS, “openness” means that the hardware industry can iterate in the living room at a much faster pace than they’ve been able to. Content creators can connect directly to their customers. Users can alter or replace any part of the software or hardware they want. Gamers are empowered to join in the creation of the games they love. SteamOS will continue to evolve, but will remain an environment designed to foster these kinds of innovation.

Steam also announced that a huge amount of games will support the SteamOS natively in 2014, more info is said to come in a few weeks. The usual features like Steam Workshop, in-game chat, game groups, clouds storage will continue in the SteamOS, and it will be free to download when it's ready. Information is still vague at the moment, but I don't believe this OS is meant to go head-to-head against other systems like Windows.

We'll just have to see at this point. This is just one of the three planned announcements coming from Valve and the timer for the second has already started. The second announcement will be revealed in 41 hours at the time of writing this.

With the release of the Big Picture feature for Steam a year ago, it's clear that Valve has their eyes on your living room. With this reveal, it seems like they are ready to make a move, expand, and enter an already crowded space.

[Source: Steam ]

Battlefield 4 Open Beta launches October 1

EA just announced the date for Battlefield 4's Open Beta. We'll get to try out the game on October 1 for Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

The Open Beta will allow us to test out Battlefield 4's Conquest mode on Siege of Shanghai. What's weird is there's still no information about the exclusive early access promised for those that have Pre-ordered the Digital-deluxe version of the game, people that purchased the Medal of Honor Limited Edition, and of course Battlefield 3 Premium members. With the Open Beta hitting on the first day of October, it's most likely going to hit before then so we'll keep an eye out when EA talks about it.

Battlefield 4 will be out for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC on October 29, with the next-gen version for PS4 and Xbox One to come out on each console's launch date.

Steam Family Sharing announced by Valve

Digital media in video games is moving forward with Valve announcing a new feature to Steam - The ability to share your video game library to close friends and family. They are calling it a game changer, and they could be right. 

This feature allows you to share your whole Steam library with up to 10 Steam members. The owner of the library can set who can access their library, or other Steam members can request access. Once a member's computer gets access to a library, they can download any game and have their own set of achievements and game progress saved in the Steam cloud. Shared library are only available one at a time so if the owner wants to play a game, the one using it will be given the option to exit the game, or buy their own copy to continue playing.

“Our customers have expressed a desire to share their digital games among friends and family members, just as current retail games, books, DVDs, and other physical media can be shared,” explained Anna Sweet of Valve. “Family Sharing was created in direct response to these user requests.”

Not all games though will be able to use this feature. Games with monthly subscriptions and that require a third-party key can't be shared. You will also have access to the shared library's DLC, but you can't purchase any DLC without buying the base game.

The feature will hit limited beta soon and if you want to try it out, join the Steam Family group on Steam. An FAQ is up if you have any more questions regarding the feature.

This is a very ambitious move coming from Valve and if they pull this off and ease the idea smoothly to their community, this could change how we think about digital copies as a whole.