Is Hitman's Next Target Assassin's Creed? 
Why Kotaku Australia Should Never Work With Children... Or Robots 
Three Words I Said To The Man I Defeated In Gears Of War That I'll Never Say Again 
New Doom 3 For Xbox 360 And PlayStation 3 Supports Head-Mounted Displays 
Far Cry 3 And The Stranger In A Strange Land 
Why Robin Makes Batman Better Sony has further progressed in its tactical retreat from the Sony-Toshiba-IBM (STI) alliance originally formed to design and produce the multi-core Cell processor, with news that it will be dumping the research and development side of the equation.
The first step was to
Deep Breath…We heard that Sony was using tiny 65nm chips in their new 40GB PS3s instead of the original 90nm chips but then Sony was all like no we aren’t doing that and we were all like oh our bad because we heard that you were but then we heard (again) that Sony is really using the chips after all but only the Cell processor is shrunk not any of the other stuff but that makes sense to us because the new model uses way less power and we were confused how that happened without shrinking any chips but since the chips have been shrunk and we know it’s true because it came from Kaz himself everything is right in the world again. New PS3 Uses 65nm Process [IGN]
Computer Base is reporting that the new 40GB PlayStation 3s will make use of the shrinkafied 65nm Cell processor. What that means, according to the site, is that the PS3 will run quieter and cooler and that it will now consume just 135 watts, down from 200.
While I’ve never had a problem with a PS3 overheating, it’s nice to know that running the thing will cost me a bit less and that, perhaps, that overdrive exhaust fan will kick in a bit less frequently.
ComputerBase [via Gizmodo]
The Cell has been under fire from a lot of developers for its, well you know the story. Gamasutra interviewed IBM’s James A. Kahle, the chip’s lead architect. Here’s his take on the situation: Anything besides a single-threaded processor is going to be more difficult…it’s the structures that are requiring people to do a lot more up-front planning…Whereas before, I wouldn’t say [developers]were lazy, they didn’t need to worry about that kind of structures…so there’s some adjustment to that, and tools needed, to make that more efficient.
Kahle also stresses that IBM has a very open development system to foster synergy, and that Sony is also doing some work on their own. And then inside his head he mentioned that he really hoped that people would ultimately love the Cell and that his name might go down in history (in the good way). Q&A: IBM’s Kahle Talks Cell, PlayStation 3 Dev Complexity [gamasutra]
Starting March 2008, Toshiba is the proud new owner of Sony’s microprocessor and graphic chip production facilities. Toshiba, Sony and Sony Computer Entertainment will set up a joint venture to run the Nagasaki “Cell” microprocessor output plant next April. The price hasn’t been set yet, but it’s likely to be over US $858 million. Previously, Sony said it planned to cut back on chip spending and possibly might not produce advanced 45-nanometer “Cell” chips. Under this new partnership, Toshiba and Sony will cooperate in producing 45-nm “Cell” chips. This is the last year of CEO Howard Stringer’s aggressive plan to cut non-core business. Sony spokesperson Daichi Yamafuji assures that gaming consoles are still one of Sony’s core businesses.
Cell Plants to be Sold [Reuters]
Gabe Newell’s not a PS3 man. Why? Two reasons. One is that he’s a PC man. Other is that he…well, hates the PS3. Hates it real bad. How bad’s real bad? This bad: Investing in the Cell, investing in the SPE gives you no long-term benefits. There’s nothing there that you’re going to apply to anything else. You’re not going to gain anything except a hatred of the architecture they’ve created… I don’t think they’re going to make money off their box. I don’t think it’s a good solution.
Poor Sony! You can bet right now Phil Harrison’s crossing Gabe’s name off their Christmas card list in the biggest, fattest red marker he could find. And Phil’s got an extensive red marker collection.
More from Gabe Newell: part two [Edge/Next-Gen]
A prototype chip based on the PS3 Cell processor has been developed and will be shown next week in San Diego. The prototype is for computer boards (not the PS3), and it shouldn’t come as a surprise as applications for the Cell have been mentioned for some time now. The original chip was developed by Sony, Sony Computer Entertainment, IBM and Toshiba. Called the “Cell Computing Board,” this new prototype is the Cell Broadband Engine microprocessor married with the RSX graphics processor, which, according to Sony, goes beyond the Cell chip’s power. That’s right, a super computer. Fingers crossed for 4D output! New Cell Prototype [PC Advisor]
This Crysis 3 Screenshot Is Sticky Like An Arrow To The Chest
In Injustice, Where Superman Is Standing Matters A Lot. Really.
Watch The New Tomb Raider Trailer Broken Down, While It Breaks Lara Down
‘Resident Evil?… Lost Planet?… Forget Them. You Know Dead Space 3 Is Going To Annihilate Them On Horror, Thrills And Action.’
