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PS3 Development Kits Begin Shipping
According to GamesIndustry.Biz, a major UK gaming industry web publication, some UK developers have been recieving their PlayStation 3 development kits in preparation for May's Electronics Entertainment Expo.
While the news does not tell us if the development kits actually contain Cell chips, it does show that Sony has started their push to get developers developing PS3 games, at least in conceptual format.
One developer was quoted as saying: "they're more advanced than the PowerMac kits [Microsoft] has given us [for Xenon] - they're still prototypes, but they're closer to what'll be in the final console... The graphics chip isn't there, say, but we can get a pretty good idea by taking an NVIDIA 6800 and saying, okay, it'll be like this but faster."
The article also mentions that some Japanese developers have also had these development kits for a few months now.
Of course, since the Cell chips were only just rolled off the assembley line-- in prototype form not final production models-- a few months ago, it is unknown when Sony will ship finalized development kits to Japanese, North American, and European developers. The current kits most likely do not have the final Cell chips in them, and they apparently do not have the finalized graphics chip for the PS3, either.
What does this mean for us at E3? Most likely technical demos for the PS3, if it does get shown. With less than two months until E3 is scheduled to begin, it is highly doubtful that developers will have many playable demos at this year's E3. We'll have to see what happens, though, we could be surprised with some playable demos.
Source: GamesIndustry.Biz
While the news does not tell us if the development kits actually contain Cell chips, it does show that Sony has started their push to get developers developing PS3 games, at least in conceptual format.
One developer was quoted as saying: "they're more advanced than the PowerMac kits [Microsoft] has given us [for Xenon] - they're still prototypes, but they're closer to what'll be in the final console... The graphics chip isn't there, say, but we can get a pretty good idea by taking an NVIDIA 6800 and saying, okay, it'll be like this but faster."
The article also mentions that some Japanese developers have also had these development kits for a few months now.
Of course, since the Cell chips were only just rolled off the assembley line-- in prototype form not final production models-- a few months ago, it is unknown when Sony will ship finalized development kits to Japanese, North American, and European developers. The current kits most likely do not have the final Cell chips in them, and they apparently do not have the finalized graphics chip for the PS3, either.
What does this mean for us at E3? Most likely technical demos for the PS3, if it does get shown. With less than two months until E3 is scheduled to begin, it is highly doubtful that developers will have many playable demos at this year's E3. We'll have to see what happens, though, we could be surprised with some playable demos.
Source: GamesIndustry.Biz