ResearchPlayStation 3 - Too Hot to Handle?
The gaming console race is getting to be exciting just for a spectator sport. The drama! The suspense! The intrigue! For once, Nintendo wasn't first to market on this lap; XBox 360 took that spot. XBox is counting on good-will towards their developer-friendly decisions and their online live delivery system, plus the deep pockets of Big daddy Microsoft. Nintendo's Wii has been the darling of the latest E3 show and is remodeling Nintendo's image as the iPod of gaming consoles with it's new unit's controller's sleek design and innovative technology. Leaving PlayStation's act last to enter the new generation, and all eyes are turning to it. What will it do to follow those acts?
Evidentally, something expensive. The price estimates have ranged far and wide, but it is almost certain that the PS3 will be more expensive than it's two competitors. So the question is, will it be worth it? Ken Kutaragi, CEO of Sony Entertainment, has said of the PS3's expected price, "If you can have an amazing experience, we believe price is not a problem." What is Sony putting in that the other guys aren't?
Well, Blu-Ray for one. Blu-ray technology is a next-generation optical disk format meant for high-density storage of high-definition video and data. Currently, it is competing with the HD-DVD format for wide adoption as the preferred next generation optical standard, just like in the videotape format wars between VHS and Betamax of a decade or two ago. About 9 hours of high-definition video can be stored on a 50 GB disk.
Open software development interfaces for another thing. The PlayStation 3 will be the first Sony console line to be based on open and publicly available application programming interfaces. That means didly to the end-consumer, but generally open platforms result in better development, more software titles available, and fewer bugs and crashes.
But if you want to be geeky about it, hold onto your wig because it's about to spin: The PS3 will have the Linux operating system pre-installed! In fact, the PS3 will have full support for USB-plugins of keyboard and mouse, plus a web-browser and WiFi-Internet capability. So, in fact, it will have a full computer built-in on the side. This will be to the relief of hard-core geeks everywhere, as for the first time they will be saved the trouble of hacking on a console for six months to force Linux onto it. Those of you who care for nothing but games may well ask, "Why do they have to put Linux on it at all?" Hey, they're geeks! They do it because it's there!
Anyway, Linux under the hood will lead to more stability and better security on the console's operating system. It is remarkable to think that Linux on the PC is still restricted to a handful of games, while the same system on a PlayStation will be running alongside the top gaming titles. Always the bridesmaid; never the bride. Did I mention top titles? Yes, we have so far a line-up including: Madden '07, F.E.A.R., Final Fantasy XIII, Unreal Tournament 2007, GTA IV, Half-Life 2, and Resident Evil 5, to name just a few plus backwards compatibility with older PlayStation releases.
So this explains some of what's going on under the hood. By the end of 2006, we will know if the gaming community considers all this extravagant quality money well-spent.