Chips That Power Nuclear Bombs

Next-Gen.biz

The newest issue of Forbes delves into the Cell processor's ease of use, its power and the importance of balancing the two in order to attract non-gaming software developers.

 

There have been all kinds of reports about the PlayStation 3 Cell processor's ease of use - or lack thereof - with game developers saying either it's very difficult or "crazy easy." However, the chip, which was jointly developed by Sony, IBM and Toshiba, is intended to have applications reaching far beyond gaming.

 

So, while developers such as Secret Level may say, “Anyone who worked on the PlayStation 2 is jumping for joy� in terms of relative difficulty of programming, the chip's creators had to think of other users outside of the gaming realm - users that aren't used to the comparitively steep hardware learning curves that game developers have become used to.

 

Marc Tremblay, chief architect of the rival Niagra chip said, "The programming model [for the Cell] is a nightmare." True, it's in his best interest to downplay the chip, but software developers outside of the gaming industry may not be up to the challenge of working with an asymmetric design that utilizes a central processing core and eight co-processors. Nontheless, some tech manufacturers are buying into it.

 

The Forbes article mentions specifically defense contractor Raytheon's deep interest in the chip, which could be used in missles and artillery shells, among other applications.

 

“Sonar, infrared sensors - there are hundreds of products that Raytheon designs that could use this type of technology,� Peter Pao, chief technology officer told Forbes. “Current chips are going to run out of steam.� The company has been examining the the chip for 15 months.

 

Another specific example of a non-gaming application is a Cell-based system called Turismo, a 6-foot-high rack from technology company Mercury Computer Systems that employs 128 Cell chips that could produce 25 trillion calculations per second. The technology could allow fast 3D renderings of CT scans.

 

Next Generation also reported on a military application from Mercury, exhibiting that the company is diving into Cell development head-first.

 

Sony semiconductor chief Kenshi Manabe recently said that he expects the Cell to become the new industry standard, even overtaking market leader Intel and its Pentium line. However, the article points out that IBM salesmen have said that the Cell won't pose a threat to Intel, simply because the Cell is overkill for basic desktop computer applications that the Pentium is so adept at handling.

 

Regardless of whether or not non-gaming companies will adopt Cell technology, gamers can rest assured that game developers are working on untangling the power of the processor.

 

“We’re seeing stuff that goes dramatically beyond what we can do with the current generation [of games],� said Andrew Goldman, CEO of Pandemic Studios. “And what you will see over time is going to be even more amazing.�

 

Source: Forbes

curtained with fly eggs

so the PS3 will let me kill people?

when can i preorder a ps3

idunno, but you can preorder games here:

http://www.gamestop.com/search.asp?cookie%...t=1&keyword=ps3

It's a big list of games there.

is that line from the crooklyn dodgers?

I've read somewhere that the playstation 3 will have 9 dualcore processors. That's like 10 years ahead of anything we have on the market today. fucking ridiculous.

it's gonna be like a new jesus

i heard it can transform from a ps3 to a pickup truck then to a gaint robot!

Anyone remember when these peopel were smuggling ps2's into some country's to use the hardware for missles and shit too?

shit, that was an episode of law and order.

or was it JAG?

i dont watch JAG.

youre missing out, well not really

i dont watch jag anymore i did for about a month

Never really watched JAG...but that brunette on there is the hotness.

Totally forgot about JAG. Anyway. PS3. Dont they normally say it has all these features, and then when it comes down to production they dumb it down alot. Similar to concept cars/production cars.

Edit:

That was a question, not a "I know this."

I'll believe it when I see it.....they hyped the PS2 to death "entertainment hub" my fucking ass.

Yeah, thats kinda what Im saying. Its like so sweet when its in concept mode, but then it goes into production.

This article isn't talking about the hype, though. It is stating as fact that Raytheon has been researching this Cell chip for the past 15 months. And that billions was spent on the R&D by Toshiba, Sony, and IBM. One wonders whether this will give any competition to Intel in certain markets, ie military.

gasface - yeah, that is the line from Crooklyn Dodgers. I just replaced "Sega" with "Sony".

Sorry... in English?

Hmm. Well thats cool about the chip. I want one.

Originally posted by FunTimePartyTeam@Feb 9 2006, 02:55 PM

Totally forgot about JAG. Anyway. PS3. Dont they normally say it has all these features, and then when it comes down to production they dumb it down alot. Similar to concept cars/production cars.

 

Edit:

 

That was a question, not a "I know this."

Quoted post

They don't normally bullshit you in the video game industry, I suppose because most video game consumers historically know what the fuck they are buying and they know when you are bullshitting them. It's only recently that video games have become so popular that regular lay people with passing interest can be wowed by video games.

I don't think this is hype either, when they put out specs like that people expect them to deliver on that. They wanted to put out the most powerful gaming/computer system so they are going to do it.

And what's more is that the ps3s when online will act as a distributed super computer sharing excess processing power (similar in concept to SETI), thereby making it virtually unlimited in processing power.

It is going to blow everything else out of the water.

Jeepers.

That trailer for MGS4 looked so rowdy, tey were talking about the cell stuff in it too.

i liked regular nintendo......but seriously the chips are overkill

http://www.maxps3.com/2006/02/12/first-han...n-with-the-ps3/

The first hands on impressions of the PS3 have finally been delivered - by website Kikizo.com. As the final development kits were sent out to developers, Kikizo managed to get hands on time with three of them, and while there are no game specific details, more info on the console has been revealed.

 

Here are some key points for those of you who dont want to read the full five page article:

 

- The pre-rendered special effects that we see in movies are not able to be reproduced on the PS3 in realtime, contrary to what was promised.

 

- Most developers are working on getting the games running well at 720p, and then upscaling it to 1080p. This is becuase they are simply finding it tough to achieve good results at the true, high resolution of 1080p.

 

- Sony plans to change the concept controller design, replacing it with something new will retaining the DualShock 2 layout.

 

- Landscapes / environments rendered on the PS3 look amazing - a standout feature so far.

 

- The PS3 seems to outperform the Xbox 360 particularly where there is a lot happening on the screen, i.e. it can do more “stuff� at once.

 

- Overall the machine is not overly superior to the Xbox 360, thus far it would seem better only by an insignificant amount.

lame.

Originally posted by Antron@Feb 8 2006, 02:55 PM

so the PS3 will let me kill people?

Quoted post

:haha: :haha: chill....

Originally posted by Antron@Feb 8 2006, 02:55 PM

so the PS3 will let me kill people?

Quoted post

:haha: :haha: chill....

Nintendo revolution baby! :king:

Next Generation can reveal that Sony is planning to launch an online games service, largely modelled on Xbox Live, currently called PlayStation HUB. We also understand Sony is aiming for a September launch for PlayStation 3 in Japan and North America.

 

According to well-placed industry sources, PlayStation HUB will offer PlayStation 3 owners much the same services as Xbox Live, including chat, downloadable demos, independent games and online play. The service is also designed to support PSP online play as well as PS3. It's a departure from PlayStation 2's online strategy, widely regarded as vastly inferior to Microsoft's.

 

PlayStation HUB is being described to developers as a 'subscriber service' suggesting a monthly charge. We understand the service is being created by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, although this is unconfirmed.

 

Sony boss Howard Stringer is pushing for all media content to be available for distribution over PlayStation HUB, such as music and movies, thus opening up a powerful iTunes-like distribution network for Sony.

 

 

September launch

 

Developer sources are also suggesting that PlayStation 3 is currently scheduled to launch in September. A launch games release schedule seen by our sources states a September launch. Although the schedule does not explicitly state a hardware launch date, nor a launch territory, we understand Japan and U.S will both see the machine in September.

 

Some in the industry have taken this as a lead to speculate that September 16 would be a launch date in Japan (a Saturday before a national holiday) followed by September 21 in the U.S. These dates are not confirmed and, as always, launch dates are subject to constant revision.

 

A spokesperson for SCEA said the company does not comment on rumors. However, we understand Sony is preparing to announce HUB some time in the next few weeks.

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=c...d=2270&Itemid=2

I am starting to think that Sony is having big problems; that is why they refuse to release any kind of info on anything. Since when does Sony keep quiet about their machines?

IT'S OFFICIAL

Sony Delays PlayStation 3

Blu-ray forcing the machine into hiding until November.

by Patrick Klepek, 03/14/2006

 

Sony has been anything but talkative these past few months regarding their plans for PlayStation 3. No one except Sony seemed to anticipate they'd continue to meet their projected spring release date in any territory, even Japan.

 

Today, Sony officially conceded defeat to the recent flurry of rumors and speculation, with Japanese newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun reporting the machine has been pushed back until November.

 

There aren't many details out right now, but Sony says issues over the finalization of copy protection technology related to their Blu-ray disc drive is the cause of the delay.

 

When asked for a comment, a Sony Computer Entertainment America spokesperson only went on record saying that SCEI has not issued any official statement itself yet.

 

As the news is coming out of Japan, that creates a worrisome scenario for America and Europe. There were already rumblings Sony wouldn't be able to launch in all territories before the end of the year, but missing out on the Christmas season over here could prove a deadly blow to Sony's next-generation plans.

 

Somewhere in Microsoft's offices, Bill Gates just opened a bottle of champagne. With more details expected at tomorrow's PlayStation conference and the Game Developers Conference just around the corner, it appears the flood gates (for good or ill) are about to be unleashed.