Spartan_X Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 Sony exits future Cell development Japanese electronics giant pulls out of research and production facilities for high-powered processor; ramps investment in image-sensor tech. The Cell processor has been both a boon and a burden for Sony. The high-octane processor at the heart of the PlayStation 3 has given Sony's console a competitive edge in performance potential for the current generation of gaming hardware. However, its development has also inflicted a significant dent on the Japanese electronics giant's bottom line, costing Sony approximately $1.7 billion alone, according to recent estimates by financial news service Bloomberg. Last month, Sony confirmed speculation that it would be selling its stake in Cell manufacturing plants to development partner Toshiba. Although financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, Bloomberg reported that the deal will raise $860 million for Sony once final details are arrived upon in March 2008. This week, Nikkei reports that Sony plans to cease participation in the Cell processor's future iterations. Along with partners IBM and Toshiba, Sony has been researching 32nm and 45nm successors to the Cell processor, which is currently made using a 65nm process--an improvement from the original 90nm process. Sony is currently in negotiations with IBM and Toshiba on the exact date and terms of the pullout. The two reportedly plan to continue development on the chips. Having cut its involvement with the Cell, Sony reportedly plans to ramp up development on CCD and CMOS image-sensor technology, which is most notably used in digital cameras. Nikkei reports that Sony will invest approximately $720 million in the next three years to expand production of image sensors at its plant in Kikuyo Kumamoto Prefecture. By Tom Magrino -- GameSpot Posted Nov 9, 2007 3:38 pm CT Story from GameSpot: http://www.gamespot.com/news/6182641.html Copyright ?2007 CNET Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soniqstylz Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 (edited) Good move. The Cell is only being used in a handfull of ways. I hope this means that the PS4 will be much easier to work with for devs. Edited November 13, 2007 by bmaher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PL_ Veteran Posted November 12, 2007 Veteran Share Posted November 12, 2007 Ouch :pinch: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattmatik Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 Wow. I remember reading an article sometime in summer of '06 in Forbes about the Cell and how it was going to revolutionize the computer industry. I mean, they listed everything under the sun that runs of microprocessors, and the article was basically touting Cell as the replacement for all CPUs. Heh, funny how ~14 months we are in a different state. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sn00pie Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 Um.. ouch. :ninja: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mathachew Veteran Posted November 12, 2007 Veteran Share Posted November 12, 2007 (edited) Ouch :pinch: This doesn't look good on the PS3's struggle one bit. Shame too, so much theoretically untapped potential. Edited November 13, 2007 by bmaher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goji Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 Heh, funny how ~14 months we are in a different state. Not really a different state; were still in the same one. The industry didn't want to jump ship on something that wasn't broken. Fourteen months ago, major tech companies didn't buy what Sony was selling and didn't wan to incur the potentially massive fees of adopting the cell. For the most part, were still back at square one with Sony losing this round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctebah Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 ummmm, ok.. :huh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spenser.d Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 (edited) *waits for "PS3/Blu-Ray/Sony is teh failure" comments* Maybe Sony will go this way with Blu-ray next. Rabid support for it one day, dropped support the next. -Spenser Edited November 13, 2007 by bmaher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noveed Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 aaaaah spartan_x, how I love your anti-sony propaganda. keep'em comin! PS3/Blu-Ray/Sony is teh failure whoops. lol what propaganada? Is it Spartan_X's fault if sony have quit? Dont shoot the messenger hes just posting the news, if not him it would have been someone else and i highly doubt you would have posted the the same manner if it was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Septimus Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 They always sell of the tech they use in the consoles (if they ever owned it in the first place). Not news, except how early they have done it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carmatic Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 hmm cant blame sony, going back to what theyre good at, consumer electronics , not computing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundayx Veteran Posted November 12, 2007 Veteran Share Posted November 12, 2007 ^Oh but they hold the record for folding@home :):):):):) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sin-ergy Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 lol what propaganada? Is it Spartan_X's fault if sony have quit? Dont shoot the messenger hes just posting the news, if not him it would have been someone else and i highly doubt you would have posted the the same manner if it was. meh, you're right, if it was someone else i wouldn't have cared. although i don't really care, i just notice mr. spartan posting too many "bad" sony news. i find it funny is all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDQuiksilver Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 Maybe Sony will go this way with Blu-ray next. Rabid support for it one day, dropped support the next. Highly unlikely considering it's doing pretty well in the software department compared to it's high def competitor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spenser.d Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 ^^^Yeah I know. I would be extremely surprised if that happened. I was just playin (mostly on the fact that there was already enough fuel in the thread to set Chicago back on fire :p) -Spenser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiracyX Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 aaaaah spartan_x, how I love your anti-sony propaganda. keep'em comin! PS3/Blu-Ray/Sony is teh failure whoops. I fail to see how this is Propaganda. This is bad for Sony tbh. I feel so much more confident about buying a PS3 now :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boz Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 As I said previously when news about Sony celling Cell manufacturing to Toshiba, and it turns out I was right.. this is the end of the Cell and Sony and most definitely a huge plug on PS3 future. How do you think peope who need to develop stuff for this architecture will react when they know this. But I guess many people can't see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Audioboxer Subscriber² Posted November 13, 2007 Subscriber² Share Posted November 13, 2007 You guys do realize that these comments only actually appear from us when you guys post that line, right?This thread went to hell fast. Good job guys. Maybe Sony will go this way with Blu-ray next. Rabid support for it one day, dropped support the next. -Spenser Just shows how immature people residing in both sides are. Grow up. I don't really see how this will affect the PS3 at all. So mute news for me :/ I don't have shares/investments in Sony/Cell or anything like that - That is the only area I could be hurt in? No? :wacko: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Windam Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 Here's how I see it, they know the progress report of cell and temporarily suspend projects and let IBM & Toshiba take over, once some new schematics break through Sony will reinvest in the product. They are allocating resources for the current stage rather than accomplishing useless R&D that won't benefit the cell currently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soniqstylz Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 As I said previously when news about Sony celling Cell manufacturing to Toshiba, and it turns out I was right.. this is the end of the Cell and Sony and most definitely a huge plug on PS3 future. How do you think peope who need to develop stuff for this architecture will react when they know this. But I guess many people can't see it. This is not the end of the Cell, as the article states that both Toshiba and IBM are going to continue to work on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian M. Veteran Posted November 13, 2007 Veteran Share Posted November 13, 2007 [Thread Brought Back To Humanity] Please keep it on topic guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDQuiksilver Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 Anybody want to see Boz's head self implode? Wait until Toshiba starts throwing Cell processors in their HD-DVD players. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spenser.d Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 Anybody want to see Boz's head self implode? Wait until Toshiba starts throwing Cell processors in their HD-DVD players. :laugh: You do know he owns a PS3, right? Calling people on the forum out for no reason really isn't called for. -Spenser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDQuiksilver Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 You do know he owns a PS3, right?Calling people on the forum out for no reason really isn't called for. -Spenser Yes I know he does and yes I know he rarely uses it. It was a joke... sarcasm much? :blink: Ease up, man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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