Sony computer entertainment that began to accelerate to PLAYSTATION 3(PS3) sale finally (SCEII). However, the strategy of entertainment computer PS3 that makes a clear distinction is difficult to say to still infiltrate as a past game machine.
I asked Hisashi Yokiken of President and Representative Director and group CEO that
commanded this company for the strategy and the vision of PS3.
- Network entertainment plan of seven years
【Q】 ..PLAYSTATION 3(PS3).. network it understands though it is not emphasized so much. You showed the "e-Distribution" plan to which a variety of entertainment contents were delivered through a broadband network by "Microprocessor Forum(MPF)" that had been opened with Sun US Noze in year of the '99. It has become PS3, and, at last, it seems to have approached the vision at that time.
【 Hisashi Yokishi 】At last,Really, at last. It is not possible to have done though I wanted to do at that time (PlayStation 2) in reality.
E-Distribution was reactive "State what it" in the United States at that time when I saidIn the United States because it was still the world of the modem ..it so... It starts, and if it is a story that seems to be broadband, situation because it talks first with ISP that should be talked with the CATV company. ..(.. ..laughter..) that is not e-DistributionAnd, it has carried it over after all (To PS3).
【Q】 Japan is that whether the plan was too early though making to broadband was early by it when thinking about the development of world wide.
【 Hisashi Yokishi 】However, it is not Apple's having achieved e-Distribution by music in the meantime so. Therefore, here also finally : with the Japanese syllabary.
【Q】 HDD for network function for that that and service of network for that. In PS3, it seems to try to arrange a necessary infrastructure.
【 Hisashi Yokishi 】It does exactly. Moreover, saying is a message of the PS3 sale doing the network service from the first day.
Moreover, the tea valley. (Tea valley Coucoreshi. Corporate executive and CTO)Kawanishi(Mr. Kawanishi fountain. Corporate executive and general manager of software development headquarters and director of network system development department)Though the jaw of the team of our development might go up. Doing next when and where when not doing here, and of.
Future Market
In the PDF version, here e-Distribution PDF version is here in here
Future NETWORK PDF version.
- The business is done by contents after basic service.
【Q】 However, the part on the network seems not to have been emphasized so much up to now at the conference etc.There is ..hanging.. difference as a vision of e-Distribution seven years ago.
【 Hisashi Yokishi 】The story of the net service was not only called a shop too much in and E3 of.
【Q】 Was not the network able to be pushed out because for circulation, there was a
part of the business?
【 Hisashi Yokishi 】However, I do not receive money from match service on the network and a part basic of what. In such a place, PC is not natural. Very ..what.. is said with a domestic console, and it exists natural in PC.
Therefore, basic service does naturally, and even if the business is done by contents, :. For instance, I think that the one of "GT (car race game of Grantsurismo and SCEI)" (From user's side) wanting this comes out. There is a story of making the servers end Cell server, too.
【Q】 How much hangs so that the network contents may infiltrate do you think?
【 Hisashi Yokishi 】I do not think that it is so much since time. The network becomes natural, and the connected infrastructure becomes natural. One year?I think that natural and everyone think in two years.
【Q】 It was talked that it was an age of contents on the network in '99 year's lecture in around 2005. Is it according to almost expectation though there are a few gaps?
【 Hisashi Yokishi 】Oh dear, I think that it is these kind of things. Because there is already no Apple Computer up to hereGoogle is naturally used for (The network). It has already come to the presence. However, Microsoft (Xbox 360 is said that it is a game machine, and exists for a moment in the previous step.
Finally, when e-Distribution advances, the disk is lost.
【Q】 Judging from the idea of e-Distribution, an optical disk drive looks like the vermiform appendix. Finally, an optical drive on a local side : in becoming not important when becoming the age of a network digital entertainment. For instance, PLAYSTATION only of HDD.
【 Hisashi Yokishi 】
Finally, it sleeps though there must not be HDD either in reality. It is likely to become it when it is unnecessary some time (The drive if all data is taken to the servers end. In a similar story, the Google terminal is, and when it is achieved, is a super-thin client like coming out also of the idea. However (Diskless is achieved), the server is important, and it is difficult quite for that.
【Q】 Finally, do you think that the distribution with optical media is mid-term necessary though might become a client on the network also PLAYSTATION?
【 Hisashi Yokishi 】When it comes to be able to display 2K1K (full HD resolution) with domestic TV in the future, the world where the bit contents only to enjoy it enough are on the server side is difficult still for a moment. Therefore, BD can exist enough as a distribution media.
Moreover, the industrial world and the circulation field cannot be done if not so. PS3 is ..largeness.. to welcome it because everyone thinks that it wants to fall sales of DVD now and to find the following hard. PS3 is very priming from the side where it wants to sell flat TV. When the talk five years ahead (vision) is told, all are ..(.. ..laughter..) not good to eat that not is however again ..me..
However, I think that it goes there (e-Distribution) as a flow when entering the state that ties to the server like seem being natural immediately after the sale of PS3.
- E-Distribution that continues to Cell computing
【Q】 It is understood that the distributed computing to which contents not only are distributed in the e-Distribution plan but also it computes it by the servers end ,in a word, the Cell computing is included.
【 Hisashi Yokishi 】I want to do it so. Are a certain neither meaning nor Google already so as it is a far story as for the Cell computing?It is that processed on the centric computer side. Not doing on the (PC) side of the local : because it is certain though the mechanism is said that it will not say. It is not only Google. Everyone already begins to do.
【Q】 The Cell computing is a different point trying to do it in the world of a real-time computing. In your keynote speech by semiconductor conference "ISSCC 06" in February this year, the last big circle was not Nettowarcdoentartament in year of the '99 but a real-time computer.
【 Hisashi Yokishi 】No, it was thought that be going the real time of it (computed) ahead in the head (Nettowarcdoentartament). Naturally, it is . because it started from the game machine. Because there is already Zanet (Internet) if it is not real-time.
Q】 Is it only specified by the aspect as the computer?
【 Hisashi Yokishi 】It is so. It extends to the network that ahead though the Cell computing starts in the world in the miniature garden named PS3 first.
- The Cell computing is concurrently developed.
【Q】 The software platform to exchange Cell objects on the network is needed to achieve the Cell computing on the network. The situation of the development doesn't come into view so much.
【 Hisashi Yokishi 】 It might be early for a moment to still say the Cell computing. It does in parallel ..however (With the maintenance of the game platform)... Tea valley (CTO) takes charge, and this is advanced. Because E3 is a trade show, the main body and game software. Nambo was said feeling aiming at the end of the year, and the meeting with the retailer was most. Then, it did not say because it was reluctant even if it was said the Cell computing. Though it is likely to differ if it is CES (Consumer Electronics Show: consumer electronic show held by the U.S. Las Vegas).
【Q】 The progress of the Cell server that becomes one of the elements of the Cell
computing : please.
【 Hisashi Yokishi 】 It does variously in cooperation with Mr. IBM.
【Q】 Isn't there possibility of putting out the server from SCEI?
【 Hisashi Yokishi 】It might be.
【Q】 Do it become it for the game server if it does?
PS3 tool stacked in E3 hall
【 Hisashi Yokishi 】 One is a game server. This is confusedly, and can be interesting. Because stacking the development tool (Set it up repeatedly in the rack) wanted to take the image of the Cell server in advance, even E3 :. The unit of 2U was stacked, and each unit was connected with the FTP server in the E3 hall. Therefore, it was able to enjoy the evolving game for the E3 period more than every day (To ..automatic operation.. target in updating the game program that improved to the server).
It comes to be able to tie to the server of polyphonic digital (The game studio and Grantsurismoshirez etc. of SCEI are developed) sooner or later. Therefore, the server is and there is wanting you to become Cell. I want to try for the power supply to tie 1,000 several thousand Cell or more, and to make the cyberworld.
Interview explanation
The vision is very plain. It is in the network in the future, and faces digital contents Distoributed on the network. It is understood to think that it becomes PS3 and the peace became complete at last though this target set at PS2 has not been blurred. The purpose of providing the network service when launching it is to pave the road to the world at the previous network digital contents center in PS3.
Xbox Live and the strategy of Xbox 360 are common around here. It seems to try to take SCEI by lowering the threshold in the state of "Former per PS3 = network". It is thought that it is likely to be able to invite it to the network contents if the user gets on the net once.
Of course, time of each year is needed in completely moving to e-Distribution. However, the resolution on the TV display for the consumer becomes a landing once by HDTV. On the other hand, the band on the network extends continuously, and the computing power of the server goes up, too. Then, thinking that the network contents and the specific gravity change because a network infrastructure enough for the capacity of contents is in order somewhere is natural.
It is understood that SCEI doesn't stick to an optical disk media to tell the truth in a longer-term vision though BD is often closed up in PS3. From balance of network band and volume of data to vision of gradually moving to network under the present situation though optical media are importantThere is an impact in the game industry that sticking to to physical media is strong though this is a very natural vision in the world of the computer that has already turned to the net center. It is because of becoming the business model's the re-reform.
In addition, one - step has already gone up in e-Distribution by Cell's designed on the assumption of the distributed computing joining. In the Cell computing, it comes to be able to use the computing power of PS3 or more of the local by distributing software Cell made a package by way of the network. Decentralization with a strong real time is difficult in the current Internet as said in the interview. However, it is a vision of the ideal to achieve a real-time computing of decentralized by computing Cell. However, the phase seems to shift like transmitting the nuance in the interview about the Cell computing.
In PS2, not only the network infrastructure in the world but also the situation of SCEI had not caught up with the network contents making at all as an ideal though it was. However, it works considerably seriously like understanding the PS3 generation from the word said, "Next, do when and where when not doing here". However, the experience is a thin area for SCEI, and it is certain that the hurdle is high.
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