While details remain thin on the ground at the moment, Valve has announced in an update on the is "living room," page, that the "Steam Universe," is expanding in 2014. What that expansion is, when exactly in 2014 it will be, or whether we're even talking software or hardware, is completely unknown.
As usual though, Valve has left us with a few little clues to keep us thinking (cue "Half Life 3 Confirmed" jokes everywhere). First up there's a giant glowing orb, which is suggested by the source code as some sort of planet that will change as each of the countdowns underneath it come to an end.
The first will hit zero at 10:00 AM PDT (1:00 PM EDT, 19:00 CEST) on Monday, September 23, but what will be revealed, or what the symbol means is unknown.
With the controller stretching away into the darkened backdrop at the bottom, we can presume that we're talking about a Steambox announcement at some point, but if this whole thing was about that long-expected bit of hardware, this whole ARG/announcement would be a bit of an anti-climax.
Some have suggested that the symbols mean Portal and Portal 2 will be bundled with the Steam box, whereas others believe the first circle means Big Picture, the second Big Picture getting boxed (Steambox) and the third allowing for better interaction between players.
The only other clue the page seems to hold is the following sentences: "Last year, we shipped a software feature called Big Picture, a user-interface tailored for televisions and gamepads. This year we’ve been working on even more ways to connect the dots for customers who want Steam in the living-room. Soon, we’ll be adding you to our design process, so that you can help us shape the future of Steam."
Also, what does that cat mean? Are we looking at a potential Mewgenics tie in? Is it Schrödinger's cat? Unlikely, but anything's possible with these Valve games.
How will we be added to the design process? What will Valve be revealing on Monday and beyond? What do you guys think?