Steam Box prototypes coming to 'customers' in '3-4 months'

It won't be much longer until a few lucky gamers will get a chance to try out an early version of the "Steam Box"--Valve's foray into TV-connected hardware. According to Valve head Gabe Newell, the company plans on "giving out some prototypes to customers to get their reactions in the next three to four months."

Assuming Valve Time doesn't strike, of course.

Speaking to the BBC (via Polygon), Newell said that "we're working with partners, trying to nail down how fast we can make it," adding that "the main thing that's holding us up right now is that we have a couple of different controller prototypes."

Valve has been working on a number of different control schemes, and has been very interested in biometric sensors. Newell said that a game like Left 4 Dead could benefit from biometrics by allowing for dynamic gaming based on player feedback. "If you don't change the experience based on what the player is experiencing, it stops being a horror game," he said.

While the Steam Box is still a bit of a mystery, Newell says that it won't be particularly surprising when it comes out. "Your average gamer has a pretty good idea of what it will be like," he said, pointing out that the device simply allows for your PC games to easily play on your TV.