SCE Interviews

D.D. · May 12th, 2006

found this over at beyond3d. its a translation by "one", and i know he is reliable in his translations. everything below is his work, not mine.

There are various interviews with SCE at E3, here's a brief summary of them.
"PS3 is a computer" (as a PC is an office computer), basically it's the message.

Ken Kutaragi interview @ ITmedia
http://plusd.itmedia.co.jp/games/art...9/news046.html
(Most parts are at http://ps3.ign.com/articles/706/706133p1.html)

* The playable devkits at the E3 floor are all connected to the network and new builds of games are sent there day by day via FTP even during the E3
* The PS3 price may be too cheap, it's like no other. (See the IGN article)
* 2 million units at launch. (See the IGN article)

Ken Kutaragi interview @ Nikkei Tech-on
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/article...060510/116928/

* Contrary to the underestimation by people, there are over 10 playable titles at the show floor, unlike the days of PS1/2
* There's not necessarily a correlation between the higher software development cost and the higher hardware spec. The criticism that regards PS3 as a too fat, too powerful hardware sounds like the excuse by those who avoid the challenge to new technologies. Until E3 developers hadn't known what other developers had been doing, apparently there are those who are surprised to see the states of completion of PS3 games not only among users but also among developers. I expect it can remove the excuse.
* Many devkits are stacked in the data center at the E3 showfloor connected to the network. Developers can send data everyday via FTP like in arcard games development. Consumer games distribution will begin to focus on network more, for example using a BD as a key disc, game contents are updated via network, or you can carry over the data you played at an arcade to a PS3 at home. PS3 begins the evolution since the day one you purchased it along with the network, because there's no need to close it within a package. People will feel it in the very near future, sooner than March 2007.
* PS3 is a computer, just like a typical computer which downloads a program from CD-ROM to HDD then executes it from an HDD as a cache. If the HDD space is small for you, you can buy a bigger HDD. In the next year even a PS3 with 120GB HDD may be released. It's not another version of PS3, it's just another configuration. Because PS3 is a computer. We may be able to sell it in BTO (built-to-order) for each customer. With that assumption, the internal of PS3 is designed with modularity in mind unlike home appliances and game consoles. In the way of thinking with which a computer is designed, we adopted standard interfaces and selected various parts with extensibility in mind.
* Kutaragi feels potential in the "Eye of Judgement" game.
* We have as many Cell as we'd like to sell them, so no worry about the scarcity. We started the manufacturing of Cell in Summer 2005. The more Cell the more better since we want to put Cell servers across the network. What's really difficult to secure were general parts in good times, such as passive parts, memory, HDD, boards, plate, and all other parts for 1 million per month production.
* (Answering the question about what Sony President Chubachi is saying as "customer viewpoint" lately) I am hardly conscious of it, we've been always with the customer since we began PlayStation. PS is a part of daily life and SCE employees, families, and myself are all uses, in other words customers.

Izumi Kawanishi interview (SCEI corporate executive, software platform development division) @ ITmedia
http://plusd.itmedia.co.jp/games/art...1/news058.html

* The base system of the 20GB PS3 and the 60GB PS3 is the same, it's like PC motherboards with different interfaces but different peripherals. It's not that there are 2 models of PS3, they are variations.
* It's natural that specs are different due to price ranges, just like hi-end and lo-end PC.
* The PS3 spec is the same worldwide, but there'll be more variations in future.
* The current PS3 can't output different pictures through HDMI and AV-multi. There may be a PS3 with 2 HDMIs in future
* Games can be saved in HDD. The difference in 20GB/60GB PS3 such as HDMI, WiFi, memory cards slot, and HDD won't matter in playing games. If you feel the HDD is small you can buy a bigger one.
* Though we wanted to add a motion sensor before we couldn't decide what kind of it should be built in and sensor devices were not good enough back then.
* The new PS logo button is used to raise the system menu, to turn on/off PS3, and to make the system recognise the controller. It's powered by a battery charged with a USB cable from PS3 to controller. The controller can't be used for PS2.
* PS3 has a standard web browser and a media player and XMB. It can play download contents and send data to PSP as a server. For the 20GB HDD PS3, PSP is connected via USB.
* In the PS1 emulation in PSP, PS1 game code is not at all modified. Some games can be run on a general emulator and others will be shipped with a special emulator. They are booted from MemStick Duo. If users want PSP may support MemStick boot of user application in future.
* The power supply unit of PS3 is internal. The quietness is equal to the PS2.

Izumi Kawanishi interview (SCEI corporate executive, software platform development division) @ PC Watch, by Zenji Nishikawa
(Some parts are the same as the interview above, such parts are omitted)
http://watch.impress.co.jp/game/docs/20060511/ps3.htm

* Though the PS3 hardware spec itself supports 2 screens output, the SKUs don't support it currently because its merit for users is unknown for now. HDMI x2 may be possible in future variations of PS3.
* We know 1080p is not an easy task but as you see GT:HD it's not impossible. Just like PS2 which was said to have too little VRAM in the early days we are not much concerned about it now.
* As for rendering resolution we recommend 1080p and 720p. Though we have no strict guidelines we recommend 1080p, anyway. But it depends on what resolution is prevalent for TV when a game launches.
* As for the developer comment that they prioritize info density per pixel to pointless HD, it's OK that a game has a different priority, though SD is nor preferable.
* As for the GbE port, the first PS3 configurations in 2006 have only one but in future configurations they can add more ports if they are needed.
* Unlike PS2 and other game consoles with OS and drivers on a game disc with the assumption that the hardware spec doesn't change, PS3 allows the change of the hardware spec with demands of the times. The OS and drivers are installed in PS3 and it absorbs hardware differences, which resembles the current form of PC.
* Since PS3 has Linux installed Linux programming is allowed. License fees are not required for individual developers. Licensed PS3 game developers can get SDK and technical support by SCE, on the other hand in the Linux world they don't have to pay license fee but the support is minimum. In Linux, Cell is under the hardware layer of the OS supervisor, but things inlcuding SPE are expected to be open to developers. But we don't intend to mix the PS3 as a game platform and the PS3 in the Linux world.
* PS3 is always "PlayStation". But in the category of computer entertainment, it's not necessarily a game that's provided for PS3. In that case, it may compete with PC including Windows PC.
* (Answering the question why there are no non-game apps in the E3 show floor) Well, it's because this is E3 (laugh)

EDIT: One more:

Izumi Kawanishi interview (SCEI corporate executive, software platform development division) @ AV Watch
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/do...0511/rt003.htm

* DVD upconversion and progressive conversion will be implemented
* PS3 targets 4K x 2K video output too
* (Answering the question about Cell/RSX clockspeed that disappeared from the spec) We will announce the numbers later (But later Kawanishi referred to Cell as 3.2Ghz, so the interviewer speculates it's likely that the RSX spec has changed)

It has pics and movies of XMB in an actual PS3 unit which was shown behind the door.

__________________

1. Small, Cheap, Powerful - you can have only two
2. Everytime you engineer something foolproof, the world comes up with a better idiot.
3. 「学問とは虚栄である。」

The PS3 Cell Processor Explained Page, IBM Research's Introduction to Cell Multiprocessor and Cell Processor Programming Guide

Metalmurphy · May 12th, 2006

"* The power supply unit of PS3 is internal. The quietness is equal to the PS2."

This is something i was waiting to hear for AGES xD

+1 for Sony. I was horrified of the thought about a powersupply like the 360s one. External, Huge, loud and hot :S

__________________

-------------------------------- Computer Specs ----------------------------------
Intel Pentium IV Prescott 3.0 HT → 4x 512MB DDR-DIMM → ASUS GF 6800 GT
Sound Blaster X-Fi → 2x Maxtor 80 GB (RAID 0)
Hitachi 19'' Monitor → Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Theater
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

industrian · May 12th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by D.D.

2 million units at launch.

Not enough.

Quote:

Originally Posted by D.D.

The power supply unit of PS3 is internal. The quietness is equal to the PS2.

Kinda n00b/rhetorical question: Since it's internal, will i need a stepdown converter if i import a console from North America?

Thanks for that info btw.

Metalmurphy · May 12th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by industrian

Not enough.

It was suposed to be 1 million and 6 Million untill the end of the year.

They raised it to 2 million so its pretty good.

And yeah you'll most likely need an adaptor

__________________

-------------------------------- Computer Specs ----------------------------------
Intel Pentium IV Prescott 3.0 HT → 4x 512MB DDR-DIMM → ASUS GF 6800 GT
Sound Blaster X-Fi → 2x Maxtor 80 GB (RAID 0)
Hitachi 19'' Monitor → Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Theater
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

industrian · May 12th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metalmurphy

It was suposed to be 1 million and 6 Million untill the end of the year.

They raised it to 2 million so its pretty good.

All i know is that Europe has more people than North America, yet we only get around 300,000 consoles at a launch. Obviously Japan will need their PS3s, but come on, give us more. Sony gave Europe 500,000 the last time and that wasn't nearly enough.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metalmurphy

And yeah you'll most likely need an adaptor

That's why I wanted an external power unit. >_<

Last edited by industrian; May 12th, 2006 at 18:18..

D.D. · May 12th, 2006

heh.

2million units at launch sounds fair to me. i just hope that on the saturday after november 17th launch i can walk into a bestbuy and just pick up the high end one.

i think another interesting point is that the harddrive is just a standard one that you can buy from anywhere : sony isn't planning on making special ones from themselves.

__________________

1. Small, Cheap, Powerful - you can have only two
2. Everytime you engineer something foolproof, the world comes up with a better idiot.
3. 「学問とは虚栄である。」

The PS3 Cell Processor Explained Page, IBM Research's Introduction to Cell Multiprocessor and Cell Processor Programming Guide

industrian · May 12th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by D.D.

i think another interesting point is that the harddrive is just a standard one that you can buy from anywhere : sony isn't planning on making special ones from themselves.

It's a 2.5" SATA according to their press release.

D.D. · May 12th, 2006

yes, but what i meant is that it is standard ie, you don't buy a Sony 2.5"

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=64667 (did i included this one? i dont know )

__________________

1. Small, Cheap, Powerful - you can have only two
2. Everytime you engineer something foolproof, the world comes up with a better idiot.
3. 「学問とは虚栄である。」

The PS3 Cell Processor Explained Page, IBM Research's Introduction to Cell Multiprocessor and Cell Processor Programming Guide

industrian · May 13th, 2006

I don't suppose you know if the PS3's Online service is going to have the same "hard drive lock" (marriage theory) as X-Box Live? (60gb will probably be enough, but just incase I want to add a larger drive to store some PS2 ISOs after I've used Sony's online service for the first time.)

May 12th, 2006	#1 (permalink)
D.D. band Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: HERE Posts: 4,915	SCE Interviews found this over at beyond3d. its a translation by "one", and i know he is reliable in his translations. everything below is his work, not mine. There are various interviews with SCE at E3, here's a brief summary of them. "PS3 is a computer" (as a PC is an office computer), basically it's the message. Ken Kutaragi interview @ ITmedia http://plusd.itmedia.co.jp/games/art...9/news046.html (Most parts are at http://ps3.ign.com/articles/706/706133p1.html) * The playable devkits at the E3 floor are all connected to the network and new builds of games are sent there day by day via FTP even during the E3 * The PS3 price may be too cheap, it's like no other. (See the IGN article) * 2 million units at launch. (See the IGN article) Ken Kutaragi interview @ Nikkei Tech-on http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/article...060510/116928/ * Contrary to the underestimation by people, there are over 10 playable titles at the show floor, unlike the days of PS1/2 * There's not necessarily a correlation between the higher software development cost and the higher hardware spec. The criticism that regards PS3 as a too fat, too powerful hardware sounds like the excuse by those who avoid the challenge to new technologies. Until E3 developers hadn't known what other developers had been doing, apparently there are those who are surprised to see the states of completion of PS3 games not only among users but also among developers. I expect it can remove the excuse. * Many devkits are stacked in the data center at the E3 showfloor connected to the network. Developers can send data everyday via FTP like in arcard games development. Consumer games distribution will begin to focus on network more, for example using a BD as a key disc, game contents are updated via network, or you can carry over the data you played at an arcade to a PS3 at home. PS3 begins the evolution since the day one you purchased it along with the network, because there's no need to close it within a package. People will feel it in the very near future, sooner than March 2007. * PS3 is a computer, just like a typical computer which downloads a program from CD-ROM to HDD then executes it from an HDD as a cache. If the HDD space is small for you, you can buy a bigger HDD. In the next year even a PS3 with 120GB HDD may be released. It's not another version of PS3, it's just another configuration. Because PS3 is a computer. We may be able to sell it in BTO (built-to-order) for each customer. With that assumption, the internal of PS3 is designed with modularity in mind unlike home appliances and game consoles. In the way of thinking with which a computer is designed, we adopted standard interfaces and selected various parts with extensibility in mind. * Kutaragi feels potential in the "Eye of Judgement" game. * We have as many Cell as we'd like to sell them, so no worry about the scarcity. We started the manufacturing of Cell in Summer 2005. The more Cell the more better since we want to put Cell servers across the network. What's really difficult to secure were general parts in good times, such as passive parts, memory, HDD, boards, plate, and all other parts for 1 million per month production. * (Answering the question about what Sony President Chubachi is saying as "customer viewpoint" lately) I am hardly conscious of it, we've been always with the customer since we began PlayStation. PS is a part of daily life and SCE employees, families, and myself are all uses, in other words customers. Izumi Kawanishi interview (SCEI corporate executive, software platform development division) @ ITmedia http://plusd.itmedia.co.jp/games/art...1/news058.html * The base system of the 20GB PS3 and the 60GB PS3 is the same, it's like PC motherboards with different interfaces but different peripherals. It's not that there are 2 models of PS3, they are variations. * It's natural that specs are different due to price ranges, just like hi-end and lo-end PC. * The PS3 spec is the same worldwide, but there'll be more variations in future. * The current PS3 can't output different pictures through HDMI and AV-multi. There may be a PS3 with 2 HDMIs in future * Games can be saved in HDD. The difference in 20GB/60GB PS3 such as HDMI, WiFi, memory cards slot, and HDD won't matter in playing games. If you feel the HDD is small you can buy a bigger one. * Though we wanted to add a motion sensor before we couldn't decide what kind of it should be built in and sensor devices were not good enough back then. * The new PS logo button is used to raise the system menu, to turn on/off PS3, and to make the system recognise the controller. It's powered by a battery charged with a USB cable from PS3 to controller. The controller can't be used for PS2. * PS3 has a standard web browser and a media player and XMB. It can play download contents and send data to PSP as a server. For the 20GB HDD PS3, PSP is connected via USB. * In the PS1 emulation in PSP, PS1 game code is not at all modified. Some games can be run on a general emulator and others will be shipped with a special emulator. They are booted from MemStick Duo. If users want PSP may support MemStick boot of user application in future. * The power supply unit of PS3 is internal. The quietness is equal to the PS2. Izumi Kawanishi interview (SCEI corporate executive, software platform development division) @ PC Watch, by Zenji Nishikawa (Some parts are the same as the interview above, such parts are omitted) http://watch.impress.co.jp/game/docs/20060511/ps3.htm * Though the PS3 hardware spec itself supports 2 screens output, the SKUs don't support it currently because its merit for users is unknown for now. HDMI x2 may be possible in future variations of PS3. * We know 1080p is not an easy task but as you see GT:HD it's not impossible. Just like PS2 which was said to have too little VRAM in the early days we are not much concerned about it now. * As for rendering resolution we recommend 1080p and 720p. Though we have no strict guidelines we recommend 1080p, anyway. But it depends on what resolution is prevalent for TV when a game launches. * As for the developer comment that they prioritize info density per pixel to pointless HD, it's OK that a game has a different priority, though SD is nor preferable. * As for the GbE port, the first PS3 configurations in 2006 have only one but in future configurations they can add more ports if they are needed. * Unlike PS2 and other game consoles with OS and drivers on a game disc with the assumption that the hardware spec doesn't change, PS3 allows the change of the hardware spec with demands of the times. The OS and drivers are installed in PS3 and it absorbs hardware differences, which resembles the current form of PC. * Since PS3 has Linux installed Linux programming is allowed. License fees are not required for individual developers. Licensed PS3 game developers can get SDK and technical support by SCE, on the other hand in the Linux world they don't have to pay license fee but the support is minimum. In Linux, Cell is under the hardware layer of the OS supervisor, but things inlcuding SPE are expected to be open to developers. But we don't intend to mix the PS3 as a game platform and the PS3 in the Linux world. * PS3 is always "PlayStation". But in the category of computer entertainment, it's not necessarily a game that's provided for PS3. In that case, it may compete with PC including Windows PC. * (Answering the question why there are no non-game apps in the E3 show floor) Well, it's because this is E3 (laugh) EDIT: One more: Izumi Kawanishi interview (SCEI corporate executive, software platform development division) @ AV Watch http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/do...0511/rt003.htm * DVD upconversion and progressive conversion will be implemented * PS3 targets 4K x 2K video output too * (Answering the question about Cell/RSX clockspeed that disappeared from the spec) We will announce the numbers later (But later Kawanishi referred to Cell as 3.2Ghz, so the interviewer speculates it's likely that the RSX spec has changed) It has pics and movies of XMB in an actual PS3 unit which was shown behind the door. __________________ 1. Small, Cheap, Powerful - you can have only two 2. Everytime you engineer something foolproof, the world comes up with a better idiot. 3. 「学問とは虚栄である。」 The PS3 Cell Processor Explained Page, IBM Research's Introduction to Cell Multiprocessor and Cell Processor Programming Guide

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May 12th, 2006	#2 (permalink)
Metalmurphy Translator Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Portugal, Oporto Posts: 5,774	"* The power supply unit of PS3 is internal. The quietness is equal to the PS2." This is something i was waiting to hear for AGES xD +1 for Sony. I was horrified of the thought about a powersupply like the 360s one. External, Huge, loud and hot :S __________________ -------------------------------- Computer Specs ---------------------------------- Intel Pentium IV Prescott 3.0 HT → 4x 512MB DDR-DIMM → ASUS GF 6800 GT Sound Blaster X-Fi → 2x Maxtor 80 GB (RAID 0) Hitachi 19'' Monitor → Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Theater --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

May 12th, 2006	#6 (permalink)
D.D. band Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: HERE Posts: 4,915	heh. 2million units at launch sounds fair to me. i just hope that on the saturday after november 17th launch i can walk into a bestbuy and just pick up the high end one. i think another interesting point is that the harddrive is just a standard one that you can buy from anywhere : sony isn't planning on making special ones from themselves. __________________ 1. Small, Cheap, Powerful - you can have only two 2. Everytime you engineer something foolproof, the world comes up with a better idiot. 3. 「学問とは虚栄である。」 The PS3 Cell Processor Explained Page, IBM Research's Introduction to Cell Multiprocessor and Cell Processor Programming Guide

May 12th, 2006	#8 (permalink)
D.D. band Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: HERE Posts: 4,915	yes, but what i meant is that it is standard ie, you don't buy a Sony 2.5" http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=64667 (did i included this one? i dont know ) __________________ 1. Small, Cheap, Powerful - you can have only two 2. Everytime you engineer something foolproof, the world comes up with a better idiot. 3. 「学問とは虚栄である。」 The PS3 Cell Processor Explained Page, IBM Research's Introduction to Cell Multiprocessor and Cell Processor Programming Guide

May 13th, 2006	#9 (permalink)
industrian Suicide is Painless Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: ~ Posts: 4,260	I don't suppose you know if the PS3's Online service is going to have the same "hard drive lock" (marriage theory) as X-Box Live? (60gb will probably be enough, but just incase I want to add a larger drive to store some PS2 ISOs after I've used Sony's online service for the first time.)