A new job listing on Valve‘s website states that the company is “frustrated” by a lack of “innovation” in the PC hardware space and they are planning to “jump in” with their own products at some point in the future.
The company is looking for an “Industrial Designer” to join their team of “electrical, mechanical, software engineers and designers” who are working on “both hardware and software.”
Interested applicants will need to have at least six years of experience developing “high-tech hardware products” and be familiar with both “2D and 3D design visualization tools”.
“PC hardware” covers a wide range of products, but the biggest hint as to what Valve has in mind comes directly from the job description:
“Valve is traditionally a software company. Open platforms like the PC and Mac are important to us, as they enable us and our partners to have a robust and direct relationship with customers. We’re frustrated by the lack of innovation in the computer hardware space though, so we’re jumping in. Even basic input, the keyboard and mouse, haven’t really changed in any meaningful way over the years. There’s a real void in the marketplace, and opportunities to create compelling user experiences are being overlooked.”
Past rumors have suggested that Valve is working on their own set-top video game console, dubbed the Steam Box, and there has been plenty of talk by Gabe Newell about wearable computer technology. Either unannounced product would seem to fit the company’s job description. The edge going to wearable computers, thanks to a blog post last April by Valve‘s Michael Abrash.
In any case, it is clear that Valve is working towards producing some type of PC hardware. We will keep an eye out for any news and let you know as soon as it breaks.
Source: CVG