Topic: The processor question thickens. (PS3 and the Cell Processor)

[manunited4eva22]

Eh, have you failed to see that they have a lot of model compilers now? Do you honestly think that models like Doom 3, cannot be done again with minor engine tweaks? This was shown off less than 1 year after the consoles launched and it can barely even be handled by xbox, let alone gcn and ps2. The leap will be noticable, despite what nintendo tells you.

As for AA, there are still 7 or 8 filters out there that will be implemented in the future, so if anything, things will look much smoother.

[oohhboy]

Well, I won't be caught holding my breath over it anyway. When technology has advanced enough to produce a large noticable difference, I will bite. UT2k3 Does not look "that" good. They have pumped up the graphics abit, but gameplay wise it is same old, same old. That is why I am still playing CS. More fun.

[manunited4eva22]

Well then why did you even bring up the point of you can't tell what it looks like? And I haven't seen ANY console game look better than UT2003 right now. If you want to pull in RE4, well then we might as well say Doom3.

[Grey Ninja]

Guys, I am not debating that Unreal Tournament 2k3 looks awesome, and better than anything on consoles.

But is it the big leap you were all talking about?

[Locke Cole]

Yeah I guess your right about Unreal Tournament, but Doom 3 is looking really good right now.  Same with Deus Ex 2, they both have great graphics and Deus Ex 2 is using special software that lets them program different sounds depending on different situations.  Let's say you threw a bottle on the floor.  Depending on what type of floor it is will take in effect what noise it makes, if it lands on cardboard it will change as well.  I'm not really looking for a graphical leap in the next console games, but more of a sound leap and details.

[Cooolcorey]

As a budding programmer myself, I can see improvments in graphics, but the biggest improvement will be in processor speed, where not just graphics but the calculations that are performed to produce gameplay are made. This will open up completely new possibilities in gaming. I can't think of an example right now, but that's what's comming up. Also, you'd need more RAM for higher quality textures, faster BUS speeds, and maybe a bigger disk medium, but those have all been standard upgrades so far.

And now that I think about the PS3 having Cell technology and how developers won't be able to do multiplatform with the PS3, wouldn't that make it hard for Sony to have it be backwards compatible for the PSX and PS2?

[manunited4eva22]

Thats where the significance of combining the EE and GS  comes into play...

[EggyToast]

Except that the PS3 won't be using the Cell processor, Corey.  And exactly -- a move like that would seriously hurt playstation's 3rd party support (which is all it has anyway).

The big leap will mean you have screenshots like you see for Halo 2, but instead of only having 1 or 2 enemies on the screen at a time due to processor limitations, you'll be able to be swarmed by a legion of them, all moving independently.

Or pikmin with pores and features (clothes!).  a limit of 1000 pikmin on the board at once! hehe

[manunited4eva22]

Eh, no one really knows if it will use cell yet, it is still up in the air. The possiblity is still there.

[EggyToast]

Well, sure, they could postpone the PS3 until 2007, when the chip is speculated to be finalized in the development stage.  And then rush together both an OS for the system as well as a slew of development tools for 3rd parties, and then release the console with no games and wait a year or 2 for developers to quickly rush a port together using a new technology that they are not skilled in.

Right...

Or you could believe the spokespeople from Sony who say that they won't be using it.  Which is where I'm putting my money.

[manunited4eva22]

Sony also claimed that the EE would not be used. Also, that was a big IT MAY NOT, it was by no means defining. As it is Toshiba received a contract to build cell chips which would be operational before 2004. There is just too much contridicting evidence to defintively say yes it will or, no it will not. Unless you care to show me dockets that would say no it will not be done absolutely not, more power to you, but you would be hard pressed to find anything that says definitely no.

[oohhboy]

Are you suggesting that Sony will pull off another shotgun style launch as they did with the PS2? The thing that will be different would be the competition. Sony cannot do that without hurting itself in a major way as Nintendo or Microsoft launching at the same time with thier repective consoles with a proper launch libary and deve tools. That is just asking for it. Just my Hype and BS filter on.

[EggyToast]

Exactly.  The PS2 was huge at launch and in a lot of demand because you coudln't find it anywhere.  But imagine how its launch would've been if it had both GC AND XBox to compete with.  Dead in the water!

[manunited4eva22]

How did we get from, No you don't know if cell will be in there or not, to PS3 will be dead in the water? They were hard to find because sony pulled it that way just as N64, SNES, and DC were. It's a market ploy to create hype. That had some to do with the fact that PS2 was rushed out, but more to do with Sony held back shipments. As for the lack of games, can't really argue sony wasn't stupid about their launch, but then again I doubt they would risk a launch like the last.

[EggyToast]

Sony held back shipments because they were under-producing the units -- they couldn't make any more due to chip shortages.  It may have been hype, but they certainly couldn't've pulled such a bone-headed move if they had 2 other comparable-if-not-better systems to go up against.

Most analysts and gamers agree that Sony really dropped the ball on the PS2 launch: bad launch games, extreme shortage of hardware, faulty hardware.  But since they had over a year to sort it out until MS and Nintendo came up with their next gen systems, they had a safety net.

[BlkPaladin]

Out of the N64, SNES(?), and Dreamcast the only console that had a chance of competing with the PS2 was the Dreamcast, and Sega with its debt load was unable to fully give the console proper exposure to fight the hype that the PS2 was before launch, and then the next month it announced it was droping the console to program for its competitors. The N64 had an untimely death because of the bad timing Nintendo had with announcing their next system. And the SNES in the US, and Japan was a dead system (now offical publishers were making games for the system.)

And if Sony does a quick change right before its release it stands to face another PS2 with critical componet shortages. And with two other competors with consoles coming out of the gates soon after it Sony won't have a leasurily time correcting the problems and lose users.

[Samwise Gamgee]

i'm not reading this whole post so....

i always knew they werent gonna use the cell! and i dont think sony ever intended on using the cell! they knew they were making it, but knew it wouldnt be ready in time! BUT in order to get the word around on the ps3, they talked aboutthe cell and how it'll be amazing! now, once all the talk and attention about the cell is over, they quietly slide in and say that they cant get the cell to work in that time! but people who havnt followed n e of the news still think the ps3 is gonna be this monster machine with a crazy processor that can live your life for you!

[Andu_Tros]

ummm...I guess I'm really out of the technology loop.  Can someone please explain what the "Cell Processor" is for me?

[oohhboy]

Basicly multiple CPU cores on one chip.