NVidia Eyes Playstation 3?

Thanks to CNN for their article discussing nVidia's possible overtures to Sony regarding the PS3. The piece points out that "ATI beat out nVidia earlier this month for the right to provide the graphics chip for Microsoft's next game machine. That followed ATI's March announcement that it had struck a technology development deal with Nintendo." It then quotes analyst Erach Dasai as suggesting: "The reality is nVidia is not sitting in a vacuum. They are in discussions with Sony for the PS3", although elsewhere, the article cites "...cost concerns [for developing graphics chips out-of-house], combined with Sony's do-it-ourself history, that has some other analysts a bit more skeptical that nVidia will be able to win a PS3 contract."

Comments

Re:gpu?

[Anonymous Coward]

You don't usually use a general purpose CPU for rasterizing. The simplest dedicated rasterizer can beat the pants off of a general purpose CPU while consuming a fraction of the power or throwing off all that heat.

Re:A few things.

[NanoGator]

"Why did Microsoft strike a deal with ATI and not just buy the company?"

Why spend the extra money instead of just licensing a new chip? Microsoft is a business trying to make money, they're not the Borg.

Re:A few things.

[kzadot]

It seems that if Sony can develop their graphics cards in-house, Microsoft should be large enough to do the same.

Its very little to do with size. Sony have had a long tradition of circuit design, they were one of the first licensees of the transistor, and that was back in the 40s I think. Microsoft have been writing software for a few years now, but their hardware experience is limited to mice and keyboards and only recently the x-box.

Hmm

[dafoomie]

Does this mean anti-aliasing will work this time?

Re:A few things.

[Kibo]

I think gamers in particular are resistant to that sort of marketing. Not that there isn't brand loyalty, but for gamers where it appears it seems to be a particularly intense zealotry. In the form of "Brand X can do no wrong. Your ACME brand games & console, and your mother all eat my bung! PS -- You might not recognize your mom, I shaved her back."

And the gamers who don't pitch their tent in any specific camp, seem to go by what looks best/plays best/or has the best story. I'm sure this is related to building a new game library from scratch with every new generation (yes I know about the playstation, but the people I know with sony gear, don't really play the older titles, and in fact tend to sell them or trade them in.)