Sony no longer researching CELL 2, abandons architecture.

Discussion in 'General Gaming' started by ASSEMbler, Nov 10, 2007.

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  1. ASSEMbler

    ASSEMbler Administrator Staff Member

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    Sony has cancelled any further research into cell , cancelling 45nm
    and other projects.

    Basically, IBM and Toshiba can do what they like, but sony is no longer
    able to bankroll it's portion of the partnership.

    All 100 or so employees have been moved to their CCD (camcorder)
    business.

    So it seems like this is getting pretty dire.

    Sony is no longer banking on cell. Basically, it is selling a product it
    no longer cares about in the long term.
     
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  2. Yakumo

    Yakumo Pillar of the Community *****

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    Nice to hear some good news :)

    yakumo
     
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  3. Parris

    Parris I'm only here to observe...

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    I'm really trying to figure out what effect this has in the longer term. What are the implications of this?
     
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  4. opethfan

    opethfan Dauntless Member

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    Maybe Sony are returning to their core business of home\consumer electronics?

    It could be a good thing. Sony's non-gaming kit is often good stuff.
     
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  5. Parris

    Parris I'm only here to observe...

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    If not over priced, badly conceived and third party rebadges, with poor repair ethos - yeah, it'll be good to have the old Sony back again lol
     
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  6. la-li-lu-le-lo

    la-li-lu-le-lo ラリルレロ

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    Isn't research something you do before releasing a product? What work is there to be done now that Cell is already in production? Are you talking about a successor to Cell or something?
     
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  7. sabre470

    sabre470 Site Supporter 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2015

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    I don't agree, Sony stuff back in the 90's was rock solid, at least in France we always had A-grade stuff. My SCPH-5500 PSX never failed aafter 100s of hours of play if not thousands, my discman is still working since 1997 like a charm (I hate MP3 quality)...

    The PS3 is not showing any sign of failing compared to the 360, I think they just made a bad call on the Cell technology and they are now starting to realise this. I just wish the PS3 was like the PSX which was an amazing piece of technology for the time and still a console not a media center rip off that look like a grill.

    Sabre
     
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  8. AntiPasta

    AntiPasta Fiery Member

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    Source? Somehow I think somebody's being overly dramatic. All I heard is that Sony sold its production facilities (not that I'm very much up to date all the time)
     
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  9. oldengineer

    oldengineer Familiar Face

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    ^ Yeh, I like to know the source as well.
     
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  10. Barc0de

    Barc0de Mythical Member from Time Immemorial

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    yea me too, people have a right to know :p

    (They tookerjebs >< )
     
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  11. ASSEMbler

    ASSEMbler Administrator Staff Member

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    http://www.gamedaily.com/news/biz/

    Source: Nikkei Business Daily


    Last month Sony confirmed that it reached a preliminary agreement
    with Toshiba to sell off its production facilities for advanced chips
    (including the Cell in PS3). The sale of Sony's semiconductor business
    to Toshiba is estimated to be worth about 100 billion yen ($861
    million).

    Now, however, the word from the Nikkei Business Daily in Japan (via
    Solid State Technology) is not only is Sony selling its Cell production
    facilities, but the electronics company is also planning to withdraw
    from its R&D project with IBM and Toshiba, which sought to reduce
    the Cell chip to 32nm and below. IBM and Toshiba are expected to
    carry on the project, though.

    In addition, Sony intends to cancel all capital investments in
    production of 45nm and later Cell chips. The current Cell chips being
    made for PS3 are using a 65nm process, SCE head Kaz Hirai
    confirmed. Rather than pursue Cell development, Sony is planning to
    strengthen its work in CCD and CMOS image sensors.
    Sony executive deputy president Yutaka Nakagawa explained to the
    Nikkei that the move is part of Sony's "asset light" strategy to end
    chip manufacturing investments after 65nm. The focus will switch to
    design over manufacturing.

    "We plan to minimize the investment that is required to make
    packaged IC chips smaller," said Nakagawa. "Manufacturing
    cutting-edge packaged IC chips is not considered as important as it
    once was. The most important thing is what type of chip a company
    decides to produce, so we will increase the number of designers
    depending on the chip's purpose. The fact that we will stop operating
    an advanced chip plant does not mean that we are downgrading the
    importance of the chip business."

    He added, "About 100 employees who worked on designing the Cell
    and other advanced microprocessors have already been reassigned to
    divisions where manufacturing technologies for image sensors and
    analog IC chips are being developed."
     
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  12. babu

    babu Mamihlapinatapai

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    Source
     
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  13. ASSEMbler

    ASSEMbler Administrator Staff Member

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    The coffers are empty at sony, and if anyone has noticed, their home electronics suck too.

    Sony mp3 players? lol
    How many $$$ dancing mp3 eggs can they sell?

    All they have left is their camera business.
     
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  14. PhreQuencYViii

    PhreQuencYViii Champion of the Forum

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    I have never owned anything by Sony for a full year besides PlayStation. Why? Because they always seem to magically break, especially the CD players.
     
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  15. Importaku

    Importaku Import Maniac

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    The only thing that sony made that was high quality was aibo. All my other non console sony stuff is either dead or dieing.
     
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  16. oldengineer

    oldengineer Familiar Face

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    What a shame *NOT*
     
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  17. GodofHardcore

    GodofHardcore Paragon of the Forum *

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    let the speculation begin about what will happen to Sony's Gaming IPs.
     
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  18. Parris

    Parris I'm only here to observe...

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    It certainly "IS" a shame if Sony ultimately decided to thrown in the towel after the PS3, or if they decide that it's not a core aspect of their business strategy any more as a very promising, exceptionally well built (however sadly reduced the longer it goes on) piece of gaming hardware may end up not fullfilling its potential.

    To my mind losing Sony from the gaming stable would be a considerable loss. I for one have had great enjoyment from their product throughout the years and continue to do so, albeit generally on the PS2. :rolleyes:
     
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  19. kammedo

    kammedo and the lost N64 Hardware Docs

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    PS3 = N64. I told you. Now which will be the percussions of this on the PS3?
     
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  20. XxHennersXx

    XxHennersXx I post here on the toilet sometimes.

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    I don't own any other sony products... I don't know why. I just now noticed this. I'm looking around my house and looking.
     
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