Fitch Rates Sony Debt as Junk

[Treblaine]

Interestingly, the WiiU runs on a variant of the Cell processor (by IBM).

Only in the same sense that Xbox 360 ALSO uses a variant of the Cell Processor.

See, the Cell has two different parts:

1 PPE = the core processor for general calculations

8 SPE's = the "extra" processing elements, not quite distinct general-processors, more like the shaders of a graphics card. (in the playstation 3 one is inactive while one is dedicated to OS tasks so effectively only 6 available)

The Xbox 360's tri-core CPU was essentially 3 PPE's of the Cell processor without any of the SPE's.

The SPe's of PS3's Cell processor are weird things, they are not like any conventional CPU element and frankly not suited to the Video Games industry which is trying to find ways to cut development costs. Cell processor was made for super-computers, which are required to work in a very different way from a games console.

PS: WiiU's exact specifications are not known, but from the nm die size and apparent size of CPU and heat output it seem to in fact be less powerful than Xbox 360's CPU. This doesn't prove that you don't need more CPU power for the next console generation... this simply proves WiiU is not a next-gen console, it's a "catch up" console.

Sony just needs to keep doing what it is doing, PS3 has quite a bit more life in it, if it keep selling quality games then people will keep buying them making Sony more money.

 

[MrHide-Patten]

A gaming world governed completely by Microsoft and Nintendo sounds like a bleak one to me.

 

[Treblaine]

Jeffers, you completely screwed up quoting me. How is anyone supposed to reply to that mess? I can't even keep track of what's my quote and what is yours.

 

[RA92]

Being a PC gamer... I can't have Sony go! They have Planetside 2, dammit!

 

[Mylinkay Asdara]

Well it's official now: There is no way the PS4 can blow the WiiU out of the water in terms of graphics. If it does, then it would continue to hurt Sony, because greater graphics = greater price tag, and no one is gonna by a $1000 console. I can now officially guarantee that whatever Sony does, it won't be making the PS4 the Super Graphics Machine.

Sony has never made a 1000$ Playstation. At most, the 60gb launch ps3 cost 600$. Which is still a far cry from 1000$. iPads come in varieties more expensive than the launch price.

Wasn't the PS2 over 1000$ at launch?

You might be recalling some supply problems at launch that, in some areas, resulted in shortages that put the secondary market into play for holiday buying and there were consoles going for four and five times their actual retail prices due to scarcity. In my office there were several ladies shopping for their children that holiday season and unable to find them in stores a lot of them came to me to ask if they should buy the one they saw on E-bay or someplace - if it was worth it, what games it had, all the stuff they didn't know because they were buying it for their kids and not game players themselves. (If you're curious: I told them to get themselves on the order wait lists and give their kid a gift receipt in the card - at least it's a promise of the gift they want) I think the resupply was sometime in early January ? ish I don't remember that part too clearly, none of them came up later and told me how their kids liked it and I wasn't buying mine yet.

Also, some things I think that will make the PS4 worth a good chunk of my money: ability to play 3D Bluray, backward compatibility with PS3 games, carry over of all PSN and + accounts, Netflix (which they have, and should keep, it's handy), and... a couple good titles with some perk exclusives (though I'm generally against them, so maybe some meaningless at launch wouldn't hurt.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Well it's official now: There is no way the PS4 can blow the WiiU out of the water in terms of graphics. If it does, then it would continue to hurt Sony, because greater graphics = greater price tag, and no one is gonna by a $1000 console. I can now officially guarantee that whatever Sony does, it won't be making the PS4 the Super Graphics Machine.

Well, not exactly. Hardware power has increased significantly while hardware costs have conversely lowered in the last few years. It would be fairly simple to make another high-powered console and keep a similar (if not lower) price point to the PS3's launch, if that's the market Sony wanted to pursue.

 

[rapidoud]

Well it's official now: There is no way the PS4 can blow the WiiU out of the water in terms of graphics. If it does, then it would continue to hurt Sony, because greater graphics = greater price tag, and no one is gonna by a $1000 console. I can now officially guarantee that whatever Sony does, it won't be making the PS4 the Super Graphics Machine.

They sold PS3's at a profit ($1200AUD, at the time about $1100USD) in Australia because everyone hates us.

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

Well it's official now: There is no way the PS4 can blow the WiiU out of the water in terms of graphics. If it does, then it would continue to hurt Sony, because greater graphics = greater price tag, and no one is gonna by a $1000 console. I can now officially guarantee that whatever Sony does, it won't be making the PS4 the Super Graphics Machine.

Sony has never made a 1000$ Playstation. At most, the 60gb launch ps3 cost 600$. Which is still a far cry from 1000$. iPads come in varieties more expensive than the launch price.

The PlayStation 3 sold for $999 in Australia when it launched. http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/156710/playstation_3_cost_829_999/

 

[weirdee]

if they don't make it back up, i hope whoever ends up picking up the pieces does a better job managing it