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PS3 Chip Trials Set To Begin
Thanks to GamePro for their news story regarding Toshiba and Sony's imminent trial production of semiconductor chips that will be the precursor to the Cell chip that's expected to be used in the PlayStation 3. According to the article, "...the trial production of sample chips using the 65-nanometer (one nanometer is a billionth of a meter) technology will begin in 2004... [but] commercial production is not expected to begin until the first half of Toshiba's 2005 fiscal year, which is from April to 2005." Gamesindustry.biz notes that this is "...just about in time to supply components for Sony's PlayStation 3 launch at the end of 2005, if that is indeed the plan."
Maybe, this is pretty early in the game. Nintendo's hype machine wouldn't want to start talking too much now while they are still trying to sell gamecubes.
The PS2 on the other hand is already in virtually any home that is going to buy a console of this generation. Talking about thier future plans isn't going to hurt their growth because they don't have nearly as much to do anymore. Microsoft will likely stay tight-lipped regarding the X-box2 until we get closer to the launch dates as well. I would imagine all 3 of the big players are testing/well into designing something right now.