More information on the PS3

**BuzzBeerII** · 03-23-2002, 06:47 PM

Sony's hype machine for the PS3 kicked into overdrive today at the Game Deveopers Conference in San Jose, California. Shinichi Okamoto, Sony's chief technical officer, revealed that development on the PlayStation 3 hardware is centering on the concept of distributed computing. This revolutionary idea means that processing duties would be handled by a legion of separate computers linked together to form a super-computer.

Okamoto's concept to use distributed computing for the PS3 will likely use a closed network that links all PS3s together with centralized processing hubs, boosting the performance 1000 times over that of the PlayStation 2. This dramatic shift in the very nature of console gaming will likely alter nearly every aspect of traditional game development. If this mind-bending news wasn't strange enough, Okamoto went on to say that "maybe the PlayStation 6 or 7 will be based on biotechnology."

Just.... wow..... :shock

**Temjin** · 03-23-2002, 07:03 PM

:damm Biotechnology? Slow down, Sony...

**Link54No 2** · 03-24-2002, 02:14 AM

Yeah ok im just going to laugh...ha..ha..haaa...LIKE ANY BODY IS GOING TO BUY THAT! IT WILL COST SOME WHAT $1000'S!!!!!

**Temjin** · 03-24-2002, 02:16 AM

No it wont. In 5-6 years that kind of stuff'll be dirt cheap.

**zmaster** · 03-24-2002, 02:29 AM

Yes, and in 5-6 years MS and Nintendo will have consoles out like that too, so it'll be the same as it is now technically.

But I seriously doubt any kind of super computer central that connectes to every PS3 and magnifies thier performance. Too many things could go wrong. Plus the sheer magnitude of processing all that info at once would be enough to short anything out, I know it'd probably make my comp literally explode in a matter of seconds.

Personally I think Sony is aiming a bit too high for the current technology. Work with what's availibe Sony, don't go making things that don't exist currently like you appear to be planning. Leave that to the scientists, just use what they give you when they do so.

**BuzzBeerII** · 03-24-2002, 02:32 AM

Well the thing is scientists know how to link many computers together to form quite powerful computers, I don't see why a company such as Sony couldn't take that technology and make it useful to them. But I guess they're aiming at a console that is quite dependant on online play. I'm waiting to hear more on XBox 2 and even Nintendo's next-next gen console, should be interesting. But then again, I guess I should be concentrating more on the present.

**zmaster** · 03-24-2002, 02:35 AM

That's correct. It's quite possbile. It's just that something of that magnitude, well, that's not possible yet nor does Sony have that kind of money.

So yes, focus on now. Don't live in the past, or spend your life anticipating the future, live for the present.

**shock troop** · 03-24-2002, 02:35 AM

A brilliant, innovative concept, if you ask me

**Zelda** · 03-24-2002, 02:48 AM

The history repeats, the technology amaze us more each day.
Who woud imagine the characteristics and graphics of the Gamecube on the Atari days?

**BuzzBeerII** · 03-24-2002, 03:27 AM

Originally posted by Sheik_25
The history repeats, the technology amaze us more each day.
Who woud imagine the characteristics and graphics of the Gamecube on the Atari days?

Or even SNES / Genesis, for that matter.

**joop** · 03-24-2002, 03:45 AM

that is why sony is the leading corp for electronics, they are always making innovative things... so with this, the ps3 is the way to go for next gen consoles, u just cant' lose with sony

as for biotechnology, it will happen and it's good to see a company with the balls like sony to announce something like this.

forget nintendo and microsoft... they always wait to see what sony is going to do, then try and beat them out, pleaaaaaze!!!

**Inaba** · 03-24-2002, 03:49 AM

Yeah just like how Nintendo made PlayStation in the 1st place... And how PSX's controllers look almost the same as the SNES's.... And how PSX added Analog and Vibration capabilites after N64 came out... because Nintendo copies Sony

hehe j/k btw

**joop** · 03-24-2002, 04:01 AM

dual analog controller?.. dvd drive?.. sony lowers price drop first... built in vibration... memory card attaches to console, not controller... most games come out on ps first them port to the other systems.

heh

**greenbirdz** · 03-24-2002, 05:03 AM

This 'distributed computing' thing is not that far-fetched. I know this is not a direct analogy, but do you know how the SETI project works? Thousands of home users download packets of compressed data, the seti program on their computer processes it, and sends any suspicious results back to SETI's computer bank. That way, instead of using a few computers in their headquarters to process all their data, they use millions of computers to do it for them.

zmaster, your arguments weren't really very valid.

the sheer magnitude of processing all that info at once would be enough to short anything out, I know it'd probably make my comp literally explode in a matter of seconds.

Not true.. There is an IBM supercomputer than runs at 12.3 teraflops; it can perform 12.3 trillion operations per second. In 5-6 years, it will likely be many times that. Current PS2's probably perform thousands of times fewer operations.

That's not really the point though. Think about it this way; do (or did) you use Morpheus or Kazaa? Those programs were controlled by central servers, but those didn't process all the data that people uploaded and downloaded. All they did was connect the 2 users together, who then used their ISP's bandwidth to send files. I imagine Sony's central server would work the same way; keeping the PS3's connected, but not processing everything. Even if it did get overloaded, it wouldn't "short out" or anything, it would just crash or shut down, like servers do today (Damn them all to heck, lol).

**Inaba** · 03-24-2002, 06:04 AM

Originally posted by joop
dual analog controller?.. dvd drive?.. sony lowers price drop first... built in vibration... memory card attaches to console, not controller... most games come out on ps first them port to the other systems.

heh

Dual Analog, they just took N64's Analog and doubled it, forcing you to buy a whole new controller

Cheaper - Not so true anymore

DVD-Drive - I fail to see how thats innovative. DC was the 1st to use its own format which was bigger then CD, thats innovation

Built In Vibration - They took N64's vibration and built it in, forcing you to buy a whole no controller

Memory Card - Idea stolen from Sega CD and Sega Saturn's Memory cart, and just really a nessesity since you can't save to CD's. Sega Saturn was also the 1st console I know of that had a clock

Sega CD & Saturn also were the 1st consoles i know of that had built in memory...

PS ports - Thats because PS is more popular, what in the world does that have to do with innovation?

Dude, I was just kidding now your going to turn this into a debate

PSX was cool, thats why I have one and now a PS2... I'm not saying it was bad, just Sony isn't exactly a king of innovation

***Colin TRADEMARKED*** · 03-24-2002, 07:14 AM

Biotechnology?

That would rock if I could use my dog to play something like GT 5.

**zmaster** · 03-24-2002, 01:35 PM

*bangs head on desk*

I'll put it this way greenz.

It was late. I was tired. I needed a Mountain Dew. I didn't know what I was babling about.

But what I'm trying to say is, well, Sony needs to calm down and focus on now. The PS2 is doing fine, there's no reason to start all this crap about the PS3. I don't know, it's just that something about this annoys the crap out of me. I don't know what. Some feeling or sense about it. Yeah, mabye I should go eat breakfast.

Damn, I need to stay out of tech arguments. I have no idea what I'm talking about in them. I'll just stick to drowning fanboys with logic o_0

Never argue on an empty stomach.

**BuzzBeerII** · 03-24-2002, 01:49 PM

The thing is, Sony's the first company to reveil something about their next-next gen system; you can bet your bottom dollar Microsoft and Nintendo are doing the same thing, they're just not sharing the goods.

**CaptainNintendo** · 03-24-2002, 05:21 PM

This is why the PS3 will die too fast. Sony is trying to make too much out of what they make. by the time they release PS3 it might be a big hit. but in months time with Microsofts and Nintendos new console comes out afterward, the PS3 will end up like the dreamcast. thnx to the Nintendo Gamesphere and the Microsoft S-Box.

**BuzzBeerII** · 03-24-2002, 06:06 PM

Originally posted by CaptainNintendo
This is why the PS3 will die too fast. Sony is trying to make too much out of what they make. by the time they release PS3 it might be a big hit. but in months time with Microsofts and Nintendos new console comes out afterward, the PS3 will end up like the dreamcast. thnx to the Nintendo Gamesphere and the Microsoft S-Box.

Aren't you also the one who predicted that the GameCube would crush the PS2 in terms of sales figures? :damm