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Possible NVidia Link To PS3 Disputed

Posted by simoniker on from the don't-even-think-about-it-say-no-go dept.

Thanks to Gamesindustry.biz for their report that a source close to Sony suggests nVidia's rumored involvement with the PlayStation 3 is 'ridiculous'. According to the article, which dismisses earlier analyst reports, the source claims "...it was a 'ridiculous suggestion' that Sony would look elsewhere for a designer and manufacturer for the graphics processor (GPU) for the future console. 'Sony has its own chip design teams and manufacturing facilities with massive experience in this sort of thing,' he commented. 'Lashing NVIDIA's technology onto the PS3 architecture would simply make no sense either technologically or commercially.'"

10 of 28 comments (clear)

  1. Well, yeah... by GTRacer · · Score: 3, Insightful
    'Lashing NVIDIA's technology onto the PS3 architecture would simply make no sense either technologically or commercially.'

    -1, Duh.

    Seriously, does nVidia (or ATI for that matter) make any non-PC graphics cards or chipsets? MS-ATI made sense as the Xbox is pretty much a PC but as all the 3rd-party PS2 developers already know, the PS2 is a unique beastie!

    GTRacer
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    1. Re:Well, yeah... by DarkGamer20X6 · · Score: 2, Informative

      ATI made the chipset for the Gamecube. Look on the front of one; they bear the ATI logo in the lower corner.

    2. Re:Well, yeah... by silentbobdp · · Score: 4, Informative

      Actually, ArtX did the GC's graphics, and was bought by ATi before the GC was actually released.

      It hasn't been announced yet that they're doing the Gamecube's successor, and I wouldn't expect it to be. There's a major conflict of interest there.

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    3. Re:Well, yeah... by My+name+isn't+Tim · · Score: 4, Informative

      actually ATi makes many non PC based chips, the Gamecube example has already been pointed out.
      but they also make graphics chips for PDAs and cell phones
      http://www.ati.com/products/handheld.html
      and chips for Digital TV
      http://www.ati.com/products/dtv.html
      and MPEG decoder/encoder chips and some others I can't think of right now...

  2. That's Why I Doubted It by MBCook · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This is exactly what I thought. Sony designed the chips for the PS1 and the PS2, why would they farm out the PS3? It would mean (among other things) sharing the profits. Why would they let their chip teams sit idly by why they send good money to 3rd parties that they, IHMO, don't even need.

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  3. I still believe some part of it is true. by JFMulder · · Score: 3, Interesting

    While Sony is developping their own GPU for the PS3, there was no doubt of that in my mind, they may be asking nVidia some sort of insights on vertex and fragment shading, since Sony has probably never implemented that kind of feature into hardware. So maybe they would ask nVidia to design some hardware to stick vertex and fragment shading to their cell processor. Sony may have deep pockets and a big workforce, if they realize that they don't have the resource of competences to deliver fast and cheap vertex and fragment shading hardware, they might turn to some people who do that for a living. Whether nVidia is a good company to turn to is another debate.

  4. Futureware, Rumorware by imperator_mundi · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The deal between MS and ATI is annonced... and after a while rumor spreading begins...

    PS2 overwhelms Xbox with a ratio that is somewhere in the 1 to 5 and at least in the near future it looks like hard that things will turn into a bed of roses for MS, so it's maybe in Redmond's interests to shift the attention to the next generation of game machines.

    Nvdia is no longer the official chipmaker for the MS consoles... maybe producing for the first Xbox was not the King Mida's deal it seemed at first glance, but this isn't exactly the kind of news that makes shareholders explode of joy, and rumors about a possible deal with Sony for the PS3 will surely help theirs morale.

    Sony on its side, after two sledgehammer consoles is working on number three, its position is of course enviable but its rivals are quite tough: a neverending cash company that usually crushs every competitor and a toymaker that has more fanatic disciples than an ayatollah and that year after year, despite a shrinking market share, earns tons of pokemoney... so if "mo' rumors mo' hype" still working (it should) mr. Kutaragi and friends will surely appreciate any kind of rumors about PS3.

    Sounds a little a sort of "my rumors are bigger than yours" indeed.

  5. Re:Cell Technology by GaimeGuy · · Score: 2, Interesting

    here's the original announcement of the cell, claiming that 400 million dollars combined were already pledged the Cell. http://news.com.com/2100-1001-948493.html Here's a news story that the Ps3 will NOT use the Cell processor. http://ps2.ign.com/articles/394/394184p1.html And here's an a news story that Sony spent 1.6 billion dollars on a Cell production plant. http://www.zdnet.com.au/reviews/computers/componen ts/story/0,2000023499,20273860,00.htm

  6. Toy company? pokemoney? by GaimeGuy · · Score: 2, Insightful

    riight. Nintendo has about 8 billion dollars in cash, and if you factor in assets, probably over 10 billion.
    What's with calling them a "toy" company? They make video game consoles. and they earn money from not just pokemon, but all of their games, and liscensing fees to 3rd parties on the GBA and GC. Sorry if I sound like a fanboy, but calling Nintendo a "toy company" just sounds a little bit insulting when I hear it. Yeah, Nintendo is losing marketshare in consoles, but so is Sony, because there were THREE consoles this generation, not just two. If you factor in the GBA, Nintendo holds over 55 percent of the market share in the video game industry... kind of big for a simple toy company, no? :) Ok, I'm done now.

  7. Rename the games by Lord_Dweomer · · Score: 3, Funny
    If Nvidia made the cards for the ps2 they'd have to rename all the games to 3dmark03.exe.

    I feel bad for making that joke now because I have Nvidia stock.

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