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Steam's Big Picture leaves beta, celebrates with sale

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Posted 11:39am 04/12/12 by:
6 Comments | 0 Faves

You remember when Big Picture entered beta right? Big Picture mode was designed to give gamers a couch friendly way to play games - letting you play on your TV without squinting at the tiny text and attempting to use your mouse on the arm of your sofa.

Scribblenauts is totally hardcore PC gaming! It's better on kb/m!

Big Picture has now left beta, with Valve offering it to the world at large - and to celebrate, you can now buy a selection of controller friendly titles at reduced prices, because Valve love the heck out of sales!

Games on sale include all of the Valve games (of course) - including Portal 2, which we all know recently added split screen co-op specifically for Big Picture mode. You can also grab a heap of indie platformers and action RPGs like Braid, Shank 2, Wanderlust and They Bleed Pixels for under $5 - and heaps of other games besides. Have you snapped up any games to play on your couch - are there any games on Steam you've been holding back on buying because you couldn't play on your couch? Let us know in the comments below!

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Comments on this Article

Wed 05 Dec 12, 9:49am

squidassist
Posted: Wed 05 Dec 12, 9:49am

Okay, so, I have no idea what the purpose of this thing is and I need help. I already have my computer hooked up to the TV, like 90% of computer users I would imagine. What is the Big Picture offering me that I don't already have?... I don't mean that in a snide way, I just mean: "If I'm going to attach a HDMI cable from my computer to my TV and run games on my TV, how does The Big Picture assist in that when the above process is both what is required to get the Big Picture on my TV, and what is required to already have games on my TV?"

Little help?

Wed 05 Dec 12, 11:13am

limimi
Posted: Wed 05 Dec 12, 11:13am

The basic function and utility of it is to provide a simpler, controller or simple keyboard based method of accessing games, instead of fiddling about with your mouse. You have big, clearly defined tiles with very readable text so you can move about with the arrow keys or your controller and easily access the game you want to play. Basically it's like XBMC or Plex but for games.

Personally my problem with it is the other way - I have a computer for Plex hooked up to my tv - my old gaming PC from when I built a new one at the beginning of the year. So while I would love to sometimes play games on it, that would require Steam to log out on my gaming PC, which is freaking annoying - especially as ever since the latest string of updates it refuses to run on start up and refuses to remember my sign in details.

Wed 05 Dec 12, 11:49am

squidassist
Posted: Wed 05 Dec 12, 11:49am

Hmmm... So in essence it's designed for people who want to use a controller? Does it assist you WITH the controller? IE: I have a PS3, it now makes my PS3 controller compatible? Or is it a case of: You don't use a controller, because you have a PC? This isn't for you!

I mean, again, I'm not knocking it. I hope whoever it's good for enjoys it and finds it helpful... I'm just trying to figure out what it could do for me!

Thu 06 Dec 12, 5:36pm

Junglist
Posted: Thu 06 Dec 12, 5:36pm

I haven't tried Big Picture, but when games/apps only accept 360 controllers I've found MotionInjoy to be a pretty good way to get around it and use the PS3 pad anyway.

Thu 06 Dec 12, 6:16pm

squidassist
Posted: Thu 06 Dec 12, 6:16pm

So you don't think Big Picture will make help my PC recognise my PS3 controller?

... I don't even really know why I'm asking. I mean, I have 0 desire to use my PS3 controller on my PC games. Maybe a better question would be: "Does it have a way to make my PS3 games run on my PC with optimised graphics and game play?"... No?? DAMN YOU, STEAM BIG PICTURE!

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