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PS3 Release Not Until 2006, PSX Firmware Upgrade?

Posted by simoniker on from the sony's-mysterious-ways dept.

Thanks to GamePro for its coverage of a Famitsu interview from former Sony CTO Nobuichi Okamoto, discussing the PlayStation 3. Okamoto, who is still involved in the Cell project (which will power the PS3) to some degree, notes: "Development of the Cell started in spring of 2001 as a 5-year project. Hence the project will end in spring of 2006. Although it is not known whether or not game consoles will be sold immediately, we can expect products using the Cell chip to start emerging around that time." He also suggests 2004 may not see any console announcements from Sony: "From my experience, to produce games on new hardware it takes at least a year to research the hardware and to start planning for software titles. If at this time the software production environment is not ready, I think it will be difficult to announce new hardware this year." Elsewhere, Sony has announced a downloadable firmware upgrade for its Japanese-released PSX 'media center', which "returns most of the promised features that were cut shortly before the system's release."

3 of 40 comments (clear)

  1. ps2 success by johndoejersey · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The success of the PS2 provides sony with a little more leeway with regards to the release of the "next-gen" console.
    They are in the position where they can spend more time on delivering a competition beating product.

    On the other hand Microsoft and Nintendo may see this as an opportunity to rush out a console for 2005/early 2006.

  2. Not much to see here... by Crash+Culligan · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Those pesky non-disclosure agreements! You've tried scrubbing, you've tried soaking...

    I find it interesting that development on the guts for the PS3 began in 2001 when the PS2 first came out. They had no idea if it would boom or bust and they started working on the successor that same year.

    Given that, the development cycle on the PS3 was probably influenced by the potential boominess or bustiness of the PS2.

    • PS2 selling well? PS3 development can take a good, long time. The gamers will be happy that we got all the quality into the product.
    • PS2 jamming up the distribution channels like the morning after free samples night at the cheese shop? Quick, get that PS3 up and running stat! We need a new next big thing to make up for our last next big thing! (And it would probably be coming out right now with fewer bells and whistles.)

    I also want to see what kind of power-effort curve they design into PS3.

    More than once I've cited the design philosophy behind the PS2: make a powerful system, and developers will learn to deal with its complexities. Contrast this with the Xbox's take: make a system easy to develop with, and developers will get more power out of it.

    I want to know how that strategy worked for them, and will they be continuing it on the next next-generation game-box.

    --
    You cannot truly appreciate Dilbert until you read it in the original Klingon.
    1. Re:Not much to see here... by bluGill · · Score: 3, Interesting

      When intel decided to design the successor to the 486 they started two teams (not nessicarly at the same time). One team went for a quick powerful release and made the Pentimum chip. The other went for a longer release and made the Pentimun pro chip (which eventially became the PII and PIII after some latter additions)

      It takes a long time to design new chips. What would be interesting is if the rumor mill suggested that sony was starting a design team now. Such would imply the PS3 would have a shorter life, to be replaced in 3 years (as opposed to the usual 5) with a PS4.