Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

NVidia Eyes Playstation 3?

Posted by simoniker on from the last-girl-in-the-bar-looks-promising dept.

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."

5 of 30 comments (clear)

  1. Done deal, actually. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting
    It's a done deal. Unlike the Xbox arrangement however, Sony aren't licensing the entire core. They're interested in the rasterizing hardware, including the pixel shaders and the combiners. Geometry ("vertex shaders" and "T&L" in the higher level graphic world) for PS3 will still be done with proprietary Sony silicon. This lowers the procurement cost and allows for better integration with the cell architecture.

    Tell them a little birdy told you.

  2. A few things. by Acidic_Diarrhea · · Score: 3, Funny
    Why would Sony want to share the wealth? In-house development, as they've done in the past, must be more profitable. This got me thinking...(cue music)

    Why did Microsoft strike a deal with ATI and not just buy the company? Also, which company is larger (based on profit and liquid assets), Sony or Microsoft. It seems that if Sony can develop their graphics cards in-house, Microsoft should be large enough to do the same.

    --
    I hate liberals. If you are a liberal, do not reply.
    1. Re:A few things. by NanoGator · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "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.

      --
      "Derp de derp."
    2. Re:A few things. by kzadot · · Score: 4, Insightful
      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.

  3. Benchmarking PS2s? by Babbster · · Score: 3, Funny

    Only if all games use the same filenames.