Valve releases Steam Machine CAD files, fueling GabeCube skin speculation
▼ Summary
– Valve has released the CAD files for the Steam Machine’s exterior under a Creative Commons license that allows sharing and adapting but prohibits commercial use.
– Valve engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais warns that users should let professionals perform modifications, as any damage will void the warranty.
– The CAD files are officially intended for creating custom front plates, though Valve expects users to attempt larger custom modifications.
– Any wrapper, skin, or front plate made with these official files cannot be sold legally.
– Accessory company dbrand had to scrap its planned Companion Cube wrap for the Steam Machine in June due to lack of licensing from Valve.
Valve has quietly released the official CAD files for the Steam Machine chassis, opening the door for devoted fans to craft custom enclosures , just weeks after the high-priced, limited-release console hit the market. While the hardware itself remains scarce, creative users now have a sanctioned way to modify its exterior, provided they proceed with caution.
As detailed by our colleagues at Digital Foundry, Valve published the files under a Creative Commons ‘Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike 4.0 International’ license. That means sharing and adapting are permitted, but any commercial use is strictly prohibited. You can download the files directly from Valve.
Valve engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais, one of the company’s most publicly visible developers, issued a clear warning: professional fabrication is strongly advised. “Any damage you do will not be covered by your warranty,” he stated, a note also included in the files’ accompanying readme document.
The intended purpose is to help users design custom front plates, but Valve is clearly anticipating more ambitious projects. Keep in mind, however, that any skin, wrapper, or front plate created using these official files cannot be sold legally. This echoes a cautionary tale from earlier this year, when accessory maker dbrand had to scrap its planned Companion Cube wrap for the Steam Machine. The company had opened pre-orders for an unlicensed Portal-inspired modification, which Valve forced it to abandon. While a future return isn’t impossible, those original plans were shelved.
As of now, no user-created designs based on the official CAD files have surfaced publicly. That said, I’m holding out hope for a GabeCube concept , a hybrid that blends the iconic Nintendo GameCube silhouette (handle included, as Digital Foundry’s William Judd suggested) with Valve’s own visual identity. Or, perhaps, a literal GabeCube is the tribute the community deserves.
(Source: Eurogamer.net)
