On the heels of the recent news that Xi3's Piston would cost $1,000, Valve has taken measures to disassociate itself from the unofficial Steam Box manufacturer.
In a statement to Eurogamer, Doug Lombardi, the company's marketing director, emphasized that Valve is no longer affiliated with Xi3. "Valve began some exploratory work with Xi3 last year, but currently has no involvement in any product of theirs," Lombardi said.
It was common belief that Valve had backed or supported the Piston, though to what extent was unknown. After the uproar over the grapefruit-sized PC's price, Valve was probably wise to sever ties entirely.
Valve-backed Xi3 Piston console starts at $1000 [Eurogamer]
via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/valve-distances-itself-from-xi3-and-the-piston-248483.phtml