Valve has issued a cease-and-desist to third-party manufacturer Dbrand to stop the company from selling Steam Machine cases based on Portal‘s Companion Cube. The company will give full refunds to any customers who already bought the Steam Machine case.
The launch of the Steam Machine easily stands as one of the biggest releases of the year, with Valve building plenty of hype around its new home console. The highly-anticipated Steam-based console supports every game compatible with the Steam Deck at launch, with plans to streamline verifying game compatibility with the console. The Steam Machine is said to feature performance on par with both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, using Valve’s proprietary SteamOS. Now, Valve has issued a takedown for a popular third-party case for the Steam Machine.
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The Steam Machine’s heartbreaking price point might understandably turn some people off, but it’s still a better investment than a console.
Dbrand Ordered to Take Down Portal Steam Machine Case
Third-party accessory manufacturer Dbrand officially confirmed that it has delisted a Steam Machine case based on the Companion Cube. The company revealed that it has removed all mentions of the case from its social media accounts and website after being contacted by Valve’s legal team, stating that the company had not secured the proper licenses to use the Companion Cube design. Dbrand is issuing full refunds to any customers who purchased the Companion Cube case, which had originally been revealed by the company shortly after the announcement of the Steam Machine. Dbrand did ask Valve’s legal team if there would be any possibility of securing the license in the future, which was denied by Valve.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
Dbrand expressed its regrets for how it handled the Steam Machine case, claiming it had “built first and asked permission later.” The company said that it will likely “regret that decision for a very long time,” and acknowledged Valve was within its rights to demand the takedown. The full refunds are expected to be issued by end-of-day on June 29, with the company’s announcement sharing that it was “losing $99” for every copy of the Steam Machine case that was sold. Dbrand’s Poverty Cube case became the second fastest-selling product in the storefront’s history, beating products like the Colormatched Joy-Con 2 skins and only behind the Killswitch Switch 2 case.
The Steam Machine’s high-profile debut has already been a controversial one, particularly for the launch price of the console. Valve confirmed that the Steam Machine will cost a staggering $1,049 at launch for the 512 GB model, a noticeable markup from its competitors in the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The console’s expected scarcity has already made the Steam Machine a target for scalpers before buyers have even gotten their hands on it, with reserved Steam Machines being sold for more than $2,000.
While the Steam Machine’s retail price landed significantly higher than many fans expected, Valve did offer an explanation for its steep pricing. The company confirmed ahead of the console’s launch that the Steam Machine would not be sold at a subsidized rate, selling it for a similar price point to comparable gaming PCs. The ongoing RAM shortage was also cited as a major reason behind the console’s high price, with the company sharing that the cost of components had risen significantly during its development. The Steam Machine looks to be one of the hottest new consoles on the market, even if it may cost fans more than they had hoped.
Source: Dexerto