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Sony Hints At PS3 'Homebrew' Linux Plans
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"."
"I would definitely reconsider purchasing the console if I could run linux on it and I think many other people would reconsider too. $599 isn't too bad for a console+linux PC."
... that might be a great buy too ... imagine, 2 consoles in my house.
... I can't imagine that would make Sony too happy ... hey even better! Although that is probably the reason why the PS3 won't turn out to be a very good linux platform.
- right on, I haven't had a console since my SNES. I've already decided to buy a Wii (they had me when they announced the virtual console and the rest is just bonus), but if I can use the PS3 as a desktop computer as well
Of course the PS3 would just be for running Linux
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. - Dr. Seus
So, on the PSP, they are currently actively blocking any attempts of "homebrew" software. But for the PS3, they are going to allow it?
I don't see how there can be such a big difference in the stance of homebrew applications for their 2 main flagship products.
The difference is this. On the PSP, if someone creates a game you can play Sony gets no money.
On the PS3, if you crate a game for others to play you can probably sell it on the Sony online service and Sony gets a cut.
I'm pretty sure Sony intends this to be a way to have a lot of small games generated to give theonline service buzz, which benefits everyone. It's a shame they can't see reason on the PSP but at least they came to thier senses with the PS3 and it even makes sense in terms of a profit motive.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Maybe they're not having to much success with creating apps on the CELL. Hopefully they'll open it up for the genius's of the world to take a stab at coding in the cell environment. For the coders who want to experiment with the CELL, this could be an attractive offering. I"m sure a CELL desktop/server will cost a hell of a lot more than a $599.
Could be a good thing if they actually give access to all of the hardware. But I doubt it, my PSP is still on firmware 1.5.
MrJynxx
That's funny, since they shipped the hardware manuals with the kit and even gave a "sample" implementation of OpenGL in PSGL. AFAIK the only hardware they didn't give access to was the IOP, hardly the performance-sensitive piece of the kit. Are you sure you're not slinging second-hand, inaccurate information?
The PS3, however, looks more capable in all ways than the PowerPC Mac-Minis -- which makes it capable enough to be someone's primary PC.
If they play the Linux card right, this is Sony's chance to take the Workstation market (the Cell chip is indeed awesome - I'm evaluating starting a company building a High-Def H264 video encoder with it) away from Sun and Linux - and put a pretty good dent in the PC / Apple market.
I'm optimistic they see this and will do it right this time.
"It doesn't matter as long as you have direct access to the graphics processors. Then people can craft thier own libraries. "
Spoken like someone that has never written a line of code.
If having direct access is all that you need then where are the free drivers for nVidia and Ati graphics cards?
Having access isn't enough. You need drivers!
If we are lucky Sony will give you a frame-buffer. Good enough for Frozen-bubble but not enough to get me to pay $600+ for.
See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
Spoken like someone that has never written a line of code.
If having direct access is all that you need then where are the free drivers for nVidia and Ati graphics cards?
Having access isn't enough. You need drivers!
Actually I have done a fair amount of OpenGL programming.
I pretty obviosuly did not mean THAT direct. I meant some standard way to acces sthe graphics card, it's kind of hard to image there will not be an OpenGL library or at least device drive for the video card we can access.
You are coming at this from the wrong angle, Sony themseves has said they want this to be able to build user provided content. So instead of thinking of what ways Sony might possibly lock down the whole box so no-one could actually do what they say, instead think of the kinds of minimum easily portable tools they might include.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Sony themseves has said they want this to be able to build user provided content.
That's "user provided content", not "user provided programs". People writing about the entertainment industry tend to use the term "content" to refer to any work other than a computer program. Such a statement could just refer to mods (maps, models, and missions) for existing licensed games, right?
Main point:
Nintendo Wii has its virtual console where classic Nintendo, Sega, and Turbographix 16 games can be played. Xbox 360 has Xbox Live Arcade where users can download classic games and play them on their console. And what does PS3 have? Homebrew. With homebrew will come access to everything availabe on Nintendo's Virtual Console and the 360's Live Arcade and much more. Documentation is freely available on how to code for the Cell, and it bet it would take all of 6 months to have MAME, Snes9x, Reailty64, FCE Ultra (NES), Gens and everything else up and running on it. Underhanded? Sure is. But you know it will happen. And I for one will be thrilled about it.
Other points:
- I think Sony also realizes that by allowing homebrews on Linux, they'll due themselves a favor by stifling people trying to hack the system. Most system hacks come from hackers who want to run homebrew apps on a system (case and point, the 360 has been hacked, but since the hack can only be used to pirate games, they've not released the source code). So by giving people the ability to run homebrews outright, they'll immediately cut down on hacking and (i think) in dear themselves to a lot of users.
- PS2 linux failed because (as mentioned in these comments) was not a very serious nor technically mature effort by Sony. It was more of a proof of concept than anything. Sony barely talked about, and they certainly never bragged about it. They released it in 2002 and discontinued it 2003. With only 32MB of RAM (not to mention the processing power) there was limited use for the system as much more of a gimmick. Not many of you would've actively been running a poorly optimized version of linux on a slow pc with only 32MB of memory, so I mean, you can't blame Sony for not sticking with it long term as supporting it. The product had limited use. Like a car that could only drive 30 miles at a time.
- Fast forward to 2006, and Sony has publicly stated the PS3's intent to run Linux (and potentialy Mac OS X- . Sony & Apple have talked about teaming up, and with OS X on PS3 they could both stick it nemesis Microsoft). The PS3 has a total of 512MB of RAM, more than enough to run Linux properly, and in additional to that it has a processor that easily twice as fast (probably more) than the fastest PC desktop processor available. IBM already has a Linux kernel compiled and running on the Cell, so this notion of PS3+LINUX is -today- far more reality than fiction. With its built-in hdd (once, maybe still, rumored to ship -with- linux preinstalled) the PS3 could be a fully functional, very useful computer.
- When you look at it (or at least when I do) for $500-$600 you would have seriously powerful PC, Console, and Blu-Ray disc player. I realize that's more than some people want, but it's everything I'd like to see in the system.