WTB: Sony GS Cube

I know this is completely out there, and I'm not expecting anything, but seeing as the fine folk here are people that know people, I might as well try...

I'm looking for a Sony GS Cube (I'd say complete in box, but I'm not sure there ever was a box, or a manual, and I'd really be fine without it).

I'm not sure how many were actually produced, whether they were actually used by movie production studios or not, but the photos of the final units make them look fairly production-ready rather than looking like prototypes, so if anyone knows anyone who might have one, I'd like to buy it.

PM me if you have any leads.

Thanks, Dave.

 

very long reach, good luck!

 

GScube

There must have been at least one actually produced.
According to WIRED there was one at Siggraph 2000; Manex Visual Effects and Softimage provided running demos.
More info available at Gamasutra.
Interesting stuff, I'd love to see such a thing in person but it's not likely to ever be seen except perhaps at some incredible Sony museum that would never exist in reality...

~Krelian

 

I remember it had a pink PS2 controller.

 

Thanks for the info to date. I've emailed SCEA and SCEE asking for more information about the programme, and whether any units still exist, so we'll see what they respond with.

I've read a lot of articles about the GS Cube and I'm a little confused about what the aim of the project was. Some articles suggest it was a tool for teaching programmers to load balance massively parellel systems, perhaps in preparation for PS3, while some other articles suggest it was going to be distributed to movie studios and/or theatres to render real-time animated films like Antz and Final Fantasy, in preference to using film I guess.

Anyway, looks better finished than most prototype equipment.

 

Hopefully what scant knowledge of the GScube is obtained will be turned into an AG Wiki entry as finding a sunk thread is pretty frustrating.

Any images of the unit other than the blurry one linked in the article already detailed?

 

This article has some very good pictures:

http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/pc/docs/article/20000726/gscube.htm (Japanese)

and translated:

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/pc/docs/article/20000726/gscube.htm&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result

 

That motherboard looks vaguely like the PS2 Tool mobo. What a BEAST of a machine! h:

 

Thanks to unclejun, the link to the old Assembler thread about the GS Cube - http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9569&highlight=gscube and a link to the GS FAQ page - http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18036

 

SB, why not contact a few of the film companies who might have been approached by Sony to invest in their technology and see whether any of them did and it's now lurking in a dusty cupboard somewhere. As much chance in that direction as any other.

 

I thought it was a white controller ......... just the light makes it look pink doesn't it.....??

This (for me) would be the best PS2 thing ever in the history of the universe...........God knows where the heck I'd put it. Next to the TOOL.....under a blanket in my garage!!!

 

Might have to try that, Parris.

I got a reply from SCEE which was brief and to the point (and a little bit mysterious). It simply said

"You can't purchase a GS Cube. Unfortunately I cannot make any further comments regarding the GS Cube".

Oh well, I guess that's the end of that.

 

Wow, until this thread I had never even heard of the GS Cube. What and intriguing piece of hardware. I wonder why this didn't pan out. The sticky that assembler posted in the sony area basically shows that this had some serious power (at least for its time I'm pretty sure the is something faster now). I'm slightly curious if there is some sort of NDA inplace still that keeps people from taking about it. I can't even imagine how much one would cost.

 

Sony's claims regarding the development of the unit are even more remarkable for the time, but quickly superceeded with the Cell development. A bit like "Video killed the radio star", "Cell killed GScube"... http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/release/pdf/041129be.pdf

No surprise Sony simply said 'Er, go away!'

Cost..... I'd love to see the cost of the development over the 4 years, divided by the number of animation / film studios willing to stick their hands in their pockets. Hardware costs must have been very, very high, plus running costs... :evil:

In all the searching on this device, has anyone come across any demonstration video of it's capabilities or output? I found one comment dated 2000 (ArsTechnica.com) "According to the chief technology officer at Square, it takes them about 5 hours to render one frame, but it takes the GScube about 1/30th of a second with only some minor texture reduction" in relation to the "Final Fantasy" movie. http://arstechnica.com/archive/2000/0900.html

This is backed up by a PDF I found from SigGraph that states "On the Show Floor, Sony was showing off its next generation prototype games console, the GSCube. Square was one of several companies which had constructed stunning visual demonstrations..." http://www.siggraph.org/publications/newsletter-archives/v34n3.pdf

It might be an idea to seek out pdf and conference material SB as that's how I ended up with so much information on the T15k Performance Analyzer. The other side of this is that it might also throw up some names of those involved external to Sony, which may provide better leads. It's amazing just how much material is freely floating around.

I'd imagine some sort of material must have been produced to try and sell this idea beyond Sony? That would have been far harder to recall.

Plus, SB I am trying to fathom this Australian Customs document out whilst at work, but it's dated 2001. If you do a 'search' for the word GSCube it strangely comes up with it in the customs document. I've not got the time to go through it, but it seems to suggest that either Sony requested the ability to import the GScubes into Australia, or their import was denied, but it's a rather odd document. Incidentally, this is a good way to establish whether various items have entered into various countries ;-) Just a little hint, but of course it will vary from continent to continent.
http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/resources/notices/acn01610.pdf

I've PM'd you a VERY strong lead as frankly it is someone's personal details. You may wish to be careful about how you approach it, but hey, what harm in asking some questions?