Valve is involved with Project Piston, says Xi3

Although Valve recently decided to announce that it has had no involvement other than preliminary work with Xi3's Project Piston, despite both companies showing it off at this year's CES, the hardware manufacturer begs to differ.

In a statement released online, Xi3 has stated that Valve is, indeed, involved with the new platform, and even requests a response from Gabe Newell himself.

The statement read “We reaffirm the fact that we received an investment from Valve Corporation (as we previously disclosed during the 2013 International CES trade show), and we did so with Valve's written permission.” It continued "Second, we were asked to build a product specifically for Valve, and both companies showcased this product - the Piston Console - in their respective booths at CES 2013."

The final statement reads "In closing, what Valve does or doesn't do with its Steam Box will be up to them. So Gabe, it's up to you. The ball is in your court."

Also in the statement is conformation that Project Piston is not the same as Valve's own Steam Box. There will be two different devices, with various differences. For example, Project Piston will ship with a Windows OS, and will be compatible with the Steam Box, but not reliant on it. The unit is currently available for pre-order for $999.99.

We'll have to see how Gabe Newell responds, or if this could be the start of yet another industry bickering bout.

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