We all know that Valve could be working on a gaming console dubbed "Steam Box", we've covered it with news, and even an editorial. But now Valve are actually posting job vacancies where they're preparing to offer consumers "whole new gaming experiences".

They're posting jobs wanting experienced electronics engineers, where they've said "for years Valve has been all about writing software that provides great gameplay experiences. Now we're developing hardware to enhance those experiences". The ideal candidiate for the job definitely requires the goods:

Duties:

Work with the hardware team to conceive, design, evaluate, and produce new types of input, output, and platform hardware

Requirements:

Hands on prototyping experience

Lab and measurement skills

System level design experience

Knowledge of embedded systems/microcontrollers

Experience with high speed serial interfaces

Experience with schematic entry

Experience with circuit simulation

Four years relevant experience

Recommended:

Board layout (analog and high speed digital)

Hardware Definition Languages (HDL) for FPGA and chip design

Power supply management

Thermal management

Design for test

Low frequency analog

RF and antennas

Signal integrity analysis

DSP

ARM / X86 system design

Manufacturing pilot runs

Failure analysis

FCC/CE/UL certification

After all of that, I'm really beginning to believe we should expect a console from Valve next year. I truly hope it redefines what "console" means, and slaps Microsoft and Sony in the face.