Team, I'm genuinely excited about the new Steam Machine, but the idea of pricing it like a standard gaming PC is a critical mistake.
Here are the key points why:
1. Price Barrier: Mainstream buyers think in console terms ($400–$600). If the Steam Machine is priced at $800+, you only sell to the existing small PC niche.
2. Market Loss: If you price high, you lose the massive console audience—a market estimated at $50 billion this year alone. You cannot achieve mass adoption without a mass-market price.
3. Steam Deck Loyalty: Your most loyal customers, the Steam Deck owners, are ready to upgrade. If the Steam Machine is priced like a mid-range PC, they won't buy it. You will lose guaranteed sales from your core fanbase.
4. Long-Term Strategy: Subsidizing the hardware is an investment. You make money on software sales (your main revenue). Pricing it low drives millions of new users to the Steam platform, which is far more valuable than a small, immediate profit on the hardware itself.
Please, price it to compete with consoles. It's the only way to convert the mass market and maximize your total sales.