Interviews with Kutaragi & Kanawashi (by One atB3) On Linux, missing HDMI port etc. G

[Crossbar]

I haven't seen this around here, but I think a lot of you will appreciate it!!!!
Interesting details about Linux and possible future PS3 configurations.

There are various interviews with SCE at E3, here's a brief summary of them.
"PS3 is a computer" (as a PC is an office computer), basically it's the message.

Ken Kutaragi interview @ ITmedia
http://plusd.itmedia.co.jp/games/art...9/news046.html
(Most parts are at http://ps3.ign.com/articles/706/706133p1.html)

• The playable devkits at the E3 floor are all connected to the network and new builds of games are sent there day by day via FTP even during the E3
• The PS3 price may be too cheap, it's like no other. (See the IGN article)
• 2 million units at launch. (See the IGN article)

Ken Kutaragi interview @ Nikkei Tech-on
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/article...060510/116928/

• Contrary to the underestimation by people, there are over 10 playable titles at the show floor, unlike the days of PS1/2
• There's not necessarily a correlation between the higher software development cost and the higher hardware spec. The criticism that regards PS3 as a too fat, too powerful hardware sounds like the excuse by those who avoid the challenge to new technologies. Until E3 developers hadn't known what other developers had been doing, apparently there are those who are surprised to see the states of completion of PS3 games not only among users but also among developers. I expect it can remove the excuse.
• Many devkits are stacked in the data center at the E3 showfloor connected to the network. Developers can send data everyday via FTP like in arcard games development. Consumer games distribution will begin to focus on network more, for example using a BD as a key disc, game contents are updated via network, or you can carry over the data you played at an arcade to a PS3 at home. PS3 begins the evolution since the day one you purchased it along with the network, because there's no need to close it within a package. People will feel it in the very near future, sooner than March 2007.
• PS3 is a computer, just like a typical computer which downloads a program from CD-ROM to HDD then executes it from an HDD as a cache. If the HDD space is small for you, you can buy a bigger HDD. In the next year even a PS3 with 120GB HDD may be released. It's not another version of PS3, it's just another configuration. Because PS3 is a computer. We may be able to sell it in BTO (built-to-order) for each customer. With that assumption, the internal of PS3 is designed with modularity in mind unlike home appliances and game consoles. In the way of thinking with which a computer is designed, we adopted standard interfaces and selected various parts with extensibility in mind.
• Kutaragi feels potential in the "Eye of Judgement" game.
• We have as many Cell as we'd like to sell them, so no worry about the scarcity. We started the manufacturing of Cell in Summer 2005. The more Cell the more better since we want to put Cell servers across the network. What's really difficult to secure were general parts in good times, such as passive parts, memory, HDD, boards, plate, and all other parts for 1 million per month production.
• (Answering the question about what Sony President Chubachi is saying as "customer viewpoint" lately) I am hardly conscious of it, we've been always with the customer since we began PlayStation. PS is a part of daily life and SCE employees, families, and myself are all uses, in other words customers.

Izumi Kawanishi interview (SCEI corporate executive, software platform development division) @ ITmedia
http://plusd.itmedia.co.jp/games/art...1/news058.html

• The base system of the 20GB PS3 and the 60GB PS3 is the same, it's like PC motherboards with different interfaces but different peripherals. It's not that there are 2 models of PS3, they are variations.
• It's natural that specs are different due to price ranges, just like hi-end and lo-end PC.
• The PS3 spec is the same worldwide, but there'll be more variations in future.
• The current PS3 can't output different pictures through HDMI and AV-multi. There may be a PS3 with 2 HDMIs in future
• Games can be saved in HDD. The difference in 20GB/60GB PS3 such as HDMI, WiFi, memory cards slot, and HDD won't matter in playing games. If you feel the HDD is small you can buy a bigger one.
• Though we wanted to add a motion sensor before we couldn't decide what kind of it should be built in and sensor devices were not good enough back then.
• The new PS logo button is used to raise the system menu, to turn on/off PS3, and to make the system recognise the controller. It's powered by a battery charged with a USB cable from PS3 to controller. The controller can't be used for PS2.
• PS3 has a standard web browser and a media player and XMB. It can play download contents and send data to PSP as a server. For the 20GB HDD PS3, PSP is connected via USB.
• In the PS1 emulation in PSP, PS1 game code is not at all modified. Some games can be run on a general emulator and others will be shipped with a special emulator. They are booted from MemStick Duo. If users want PSP may support MemStick boot of user application in future.
• The power supply unit of PS3 is internal. The quietness is equal to the PS2.

Izumi Kawanishi interview (SCEI corporate executive, software platform development division) @ PC Watch, by Zenji Nishikawa
(Some parts are the same as the interview above, such parts are omitted)
http://watch.impress.co.jp/game/docs/20060511/ps3.htm

• Though the PS3 hardware spec itself supports 2 screens output, the SKUs don't support it currently because its merit for users is unknown for now. HDMI x2 may be possible in future variations of PS3.
• We know 1080p is not an easy task but as you see GT:HD it's not impossible. Just like PS2 which was said to have too little VRAM in the early days we are not much concerned about it now.
• As for rendering resolution we recommend 1080p and 720p. Though we have no strict guidelines we recommend 1080p, anyway. But it depends on what resolution is prevalent for TV when a game launches.
• As for the developer comment that they prioritize info density per pixel to pointless HD, it's OK that a game has a different priority, though SD is nor preferable.
• As for the GbE port, the first PS3 configurations in 2006 have only one but in future configurations they can add more ports if they are needed.
• Unlike PS2 and other game consoles with OS and drivers on a game disc with the assumption that the hardware spec doesn't change, PS3 allows the change of the hardware spec with demands of the times. The OS and drivers are installed in PS3 and it absorbs hardware differences, which resembles the current form of PC.
• Since PS3 has Linux installed Linux programming is allowed. License fees are not required for individual developers. Licensed PS3 game developers can get SDK and technical support by SCE, on the other hand in the Linux world they don't have to pay license fee but the support is minimum. In Linux, Cell is under the hardware layer of the OS supervisor, but things inlcuding SPE are expected to be open to developers. But we don't intend to mix the PS3 as a game platform and the PS3 in the Linux world.
• PS3 is always "PlayStation". But in the category of computer entertainment, it's not necessarily a game that's provided for PS3. In that case, it may compete with PC including Windows PC.
• (Answering the question why there are no non-game apps in the E3 show floor) Well, it's because this is E3 (laugh)

EDIT: One more:

Izumi Kawanishi interview (SCEI corporate executive, software platform development division) @ AV Watch
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/do...0511/rt003.htm

• DVD upconversion and progressive conversion will be implemented
• PS3 targets 4K x 2K video output too
• (Answering the question about Cell/RSX clockspeed that disappeared from the spec) We will announce the numbers later (But later Kawanishi referred to Cell as 3.2Ghz, so the interviewer speculates it's likely that the RSX spec has changed)

It has pics and movies of XMB in an actual PS3 unit which was shown behind the door.

http://www.beyond3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30746
Courtesey to one!!!!!

[martel]

Cool, I've read some of that before, but some is new and it's great having it all in one place.

[Luis]

Yes, someone already posted some of that, but there's a lot more in there.

The only final hardware detail I want to find out is whether RSX will work at 550 MHz as it was originally planned or whether devkits with RSX running at 450 MHz are the way to go... or somewhere between those. In any case, having seen MGS4, Heavenly Sword, Heavy Rain and some others, I'm not concerned about either outcome.

[rpgamer_2k5]

I wonder why the PS3 the weighs 5Kg, which must it has to have something other than the internal powersupply. The size of the PS3 is much larger than the earlier prototype too, so maybe we could expect something special in the hardware side. The Cell and RSX specification has not been stated in the pdfs on Sony's website. I hope we see some upgrade.

[Saibo]

CrossBar! i love you! +rep

my favorite part:

"Since PS3 has Linux installed Linux programming is allowed. License fees are not required for individual developers. Licensed PS3 game developers can get SDK and technical support by SCE, on the other hand in the Linux world they don't have to pay license fee but the support is minimum. In Linux, Cell is under the hardware layer of the OS supervisor, but things inlcuding SPE are expected to be open to developers. But we don't intend to mix the PS3 as a game platform and the PS3 in the Linux world."

"But we don't intend to mix the PS3 as a game platform and the PS3 in the Linux world."

This means they do plan on releasing a seperate PS3 Linux Kit in the future for indy game development!!!!! I guess i'll save my money for that version.

[Viper]

Very nice compilation, Crossbar. +rep.

The playable devkits at the E3 floor are all connected to the network and new builds of games are sent there day by day via FTP even during the E3

Wait, so what one press member may have played on Wednesday may not be the exact same as another playing it on Friday? I doubt the difference will be much but shouldn't they be identical throughout the show? That could make for some confusing impressions based on when it was played.

[Z]

very good read. it answers alot of questions.

PSP uses the USB cable to connect to the 20G HDD model. you can turn on/off the system with the controller. the controller is rechargeable- though it has no buldge for the battery, while having more functions and even less wieght this time. Sony is an electronic wizard.

[BahnNZ]

So let's see. From basic to premium, you can upgrade the HDD, add an off the shelf wifi adaptor for the ethernet, plug in a card reader into the USB no doubt, one thing you can't upgrade and that's the HDMI.

But that's where your friendly local console modder with his soldering iron comes in.

[venomv]

one thing you can't upgrade and that's the HDMI.

But that's where your friendly local console modder with his soldering iron comes in.

Provided you need 1080p movies, the vast majority of people do't have them.

[Crossbar]

my favorite part:

"Since PS3 has Linux installed Linux programming is allowed. License fees are not required for individual developers. Licensed PS3 game developers can get SDK and technical support by SCE, on the other hand in the Linux world they don't have to pay license fee but the support is minimum. In Linux, Cell is under the hardware layer of the OS supervisor, but things inlcuding SPE are expected to be open to developers. But we don't intend to mix the PS3 as a game platform and the PS3 in the Linux world."

"But we don't intend to mix the PS3 as a game platform and the PS3 in the Linux world."

This means they do plan on releasing a seperate PS3 Linux Kit in the future for indy game development!!!!! I guess i'll save my money for that version.

I agree, that's my favourite part as well, it was a lot more than what I expected. The PS3 will be far more than game console, the 360 is game console, but Sony obviuosly has bigger plans for PS3.

[Saibo]

I agree, that's my favourite part as well, it was a lot more than what I expected. The PS3 will be far more than game console, the 360 is game console, but Sony obviuosly has bigger plans for PS3.

I think it ties in with Sony's plans for the EDI, homebrew games can be sold online(after they check your code). Here is another article on the same subject(PS3 Linux).

"In an intriguing turn of events, Sony executive Izumi Kawanishi has illuminated some of his company's PlayStation 3 Linux plans, indicating that it will be possible for individual 'homebrew' coders to create playable content for PS3, something actively blocked for Sony's PSP handheld.

In comments made to Japanese game website Impress Watch, and translated by GameSetWatch contributor Shou Suzuki, Kawanishi noted: "Because we have plans for having Linux on board [the PS3], we also recognize Linux programming activities... Other than game studios tied to official developer licenses, we'd like to see various individuals participate in content creation for the PS3."

It seems that Sony is happy to let basic application and game construction take place without access to the extremely sophisticated rendering and physics libraries available to licensors - Kawanishi further commented: "When a game studio enacts development on a PS3 by entering a license contract, SDK libraries... will be presented, and various technical support given. In contrast, when using Linux World on the PS3... support will fall to the lowest level required, and you must solve and work on things by yourselves.

Sony has previously made a Linux kit available with the PlayStation 2, but it is unclear whether any code created using PlayStation 3 and Linux will be freely spreadable and runnable via memory cards.

Additionally, Sony has not yet commented on whether it will only be possible to distribute this content via some kind of Sony-regulated online server, or only to fellow Linux coders, as was the case for PlayStation 2 Linux, which spawned a number of homebrew games. More information on the Linux coding opportunities for PS3 are likely to surface over the next few months, however."

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...php?story=9290

Alot more things need to be clearified, but this is good news nonetheless. I want to write a ray tracer for the Cell+RSX.I found a good starting point here( http://www.sci.utah.edu/~wald/Publications/index.html ), with the "Ray Tracing Animated Scenes using Coherent Grid Traversal" paper. What about you, what do you plan on doing?

[stanDarsh]

So let's see. From basic to premium, you can upgrade the HDD, add an off the shelf wifi adaptor for the ethernet, plug in a card reader into the USB no doubt, one thing you can't upgrade and that's the HDMI.

But that's where your friendly local console modder with his soldering iron comes in.

That or you get analogue HDMI via a component to HDMI converter.

[Crossbar]

I want to write a ray tracer for the Cell+RSX.I found a good starting point here( http://www.sci.utah.edu/~wald/Publications/index.html ), with the "Ray Tracing Animated Scenes using Coherent Grid Traversal" paper. What about you, what do you plan on doing?

No specific plans at all actually, I may tap into some project at SourceForge if I have time and find something interesting. Do you plan to open source your work?

[Saibo]

No specific plans at all actually, I may tap into some project at SourceForge if I have time and find something interesting. Do you plan to open source your work?

Probably not, not that im a selfish bastard. Im not really a programmer by trade, but im slowly getting into it. I figure a ray tracer shouldnt be out of my league. Im learning python right now.Hopefully move to C++ once the Linux Kit is out.

I want to create a game like Loco Roco but in 3D with a realtime ray tracer running at 60 FPS for the PS3.

Who knows, maybe once the PS3 Linux Kit is out we can get a PSINEXT indy development team together :P

PS> If anyone knows a of good site that covers writing a ray tracer, let me know. Something like "Ray Tracing for Dummies"

[Crossbar]

PS> If anyone knows a of good site that covers writing a ray tracer, let me know. Something like "Ray Tracing for Dummies"

Sounds like you have some studies in front of you. Keep up the good spirit!!!!!

Cpiasminc probably can give some suggestions on literature on the topic and maybe some sites, but he may suggest too heavy stuff to start with. Have you searched Amazon on the subject? If you find a book on the topic which has a lot of good reviews it's usually not a bad choice. I've used it a lot, and it can be really helpfuil when the reviewers explain their own background and why they bought the book. These kind of programming books usually include a CD with example code or they provide links to some site of the author.

I'm really curious about how much Sony will open up the PS3. If you can write some awesome freeware apps, the PS3 may become the choice of many. I wonder if that would be of interest of Sony. It may mean that they would have to rely more on hw sales than the game franchise. Maybe that would not be a too big risk, I mean we still buy games for PCs don't we?

[Red_Eyes]

Very nice compilation, Crossbar. +rep.

Wait, so what one press member may have played on Wednesday may not be the exact same as another playing it on Friday? I doubt the difference will be much but shouldn't they be identical throughout the show? That could make for some confusing impressions based on when it was played.

Well, I am guessing the different versions will not have something major like upgraded graphics, but instead, the difference will be like bug fixes and glitches fixes and small stuff like that.

[version]

my project
http://web.axelero.hu/varga1973/cell.JPG

[martel]

Who knows, maybe once the PS3 Linux Kit is out we can get a PSINEXT indy development team together :P

You may have been joking, but I do like the sound of that .

[venomv]

We have mentioned it before, I think some people are at least semi-serious about it.

[Sypher]

So I wonder, if you can install apps, games, and code on it then is it possible to have a dual booting PS3? Linux and/or Windows/OSX?

They should tell retailers to place the $599 version with the computers and the $499 with the gaming department, just to get the point across. How awesome would that be?!

Im so pumped for this thing!! TGS can't come any sooner.