Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Sony Hints At PS3 'Homebrew' Linux Plans

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the tux-gets-swank-digs dept.

simoniker writes "Talking to the Japanese press, Sony executive Izumi Kawanishi has illuminated some of his company's PlayStation 3 Linux plans, indicating that it will be possible for individual 'homebrew' coders to create playable content for PS3, something actively blocked for Sony's PSP handheld. He commented: "Other then game studios tied to official developer licenses, we'd like to see various individuals participate in content creation for the PS3"."

5 of 128 comments (clear)

  1. Don't get your hopes up by Guspaz · · Score: 5, Informative

    PS2 linux failed because:

    1) Sony crippled it and didn't give anything close to direct access to hardware, meaning very little hardware acceleration
    2) Sony charged a big chunk of change to "buy" linux support

    And Sony is actively trying to kill off PSP homebrew. So don't get your hopes up!

  2. Linux and complete by SuperKendall · · Score: 2, Informative

    The wii development kit is still $2000 - hardly what I'd call cheap for just anyone to buy (though hugely cheaper than traditional kits and I think will be a big hit).

    However Linux on a PS3 is I think something that really was thought out before, unlike the shaking controller deal that I agree looks like it was put together at the last moment.

    They did have Linux on the PS2, it just was not very useful. However combined with the online service it makes a lot more sense for people to write thier own cool programs that can then be distributed over the service, making its use much more compelling. The online service had to have been under consideration ever since the XBox.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  3. Re:Why not? by drinkypoo · · Score: 3, Informative

    This is why you should be concerned:

    It seems that Sony is happy to let basic application and game construction take place without access to the extremely sophisticated rendering and physics libraries available to licensors - Kawanishi further commented: "When a game studio enacts development on a PS3 by entering a license contract, SDK libraries... will be presented, and various technical support given. In contrast, when using Linux World on the PS3... support will fall to the lowest level required, and you must solve and work on things by yourselves."

    If the article is to be believed, you don't get access to any of the normal libraries. If they don't give us specs, either, then you're not going to be doing much 3D...

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  4. It appears that it's more Linux++ this time by Morgaine · · Score: 3, Informative
    You seem to have forgotten the following two Linux-related announcements:

    - Kutaragi at the recent 2006 PlayStation Business Briefing

    ... which claims: "Kutaragi said that that the PS3 will require a hard drive, which will have a 60 GB capacity and support Linux OS."

    - Kutaragi at the earlier PS3 Conference Report

    ... which says: "He [Kutaragi] did offer some tantalizing new details about the system, though. PS3 will include a 60GB hard drive (which is upgradeable) with Linux preinstalled."

    It would appear then that things aren't all that bleak. Maybe IBM had an influence this time around, as they would love to see the Cell succeed, and perhaps forced Sony to open up a bit.

    --
    "The question of whether machines can think is no more interesting than [] whether submarines can swim" - Dijkstra
  5. ATA standard hard drives by joelpt · · Score: 2, Informative

    Phil Harrison: .. If you're a complete music fan and video fan, and you want to have huge amounts of digital content, then you can upgrade to whatever size of drive you like. You can put any in that you like - it is a computer, after all.

    gamesindustry.biz: So that hard drive is a standard PC drive?

    Phil Harrison: ATA, bog standard, yeah.

    gamesindustry.biz: You're not going to be selling Sony drive upgrades?

    Phil Harrison: We've got no plan to. We may offer something, but we have no plan to at the moment.

    http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid= 16969