nVidia has a way of pissing off console manufacturers and it's no big secret that Sony has some issues right now with them. Most likely there will be a PS4, though we haven't heard much about it yet. They have invested heavily into CELL, so I really wouldn't expect to see a shift away from that architecture. I would expect to see the next iteration on CELL though... memory latency, larger local store, possibly more SPU's, much greater PPU performance, etc. On the GPU side, the RSX was a last minute addition, so I would think Sony is looking at all their options again. The Intel solution does sound interesting, and might be the direction of the future. Will GPU's as they are today, make it into the future? Will we move away from specialize chips and transition even deeper into lots of generalized processors that can be repurposed during execution? On the flip side, is this really the time the big 3 want to be spending large amounts of money in the next-next generation of hardware? Or will we see them just crank up the knob on what they already have? --Selgus
Not trying to back anyone up but there are a pretty large number of dead PS3's on ebay with that red light thing. Any system I guess but there's a lot. Is it easy to fix?
After what happened with the original Xbox and its Intel P3 CPU i fail to see the connection between a good deal and buying parts from that company to use in a console...
I have not heard anything about this. What issues do they have? The only reason people think this is because the Xenos is a little more powerful and of a complete redesign from the typical PC GPU vs the RSX, which is a slightly modified typical PC GPU, and because there is an early patent for the CELL GPU, which I believe was registered by Toshiba. So it's not as custom. However, the way it functions in the system is clear evidence that the system was designed with the GPU from the beginning, not as an after thought. Also, the RSX is not just a PC GPU bolted on. It is modfied for the application it is being used for. Do they even have a choice? Microsoft will push out a system and so will Sony to compete. The big question is what Nintendo will do this time around.
Actually, no, it wasn't designed with the nVidia RSX from the beginning. It was designed with a Sony custom GPU and when it became clear it wasn't sufficient, they brought in ATI and nVidia to pitch their solutions. nVidia won the contract. The technology they opted for was a slightly modified version of what nVidia already had working. This is how it was relayed to me from my meetings with Sony, back when the PS3 was in development... --Selgus
i hope Sony focuses more on the software next time around. hardware is cool and all but your not going to get me to buy it just because the kit is nice.
I read the book "The Race for a New Game Machine" a few weeks ago; it's pretty cool and describes how the Cell chip was designed and built by Sony, Toshiba and IBM, written from the perspective of one of the lead designers. It also details how they ended up developing the 360's chip at the same time. Anyhoo. Near the end, it mentions that Sony did indeed ditch their originally custom-built graphics system and throw in Nvidia's hardware when they realised they couldn't do it themselves by the deadline. Which goes along with what Seglus says. Having said that, the book could be a collection of lies for all I know (it is billed as the truth, though). Still, an interesting read.
It wasn't a last minute addition. The PS3 was in development for years. Or did Sony not tell you that during your 1 to 1? Ironically, that is exactly what they did this time around, more so than on the PS1 or 2.
What they did? Or what they're trying to do? Right now Sony isn't even close to the pace of software they were releasing with the PS2. Sony was putting out a lot more games per year last generation as opposed to the current one. Are you talking quality over quantity? A nice thing about the PS3 is that it hasn't become a dumping ground for awful games. The Wii mainly suffers from this but the 360 also has it's decent share of crap.
I'm really not sure what your question was here, but yes, the PS3 was in development for years, and yes, they had a different GPU solution to start with and switched to the RSX. I'm not privy to the actual time-line, but it is moot at this point. Sufficient to say, I have programmed the Sony GPU, and the 360 GPU, and the 360 has a design much more to my liking. --Selgus
Regardless of your preference, there is no way the RSX was last minute. Unless you have some bizaare definition of last minute. To Graciano: I mean to say exclusively developed titles directly out of Sony or their game studios. I think now we are seeing them push exclusives that are home grown, rather than paying for exclusives or special arrangements. So, this for me is a good point of the PS3 and their "issues".
