backtop

Print E-mail del.icio.us 37 comment(s) - last by Aikouka.. on May 3 at 8:17 AM
PlayStation father has plans for his next three children

Although Ken Kutaragi is set to retire on June 19, the father of the now three generations of PlayStation may only be half through his plans for the console. According to an interview with EE Times, Kutaragi said, “As a matter of course, I have the vision of PlayStation 4, 5 and 6, which will merge into the network.”

While little details are known about the PlayStation 4, Sony's Phil Harrison believes that the PlayStation 4 will forgo any form of optical storage altogether. “I’d be amazed if the PlayStation 4 has a physical disc drive,” said Harrison to Wired last summer.

Meanwhile, some analysts were predicting that the PlayStation 3 could be the last of its kind for Sony, citing that the new appointment of Kazuo Hirai, a software-focussed individual, could shift the company’s focus. “The appointment of Hirai could be the start of a shift from hardware to software,” said Yuta Sakurai, an analyst at Nomura. “I cannot now imagine a PlayStation 4.”

Kutaragi’s recent comments reveal that a PlayStation 4, and beyond, has already begun preliminary planning -- though what happens to those plans after Kutaragi’s departure is still unknown. Talked about for the PlayStation 2 and finally introduced with the PlayStation 3 is the idea of a network processor.

“The design concept of the Cell processor is the network processor.” he said, adding that the network environment now makes his visions for a net-based games console possible. Although the PS3 still has a long road ahead of it, Kutaragi could be hoping for future PlayStation generations to be compatible with the Cell processor to create the supercomputer network that Sony has boasted about.

Kutaragi has always been a visionary in technology and gaming, but he has not forgotten about taking care of present business. He says that he has provided plans to the PS3 design team on how to reduce costs as well as new design features for the next two years.

Where Kutaragi does next is still a mystery, though he currently remains involved in Cellius, a joint venture games company by Sony and Namco Bandai. Kutaragi may also be looking at his retirement as a well-deserved rest. He once said that it was his dream to retire at age 50, for which he is now six years overdue.

Comments     Threshold


This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
10 years?
By phatboye on 5/1/2007 6:18:30 PM , Rating: 3
I thought the plan was to keep the ps3 in the mainstream for the next 10 years? I could have sworn I remember Sony making this claim as a justification of the ps3's high cost. Can someone confirm this? If so then it is way to early to be planning a new console.




RE: 10 years?
By bunnyfubbles on 5/1/2007 6:31:37 PM , Rating: 2
Yes, but that was assuming the PS3 would not only be successful, but crush the competition like the PS2 did - only to the point where there really wasn't anymore competition and their future monopoly on the market would allow them to keep such a system around for 10 years.

Things are changing considering the PS3's relatively massive failure (relative to where the PS2 was).


RE: 10 years?
By Puddleglum1 on 5/1/2007 6:32:07 PM , Rating: 2
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=4292
quote:
Tretton believes that the PlayStation 3 is “the machine that is going to drive gaming for the next ten years” and thus represents a good value.
PS2 is still "driving" gaming as well. The point is just that the machine is supposed be powerful enough, and dependable enough, to last a consumer for 10 years.

It's never too early to plan a console! ;) Most companies don't need it, but, especially for Sony, consumer don't enjoy late launches.


RE: 10 years?
By BladeVenom on 5/1/2007 10:01:05 PM , Rating: 2
While the PS2 is still massively popular, I would no longer consider it a driving force in the console market.


RE: 10 years?
By Dg01 on 5/1/2007 6:39:27 PM , Rating: 1
Unlike Microsoft, Sony keeps supporting their Last Gen console even though they have brought out a new one, look at PS2 and PS1.


RE: 10 years?
By uberfu on 5/2/2007 4:01:37 PM , Rating: 2
But what makes this funny and by proxy - ironical - is that Microsoft may not make their gaming consoles backward compatible - they do tend to makes every iteration of their OS software backwards compatible with the early versions of DOS - even with XP out_


RE: 10 years?
By Aikouka on 5/3/2007 8:17:49 AM , Rating: 2
XP uses emulation to run DOS based applications and even then, a lot of DOS applications relied on the slow speeds of processors as their inherent throttling. Heck, even a lot of older Windows 95 applications used that technique. One time I fired up an old copy of Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing and that robot was flying across the screen at about 500wpm or more! Applications like DOSbox help take care of that.

I think Microsoft may be going the better route in some cases when it comes to backwards compatability. For video game consoles, I like the usually flawless idea of putting the last-gen console's main circuitry on the device, but it's possible that this cost can be pushed onto the consumer. Emulation is "free" other than the cost of developing the emulator itself.

A good example of seeking pure backwards compatability being a hindrance is the x86 ISA. It's old, not nearly that efficient compared to some newer ISAs, yet the strive for compatability won't allow it to go away.


RE: 10 years?
By Dactyl on 5/1/2007 8:07:42 PM , Rating: 3
It seems so easy to make the Playstation 4: just gang up 4 cell processors (which will be cheaper, faster, and have more SPEs by the time PS4 comes out), and replace the PS3's current GPU with a high-end or mid-range off-the-shelf design from NVidia.

That's the lazy way, at least. Maybe they would also have a custom-designed hardware accelerator for math problems common to games.

It would not only be easily backwards compatible with the PS3 (and easily be able to emulate PS1/PS2), but writing games for it would be very similar to writing games for the PS3, so devs would not have to go through the painful learning process again.

This will probably be feasible in 2010 or 2011. The PS3 will be showing its age by then. By 2013, people will be itching for a new console, and if Sony won't give them one, MSFT will.


RE: 10 years?
By Zirconium on 5/1/2007 10:52:10 PM , Rating: 4
quote:
It seems so easy to make the Playstation 4
There is an even easier way!

Just tape a PS1 to a PS3: PS1+PS3=PS4.
Or, you can staple 2 PS2's together: 2*PS2 = PS4!!!!
Better yet, why not just epoxy 3 PS3's together: 3*PS3 = PS9
JUST LIKE IN THE COMMERCIAL OMGWTFBBQ!!!

My comment is meant to highlight the notions of the "armchair quarterbacks" of the computer hardware world. Why do they need to gang up 4 cell processors, if, as you say, they will be better by the time the PS4 comes out? That is more expensive than just making one chip. In addition, there are other considerations, like storage format for games, networkability, any "hooks" for the system (i.e. the Wii's hook is the controller and the lounge-style games where you can have a whole bunch of people playing around the Wii).

We can guess what the next video game consoles will be like, but there are bound to be surprises in the mix. If I had to make a wager, I'd say the next big thing will be some degree of interoperability, that the companies will try to take the idea of the "digital home" to the next level. Or, I might be totally wrong, and Microsoft and Sony will pay heed to the popularity of the Wii, and try to go back to basics and make a system that is inexpensive, and is designed to play games, nothing more, nothing less.


RE: 10 years?
By xsilver on 5/1/2007 11:41:03 PM , Rating: 2
yes, its easy to make stupid predictions on what hardware will be in the ps4.

my vision is that it will become somewhat like a pay per view tv service, which will allow you to buy games, rent games, play online all in one unit. No optical drive, just a HUGE hdd.

all that is waiting is of course the next gen chipset and enough people to have high speed internet access in order to transmit the amounts of data required.

Maybe for people that dont have the high speed internet access can take it to "sony stations" which are like internet kiosks that have a couple of terrabytes hdd ready to transfer data to your ps4 which you bring instore.


RE: 10 years?
By defter on 5/2/2007 3:58:04 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
This will probably be feasible in 2010 or 2011. The PS3 will be showing its age by then. By 2013, people will be itching for a new console, and if Sony won't give them one, MSFT will.


I find this comment a bit hilarious, since currently PS2 is outselling Wii, PS3 and Xbox360. Which means that most people aren't itching for a new console and are perfectly happy with 7 years old PS2.

I believe this will be the case in 2013, some people will want a brand new console, but most will be happy with current consoles like PS3.


RE: 10 years?
By uberfu on 5/2/2007 4:06:34 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
It seems so easy to make the Playstation 4: just gang up 4 cell processors (which will be cheaper, faster, and have more SPEs by the time PS4 comes out), and replace the PS3's current GPU with a high-end or mid-range off-the-shelf design from NVidia.


Except that really wouldn't make it a PS4 - it really only goes as far as upgrading the PS3 to a .2 or .3 version_ The PS3.2_

There were about 9 revisions to the PS2 thru the years_ The original console that came out was not the same one they were seling before the first release of the PS3 -- so that was at about PS2.9 or something_


RE: 10 years?
By sxr7171 on 5/2/2007 1:53:43 AM , Rating: 2
That was pure BS marketing to milk us as much as they can. Come on, you know a PS4 will be out in the 2011-2012 range.


RE: 10 years?
By Ravenlore on 5/2/2007 12:31:23 PM , Rating: 2
Yes it will last 10 Years!!

PS2 which all agree was not planed out as well as Xbox lasted 6 years. PS3 will last longer before PS4 comes out. 7-8 years before PS4 comes out and 10 before they discontinue making PS3s.

PS3 is not as well sold as PS2 in the begging but look at PS2 sales!!! PS2 still sells more than ANY Current gen console. <(peroid)!!

PS2 games are still selling well, not to mention the Used games, and Ebay sales of PS2 games!!! Many PS2 owners are waiting for the price they are willing to pay!!

Unless there is a huge change in game design and abilities last gen consoles do the same things as this gen. I like Brute force just as much as Gears of war. TRUE that Gears of war looks better but same game mechanics. And Just as halo 2 online was the only thing that I liked better than Halo I have no expectation for Halo 3 to be much dirrerent. So for the main streem (not hardcore) there is no hurry to rush into this gen of systems. Not to mention Next gen.

THUS, PS3 WILL last 10 years becasue many people will get their PS3s later when they tire of their PS2 and Games are a must have at a price that they can spend their money on!!


This guy is a legend
By i4mt3hwin on 5/1/2007 6:21:10 PM , Rating: 2
Regardless to what he goes on to do, or the negatives of the PS3. This guy has single handedly shaped the way we play Video Games.

I heard on Digg that Nintendo offered him a spot, I personally believe it's just a token of good will, but hopefully he will go on in the future to make some great consoles, where ever he may turn up.




RE: This guy is a legend
By UserDoesNotExist on 5/1/2007 7:21:42 PM , Rating: 2
I agree. Although I do think Sony botched the launch of PS3, they still deserves credit for the PS1 and PS2 and I'm curious to see what they have planned for the PS4+. That which does not kill you...


RE: This guy is a legend
By FITCamaro on 5/1/2007 11:39:45 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
That which does not kill you...


Feasts on your soul as you lay there paralyzed...


RE: This guy is a legend
By Kromis on 5/1/2007 7:21:58 PM , Rating: 2
I heard that he created the Playstation as revenge because Nintendo didn't accept him or something like that. :D


RE: This guy is a legend
By Kefner on 5/1/2007 7:37:17 PM , Rating: 2
I don't know about the revenge part, but I did read something interesting recently in I believe Electronics Gaming Monthly (maybe another gaming mag). Anyway, what I read was that the Playstation was originally designed to be an attachment to the Super Nintendo, but Nintendo pulled out. It had a picture of a prototype, the SNES basically just sat on top of it. I do remember the SNES having expansion ports on the bottom. Well, even though Nintendo pulled out, Sony took what they invested in it, and made their own console. And like they say, "and the rest is history". I bet Nintendo really regrets this! If anyone knows any more specifics, or if I missed something, please add.


RE: This guy is a legend
By Schmeh on 5/1/2007 10:54:20 PM , Rating: 2
You are right about Nintendo and Sony working together on a CD based add-on to the SNES, tentatively titled the "SNES-CD". The project was supposed to be announced publicly at the 1989 Consumer Electronics Show. However, Nintendo canceled the contract at the last minute, because it essentially gave Sony complete control over all titles written for the new SNES-CD format. At the press confrence where the partnership was supposed to be announced, Nintendo shocked everyone (including Sony) by saying the were partnering up with Philips. After that and some legal fighting, the Playstation was born.


What about a PS3.5
By tygrus on 5/2/2007 12:18:50 AM , Rating: 2
Same family of CPU and GPU but 2x the performance. Wait for 45nm or better fab tech. Run same games and render for HD 1080p or better. Run new games with more AI/physics etc. with more visual *bling*bling*. Minimize development required and maximize compatibility. Deliver in another 3years time.

PS4.0 could further push the concept of generalising the console ie. more incremental upgrades like PC's where games can be scaled from low to high performance hardware, multimedia hub of user/house.




RE: What about a PS3.5
By sxr7171 on 5/2/2007 2:00:48 AM , Rating: 2
...and throw out of the window the console's biggest advantage over PCs - The standardization of hardware?


RE: What about a PS3.5
By PlasmaBomb on 5/2/2007 6:44:55 AM , Rating: 3
One thing that could be done for a PS4 is to simply increase the number of PPE's etc in the cell core, I thought that was supposed to be one of IBMs selling points. 90nm- 8 PPE
45nm -16 PPE
Then tweak the rest for additional performance.


RE: What about a PS3.5
By psychobriggsy on 5/2/2007 9:43:42 AM , Rating: 2
The idea is to cut costs over the duration of a console's lifespan.

Sure, they could fit 16 SPUs and 2 PPEs in the same area as the current Cell after a shrink, but they actually want to get the cost reduction of the smaller die, and yield improvements from not having to run it faster.

But if the PS4 is built on 45nm techology at launch, it could have 4 PPUs and 32 (28?) SPUs and run a lot faster of course, because it will be an expensive console and brand new, and a 32nm shrink would occur within a year to cut prices. I bet it would still have an optical drive, a BluRay drive that can read 4 layers, or even the 6 layer 200GB discs. 1080P is going to be the standard for a long time, so games will improve via larger worlds, more detail and mainly excellent physics (for which the SPUs will be very useful). It almost makes it sound like waiting for the PS4 is a better option than getting a PS3!


Analysts are idiots
By Scorpion on 5/1/2007 6:19:36 PM , Rating: 2
Just because there is a shift in management doesn't mean that there wont be a PS4. Even though the PS3 is struggling right now, The PS1 and PS2 have had good success and I do not see them jumping ship so soon. Even Sony says that's a ridiculous assumption, and I concur. PS3's life is just beginning and there is a lot of time left before we starting seeing anything concrete about a PS4. The idea of speculating this early is just ridiculous. These people must need something to do.

Yuta Sakurai's comment, “I cannot now imagine a PlayStation 4.” I think is taken out of context. To me it simply says that with a shift in management he cannot forsee the direction of developments that would go into a PS4.

The comments about having no physical disk in the next generation seems highly plausible and a good assumption. The ever decreasing costs of solid-state memory and broadband connectivity certainly make this a feasible reality for a product that will not see physical form for at least the next 3 to 4 years. Personally I say, "thank god."




RE: Analysts are idiots
By donttrustme on 5/1/2007 6:39:28 PM , Rating: 3
I totally agree with that.

It takes a lot of time and working capital for the development of a technologically advanced console. Most of the working capital goes into development and marketing. As all the companies focus on one main thing "quality assurance". If quality is not there then the product won't last that long.


RE: Analysts are idiots
By exdeath on 5/1/2007 6:42:33 PM , Rating: 3
As long as we crack the DRM they will be using...

The only reason they want to go that far is because they want to be total content nazi's so you can't rent or loan/borrow and buy/sell/trade used games. They want $5 a the door every time you hit your power button.

It would be like if the movie and music industries suddenly stopped making any physical media that you could tangibly own and made every thing pay per view/listen.

Not gonna happen.

Though the cell phone industry seems to be getting away with it... people are stupid.


RE: Analysts are idiots
By michal1980 on 5/2/07, Rating: 0
RE: Analysts are idiots
By michal1980 on 5/2/07, Rating: 0
PS6?
By kyleb2112 on 5/1/2007 8:44:36 PM , Rating: 3
Way too much neural lag in the PS6's cortical link. I prefer the WE Collective.




RE: PS6?
By Von Matrices on 5/1/2007 10:53:59 PM , Rating: 2
I thought that was a feature of the PS9, not the PS6:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFzu0pWcSD4


nice
By yacoub on 5/1/2007 7:48:14 PM , Rating: 2
hahah, like i said in the last post about his retirement, i love this guy because he's like the Iraqi public relations minister guy that everyone loved back in 2003 before the invasion. He can stand there while the world is crumbling in the background and talk about how wonderful downtown Baghdad is at the moment.
Ken said some truly outrageous things during the pre-release PS3 hype phase that were noteworthy and should be memorialized on his tombstone. I fondly remember one of them related to people should take out a mortgage to afford PS3 because it'll be worth it whatever the cost.
Ever since, on forums around the 'net people write posts in ALL CAPS saying outrageous things about the PS3 to imitate this man of genius. Often they change his last name to Katamari or Origami or something similarly related to Japan. He's quite a character and his reputation certainly precedes him. :)




This is a Good Thing
By deeznuts on 5/1/2007 8:05:23 PM , Rating: 2
Being the visionary he was, and a legend in the game, I think staying on and providing vision, while not making the executive decisions, will be a good thing for the PlayStation brand.

Sometimes those are the best combos in business, as long as both sides are competent (business vs. visionary)




PS7
By Newspapercrane on 5/2/2007 2:14:21 AM , Rating: 2
Does anyone else remember a commercial about the time the PS2 came out, advertising a so-called Playstation 7?

Was there actually some kind of suit about that, or was that just a rumor? Also, does anyone have a video link for the commercial?




Kuturagi
By Holytrinity on 5/2/2007 4:55:44 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
Kutaragi has always been a visionary in technology and gaming...


lawl




PS ?
By crystal clear on 5/2/2007 5:00:49 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
SCE spokesman Fukuoka said Kutaragi will likely be tackling new challenges in fields that are related to the PS3 or the Cell microchip, which drives that new game console and is dubbed "supercomputer on a chip."


1)The above statement is an indicator of future plans of Kutaragi has in mind.

2)Given the fact that he is free from day to day routines
at Sony,allowing him to focus his time & energies solely to the above objectives.

3)The starting point would be learning from mistakes & experiences gained from the development of PS3.(technology wise)

4)Then to move on to the reasons why/where PS3 failed to make the impact in the marketplace.

5)Once points 3 & 4 have been soughted out,he moves ahead to drawing plans for the next so called PS?

6)Too much of emphasis was placed on hardware in the PS3.
adding more or upgrading hardware will not contribute to performances and add to cost.So the next alternative will be developing software that will exploit the true/full potential of the hardware in the machine.

7)The emphasis will be on the "CELL" whose potential was not exploited in its full in PS3.
The processing power & graphics will be further developed.
Here IBM will enter as partner for software development with
many more (other) partners contributing to this objective.

8)One can safely assume in 2 years time game developers would have plenty of games out for PS3 & cost of components or hardware fall drastically from the production of PS3.
Taking advantage of the 2 factors all he does is add on the software developed.

In short expect this guy (Kutaragi) to be back with something that will certainly be bestseller.




5 and 6?
By thartist on 5/2/2007 5:50:02 PM , Rating: 2
With the due respect to him, he doesn't need to impress anyone saying that he has plans for 5 and 6. That's a nonsense as nobody knows what precise technology we may find in 12-15 years ahead, so his plans may be closer to be just cute ideas.

In My Opinion it would be more than enough if he proved that he won't mess up a PlayStation console again!




"There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance." -- Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer

DailyTech Poll
Do you use copy/paste on your smartphone? 




16 Comments









botimage
Copyright 2010 DailyTech LLC. - RSS Feed | Advertise | About Us | Ethics | FAQ | Terms, Conditions & Privacy Information | Kristopher Kubicki