Valve needs a killer exclusive app for its Steam Box to gain any traction, says Gearbox head Randy Pitchford.

One of several developers to give his opinions on the recently-announced hardware, Pitchford told Games Industry that Valve attracted gamers to Steam with Half-Life 2, and a similar tactic would be necessary before its living room PC was sufficiently appealing.

“I would be thrilled if Valve announced a product that I already knew I wanted that was designed to use their three newly announced components (OS, machine, controller) and that could not exist but for those three new components," said Pitchford.

"That kind of announcement would really help us all understand the necessity of their invention here. But we all know that product would probably have to start with an H and have a 3 at the end and it would sound like 'Half-Life 3'.

“But alas I would be very surprised indeed if we see any worthy movement on that front, as I do not expect another true successor Half-Life game from Valve for quite some time – possibly never."

"Ultimately, without that must-buy product driving us all towards this stuff, I expect that the industry at large will watch curiously, but remain largely unaffected by anything Steam does along this vector of OS, machines and controllers over the next two or three years.”

In fact, the Steam Box might be the reason the much anticipated Half-Life sequel will never be made, said Pitchford.

“As long as Steam and Valve are one entity, I am always going to feel uneasy that attention and resources towards the platform is distracting attention and resources away from the entertainment they could (should?) be creating.

“I guess I am just a greedy gamer who wants to be blown away playing more of the best, new video games in the world, so I selfishly want to know that the incredible talent at Valve is spending 100 per cent of their mindshare building new video games!"

As such, Pitchford doesn’t see Microsoft or Sony executives losing any sleep over the Steam Box just yet.

“I imagine that if I was in a key seat at one of the first parties, after hearing this news, I would probably exhale a bit and imagine that I don't really have anything I have to worry myself about too much coming from this direction for a while," he said.