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<center> Updates
May 18- The thread has 1,000 posts biggrin

May 17- There's a update for Xbox 360 *continue*, and PS3 *continue* posts. Specs have been added to both PS3 posts, and pictures have been added also. Stay tune! Revolution info hopefully soon biggrin NEW! Some sites were added to the Revolution post. Expect a little new design to be on the information posts 3nodding

May 13- A revolution video has been added, I don't know if it is real. Also the video cuts out when Mario comes in.

May 11- There's a update in everything even the old Xbox 360 post. Specs have been added to the two xbox 360 posts. There seems to be lag so some of the updates might not come up for a while.

May 8- There's a update in the Xbox 360 *continued* post. Huge update with pictures and a whole lot of other stuff eek

May 1- There's a update in the Xbox 360 *continued* post. Xbox 360 backward compatible?

April 23- There's a update in the PS3 and Xbox 360 *continued* posts. check the video for the Xbox 360, and Blu-ray and HD-DVD Join Forces.

April 21- There's a update in the Xbox 360 *continued* and Nintendo Revolution posts. Possibe pictures of the Xbox 360? and Revolution will be at E3. UPDATE!! More info about the Revolution! also Soul Calibur III is going to be on Revolution and Xbox 360.

April 16- There's a update in the Xbox 360 *continued* post.

April 15- There's a update in the Xbox 360 *continued* post. The Xbox 360 is to have web tv, and also theres prices looks like $300 for just the system *no hard drive, or backwards compatibility* and for around $400 you can get the full system with everything. It's a pretty penny eek also Lanzers birthday is today so a happy birthday to him 3nodding

April 13- There's a HUGE update in the Xbox 360 *continued* post. Game publishers that are going to be doing games for the Xbox 360, Xbox 360 controller pictures, and the Next Xbox WILL be called Xbox 360.

April 9- There's a update in the PS3 *continued* post.

April 7- There's a update in the Xbox 360 *continued* post, also from the sites I get my info from *about the Xbox 360* they seem to have started to call it Xbox 360, so everything has been changed to Xbox 360.

April 4- There's a update in the Nintendo Revolution post, Satoru Iwata talks about controller, and online play.

April 2- There's a update in the PS3 *continued* post, and in there's also one in the Xbox 2 *continued* post.

March 26- There's a update in the PS3 *continued* post, could that be what the PS3 looks like?

March 22- There's a update in the PS3 *continued* and Xbox 2 *continued* post.

March 14- There's a update in the Nintendo Revolution post. Thanks Nintendo Punk for the sites 3nodding

March 10- There's a HUGE UPDATE! There's a update in every next generation console. YES even the revolution eek eek So go look at all the cool new information!

March 8- There's an update in the PS3 *Continued* and Xbox 2 *Continued* post. The PS3 is to be a briefing sometime next week, also what the Xbox 2 is going to have, memory storage, and there's a camera.

March 4- There's an update in the Xbox2 *Continued* post, seems like more and more top Japanese game developers to join the Xbox2. Also today is the 5th anniversary of the PS2 *in Japan*.

March 1- There is an update in the Xbox 2 *Continued* post, Gamespot has a Rumor List and Famitsu. Also the first article in the Xbox *Continued* post "IGNXbox Predicts the Future" has been replaced with the link to the article. While posting the two updates I found out that the post was two long, so I replaced the article with the site to the article.

Febuary 26- There is an update in the Xbox 2 *Continued* post, it's a possibility that the Xbox 2 might come out before E3...

Febuary 25- There is an update in the PS3 *Continued* post, looks like Sony and IBM are having some difficulties with the cell chip.

Febuary 24- There is an update in the Xbox 2 *Continued* post, seems like Hironobu Sakaguchi joined MGS, and a big announcement sometime today from Microsoft eek

Febuary 22- There is an update in the Xbox 2 *Continued* and PS3 *Continued* posts. It states certain rumors for the Xbox 2 and PS3 *there's one rumor for the PS3, and two rumors for the Xbox 2*

Febuary 18- The poll is gone, it was WAY to messed up. There's an update in the Xbox 2 *Continued* post talks about how the next XBox is really going to be called Xbox 360...

Febuary 13- There's a poll 3nodding

Febuary 12- There's an Update in the XBox 2 *continued* post, talks about a possible realese date, and about disc media.

Febuary 9- There's an Update in PS3 *Continued* post, seems that Japanese DRAM producer Elpida are set to supply chips for the PlayStation 3 and maybe even Nintendo's next-gen console.

Febuary 8- There's an Update in PS3 *Continued* post, interesting stuff about the cell chip and a picture of it.

Febuary 5- There's an Update in Xbox 2 *Continued* Post, and if you have yet to notice the Microsoft next generation system has a new name... *logo picture included*

Febuary 2- There's an Update in the Xbox 2 *Continued* post! The xenon will not be at GCD. Also that interview with Bill Gates in the Xbox 2 *Continued* post has been replaced with the link to the site with the interview 3nodding

January 31- There's an Updade in the PS3 *Continued* post, looks like there going to be a playable PS3 over at E3 2005!

January 30- There's an Update in the PS3 *Continued* post, it talks about how the PS3 might ourtperform the Xbox 2. **Just Added* ALSO another patent reveales secrets of Xbox 2 eek find out in Xbox 2 *Continued*

January 26- There's a Update in the PS3 *Coninued* post, but its for both PS3 and Xbox 2.

January 24- New info over in the Xbox 2 *Continued* and PS3 *Continued* posts. I would also like to wish my friend Nightemire a happy 18 Birthday! 3nodding

January 21- Nothing much, I changed the disc media for the Revolution from Unknown to Blu-Ray. From what everyone has been hearing that's what Nintendo is doing. 3nodding

January 17- New info in the Xbox 2 *Continued* Section. NEW!!!! I just put up a site in the PS3 *continued* post that shows how the Blu-Ray media disc works.

January 16- New info in the Xbox 2 *continued* sec. with pictures. NOW I made a mistake with it I thought it was the graphics EA was doing for the Xbox 360 *hence why I put it in the Xbox 2 Section* but it's the graphics that there using for ALL OF THEM! sweatdrop I must say i'm very impressed by the graphics from EA eek

January 15- New Update on Xbox 2 *go to the continued Xbox 2 post* ALSO I just put up more info on Revolution

January 14- Well I have to make "continued" pages for the Xbox 2 and PS3, because the other posts were filled up. So all new information will be put on the continued pages, but there are some new info on the old Xbox 2 and PS3 posts. Also NEW Updates on both Xbox 2 and PS3 on both old and new posts.

January 13- All of the old Xbox 2 info from the old thread is up! Everything from the old thread is now over here, post you brains out whee

January 9- All of the old PS3 info from the old thread is up and ready! Past Xbox 2 info should be up today! 3nodding Just now I added some info for the Xbox 2! The reast should be up some time today!

January 8- put up some info on Xbox 2, sorry didn't get the whole thing done I kinda fell asleep when I got home sweatdrop

January 7- puting up all the save spaces, Nintendo Revolution info is up, and some of the PS3 info. The reast shall be done when I get on some time around 4 PM.

<center> Sony Playstation 3
Release Date: 2006
Memory Card or Hard Drive: Unknown
Controller Ports: Unknown
Disc Media: Blu-Ray disc
Backward Capatability: Sony Playstation one, and Sony Playstaion 2 *unknown about PSP games*

Unlike The Nitendo Revolution there is a good ammount of information out for the PS3. It's supposed to be the first thing Sony makes to have the "Cell Chip" in it. There's rummor of two PS3s one as pure Game System, the other game system/entertainment center *like the PSX* The graphics are supposed to be the "OMG FFX Graphics" all the time.

Specs.
CPU
Cell Processor
PowerPC-base Core @3.2GHz
1 VMX vector unit per core
512KB L2 cache
7 x SPE @3.2GHz
7 x 128b 128 SIMD GPRs
7 x 256KB SRAM for SPE
* 1 of 8 SPEs reserved for redundancy
total floating point performance: 218 GFLOPS

GPU
RSX @550MHz
1.8 TFLOPS floating point performance
Full HD (up to 1080p) x 2 channels

Sound
Dolby 5.1ch, DTS, LPCM, etc. (Cell- base processing)

Memory
256MB XDR Main RAM @3.2GHz 256MB GDDR3 VRAM @700MHz

System Bandwidth
Main RAM 25.6GB/s
VRAM 22.4GB/s
RSX 20GB/s (write) + 15GB/s (read)
SB< 2.5GB/s (write) + 2.5GB/s (read)

System Floating Point Performance
2 TFLOPS

Storage
Detachable 2.5" HDD slot x 1

I/O
USB Front x 4, Rear x 2 (USB2.0)
Memory Stick standard/Duo, PRO x 1
SD standard/mini x 1
CompactFlash (Type I, II) x 1

Communication
Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T) x 3 (input x 1 + output x 2)
Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR)

Controller
Bluetooth (up to 7)
USB 2.0 (wired)
Wi-Fi (PSP)
Network (over IP)

AV Output
Screen size:
480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
HDMI:
HDMI out x 2
Analog:
AV MULTI OUT x 1
Digital Audio:
DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL) x 1

Disc Media
CD:
PlayStation CD-ROM, PlayStation 2 CD-ROM, CD-DA, CD-DA (ROM), CD-R, CD-RW, SACD, SACD Hybrid (CD layer), SACD HD, DualDisc, DualDisc (audio side), DualDisc (DVD side)

DVD:
PlayStation 2 DVD-ROM, PlayStation 3 DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW

Blu-ray Disc:
PlayStation 3 BD-ROM, BD-Video, BD-ROM, BD-R, BD-RE

Playstation 3 GPU: NV40/NV50 with XDR DRAM (PS3 Portal)
"A report from Japanese web-site PC Watch suggests that the PlayStation 3 graphics processing unit will use NVIDIA’s technologies found in the current NV40 generation of its own chips as well as numerous techniques developed for the next-generation part known under NV50 code-name.

Still, despite of circuitries of the company’s desktop chips found in the GPU, according to NVIDIA’s chief Jen-Hsun Huang, the PlayStation 3 GPU has nothing to do with Microsoft Windows, Microsoft DirectX or OpenGL and will use Sony’s API for the console.

Naturally, the PlayStation 3 graphics processing units supports XDR DRAM memory developed by Rambus. While there is nothing new in Rambus memory for Sony, NVIDIA has never worked with memory by Rambus".

AMD, IBM, and Sony Boost CPU Speed (The Next Box)
"AMD and IBM announced today that they have developed a new and unique strained silicon transistor technology aimed at improving processor performance and power efficiency. The process results in up to a 24% transistor speed increase, at the same power levels, compared to similar transistors produced without the technology.

AMD plans to ship the first processors using the technology in the first half of 2005 and intends to gradually integrate the new strained silicon technology into all of its 90nm processors, including its future multi-core AMD64 processors.

IBM, who has been selected by Microsoft to power the Xbox successor, plans to introduce the technology on multiple 90nm processor platforms, including its Power Architecture-based chips, with the first products slated to begin shipping in the first half of 2005.

Faster, more power-efficient transistors are the building blocks of higher performance, lower power processors. As transistors get smaller, they operate faster, but also risk operating at higher power and heat levels due to electrical leakage or inefficient switching. AMD and IBM's jointly developed strained silicon helps overcome these challenges. In addition, this process makes AMD and IBM the first companies to introduce strained silicon that works with silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology, resulting in an additive performance and power savings benefit.

The new strained silicon process, called "Dual Stress Liner," enhances the performance of both types of semiconductor transistors, called n-channel and p-channel transistors, by stretching silicon atoms in one transistor and compressing them in the other. The dual stress liner technique works without the introduction of challenging, costly new production techniques, allowing for its rapid integration into volume manufacturing using standard tools and materials.

The Dual Stress Liner with SOI technology was developed by engineers from IBM, AMD, Sony and Toshiba at IBM's Semiconductor Research and Development Center (SRDC) in East Fishkill, NY, as well as engineers from AMD at its Fab 30 facility in Dresden, Germany.

AMD and IBM researchers are the first in the industry to simultaneously enhance the performance of both types of transistors in a semiconductor using conventional materials.

Details of the AMD-IBM Dual Stress Liner innovation will be disclosed at the 2004 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting in San Francisco, Calif. from December 13-15, 2004. IBM and AMD have been collaborating on the development of next-generation semiconductor manufacturing technologies since January 2003".

Nvidia Produced PS3 GPU Ready "End of 2005" (PS3 Portal)
"Work on the PlayStation3’s Graphical Processing Unit is going well and should culminate in the finialised version of the nVidia built chip by the end of 2005 – according to nVidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang.

At the end of last week, the nVidia boss and co-founder commented and reinforced the announcement that “It's based on the next generation GPU technology… I have every expectation that we will be able to see final production silicon later on in the year."

This news follows on from the announcement made by Sony and IBM in November that the CELL processor that will power the PS3 has now been built as a prototype. The PS3 isn’t expected to hit the streets until 2006, so this projected timeline by the nVidia boss seems to support this".

PlayStation 3 chip will go easy on developers (PS3 Portal)
"The Cell processor that will power the next version of the PlayStation game console will also be adaptable for advanced scientific research, but you won't have to be a rocket scientist to program it.

That is the pledge of one of the chief architects of the Cell, jointly developed by IBM, Sony, and Toshiba, who together on Friday sought to allay fears that the chip would create huge programming challenges for game developers just starting to learn their ways around the complex circuitry that powers the current PlayStation 2.
"We're very much aware of the need to balance between innovation in architecture and the ability to leverage that innovation," H. Peter Hofstee, a researcher in IBM's Systems and Technology division, said during a break at an IBM press event in San Francisco today. "The learning curve for this platform should be significantly better than previous ones."

The three companies announced their Cell plans three years ago, describing an advanced processor tailored for demanding multimedia tasks. The companies said earlier this week that they plan to begin test production of Cell chips early next year, with the first Cell-based products--workstation PCs for computer graphics production--set to arrive late in the year.

Sony and Toshiba both plan to start selling high-definition TV sets powered by the chip in 2006, which is also when Sony is expected to introduce the Cell-powered PlayStation 3.

Hofstee said the Cell will benefit game developers not only by giving them a stable and easily approachable foundation for games to run on, but also by powering the workstations they use to produce games. The upshot is that developers should be spending a lot less time waiting for their equipment to render the animations they create.

"We think it's going to be a much more seamless and speedy process for developers using these workstations," he said.

Besides workstations, game machines, and TV sets, the Cell is also likely to power certain types of scientific supercomputers, streaming media servers, and image analysis systems, all of which have continually expanding needs for processing power. Hofstee said the Cell taps into an emerging "convergence between what we think of as supercomputing and what we use in the entertainment space."

Beyond that, the sky's the limit, according to Hofstee, who said the Cell development team set out to create a flexible design that would dramatically increase processing power while skirting growing chipmaker concerns about power consumption".

"We've created something that is very flexible," he said. "Having a more generic architecture will allow people to do new things."

Playstation 3 to use Nvidia Graphics (PS3 Portal)
"In an announcement made around the midnight hour earlier this morning, Sony Computer Entertainment and NVIDIA Corporation jointly confirmed that they have teamed up to create the graphics chip for Sony's next videogame console. Though the system has not yet been given an official name, the highly anticipated PlayStation 2 follow-up (known in most circles as the PS3) will certainly have some powerful hardware behind it -- as the SCEI/NVIDIA collaboration will incorporate the next-generation GeForce technology as well as Sony's system solutions for Cell Processor-enabled consoles.

The collaboration itself has been made with a multi-year royalty-driven agreement in mind, with the custom GPU serving as the foundation for the PS3's graphics and image processing functions. Interestingly enough, this agreement will go beyond the confines of just the PS3, however, and will also apply to future Sony digital electronic products as well. The custom graphics chip will be manufactured by Sony's Nagasaki Fab2 group in addition to OTSS -- a joint fabrication facility co-run by Toshiba and Sony".

"In the future, the experience of computer entertainment systems and broadband-ready PCs will be fused together to generate and transfer multi-streams of rich content simultaneously. In this sense, we have found the best way to integrate the state-of-the-art technologies from NVIDIA and SCEI," said Ken Kutaragi, executive deputy president and COO, Sony Corporation, and president and Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "Our collaboration includes not only the chip development but also a variety of graphics development tools and middleware, essential for efficient content creation."

"We are thrilled to partner with Sony Computer Entertainment to build what will certainly be one of the most important computer entertainment and digital media platforms of the twenty-first century," added Jen-Hsun Huang, president and CEO, NVIDIA. "Over the past two years NVIDIA has worked closely with Sony Computer Entertainment on their next-generation computer entertainment system. In parallel, we have been designing our next-generation GeForce GPU. The combination of the revolutionary Cell processor and NVIDIA's graphics technologies will enable the creation of breathtaking imagery that will surprise and captivate consumers."

Xbox 2 and Playstation 3 will be wireless (XBOX 2 News)
"It?s not a big surprise, but the next generation Sony and Microsoft consoles will come with wireless built in, allowing them to act as hubs. The idea is inevitable with all the buzz about making the game machine a standard part of every living room. This frees up MS and Sony to fiddle with the functionality of the machines to their hearts? content. Of course, this also frees up the public to fiddle with the functionality as well. That?s where the real fun will be found, and you better believe it

New PS3 Details, Memory and Cost Issues Arise (PS3 World)
"Spong has posted an article outlining reports that the PS3 will likely ship with 256MB XDR DRAM as opposed to 512MB. While this will give increased bandwidth, is an ulterior motive also to save on cots?

"If the PS3 does make an appearance at E3 2005, as promised by Kuturagi, it is likely to be with reduced memory, according to news filtering through from the Rambus Developer Conference in Japan. Reports from PC Watch have suggested that Sony is replacing the 512 MB XDR DRAM chip originally planned for inclusion with a smaller 256 MB XDR DRAM chip. There could be several feasible explanations for this move, but Sony has declined to offer a full response as yet.

Optimistic onlookers could - and have - suggested that the reduced capacity of the DRAM chip is because the PS3?s memory bandwidth will be increased from 25.6 GB/Sec to 51.2 GB/Sec. This would mean that the Cell chip takes on more of the work, permitting this budget-friendly memory reduction"

PS3 Unveiling This Year (PS3 World)
"At a press conference in Tokyo, Sony announced that they will show the PS3 before this year is out - and furthermore, there will be a playable version ay next years E3!

"Company president Ken Kutaragi outlined a schedule for the system in a speech given during the conference. SCE would like to unveil the system, referred to in slides as "Next System," at a premier party to take place some time in fiscal year 2004 (prior to April 2005). This will be followed by showings at next year's E3 and Tokyo Game Show events where Kutaragi hopes to have many titles playable.

Details on actual development for the system were also unveiled. Kutaragi stated that he'd like to have "Version 1" of development materials out in the early part of fiscal 2005, with "Version 2" to follow in the latter half".

Playstation3 and OpenGL? (PS3 World)
"An article at TotalVideoGames has highlighted that the Sony PS3 may use OpenGL. This is of course the opposite standard to that of Microsoft - Direct3D

"To date Sony has used proprietary APIs that have changed with each generation; however a standard API would seem to make sense, considering that the CELL processor is likely to feature across a wide selection of products and future Playstation models.

The move would also likely please developers who?ve found developing on the highly specialised Playstation2 taxing to say the least; whilst many have labelled it as a reactive decision to Microsoft?s plans to create XNA ? a unified graphics development environment that allows developers to easily create games for the PC and Xbox products.

Naturally this is speculation at this stage, with no official announcement yet to come from Sony; however this is certainly an interesting development in the next-gen conflict and we?ll have more information soon".

PS3 Without Controllers? (PS3 World)
"Sony might let gamers control the PS3 the way Tom Cruise controlled the computer in Minority Report...

SCEE vice president Phil Harrison recently spoke with the Australian Financial Review. He revealed to the publication that Sony is currently investigating the use of motion sensing technology for their next-generation console. Furthermore, the motion sensing digital camera, EyeToy, and its associated games have actually been used as a preliminary test for the technology. Most would probably agree that Sony's early test was a success -- certainly sales of the EyeToy in Europe would seem to indicate that.

"EyeToy was a signpost for things in the future. If you can attach very high-resolution, low-cost video cameras you can deduce some quite interesting things about their users. We'll be able to extrapolate eye movement and gestural recognition, more complicated finger movement, and the logical next step of that is to deduce from a person's facial expression and demeanour what their emotion state is," said Mr. Harrison.

Harrison then went on to discuss even cooler possibilities, such as new menu systems that could be controlled by gamers simply waving a hand in a certain direction. He compared it to the futuristic computer database used by Tom Cruise in the film Minority Report. Of course, just because Sony is working on these features doesn't mean they're a lock for the PS3. Nevertheless, it's great to hear about some of the ideas swirling around at Sony's R&D"

Sony points to 2006 PS3 ship date. (PS3 Portal)
"Sony's PlayStation 3 will not appear until 2006 at the earliest, the company tacitly confirmed today.

The company's joint announcement with IBM and Toshiba that the PS3's Cell processor, will be detailed at February 2005's International Solid State Circuits Conference focuses on the chip's features. However, it also notes that Sony plans to "commercialise" Cell-based products in 2006 and confirms that Cell will be used in the company's "next-generation computer entertainment system".

That timeframe follows IBM's plan to begin limited Cell production at its East Fishkill, New York 300mm wafer fabrication facility in the second half of 2005. In the past, IBM has pointed to an H1 2005 production start.

It's a schedule that's by no means at odds with what Sony has said so far. Cell is due to be unveiled mid-Q1 2005, and the PS3 is expected to be formally announced before the end of Q1 2005, when Sony's 2005 fiscal year comes to a close. You wouldn't expect Sony to talk about PS3 until Cell was complete, so those two events are clearly in sync.

PS3 is expected to make its first public appearance at the E3 show next May, just after Sony begins shipping first-generation console software development kits (SDKs), which are likely to be software-only offerings given IBM's production scheduled. Sony's roadmap calls for a second-generation SDK to appear October 2005, which will presumably ship alongside early hardware, again given IBM's H2 production run.

Such a schedule would give developers a good shot at offering software for the console early to mid-2006, which is when the console is likely to appear".

EA Releases Next-gen Screenshots (PS3 Portal)
"At the recent Credit-Suisse First Boston Technology Conference, Electronic Arts, further pushing its status as the games industry’s leading protagonist, showed some images it claimed are representative of what next-generation home consoles will be capable of.

EA spokesman and CFO Warren Jensen presented two images, one of Madden and one representing future Need for Speed software, both renders of projected graphical output".

"Imagine that the characters in a football [game] will be capable of showing real emotion," said Jensen. "That's what's going to be possible with the next generation of technology."

PS3 Car Graphic
PS3 Football Graphic

WarDevil Shows Potential of PS3 (PS3 Portal)
"A new next-gen game is on the way called WarDevil - Unleash the Beast Within, a title from UK-based Digi-Guys. The official website does not specifically state this title is for Xbox 2 or PlayStation 3, but several key pieces of information make it an almost sure thing for at least the Xbox 2.

WarDevil is described as a "an innovative next generation 3D title" and is set for release in late 2005. With Nintendo's Revolution and Sony's PS3 expected to ship in 2006, the only other choice is for Xbox 2. Long-rumored to release in holiday 2005, it would seem gamers will have a new console to consider next year. Consider this a first look at what is apparently a launch title for Microsoft's next system.

WarDevil is promised to go beyond the conventions of a normal video game. Players assume the role of the mysterious WarDevil, navigating what appears to be a post-apocalyptic world, ruled by the Chun Federation. Little else has been revealed about the title, but the teaser-trailer certainly makes this look like an action game and either a first or third-person shooter.

Though the trailer appears to be CG cut-scenes, Digi-Guys seems to suggest that the in-game visuals won't differ much. If this is true, WarDevil would rival today's current PC graphics, truly putting Xbox 2 on the console cutting edge. The cinematic experience of WarDevil is intentional, as the title will also become a CGI high-definition short film".

Watch the Trailer here

From PS3 Land: "Sony to Take On Microsoft's DirectX"
With Microsoft quickly gaining momentum in the console industry and building it?s self quite a good reputation among gamers in general, it is no surprise that Sony has picked up on this and is ready to take the fight right to their doorstep. This was all made obvious by newly released job openings put forth by SCEA noting an interest in finding an answer to Microsoft?s DirectX platform.

As suggested by its brief job description, the Lead Software Engineer will oversee the development of such an endeavour: ?Lead the creation and development of Sony?s response to DirectX, in close cooperation with our online and 3d groups.? This bold move comes somewhat as a surprise, yet also seems like a classy way to bring it to the competition head on. As PC gaming has evolved DirectX has become a must have for any gamer wanting to experience today?s games. This is because the platform eases the development of most software giving developers access to various hardware features, instead of having to write a lot of hardware-specific code themselves.

Though the direction Sony is going with this is still unconfirmed, one can?t help but be reminded of the PS2 and the drawbacks it had from a development standpoint. From the get-go, the PS2 hardware was extremely difficult to take advantage of, and so it?s quite likely Sony is looking at this as an option to make PS3 more developer friendly.

Info Found at PS3 Portal.
"UK-based developer Climax has revealed details of a key element of its next-generation console technology, a dynamic shading toolset for Xbox 2 and PlayStation 3 called Tomcat.

The system, which is designed to allow small pieces of shader code to be linked together and reused to create powerful graphical effects on the next-gen consoles, has been developed in-house at the firm.

"Rather than reacting to the issue when it arrives, we've taken a proactive step and developed a unique toolset that allows us to fully exploit the potential for outstanding shading effects," according to Climax Racing president Tony Beckwith. "The system we've created allows our artists to create amazing shader combinations faster, and without the need for programmer support."

The shading system, along with other elements of Climax' next generation technology, is expected to be used in the company's Avalon title, which has been announced for the PlayStation 3 but isn't believed to be signed to any publisher as yet"

New game info for PS3! Info from PS3 Portal
"Speaking at a recent Japanese event, Polyphony Digital head-honcho Kazunori Yamauchi-san confirmed that he expects to see real-time damage in the next instalment of Gran Turismo (GT5) on the PlayStation 3.

Talking with Eurogamer a while back, Yamauchi briefly mentioned that GT4 will be the last Gran Turismo game on the PS2 and he has now made it fairly clear that a next-gen version of GT5 is on the boards.

Ever since the first Gran Turismo on PSone, the inability to damage cars has been a big criticism of the series. Polyphony previously couldn?t include car damage because the majority of car manufacturers didn?t want to have realistic models of their cars being damaged in video games.

Fortunately now, it would appear that Polyphony, after four iterations of the sector-leading franchise, have managed to convince the motor industry to allow car damage for the next Gran Turismo game.

Yamauchi and his team are maintaining that they will only include realistic car damage when they can create realistic car physics/handling that reflects the damage of the vehicle. No further details have been revealed yet, like as to whether the cars will be able to flip, but we be the first to let you know if they do."

PS3 FAQ from PS3 Portal
"Presently the information available for the PS3 is very limited and as a result many rumours have arisen most of which are ridiculous. Here we have compiled an FAQ to help quench your thirst for PS3 knowledge and hopefully make some accurate predictions based on what we know. We hope this will help answer the most common questions gamers have about the PlayStation 3.

When will PS3 come out?

Based on what developers are saying and the PlayStation 2 being in its maturity stage, thanks to innovations like the Eye toy and the healthy amount of games coming out, PS3 portal estimates an early 2006 release. Sony have recently announced that they will be showing off the PlayStation 3 at the LA E3 2005 event.

What features will it have?

In an interview with the Official PlayStation website, SCEE president and COO, David Reeves, revealed that there may be two version of the PS3 available to customers at launch. Reeves said that one version could be a pure games machine without any of the fancy features and would probably retail in the region of 200 Euros. The other version would include extra features, perhaps similar to those on the PSX. See:

http://www.ps3portal.com/?page=interview
It has also been revealed in an Official Statement by Sony that the PlayStation 3 will support a new media format known as Blu-Ray which can play new Blu-Ray discs which can store up to 50GB of data . These discs can also read the old DVD format and therefore the PS3 should be backwards compatible with PS2 and therefore PS1. See:

http://www.ps3portal.com/?view=article&article=22
The controllers are set to change slightly with the implementation of a new trigger, but this can't yet be officially confirmed. See:

http://www.ps3portal.com/?view=article&article=39
We feel it is however highly likely that PS3 will have a Hard Drive as Sony have made it clear that the future of gaming appears to be online, and this would provide memory for downloads and game saves, as well as improving loading times like in FFX. PS3 Portal believes the PS3 will be upgradeable with add ons, much like the PS2's network adaptor and Hard drive (only available in Japan and USA).

Will PS3 games be playable Online?

Online prospects are looking good for the PlayStation 3. Sony has been keen to sort out online gaming and have used the PS2 as a sort of test platform with games like Socom and FF11. Developers have had their doubts, but the success of these games and the amount of players logging on has been phenomenal. Although it?s not definite Sony believe it to be the way forward so it is highly likely that PS3 will incorporate online gaming in some form. Although whether it's through means of an external adaptor or coming as standard with the console is yet to be revealed.

SCEE president and COO, David Reeves said "Sony hope?s that all users will have a Broadband Internet connection at the time of purchase." When asked about how fast the connection would need to be, he said, "it?s going to have to be 2 or 3 MB per second, something like that. Ken Kutaragi?s even talking about 30MB per second! And when it gets to that, then it is broadband distribution, and people then can just download whatever game they want. But it's got to be secure, and that's where DNAS (Sony's online security protocol) comes in."

How much will it cost?

Typically the last two generations of playstation console have been priced at around $300 US Dollars at Launch or ?300 in the UK. Both have continuously decreased in price year on year into their life. It is quite likely PS3 will do the same. It?s not known how much it will cost but around $300 - $350 is probably a fair guess.

Will PS3 play PS2 and PS1 games?

Sony Computer Entertainment boss Ken Kutaragi has confirmed that the PlayStation 3 will feature backwards compatibility with the PS2 and PSone, ensuring continued support for older software formats in the new hardware.

How powerful will the PS3 be?

Sony has formed a partnership with Toshiba and IBM, to make a processor called the Cell. The processor is actually a collection of smaller processors. Software packets, called ?cells?, are then sent to each of the smaller processors in order to give instructions on what tasks to perform. Potentially, the processor will be able to calculate up to 1 trillion floating point calculations per second.

What will PS3 look like?

At the moment all of the pictures of PS3 on the internet are fakes. You can check some of these out here. This wont be known until E3 2005."

Interview with Nobuichi Okamoto. Interview from PS3 Portal
"Famitsu have recently interviewed Nobuichi Okamoto, the tech consultant and former PlayStation and PlayStation 2 CTO regarding the Playstation 3. Okamoto is currently producing middleware software for games and mobile phones, and is also involved in the production of the Cell OS, which will run the PlayStation 3.

Mr Okamoto is currently under contract with SCE for the production of Cell OS, which is expected to be used in the Playstation 3. Although not at liberty to divulge information about the Cell, speaking about next-generation consoles in general, he said interestingly;

"Networks as a platform for games and as a platform for communication will be integrated into the next generation of consoles."

Currently, online games are identified as a separate genre. Mr Okamoto thinks that this will soon change so that all games will have online capabilities. Just like saving games on memory cards has become the norm, so will communicating with somebody playing the same game online. Not only will people use Keyboards and controllers, but people will also use cameras and microphones to communicate says Okamoto.

"I feel that there will be virtual worlds that act as arcades, where you can freely go in and out of different areas."

The Cell OS, which is in production now, will be able to utilise these capabilities with ease. However the network is still being brainstormed. Development of the Cell started in spring of 2001 as a 5-year project. Hence the project will end in spring 2006. Although it is not known whether or not game consoles will be sold immediately, we can expect products using the Cell chip to start emerging around that time.

From his experience, when asked whether 2004 will be the year that next generation consoles are announced, Mr. Okamoto had this to say;

"From my experience, to produce games on new hardware takes at least a year to research the hardware for and to start planning the software titles. If at this time the software production environment is not ready, I think it will be difficult to announce new hardware this year."

Although he did add subtle hints that some developers are already looking into developing for the Playstation 3.

Finally he commented that domestic sales have dropped in the past two years in the console market. But this is a time where everyone's waiting for the next-generation hardware. When new hardware and new ideas are announced, it'll be sure to change the climate of the game industry."

release titles for the PS3 ^_^ here's the article from PS3 Portal.
"Japanese publisher Koei has announced one of the world's first PlayStation 3 titles, revealing that it is working on a game tie-in for forthcoming samurai film Oni, which is scheduled for release in 2006.

The game, described as a "historical action" title - a genre which Koei, creators of the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors titles is very familiar with - is being created for "the next-generation successor to PlayStation 2," according to the official announcement.

It's intended that it will launch alongside the theatrical release of the movie - which is already stirring up interest in the film industry, as it is the directorial debut of Hisao Kurosawa, son of legendary director Akira Kurosawa.

Oni (which translates roughly into English as Ogre, and describes a type of malevolent spirit or mythical creature) is set in 16th century Japan and is based on a script by Kurosawa senior, which has been completed by his son.

Along with the production of the videogame, Koei has also been appointed to handle the development of other media opportunities for the franchise, including content for mobile phones, books, music and character goods.

While this will be the first time behind the camera for Hisao Kurosawa, it isn't the first time that he's been involved with videogames - he formerly served in an advisory role on Sammy's recent title Seven Samurai 20XX, which was inspired by his father's classic movie Seven Samurai."

"hinted games" info from PS3 Portal
"Some developers have hinted that they would like to make games on the next generation consoles, others have confirmed that they are already under development. We have listed all of these titles below which we believe will be appearing on the PS3 console with a link to the news source for each one.

Avalon - Climax

An 'NHL' Ice Hockey game - Page 44 Studios

Dark Sector - DigitalExtremes

Elder Scrolls IV - Bethesda Softworks

Fifa Soccer 2006 - EA - Gamespot Article

Gran Turismo 5 - Polyphony

Mortal Kombat 7 - Midway

S.T.A.L.K.E.R - THQ

The Getaway - Team Bondi

Unknown title - Surreal Software

World Rally Championship - Evolution Studios"

You may have heard people talking about it at parties or even a casual memtion of it on the news, but few in the general gaming populace really know what Sony's Bu-Ray disc technology actually is-and rightfully so. These days it's all about the standard DVD, a format that has caused millions worldwide to toss their VHS players into the trash and embrace better visual quality and sound. Movies aren't the only medium to benefit from the technology. most of the games you play on PS2 use the DVD format, which lets developers squeeze more of just about everythingeverything into a game.

However, in a few years, Sony hopes its Blu-Ray technology will overtake standard DVD's by making its way into stand-alone players, PC's and the PlayStation 3. The great thing is that you won't have to get rid of all those DVDs you already bought, since the technology is backward compatible. Also, the technolgy itself allows for an even better picture (that can take advantage of HDTV sets) and sound, thanks to the 25GB of space on a single-layered Blu-Ray disc, as opposed to a standard DVD, which holds 4.7GB.

This is info on the type of disc Sony wants to use for the PS3. This comes from the Official U.S PlayStation Magazine July 2004.
PlayStation 3 games will equally benefit from the technology, but the system may not be an all-in-one entertainment center like the PLayStation 2. While there are already several consumer electronics giants backing Blu-Ray, other corporate entitles are more hesitant, namely the movie sudios. With so many competing technologies on the horizon, Hollywood wants to wait and see which format makes the most sense. Unfortunately, creating Blu-Ray discs would require a major investment in a lot of new manufacturing equipment, which in turn would slow down the entire adoption process. The next several months will be cruiial if SOny is tho realize its vision for the next PlayStation.

Blu-Ray Machine
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-Ray Disc 2

Some PS3 Info
As interesting as the PSX and PSP announcements and the thinking behind them may be, the real meat of Sony's plans is still a relatively well-kept secret. We know what will power the PlayStation 3, and we have a rough idea of just how powerful the system will be - but the release date, design and functionality of the device remain matters of pure speculation.

One thing that is clear is that PlayStation 3 is going to be the culmination of Sony's plans in this space to date. PSone was a stellar debut in the games market, PS2 built on that success and experimented with new technologies, PSX and PSP will expand the market into new spaces - but PlayStation 3 will be the real deal, standing on the shoulders of those giants and making a serious bid to own the space underneath the world's televisions.

So, what do we know about PS3 from a technical perspective? Well, for a start, it will be based on the Cell microprocessor, which is described as a "supercomputer on a chip" and has been co-developed by IBM, Toshiba and Sony as a next-generation chip for consumer devices. Manufacturing of Cell processors is expected to start seriously over the coming 18 months, although Sony's new fabrication plant for the chip, located in the Nagasaki Prefecture of Japan, probably won't come online until 2006 at the earliest.

Cell is expected to power a range of devices, from mobile devices (PSP 2?) to home entertainment systems and set-top boxes. Although the hyperbole which SCE is wont to spin around all of its new technologies has led to a certain level of suspicion about Cell (and occasionally, cynical if somewhat unfounded accusations that the "mythical" processor is a red herring), the fact is that it's a fairly well understood piece of technology - no more mysterious than the PS2's "Emotion Engine" core, which for all the marketing spin surrounding it pre-launch, was little more than a relatively normal MIPS CPU with some extra instructions tacked on.

Cell, similarly, is a speedy piece of silicon which marks not so much a revolution as an evolution from the types of chip that the companies involved in its development have previously created. The really interesting thing about the chip is that it's been designed to operate in a cluster of similar devices, with an architecture that scales up to accomodate multiple Cell CPUs working in tandem. Of course, you can do that with standard PC chips - many large servers have multiple CPUs, and dual-processor PCs are becoming more popular in the enthusiast market (having been a core part of Apple's line-up for some time), but all the evidence suggests that Cell is uniquely capable in this respect.

PlayStation 3 is expected to sport multiple Cell chips - at least four, and perhaps as many as eight of the devices, quite possibly all nestled on the same piece of silicon. From a development perspective, the transition to writing PS3 code from PS2 code will be a huge one; this isn't a continuation of the same sort of architecture that the PS2 used at all, but like PS2, is a completely new platform for developers to learn. However, it should be noted that parallel processing is a fairly well understood branch of computer science, so while developers may struggle to get to grips with the system initially, it is unlikely to continue the PS2's reputation for being an incredibly tricky machine to develop on.

In terms of the marketing of the device, two different approaches exist for Sony. The company must decide whether the platform is going to be a single integrated device, bringing together both the media centre capabilities of the PSX and the hardcore games console sensibilities of the PS2. This seems the most likely outcome - a single PlayStation media centre device which plays games, movies and music, accesses broadband content and interfaces with portable devices (like PSP), mobile phones and any other relevant gadgets.

However, the company could equally decide to produce a family of PlayStation products, all inter-compatible and based on the same Cell architecture. A stripped down console-only version, similar to the PS2, would appeal to hardcore gamers; a fully specced media centre version would appeal to the same market that PSX targets. Other versions of the console might offer different subsets of the available functionality, depending on where Sony recognises demand for specific types of PlayStation device. In an ideal world for Sony executives, the question asked when you go to buy a new piece of consumer electronics will not be whether you want a PlayStation, but which PlayStation you want.

The question most people really want an answer to regards the launch date of the device, but this is one card Sony is playing very close to its chest indeed. A number of factors will affect this date, not least the availability of Cell - the processor is not expected to be manufactured in high volumes until 2006, although reasonable volumes (perhaps enough for a launch in Japan) may well be available in 2005.

Sony will almost certainly be beaten to market by Nintendo, but Nintendo has no aspirations to creating media centre devices, and as such can probably co-exist happily with its Japanese rival. Microsoft's position, on the other hand, is more difficult. Basing the Xbox on PC technology makes it very developer friendly, but it also cripples the company's options in terms of hardware and makes the manufacturing costs of the console extremely high throughout its lifespan. A difficult balancing act faces Microsoft with the Xbox 2. The PlayStation 3, like its predecessors, will inevitably be ahead of the PC hardware available at the time, so if Microsoft launches ahead of the PS3, it may well find itself underpowered compared with Sony's offering - but if it allows Sony to gain a headstart, then as with the current generation of console wars, more powerful hardware may not be enough to catch up.

INFO ON PS3 "CELL"
"So the way that the Cell processor works is that there is a pool of 16 or so of these (probably not completely identical) RISC or SIMD/VLIW cores on a single die. The system will do its processing by drawing resources from this pool on a task-specific basis. For instance, the audio processing subsystem will consist of a set of software routines that request cycles from the pool for the purpose of processing 3D audio. The 3D engine will similarly request cycles from the same pool for rendering, and similarly with the game AI system, etc. The different processing cores will probably be grouped together dynamically by software into "teams" in order to complete specific tasks (i.e. 3D rendering, audio, etc.). Each team's size will scale dynamically to fit its current workload by either acquiring new cores from the pool or releasing unneeded cores back to the pool for use by other processes"

info from PS3 land

GameSpy Email about PS3

"At a press conference in Japan this morning, Sony came out of left field with an announcement about the unveiling of a playable version of the upcoming PlayStation 3 (PS3) console at next year's E3, the annual video game trade show scheduled to take place from May 18 to 20 in Los Angeles.

Up until now, it seemed that Microsoft has a considerable head start in regards to introducing the next-generation console … at least, until today.

During a meeting of developers, suppliers and media, Reuters quoted Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. CEO Ken Kutaragi, "There has been some talk that development is not going well, but we expect to have a playable version at E3. We are pushing ahead with that schedule in mind."

This is not to be construed as the console being "available in stores" in 2005, as it was not until a year after the PlayStation 2's initial unveiling that any retail versions were available in Japan. Rather the PS3 will be displayed and have playable material for the press (most likely behind closed doors) to give a glimpse of what is to come.

Either way, it looks like E3 2005 will be a hot spot for unwrapping next-gen consoles, as Nintendo has already confirmed that it will "take the wraps off" of its GameCube successor currently codenamed Revolution.

Obviously, this changes the playing field for immediate competitor Microsoft, as it's the only next-gen console developer that has not confirmed for E3 2005 yet. Microsoft has always claimed that it wanted to cross the next-gen console finish line first, so we tried to contact Microsoft to comment on the PS3 E3 announcement, but our efforts were in vain, as no calls were returned.

Recently, there has been an avalanche of Xbox Next rumors, specifications, and other leaked information, so we tried to contact Sony America's Kaz Hirai and Andrew House to ask if they felt any sort of pressure from Microsoft's Xbox successor, unfortunately our calls were not returned.

Some minor information about possible PS3 specs has trickled through, as it is generally known that Sony will go into full production on the Cell chip, which will power the PS3, made by IBM and Toshiba, some time in 2005. Japanese PC Watch seems to have word that Sony has changed the amount of XDR DRAM it would be using in the PS3, from the earlier announced 512MB to 256MB. This does not necessarily mean Sony has scaled back the amount but rather boosted the available bandwidth from 25.6GB/second up to 51.2GB/sec (ATI's Radeon X800 XT has a pipe of 35.8GB/sec).

This was a PSP conference, after all, where Kutaragi also announced the company was still on track for a late 2004 PSP release date in Japan, and early 2005 in Europe/North America. Even though industry analysts say that date is unrealistic due to development setbacks, Kutaragi claimed that there were 59 games for the Japanese market in the pipeline for PSP, including titles from Electronic Arts Inc., Square Enix Co. Ltd., and Konami Corp.

It seems the financial market welcomed the PS3 news, as Sony's shares jumped up $0.19 (20 yen) and closed today at $37.29 (4,020 yen)."

Info emailed to me by Game Spy

EA lend support to Blu-Ray for PlayStation 3
"Video game giant Electronic Arts and leading video game publisher Vivendi Universal have announced that they will be lending their support to the ‘Blu-Ray’ disc format which will be used in the PlayStation 3.

The two companies joined the Blu-Ray Disc Association (BDA) this month, in a move which although unsurprising, still comes as a blow to the competing HD-DVD standard.

Both formats are designed to provide much higher storage capacity than the current DVD technology standard. Single-layer Blu-Ray discs are able to hold around 25Gb with the dual layer version holding around 50Gb. Single-layer HD-DVD discs are able to hold around 15Gb with the dual layer version holding around 30Gb.

The two incompatible formats are each being supported by a consortium of technology and movie companies, with Blu-Ray's backers including Sony, MGM and Disney while HD-DVD numbers Toshiba, Warner Bros and Paramount among its supporters.

EA and VUG are the first large game companies to align themselves with either standard, but their decision is hardly unexpected; Blu-Ray already has a crucial foothold in the games industry thanks to Sony's decision to use it in the next-generation PlayStation 3 console.

The backing of the games industry is seen as crucial by some, since the PlayStation 3 may well be one of the first Blu-Ray consumer devices to win widespread acceptance - just as the PlayStation 2 helped to drive the early adoption of the DVD standard.

Microsoft has yet to reveal which disc technology Xbox 2 will use, although rumours last year suggested that the firm was seriously considering adopting the HD-DVD discs.

The decision will be an important one for the firm - backing the wrong standard could have huge financial implications down the line, as costs will be higher for the less successful format".

What the hell?

<Center> Sony Playstation 3 (Continued)
Release Date: 2006
Memory Card or Hard Drive: Unknown
Controller Ports: Unknown
Disc Media: Blu-Ray disc
Backward Capatability: Sony Playstation one, and Sony Playstaion 2 *unknown about PSP games*

Specs:
CPU
Cell Processor
PowerPC-base Core @3.2GHz
1 VMX vector unit per core
512KB L2 cache
7 x SPE @3.2GHz
7 x 128b 128 SIMD GPRs
7 x 256KB SRAM for SPE
* 1 of 8 SPEs reserved for redundancy
total floating point performance: 218 GFLOPS

GPU
RSX @550MHz
1.8 TFLOPS floating point performance
Full HD (up to 1080p) x 2 channels

Sound
Dolby 5.1ch, DTS, LPCM, etc. (Cell- base processing)

Memory
256MB XDR Main RAM @3.2GHz 256MB GDDR3 VRAM @700MHz

System Bandwidth
Main RAM 25.6GB/s
VRAM 22.4GB/s
RSX 20GB/s (write) + 15GB/s (read)
SB< 2.5GB/s (write) + 2.5GB/s (read)

System Floating Point Performance
2 TFLOPS

Storage
Detachable 2.5" HDD slot x 1

I/O
USB Front x 4, Rear x 2 (USB2.0)
Memory Stick standard/Duo, PRO x 1
SD standard/mini x 1
CompactFlash (Type I, II) x 1

Communication
Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T) x 3 (input x 1 + output x 2)
Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR)

Controller
Bluetooth (up to 7)
USB 2.0 (wired)
Wi-Fi (PSP)
Network (over IP)

AV Output
Screen size:
480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
HDMI:
HDMI out x 2
Analog:
AV MULTI OUT x 1
Digital Audio:
DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL) x 1

Disc Media
CD:
PlayStation CD-ROM, PlayStation 2 CD-ROM, CD-DA, CD-DA (ROM), CD-R, CD-RW, SACD, SACD Hybrid (CD layer), SACD HD, DualDisc, DualDisc (audio side), DualDisc (DVD side)

DVD:
PlayStation 2 DVD-ROM, PlayStation 3 DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW

Blu-ray Disc:
PlayStation 3 BD-ROM, BD-Video, BD-ROM, BD-R, BD-RE

Interview with Kaz Hirai, chief executive of SCEA (The Next Gen)
"LAS VEGAS — Hundreds of companies are pitching "convergence" products that combine different functions into a single device. Sony thinks it has hit the bull's-eye with the PlayStation Portable, or PSP, its new decoration player that doubles as a portable music and video player.

"It's the first legitimate product to deliver on the convergence mantra,'' said Kaz Hirai, chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment America.

Hirai demonstrated the product yesterday at a glitzy Consumer Electronics Show pre-show news conference featuring high-profile rap stars Xzibit and Russell Simmons.

Hirai said the PSP will be available in North America in late March, but he didn't give any price information. It went on sale last month in Japan and Sony shipped 510,000 units by month's end. Hirai said 3 million units should be sold worldwide in Sony's current fiscal year.

Hirai discussed the product during an interview yesterday with The Seattle Times. Here's an edited transcript:

Q. Microsoft says it's not doing a device like this. What is the PSP going to do to the competition between Microsoft's (Xbox) game franchise and your game franchise?

A. I think it just expands the universe of the PlayStation family of products. It also makes the PlayStation ubiquitous. It's been dominant in the space for 10 years. Now we have the ability to go outside the home to enjoy it.

The possibility of interoperability, between the USB and what you have at home with the PS2 (PlayStation 2), it expands the PS2 gaming experience to a whole new dimension. I think that's really important.

Q. How does the PSP compare to Microsoft's Portable Media Center? Do you see them as competitors?

A. Different, I think, overall. What we bring to these products that really have entertainment at the core — that's always going to be our mantra, whether it's games, videos, photos, whatever — (is) doing it in a very affordable, sleek-looking, sexy package: That's the Sony DNA.

Q. What's this going to do to Nintendo (and its handheld gaming franchise)?

A. They've always had their market for the handheld gaming space. But we look at the PSP as not being a handheld, but really a multi-entertainment device, entertainment on the go. So I really don't think that they're really in competitive markets.

Q. How about communications — will this get phone capabilities, perhaps with VoIP (voiceover Internet Protocol)?

A. With the capability to go wireless, depending on what kind of verticals we come out with and what kind of software we come up with, the possibilities are really endless. Some people were saying that maybe we should come up with a GPS device, for example. There are various things you can do when you attach different verticals on to the hardware.

Q. So you have plans to go beyond gaming with the PSP?

A. It's been beyond gaming from Day One. We think PSP will have a long lifespan, just like the original PlayStation now in its 10th year. So a lot of interesting (things) will definitely come out. I think it bodes really well for the platform.

Q. Is the PSP going to sales of PS2 and PS3 as well?

A. I don't know about the PS3, but being able to take some of the PS2 experience outside, coming back and doing a lot of things outside and at home together, I think will enhance the people's entertainment experience with the PS2. So I don't see any reason why people wouldn't want to pick up a PSP as well as a PS2. I have high hopes for basically the PSP uplifting all of our products.

Q. CEA says game hardware sales may slow down a little bit, yet you are coming out with new stuff. Do you agree with that game hardware sales peaked a few years ago and are slowing down?

A. It may have for other platforms but with the PS2, I don't think that weve seen the peak of our hardware sales. We've always talked about a 10-year lifecyle on the PlayStation 2; we're only in our fifth year. Already we've seen close to 30 million units just in North America.

But there's a lot of talk about product wars. There's a lot of demand for the product even this past holiday, so I don't think it's peaked. I think there's a possibility we may have another peak.

With the original PlayStation we had a second peak of sales when we dropped the price to $99 — not to that say we're going to $99 with the PS2; I don't think we need to. But there's a lot of room left in terms of the retail pricing, in terms of the content that's going to be available in the next five years.

Q. How is PS3 (PlayStation 3) going to do vs. Xbox 2?

A. I have no idea — no information yet on PS3. I know that they're (Microsoft) saying they want to come out first. I guess that's their strategy. Not much more to say about that.

Q. You mentioned that the graphical user interface on the PSP may go onto other products. Will it be used on Sony's Vaio PCs as well?

A. I might be mistaken because I don't speak for other the Sony divisions, I think there's some talk about incorporating it into things like televisions".

This right here is nothing more then a Website that explains how the Blu-Ray disc's work and stuff. My older brother was telling my dad about it, and I then said "HEY that's the disc media that's going to be used for the PS3"! So here's the site that has info on the Blu-Ray media disk:
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/blu-ray.htm

Sony to unveil PlayStation 3 early '05 (The Register)
Sony will unveil the PlayStation 3 early next year shortly after its PlayStation Portable (PSP) goes on a sale in Japan and just before the handheld console ships in the US and Europe, the giant revealed yesterday.

While most press reports have centred on Sony Computer Entertainment chief Ken Kutaragi's comment that PS3 will make a public appearance at next May's E3 games industry show, it's clear from the Sony roadmap that the console - simply dubbed 'next system' will debut well into the second half of Sony's financial year.

FY 2004 ends on 31 March 2005, putting PS3's unveiling sometime in the January/February 2005 timeframe - well ahead of E3, which takes place in the second month of Sony's 2005 financial year.

As expected, PSP will ship in Japan mid-H2 of FY 2004, ie. next December. The roadmap puts the US and European release in March 2005, again as anticipated.

While the PSP's sale dates are on the map, no such date is provided for PS3. Interestingly, version one of the PS3 software development kit (SDK), doesn't appear to be scheduled to arrive until April 2005, followed by version two early in the second half of Sony's 2005 financial year (ie. October 2005).

Sony's roadmap reaches to the end of FY 2006 - March 2007 - and we expect the PS3 to be launched well before then, probably March/April 2006 in Japan and December 2006 for US/Europe.

Sony has already begun sampling its 65nm Cell micro-processor, which will power the PS3, and has pledged to ship workstations based on the wonder chip by the end of the year.

The E3 showing will take place alongside the first appearance of 'Revolution', Nintendo's next-generation console, a move Sony's rival has already confirmed. Microsoft may be planning to unveil Xbox 2 later this year, at September's X04 European industry event, according to some reports, with working models showing at next January's Consumer Electronics Show or possibly Games Developer Conference, a few months later. Either way, it's a good bet Xbox 2 will also be on display at E3. ?

What's next for next-gen consoles? (Xbox 2 News)
We may not know when they will be released, what they will be called or even what they will be able to do but one thing is certain - they are coming.

Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are all expected to release new machines in the next 18 months.

The details of PlayStation 3, Xbox 2 (codename Xenon) and Nintendo's so-called Revolution are still to be finalised but developers are having to work on titles for the new machines regardless.

The rumours are that PlayStation 3 will have a little more under the hood

Rory Armes, EA
"We know maybe what the PS3 will do, but we can only guess," said Rory Armes, studio general manager for giant Electronic Arts in Europe.

"It's a horrendous effort in the first year," he admitted.

Microsoft had delivered development kits to EA, said Mr Armes, but he said the company was still waiting on Sony and Nintendo to send kits.

Although the details may not be nailed down, Mr Armes said EA was beginning to get a sense of the capabilities of the new machines.

"The rumours are that PlayStation 3 will have a little more under the hood [than Xbox 2]," he said.

Great leaps

"Microsoft is obviously a software company first and foremost, while Sony has more experience in hardware. I think Sony will be able to push more into a box at cost."

NEXT-GEN DEVELOPMENTS

Games firms face 'tough future'
Gamers could drive HDTV

What is certain is that the new machines will provide great leaps in processing and graphical power.

It is also likely that they will contain convergence technologies to make the machines more of an entertainment hub.

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Microsoft boss Bill Gates said Xbox 2 would be part of his vision of the digital lifestyle.

While short on detail, he painted a picture of a machine that would complement a PC and offer "great video gaming but video gaming for a broader set of people, more communications, more media, more connectivity".

Sony is thought to have a similar vision for PS3 while Nintendo remain focused on a machine purely for games.

It's a bit like being an artist and being given a bigger canvas and a smaller brush

Simon Gardner, Climax

Until it is clear precisely what the new machines can do, developers are working on a first round of titles to harness the new horsepower.

Gary Dunn, development director at Codemasters, said the company had a central technology group which was at the forefront of preparing for the next generation of consoles.

"We are working on new libraries of effects. A lot of the major techniques are already out there and in use in PC gaming, such as pixel shaders and normal mapping."

Real-world physics

Mr Dunn said he expected the introduction of real-world physics to be a major part of the new consoles.

"We want to increase that level of immersion and realism in gaming to people can lose themselves in a game."

In the first year at least, developers said gamers should not expect games which harness the full potential of the machines.

Graphical spit and polish and better physics in line with the capabilities of current high-end for PCs should be expected.

Simon Gardner, president of Climax's Action Studio, said: "It's definitely an exciting time. We want to give more freedom to the player. We want to give players an emotional connection to the characters they play.

"The environments will be much more believable and dramatic, growing and changing as you play.

"There will be a breadth of effects, more involving worlds to play in.

PS3 will provide graphics indistinguishable from movies

Gerhard Florin, EA
"It's a bit like being an artist and being given a bigger canvas and a smaller brush. We're being given more tools.

"For the average consumer, we can get things of a more filmic quality."

Gerhard Florin, head of EA in Europe, said gamers should expect titles that blur the line between films and.

Many will be sceptical - gamers were given similar predictions during the last transition of console hardware - but this time it would seem to be more likely.

"PS3 will provide graphics indistinguishable from movies," said Mr Florin.

He said the distribution method for games would also change radically in the next round of consoles.

"A gamer could buy a starter disc for 10 euros. When he goes home he goes online and he could buy AI and levels as you go.

'Much smarter'

"It's much smarter if you can get levels as you go."

Mr Armes warned that developers still had to learn how to tell stories effectively in the medium.

"In some ways we are trying to forget about the hardware, go in the opposite direction. We have been very bad at letting technology design our creativity.

"What we have to do as a company is start ignoring the technology and learning our craft in telling stories."

Mr Gardner agreed: "We can thrown more polygons around and have better AI but if it doesn't make for a better game then that's not very useful."

Developers will certainly have the tools with the new machines, but how they employ them is still to be decided.

EA: PS3 may Outperform Xbox 2 (PS3 Portal)
An EA executive has suggested that Sony's PlayStation 3 could pack more punch than Microsoft's Xbox 2.

Speaking to BBC News Rory Armes, European studio general manager for EA, said, "The rumours are that PlayStation 3 will have a little more under the hood than Xbox 2."

Armes revealed that EA development teams were already in possession of Xbox 2 dev kits but not Sony PS3 or Nintendo Revolution kits, lending credence to reports that Xbox 2 will hit shelves possibly before the end of 2005, and certainly before PS3 and Revolution.

He added that final technical specs for all three consoles have not yet been confirmed, making early development "a horrendous effort in the first year." Nonetheless, Armes seems confident that PS3 is set to outperform Xbox 2. "We know maybe what PS3 will do, but we can only guess. Microsoft is obviously a software company first and foremost, while Sony has more experience in hardware. I think Sony will be able to push a little more into a box at cost."

The PS3 will use Sony's newly developed Cell chip technology, which has been developed in partnership with Toshiba and IBM. Early estimates put the chip's speed at 4.6 Ghz but the confirmed technical specs of the chip are expected to be unveiled at the International Solid State Circuits Conference in San Francisco next month.

Other than talk of using Xbox 2 as a hub, some vague suggestions of dual processing and something called 'procedural synthesis', and the possibility of Xbox 2 coming in three versions. Microsoft have not publicly revealed anything about the console's processing power which is expected to be unveiled at E3 in May.

Meanwhile, other developers have discussed what the next-gen consoles could hold for gaming with the BBC. Gary Dunn, development director at Codemasters, said, "We are working on new libraries of effects. We want to increase that level of immersion and realism in gaming to people can lose themselves in a game."

Simon Gardner, president of Climax's Action Studio, agrees: "It's definitely an exciting time. We want to give more freedom to the player. We want to give players an emotional connection to the characters they play. The environments will be much more believable and dramatic, growing and changing as you play. Gardner expects game visuals to become far more akin to movies, a view which Gerhard Florin, head of EA Europe, echoes: "The PS3 will provide graphics indistinguishable from movies".

PS3 Playable at E3 2005 (PS3 Portal)
Looks like we might get a glimpse of Sony's PS3 earlier than we expected - in a financial conference call last week Sony execs suggested that the next-gen PlayStation will be playable at E3 in May.

The announcement could mean that all three next-gen consoles - Xbox 2, Nintendo Revolution and PS3 - go head-to-head in an epic clash of the console titans at the world's biggest videogames showcase.

Sony confirmed that the PS3 will appear in playable form rather than just showing video footage of the console's capabilities, although the scope of this playability was not confirmed. We could be looking at actual games, or Sony may choose to show off interactive tech demos that demonstrate the PS3's power.

Sony also stated that it would be making a more conclusive PS3 announcement at the end of March. Again, no info was offered as to what this potential bombshell would contain, but perhaps we can expect official technical specifications and a ballpark release date.

This comment comes hot on the heels of confirmation that J Allard, Microsoft's Corporate Vice President, energetic Xbox fan and XNA (Microsoft's next-gen development toolset) guru, will deliver the keynote speech at the GDC on March 9 is San Francisco. His lecture is entitled 'The Future of Games: Unlocking the Opportunity', but it now looks unlikely that he'll be smuggling an Xbox 2 into the auditorium.

Nintendo's Revolution is also expected to make its first public appearance at E3, setting the scene for a truly stunning three-way face off on the showfloor. We'll be there bringing you all the details.

It wasn't quite the detail many attendees of ISSCC had hoped for, but IBM, Sony and Toshiba revealed enough information about their much-hyped Cell processor to spur discussion and speculation of the impact of the chip when it hits the market.

The prototype shown at the conference is based on Power architecture, integrates nine cores and runs at "more than 4 GHz".

The basic structure of the chip is comprised out of one 64-bit PowerPC chip and eight "synergistic processing units" (SPEs), the firms said. The PowerPC processor will integrate 32 kByte L1 and 512 kByte L2 cache, while the SPEs will use 256 KByte cache.


The neutral" chip is manufactured in 90 nm SOI, has a 221 mm2 footprint and integrates 234 million transistors. This compares to about 125 million transistors of the current Pentium 4 processor, which measures 122 mm2.

Cell processor to run at 4 GHz +
The memory, and memory interface for the chip is designed by Rambus and will be built around the firm's FlexIO processor bus interface and XDR memory. The aggregate processor bandwidth of the Cell processor is estimated to top 100 GByte per second. According to Rambus, FlexIO is capable of running up to 6.4 GHz data rates providing bandwidth more than four times faster than best-of-class processor buses available today. XDR data rates will clocked from 3.2 GHz to 8.0 GHz, Rambus said.

The additional data provided still doesn't answer the question how capable the Cell chip will be in the end and which processor could be threatened, if the developer trio can deliver on its promise to build a "supercomputer on a chip". According to a statement, Cell will be about ten times faster than the "latest PC processors".

Analysts such as Dean McCarron from Mercury Research stressed that revolutionary chips such as the Cell processor had been announced in the past, but were not successful to post a major and lasting threat for the x86 architecture. According to IBM and Sony, Cell is targeted to become a "broadband processor" for industrial applications and the "digital home". Applications will include Sony's Playstation 3, high-end such as and supercomputer-like workstations that promise multimedia developers significant more processing performance.

Industry watchers also expect the Cell chip to become available in a version for rack servers where the potentially could target next-generation Intel Itanium systems.

Picture of Cell Chip

Elpida Memory tapped to make PS3 chips (PS3 portal)
Japanese DRAM producer Elpida are set to supply chips for the PlayStation 3 and maybe even Nintendo's next-gen console.

Elpida president Yukio Sakamoto told Reuters that Sony plans to use 512MB XDR DRAM, with Rambus' interface technology, in the PS3. He added that both Toshiba and Samsung will also produce DRAM chips for the console. Sakamoto revealed that Elpida is negotiating with Nintendo to produce DRAM chips for its next-generation console, code-named Revolution.

One of the largest chipmakers in the world, Elpida is building a new factory in Hiroshima that will produce 300mm wafers. The new operation is crucial for the company, because it's currently operating at 100 percent capacity. The plant will open in the second half of 2005, and Elpida may establish another Hiroshima factory in the next few years.

Rumor Control: The "No Comment" Edition (GameSpot)
"RUMOR #1: A mock-up of the PlayStation 3 (pictured) has been released.

Source: The dutiful acolytes of the Church of Sony at PSX Extreme by way of the GameSpot Forums.

The official story: American Sony reps did not deign the art worthy of a response, with good reason (see below).

What we heard: This week, a scan from an unidentified magazine began to circulate showing a mock-up of the PlayStation 3. While the "PS3" logo looked fairly convincing, the unit itself looked like little more than a Discman on a pedestal (although some less-than-charitable posters on the GameSpot forums compared it to a space-age George Foreman Grill). If the PS3 mock-up looked fake, that's because it was. The article under the misleading headline "PS3 Revealed" plainly states that the device pictured is a concept mock-up from the British design firm SeymourPowell, and is drawn completely from its employees' imagination. "Sadly, we'll have to wait a year or two until the real thing comes out," reads the final line of the article, meaning that not only is the pictured PS3 a phony, but also it's an old phony, most likely from last year.

Bogus or not bogus?: Bogus.

The PS3 picture

Sony and IBM having Cell troubles? (PS3 Portal)
Sources indicate that Sony is running into problems incorporating the Cell into their prototype PS3. Reportedly, they?re still trying to reach that perfect balance of cost, processing power, and system stability. The Cell that Sony is apparently aiming to use in the PS3 is similar to the chip shown when it debuted earlier this month, featuring between 6 and 8 synergistic processing units (SPUs), the subchips which give the Cell its oomph. Up to now, most speculated that the PS3?s Cell would feature around 4 SPUs, meaning that Sony is really working hard to make sure that their next console positively screams. But at what cost? Literally? And will it be ready in time for E3? Reportedly IBM has been struggling as of late to fabricate a chip for the PS3 that features 8 SPUs. Is Sony aiming too high? Is IBM just not trying hard enough? Will the abundance of processing power be worth the cost, and will developers even utilize the Cell to its fullest?

Sony plans internal PS3 briefing next week (PS3 portal)
Information about the briefing has emerged privately from senior sources close to Sony at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, with several senior staffers from the firm's overseas offices making the trip to the event next week.

However, further chatter among some developers at the show which pointed towards a rather more public PS3 unveiling in Tokyo later this month has been officially denied.

Next week's briefing is believed to be strictly for internal staff at Sony, with even the company's closest development partners from overseas not on the guest list. Only the top Sony elite appear to have been invited.

What exactly the Sony execs will get to see in Tokyo is hard to say. The final specification for the system is almost certainly complete, and if it is to be shown at E3, we'd expect that the physical design of the hardware has also been completed.

However, whether software demonstrations will be a part of the briefing is another question entirely - but it seems eminently possible, with several well-informed sources at GDC insistent that several of Sony's Japanese partners have had quite advanced PS3 development kits for "a couple of months", with the kits now making their way into selected developers in the west as well.

Kutaragi's demotion won't affect Cell chip (PS3 Portal)
While Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi will soon step down from Sony's board of directors, research and development on the Cell processor will continue. Executives at Sony disclosed to the press that work on the Cell, which will power the PlayStation 3, still remains one of the corporation's top priorities.

"Semiconductors are a vital component [to Sony's businesses]," commented Sony executive deputy president Ryoji Chubachi. "The Cell is important not only for the PS3, but for Sony's consumer electronics overall, and we will stay on the same track as before. Our challenge will be to find effective ways in using it [aside from its use on the PS3]."

Yesterday, Sony announced a major reshuffling of its board of directors. As a part of the changes, Kutaragi will step down from his position as executive deputy president of the Sony group. He will also be discharged from his positions as head of Sony's home electronics and semiconductor solutions divisions.

Industry watchers were stunned at Kutaragi's demotion, as he had been considered a likely candidate to be Sony's next CEO. Sony instead announced that group vice chairman Howard Stringer would take the top job, and Chubachi would become its new president. Chubachi will also take over Kutaragi's position as head of Sony's semiconductor solutions division.

Current Sony CEO Nobuyuki Idei commented to the press that Chubachi was chosen as the next president since "he is a good listener, and he can make appropriate decisions at appropriate times. He listens to [people's] thoughts, and he's good at motivating young workers."

The official reason behind Kutaragi's resignation was that he was not able to raise the performance of the home electronics division during his tenure as its head. However, some Japanese media outlets have been speculating that Idei, who reportedly had a poor relationship with Kutaragi, decided to take Kutaragi along with him upon his resignation from the CEO seat. Industry watchers say that Idei and Kutaragi had differing views on some of Sony's operations. While Idei came from a management background, Kutaragi was previously an engineer.

Kutaragi will remain employed at Sony to focus on his job as head of Sony Computer Entertainment, its game division. He will also be given a new title, group executive officer, as of April 1. SCE continues to be a major operation within Sony, especially given that its machines also have multimedia capability. While admitting that Sony has been beaten by the iPod in the portable-MP3-player sector, Sony vice chairman Stringer told reporters that the PSP, with its stylish design and multimedia capability, would be key to the company's future business. Stringer also said that the success of the upcoming PlayStation 3 is an important.

Sony Talks PS3 Cell at GDC
While much of their GDC presentation was cloaked in techno-babble and industry-speak, Sony reps Mark DeLoura and Dominic Mallinson underscored the paradigm-shifting approach Sony is taking with its future console.

�The goal for the developers is to create the next generation of entertainment,� declared Mark DeLoura, Manager of Developer Relations, Sony Computer Entertainment America.

Sony, IBM, and Toshiba co-developed and unveiled the specs on the Cell chip in early February. The 4 GHz architecture is comprised of a 64-bit Power processor core, which is surrounded by eight Synergistic Processor Units (which themselves house four Floating Point Units), for a chip capable of delivering 256 gigaflops at 4 GHz.

According to Dominic Mallinson, Director, Sony Computer Entertainment America R&D, �We can run multiple on the chip at the same time.� He later added, �Each can protect the others from crashes or security problems.�

Mallinson and DeLoura also detailed that unlike the PS2, PS3�s Cell technology will allow designers to program for it in more complex languages, such as C/C++.

Additionally, the Cell will support Collada XML for PS3�s art assets interchange, and the OpenGL ES applications programming interface for 3-D graphics. A partnership with NVIDIA will see the maker begin producing PS3 GPU by the end of 2005.

In a January interview with Xbitlabs.com, NVIDIA corporate marketing head David Roman said, �This is the next generation GPU [...] It will support DirectX 9, Shader Models 3; it will be the most feature-rich, the most powerful GPU that we�ve ever created.�

Sony�s GDC presentation comes just a day after the news that top members of Sony�s high command will get the first look at the PS3 in action during a closed door presentation in Japan next week.

The GDC has been rife with talk of those rumors, but alas, no one from SCEA is saying or denying anything.

UK studios already with PlayStation 3 dev kits (PS3 Portal)
GameIndustry.biz has reported that BritSoft developers have gotten their hands on Sony's next-gen development hardware. Sony apparently, are continuing to quietly roll out dev kits to select partners ahead of the system's E3 unveiling.

A number of Japanese companies have had development hardware for the console for several months, and some are believed to be working on software demos for E3, but yesterday brought the first confirmation that kits have shipped in the UK as well.

So far, however, the roll-out of systems appears to be to a small group of Sony's close partners, and GI.biz are only aware of two studios in the country which have hardware - although some others may simply be remaining more tight-lipped about the kits.

Details of what exactly is present in the next-generation PlayStation dev kits are sparse, but according to one development source, "they're more advanced than the PowerMac kits [Microsoft] has given us [for Xenon] - they're still prototypes, but they're closer to what'll be in the final console... The graphics chip isn't there, say, but we can get a pretty good idea by taking an NVIDIA 6800 and saying, okay, it'll be like this but faster."

However, he did note that developers are expecting Microsoft to update the prototype PowerMac-based Xenon kits with more advanced hardware "pretty much any day now" - an important step for the company, since it's still planning to launch the next-generation Xbox before the end of the year, and industry rumours suggest that it may even have recently pulled the launch schedule forward by several weeks.

Sony plans to show the next-generation PlayStation off in public for the first time at its pre-E3 conference in Los Angeles in May, where it will almost certainly debut within a few hours of the public unveilings of Nintendo's Revolution and Microsoft's next-gen Xbox.

However, the system - which is based on a new chip called Cell, which was co-developed by IBM and Sony, and an NVIDIA graphics board - is not expected to start shipping to consumers until the second quarter of 2006 at the earliest.

PS3 Pictures??? (Gamepro.com)
Go here for article

Sony Delays PS3 Unveiling (PS3 Portal)
The PlayStation 3 was originally slated to be shown off in Japan last month. However, the long-awaited first glimpse of Sony's next-generation Console unfortunately had to be pulled at the last minute.

The PlayStation 3 showing was slated for March 2005, an event that had been pencilled in by SCE since the emergence of the PSP. As the date drew near, various publications ran confirmation or denials about such a meeting.

According to Reuters, the simple explanation for the decision not to show the PlayStation 3 last month was that there wasn�t any software to show and the device just wasn�t ready. Sony also sought to reassure the world�s press that there is no problem with the PlayStation 3 program. �There has been no delays with our next-generation console�, the company stated. �We are now preparing for our showing at E3.�

However, there is some speculation that E3 will not see a full hardware showing as has been indicated by SCEI�s press office. Sony�s showing of the PSP at E3 caused shockwaves in Japan and was seen as something of a snub, especially in the Japanese specialist press. Some analysts consider it unlikely that this situation will arise again, with a pre-E3 conference in the East mooted as a possible debut for the hardware design.

PS3 to emerge before Xbox 2 at E3 (PS3 Portal)
Sony have said they will hold their pre-e3 event on a sound stage in Sony Pictures' complex in Culver City, just outside Los Angeles, at 15.00 PST on Monday, May 16th, which is where it is expected that they will show off the next-generation PlayStation for the first time.

Three hours later at 18.00 PST, Microsoft will be starting their own event in downtown Los Angeles, where they are expected to finally take the wraps off the next-generation Xbox, currently known only by its development codename Xenon.

The scheduling is likely to be a problem for media and industry types, who need to attend both events, since the Sony event may well run over time which would make it quite difficult for media types to commute from Culver City back to downtown LA in time for the 6pm Microsoft event.

Many main hardware specifications for both systems are fairly well known. For example, the Sony system will feature a processor dubbed �Cell�, created in partnership with IBM, and a next-gen NVIDIA graphics chipset, while Microsoft has opted for standard IBM Power-series processors and an ATI graphics solution.

However, a number of key elements remain to be confirmed, such as the amount of RAM in the systems, the type of media they will use - PS3 will be utilising high capacity Blu-Ray discs, while Xbox may well stick with the current DVD technology - and whether either will feature a hard drive.

Of course, what most consumers will probably want to know is simply what the devices look like, with the external appearance of both systems being kept a closely guarded secret so far.

Blu-ray and HD-DVD Join Forces (PS3 Portal)

According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper, Sony and Toshiba are expected to abandoned the Blu-ray and HD-DVD formats respectively to work on a new medium that will bring together both standards.

Sony, a leading member of the Blu-ray Disc Association, announced last year that it would include a Blu-ray drive in its forthcoming next-generation console, the PlayStation 3. More than 100 companies, including Apple, Panasonic, HP, and Pioneer, support Blu-ray, which promises up to 50 gigabytes of storage on a single disc side. Toshiba leads the opposing format, HD-DVD.

While it is commonly accepted that Blu-ray discs offer more storage space than HD-DVDs, electronics companies and Hollywood studios have remained divided over the two formats due in large to the manufacturing processes. In short, the DVD infrastructures already in place would serve HD-DVD manufacturers. However, costly new facilities and operations would need to be created in order to support the Blu-ray format.

Sony and Toshiba have remained in negotiations on the subject for weeks, with key company executives from each camp dropping hints that a unified standard would be optimal.

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reports that, having reached an agreement that a new, unified standard would be the best thing for the industry, Sony and Toshiba are now in the process of designing the new standard, which seeks to take the strengths from each medium and combine them.

Sony has reportedly suggested using Blu-ray's disc structure and HD-DVD's software technology while Toshiba has suggested keeping HD-DVD's disc structure and applying Sony's multi-layer data-recording technology.

The Japanese paper reports that both companies are eager to reach an agreement in order to avoid the format wars that initially confused consumers and hindered both the VHS and DVD eras. The two electronics giants have already briefed major Hollywood studios including Disney and AOL Time Warner on the idea of a new, unified standard, according to the paper.

The big question is, what does this news mean for PlayStation 3, which is scheduled to release sometime next year? The very probable answer is that the next-generation machine will drop Sony's announced Blu-ray drive in favor of hardware that instead plays this new, still-to-be-announced format compromise.

Sony Announce PS3 Online Plans (Total Next Gen)
Sony Online Entertainment has revealed that PS3 will support online micro-transactions (purchasing and downloading new game content for a nominal fee), while also commenting that it expects users will soon be able to interact with a single online game through multiple platforms - including PS3.
According to website GamingSteve.com, SOE's president John Smedley spoke recently at the Games & Mobile Forum where he not only let slip the slice of info about PS3's online capabilities and said that he expects such micro-transactions to become a more common part of the gaming experience in the near future but also outlined where he believed online gaming in general is headed.

Smedley said that soon we should expect to see online games emerge that are accessible through a number of different platforms, naming specifically mobile phones, PC, PS3 and PSP. We'd be playing the same game with the same real people and the same character on all these platforms, but obviously the aspects of the game that would be experienced would differ due to hardware limitations.
An example provided was that on a mobile phone you may only be able to dabble with the inventory of your character, while on the other platforms mentioned you'd get the full gaming experience but with different graphics engines working under the hood.

Smedley also reportedly touched on player interaction at the Games & Mobile Forum, revealing that SOE is currently developing a single, universal voice and text interface that won't be game or platform-exclusive - i.e. whatever game you were playing or whatever platform you were using, you'd still be able to communicate with friends using the same interface.

PS3 to Mark Next Generation of Console(Total Next Gen)
Wedbush Morgan Securities' interactive entertainment industry analyst Michael Pachter recently mentioned that he believes the current generation won't really end until Sony launches the PS3. We discuss this with him as well as the impact the expected Xbox 360 launch will have this year.

In his Interactive Entertainment Industry Earnings Preview for the current calendar year, Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter made some interesting comments regarding the current console life cycle and how the upcoming next-gen consoles will affect the market.

Sales growth to start with PS3
According to Pachter, the introduction of the Xbox 360 by Microsoft will not have as great an impact as one might think. He believes that the launch of the next-gen PlayStation sometime in 2006 will be the true end of the current console cycle. "With an expected late 2005 launch date for the Xbox 360, we have seen selling pressure for the publishers, as many investors perceive the first next generation console launch as the 'end' of the current console cycle. In our view, the current cycle will continue long past the launch of the Xbox 360, and we do not view that Microsoft's pending announcement will have significant near-term impact on the U.S. publishers," he said.

He added, "We think that many investors have misinterpreted the launch of the Xbox 360 as the beginning of the next generation, and expect rapid sales growth in 2006. In contrast, we expect the launch of Sony's PS3 (expected in late 2006) to mark the beginning of the next cycle, and think that rapid sales growth will not materialize until 2007."

[ "I think... in 2010, Sony's going to have 55%, Microsoft's going to have 35% and Nintendo 10%, with all three of those having +/- 5%," Michael Pachter, Wedbush Morgan on next-gen market share ]

Pachter clarified his position with GameDAILY BIZ. He said that some media outlets took his statements to mean that Xbox 360 doesn't mark the beginning of the next generation, but he admitted that he probably wasn't as artful with his report as he intended. "I guess the first one to launch is the beginning of the cycle," he told us. "It's just that most people think that the first one to launch marks the end of the current cycle and the beginning of the transition. I actually don't think the Xbox 360 launching is any different than the PSP launching. It's not going to cause PS2 owners to buy less software."

First out of the gate
Many in the industry have questioned Microsoft's timing. Is launching a next-gen console later this year too soon? Will their coming out first strategy backfire? Pachter doesn't foresee a problem, though. "If the [Xbox 360 and PS3] launch side-by-side then I think Microsoft would have 30% penetration, Sony would have 50-55% and Nintendo would have 15-20%. If Microsoft launches first, they're going to get sales for a year 'for free.' So, if they get 30% market from the day of the PS3 launch on plus whatever they sell the first year, they're going to do better than 30%," he explained to GameDAILY BIZ.

Pachter believes that purchasers of the Xbox 360 this year will largely consist of hardcore gamers that own multiple consoles and current Xbox owners that want to upgrade. "I think [Microsoft] is doing the right thing. It's just that I think the impact on current consumer behavior is limited to 30% of all consumers. Among pure PS2 owners (not those who own an Xbox and PS2), no one is sitting around saying, 'Oooh I can't wait for the Xbox 360!' ... 35% of the existing consumer base is going to slow its purchases in anticipation of the Xbox 360 launch. Next year, 50% of the consumer base will slow its purchases in anticipation of the PS3."

He continued, "So all I'm really saying is most people think this is a 0 [percent] year and next year is +20 because the transition occurs this year, but I've got this year +10 and next year +10. So we end up in the same place at the end of '06... and what does it mean for '07? That's where you get the ramp -- the PS3, and the Xbox 360, and the Nintendo Revolution and PSP all out and starting to mature."

Even with the expected head start that Microsoft will have with its Xbox 360, Pachter doesn't think the breakdown in market share will be all that different from the current generation of consoles, meaning Sony will continue to be the market leader, MS will follow closely in second place and Nintendo will take the third spot. "I think when we have this talk in 2010, Sony's going to have 55%, Microsoft's going to have 35% and Nintendo 10%, with all three of those having +/- 5%," he predicted.

Dealing with backwards compatibility
One topic that has been widely discussed when it comes to next-gen consoles is backwards compatibility. The PS3 is expected to include this feature just as the PS2 does, and Nintendo has even confirmed that its Revolution will indeed be compatible with GameCube games. That leaves Microsoft. Part of the problem is that MS switched GPU suppliers. The current Xbox utilizes an NVIDIA processor while the Xbox 360 will incorporate a GPU from ATI. It will take a significant investment from MS to include backwards compatibility, but Pachter is fairly sure it will happen, even if it means including the old NVIDIA chip alongside the ATI chip.

"NVIDIA will be very happy to sell Microsoft 5 million or 10 million graphics cards," said Pachter. He added that backwards compatibility is far too important in the mind of the consumer to leave out. "If you're told by Microsoft that your entire Xbox library is worthless, including Halo 2, you're not very happy about that. If they decide not to be backward compatible I question their judgment."

Hopefully, this will be made clear one way or another during the MTV unveiling on May 12.

New

Sony unveils the PlayStation 3 console (PS3 Portal)

Sony have unveiled the first pictures and details of its planned PlayStation 3, showing off a machine with enormous horsepower, stunning graphics and a slew of multimedia elements.

Due in about a year [Spring 2006], the PlayStation 3 boasts an engine 35 times more powerful than the PlayStation 2, according to Sony. It will support up to seven wireless controllers and has outputs for two high-definition televisions (HDTVs).

Sony did not announce whether it plans to launch the system first in Japan, then months later in North America, as has been its practice with previous PlayStations, or simultaneously throughout the world.

"All of us at Sony Computer Entertainment have been waiting a long time for this moment," Kaz Hirai, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, said at a news conference.

"We have always attempted to do things differently. Our vision has taken us to unprecedented levels of success and innovation. Just keeping up with conventional technology is not enough for us."

The PS3 will be fully "backward compatible," playing all existing PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games. It will come equipped with a Blu-Ray DVD drive and support the sharpest format for HDTV, 1080p.

Wireless controllers using Bluetooth technology will be standard. Sony said the system will support up to seven simultaneous players, a significant boost from the four standard today.

Additionally, PSP owners will be able to use their handheld gaming device as either a controller or an additional screen, perhaps viewing tactical or statistical information that ties in with the game on your television.

Graphically, Sony showed a number of clips running on PlayStation 3 hardware, including "Devil May Cry," "Metal Gear Solid," "Gran Tursimo" and "Tekken" and had live interactive demos of several games, including Electronic Arts' "Fight Night: Round 3".

The PS3 will ship with a detachable 2.5-inch hard drive and will include slots for a number of consumer electronic digital storage devices, including Sony memory sticks, SD memory cards and compact flash cards.

In addition to playing games, it will allow users to access digital video and audio files, view digital pictures, offer video chat and allow users to access the Internet.

As with Microsoft's Xbox 360, online functionality will play an important role with the PS3. The system will ship with a built-in gigabit Ethernet port and can handle both types of wireless Internet access, 802.11b and 802.11g.

"PlayStation 3 truly is the system to be placed in the center of the living room in homes around the globe," said Ken Kutaragi, widely considered the father of the PlayStation. "The future is almost here with the PS3."

Picture one of PS3

Picture 2 of PS3

There just save spaces, they will be gone once they are replaced with the info.

Woo a nice new thread! whee

I remain pleased at Nintendo's stance here. It's obvious they'd lose out to PlayStation if they just went into a pure machine -vs- machine war, just like the way it's happened with the GC and N64 before it, so they're going a different way. It's too easy to make a nice graphics package nowadays to mask a half-decent game; the leap in graphics and capabilities has been less significant each generation: Gamecube>N64, N64>>PlayStation or PlayStation>>>SNES. I doubt Revolution will be quite as life-changing as they're making out, but their attitude of "We'll lose anyway so we might as well try out some interesting ideas" (although no-one's saying it quite like that) is more than a little refreshing from what the other first-parties are saying: "0ur gR4FiX w1ll Pwnz0r! Now you can use your PlayStation to play DVDs, MP3s, microwave your food, pretend to be your girlfriend, because obviously you can't afford any of these things on their own! And if you buy PS3 you won't be able to afford them for a good long while!"