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PS3 Apparently A Computer
Rinzai writes to mention an article on Gamasutra, noting a statement by Ken Kutaragi where the CEO states that the PS3 is a computer, not a console. From the article: "He went on to outline a scenario where many parts of the PS3 were upgradeable, much more like a PC, noting: 'Since PS3 is a computer, there are no models but configurations', and continuing (though talking in the theoretical): 'I think it's okay to release a [extended PS3] configuration every year'. It's clear from the comments that Sony is indicating that it will be possible to upgrade hard drives and perhaps even other components easily."
Its certainly priced like a computer, not a console.
So if the PS3 is basically a computer, why not get a computer?
The only reason he's claiming its a computer is so it can skip some import duty in the UK and EC.
They tried the same stunt with the Playstation 2.
(from "Burning Chrome" (1982), via jessesworld)
sig? Oh, that sig...
No it's not. A Mac is a proprietary piece of hardware connected to a proprietary OS (albeit built with standardized and component parts in both) that is made exclusively by Apple (barring the clone years). What the parent is suggesting is an open standard like the MSX, which was a Japanese computer standard that various hardware manufacturers could produce (and software developers could develop for). An American example would be the Multimedia PC standard, which with varing degrees of success, was attempted in the early 90's. Various console manufacturers have also tried to do quasi-similar schemes like this, notably the 3D0, which was produced by Panasonic, Sanyo, Goldstar, and Creative in seperate models, as well as the Sega Saturn, which was also produced by Hitachi and JVC in models ranging from plain knockoffs to ones with preinstalled VCD cards or customized for GPS use.
All I can see from this is negative. <shrugs> Maybe the console people won't mind creating two seperate versions of the same game, one for the older PS3, and one for the newer PS3's... but something tells me that they won't spend the kind of time and money that that would require. The result will be that customers are going to get screwed.
/dev/random
Didn't Sony try to slate the XBOX 360 for needing upgrades (to get WiFi etc.) only last week? I believe they said that "The PS3 will come with everything you need out of the box and last more than 5 years". This week they've decided its a computer and needs to be upgraded every year or two. If they can't even make their mind up about this I really can't see the lauch being very succesful somehow.
It's looking to me like somebody is desperately trying to justify an absurd price tag. Its just a shame that their marketing department obviously didn't have a meeting and all agree on what to say before all giving interviews and contradicting each other.
For that price, and at that size, I'd certainly hope it's a computer. Hell, if it wasn't loaded with DRM that will probably keep me or anyone else from running unsigned code and all that jazz without simultaneously voiding the warranty and breaking the law, and could run any operating system I'd deem fit for it - which it probably won't - I'd consider it a definite alternative to a new personal computer bought from, let's say, Dell. A $600 personal computer that could act as a powerful server, router, or high-end workstation? Now that's a deal! Let's not fool ourselves, though. This thing isn't a personal computer, it's a glorified game console with a number of features usually associated with a home entertainment center. We're not going to be using this hardware to do our work or for other more casual purposes you'd use a personal computer, workstation, or server for. The point of the Playstation 3 is games, and little much else.
That said, these market-tards from Sony need to get their act together. If you want to make a cheap, powerful computer, make a cheap powerful computer. (And for fuck's sake, open it up you morons. One Playstation 3, hold the DRM.) If you want to make an overpriced game console, make an overpriced game console. Clearly they're attempting to justify the high price of the machine, and make it look cheap by comparison to a personal computer. Silly question, Mr. Sony CEO, just how dumb do I look to you?
Oh, is that so? Well, you're a presumptuous asshole. Bite me.
I think this guy is talking bullfluff. Case in point: "possibly" making it easy to upgrade. Either the console, err 'computer' was designed from the bottom-up with the idea to make upgrades simple, or it wasn't. Saying "possibly" tells me the marketing department filtered this one, and poorly at that. Perhaps they should consider calling it a different name other than PS3? You know, catchy in the way only a Sony can be: like MX-DJi7, or PEG-UX9875J.
The PS3 is a "meta format," Kutaragi has stated in previous interviews. This means that the PlayStation 3 platform can exist in various hardware configurations, as long as its meets certain base specifications and can run the same basic games. The two configurations that will be available at launch provide a perfect example.
Source: http://ps3.ign.com/articles/711/711688p1.html
So it seems as though all consoles will have the same base stats for all games. I'll be the only upgradeable stuff will be superficial like a bit more ram for linux apps or more hard drive space.
Hmmm... Pie...
While Sony seems to be pretty much 'all over the place' with regards to their descriptions of the new console, what they are really trying to do with this 'its a computer' type marketing schpeal, is try to emphasize that they are focusing on making a 'computer' that is designed to be component-based, not 'fixed' with it's hardware.
For example, look at a typical home stereo. It's built of several individual components, a tuner, an amplifier, a cd player / dvd player, etc.
What if the gaming console went the direction of just becoming 'another' component in the overall home entertainment unit? don't want a normal dvd drive? want to upgrade to a blue-ray drive? just swap the components. Want a larger storage device? Just plug in a larger USB drive and voila.
That type of thing.
Instead of being a 'computer' like the rest of the industry is used to thinking about them, turn it into just another component in the rest of the Sony 'Home Entertainment' platform, and these statements & Sony's actions as of late begin to make sense.
The funniest part about this is all of the whining about the price point for the PS3. Look at the rest of the components for a mid to high-end entertainment system. Most of those ocmponents are all going to likely be upwards of 500$ or more.
Most people that have hardcore entertainment systems have thousands of dollars in amplifiers, speakers & TV setups - what's $500 for the centerpiece of the entertainment system? Which is really what the so-called 'next-gen' of consoles is really all about - replacing the DVD player / CD player with a single unit that can play CD's, play DVD's, play killer next-gen games, serve as your HD-based storage media device, provide net access etc.
I'd like to know how many people that are complaining about the PS3 price point have an iPod? The new high-end iPod's are almost as much as the PS3 is going to cost, and they JUST play music (ok, so some of them play shit-ass video on a tiny screen that might possibly output low-res video to an external screen).
The PSP was almost the same price when it was released - the DS is almost the same price...
Spending $500 (ish) dollars on something that will 'supposedly' do everything the PS3 can do is hardly excessive, and Sony is more than likely correct in their thinking about the price point.
With all of this said, they really need to get their 'sh*t' together on their marketing though. They have shoot themselves in the foot so many times with confused, contradictory marketing speak that by the time it actually gets released, I'm curious whether anyone will care...
Gekido's Lair
Basically, every games consoles is already a computer, but without an input device, i.e. the keyboard and local storage device. Now the PS3 with Linux, USB keyboard and mouse installed makes an excellent home computer. And the most important thing that a lot of the posters seem to miss, is that every games will run on the basic configuration. The expansion capabilities is mainly for aplications or multimedia capabilities. If you just wants to plays games, there's nothing to stop you. It's like buying a cellphone, today, at the very least it will have SMS function, it's up to you whether you want to use it or not.
The closest analogy of what PS3 is trying to achieved is the Commodore Amiga. I know American are basically ignorant of anything outside of an Apple or Wintel, but this is a computer that outperform both platform in it's days. And it was also the best games machine until rise of the popularity of the dedicated video games console. I suggest you people check the Amiga entry in Wikipedia. Here is some example of choice passages:
The Amiga was originally designed by a small company called Amiga Corporation as the ultimate video games machine. Before the machine was released into the market, the company was bought out by Commodore, and it was redesigned into a real, general-purpose computer. The first model, called the Amiga 1000, was released in 1985 as a successor to the Commodore 64 and a rival to the Atari ST.
Commodore later released several new Amiga models, both for low-end gaming use and high-end productivity use. Throughout the 1980s, the Amiga's combination of advanced hardware and operating system software offered greater power than its competitors, but in the 1990s, other platforms, most of all the PC, reduced or eliminated this advantage.
At the time of its introduction (1985) the Amiga had what was a complex overall architecture, featuring co-processors suited for audio and visual tasks. In many eyes this made the Amiga superior to all competing systems, despite competitors offering faster CPUs, high(er) resolution monochrome graphics and MIDI.
The platform had three significant upgrades (not counting non-Commodore technologies), with the Amiga 2000 in 1987, Amiga 3000 in 1989 and the Amiga 4000 in 1992. These upgrades improved the platform's graphical abilities, allowing for more colors and different display modes, and added expansion slots and ports.
Trivia:
* The Amiga was originally intended to be a workstation. When the A1000 was release, it was advertised as a business machine, but it didn't make it, until it began to be used as an videogame computer.
Trivia: * The Amiga was one of the first computers for which one could buy cheap accessories for sound sampling and video digitization. This means that not only can the Amiga produce computer-generated images and sound, but users can input "real" images and sound for editing, composition, and use in computer games.
The Amiga can display graphics in 32 bit colour, well before microsoft or apple. Its revolutionary visual processor made it the first computer used to do digital effects for a tv program.
In the PC/Amiga/ST rivalry, the quality of the Amiga's sound output, and the fact that the hardware is ubiquitous and easily addressed by software, was the standout feature of Amiga hardware that the PC lagged behind for years.
Operating systems:
At the time of release AmigaOS was the only consumer oriented operating system to feature both pre-emptive multitasking and a GUI. This, coupled with closely integrated custom hardware, gave the average consumer the experience of an OS well ahead of its time. One reason for extraordinarily loyal fan base is due to the strengths of the machine at the time: it has a stable, compact, efficient, multitasking OS, it is relatively easy to program for, software has relatively easy access to the hardware (the base hardware was fixed so software could be coded specifically to the hardware), there is a we