Valve Corporation, the video game developer responsible for Half-Life, Portal, Team Fortress , and the digital distribution platform Steam, has an ambitious plan to reinvent the video game console. But don’t expect the so-called Steam Machine to take on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 quite yet. Last month, Valve invited us to its Bellevue, Washington headquarters to see one of the very first Steam Machines in action, try the Steam Controller, and obtain further insight into the companys plans. Valve will ship 300 prototype Steam Machines to beta testers this year, and theres nothing particularly special about their specs.