Hey everybody,

I don't usually watch CES all that closely, but a couple recent events made it a bit more exciting.  First, Valve's increasing information about Steam, SteamOS, Steam controllers, etc.; and second, Oculus' new prototype.

I like Valve for more than the Steam platform - they do make damn good games - but their recent push for Linux is greatly appreciated; not only from a content-consumption perspective, but also for content creation.  Their support in improving the OpenGL stack, cross-platform support, and general good-guy tactics all make me a strong supporter of their efforts.  If and/or when Half-Life 3 comes out, you can be damned sure I'll commit my dollars to their cause.  If the Steam controller prototype stabilizes enough (and gets a bit more sane a-la the center buttons), then I will do the same.

Oculus I already support financially, having recently purchased a Rift development kit.  The new prototype, dubbed 'Crystal Cove', excites me for the incremental improvements over an already stellar VR device - new HD display, decreased motion blur, and now, additional head position tracking.  That, along with Valve's stated backing (including Steam's VR-mode beta), is more confirmation that consumer-level VR will come of age in 2014.

And I intend to be there for the ride.  And do my damnedest to help it along.

That's not to say that VR is the only game in town; I expect 'traditional' (haha) games will still dominate; there's plenty of genres that won't see the immediate benefit; and there's plenty of work to be done, even for those that will.

That's all for now.