Valve has issued a cease and desist to third-party manufacturer Dbrand to stop the company from selling Steam engine case based on Portals Companion Cube. The company will issue a full refund to all customers who have already purchased 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 long-awaited Steam-based console will support all Steam Deck-compatible games at launch, with plans to streamline verification of game compatibility with the console. The Steam Machine is said to have performance on par with both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, running Valve's proprietary SteamOS. Now, Valve has issued a takedown for a popular third-party Steam Machine case.
Why Valve's $1,049 Steam Machine is a better long-term investment than a PS5
The Steam Machine's heartbreaking price point may understandably turn some people off, but it's still a better investment than a console.
Dbrand was ordered to take down the Portal Steam Machine Case
Third-party accessory maker Dbrand officially confirmed that they have removed a Steam Machine case based on the Companion Cube. The company revealed that it has removed all mention 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 all customers who purchased the Companion Cube case, which had originally been revealed by the company shortly after the Steam Machine announcement. Dbrand asked Valve's legal team if there would be any possibility of securing the license in the future, which was denied by Valve.
Rearrange the cases in the correct US release order.
Start
Rearrange the cases in the correct US release order.
Light (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
Dbrand lamented how it handled the Steam Machine case, claiming it had “built first and apologized later.” The company said it will likely “regret that decision for a very long time,” and acknowledged that Valve had the right to demand the removal. The full refunds are expected to be issued by the end of the day on June 29, with the company announcing that it “lost $99” for every copy of the Steam Machine case 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 skin and only behind the Killswitch Switch 2 case.
The Steam Machine's high-profile debut has already been a controversial one, especially for the console's launch price. Valve confirmed that the Steam Machine will cost a staggering $1,049 at launch for the 512GB model, a noticeable markup from its PS5 and Xbox Series X/S competitors. The console's expected shortage has already made the Steam Machine a target for scalpers before buyers have even gotten their hands on it, with reserved Steam Machines selling for more than $2,000.
While the Steam Machine's retail price landed significantly higher than many fans expected, Valve provided 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 price, selling it for a similar price to comparable gaming PCs. The ongoing RAM shortage was also cited as a main reason behind the console's high price, with the company sharing that the cost of components had increased significantly during development. The Steam Machine looks set to be one of the hottest new consoles on the market, though it may cost fans more than they bargained for.
Source: Dexerto
