One of the big things about the PS3 (and Xbox 360 for that matter) is that it has a multicore processor. One main PowerPC core, and 7 Synergistic Processor Elements (or SPEs). An SPE is basically just another core that’s geared more towards a certain kind of computation. So the Cell chip has 8 cores.

And, well, you know, this means the end of all time as we know it.

You’ve read the doomsayers as well as I have. Game programmers won’t be able to take advantage of all those cores. Those extra cores should be tossed in the trash just like apple cores. The first generation of next generation games will all just use the main core and ignore the others. Programming has gotten much too complicated. Blah blah blah. If you’ve been reading this website and others, you’ve seen it.

And while we read all this and think about how terrible this next-gen mess has turned out to be, Apple introduces a computer with to processors each of which has two cores. That’s four cores total. Of course, for an application to really scream in this scenario it has to be multithreaded up the apple core. But do you see huge protests? Big hot shots in the Apple development community complaining about how terrible this is and that the sky is falling? Any of that? No. It’s just the next step. A little more work. Great benefits, if you choose to do the work. Not if not.

So PS3 (and Xbox 360) game developers will have to learn how to write multithreaded applications. Deadlocks, mutexes, condition variables, semaphores. You know the drill. Programmers have been doing this for literally decades. It’s tricky, granted. But I think those game developers are smart folks. They’ll do it, and we’ll reap the rewards.

Macworld - Dual-core chips: Twice as nice?

Well, for those of us looking for PS3 news at the PlayStation Festival, it’s been a disappointing couple of days.

The only PS3 stuff at the show is a theater showing PS3 trailers from TGS. Well, except for one little tidbit (and no, this is not a “one more thing” moment like Mr. Jobs likes to pull).

The only truly noteworthy thing to take from this event is that Sony showed the Final Fantasy 7 demo–one would think that they would not bring a mere tech demo this late in the game if an actual release wasn’t intended. Nor would they put it in one of the marquee spots at the end of the trailer reel along with their killer app-MGS4. But this is all idle speculation on the part of this reporter.

When’s the next event at which we could learn some significant PS3 info? Well, there’s always CES in January. Sony might also decide to release some new info to battle the Xbox 360 release, but that’s just conjecture.

We wait, and wait, and wait…

1UP.com - Japan checks out the PS3 Trailers
IGN - PS3 in Tokyo

Ever play that game where you whisper a phrase into someone’s ear, then they repeat it to someone else, etc? Then at the end, it gets all mangled? Like “John’s blue underwear got pink in the wash” turns into “John ate a pizza with a cockroach on it”.

Well, some statements start out with the cockroach already in it, and it’s a wonder why anybody even bothers to repeat it to anyone else. There are certainly some rumours that should be dismissed out of hand and forgotten. But no, they get repeated all over the place, growing like a snowball. Like the one about Sony dropping router functionality from the PS3, even though it was never an announced feature. All of a sudden Sony was cutting features to make the deadline. Yeah, well, that one was put to bed eventually. Now there’s one about Sony cutting backwards compatibility to meet launch date. Yup, that one’s a hoax too.

How about I whisper something else in your ear - I just want to see how it’ll come back: “Sony sells sea-shells by the sea-shore.”

Joystiq - PS3 to jettison backwards compatibility in order to launch this decade?

So Microsoft is coming out with a Xbox 360 controller that can be used with a PC. It plugs into a standard USB port using a 9 foot breakaway controller cable.

Does this mean I can use it on my PS3?

Sure the PS3 boomerang looks a little whacky, but it’s basically the same as the DualShock 2 controller now used with the PS2. Nothing added to increase play value. So why can’t I use something better? If the Xbox 360 controller uses a standard USB connection, then you could hook it up to the PS3. Someone just needs to write a driver for it and voila! The only problem is that developers won’t write games that actually use the cool features of this controller.

The best would be if Sony actually decided to improve their own controller and add new stuff like triggers.

Hmmm. Haven’t I said that before?

Eurogamer - 360 controller for Windows
Microsoft - Microsoft Announces Company’s First Cross-Platform Gaming Controller

The Cell processor was used to create an Eye-toy like demo at the recent CREATEC show in Japan. “A model was seated in front of the simulator that was then able to display a 3D model of the person that matched the movements and facial expressions (!) of the person in real-time.”

Sounds pretty cool to me. Does that mean that when I’m penetrating a top-secret facility and need to fool their cameras, I can use a Cell processor to make them believe it’s a security guard walking around instead of me?

PS3Focus.com - Sony shows off Cell chip with Eye Toy-like demo
Gizmodo - PS3’s CELL Chip Can Help Morph Your Face

Now, I already have a PVR, so the idea of having another PVR in my PS3 doesn’t entice me that much. Especially because the PS3 won’t be supported by my cable company.

But GameGeekNews reported a while ago that the PS3 will, with additional hardware, be able to, “store television shows and offer Tivo-esque capablities.”

I don’t really know what to think about that one. On the one hand, it sounds a lot like smoke and mirrors to me. On the other hand, there’s the PSX. So it’s a toss-up.

What do you think?

GameGeekNews - PS3 To Have TIVO-Like Functionality?

If you’ve got $750,000, you can buy yourself a royalty-free version of the Unreal Engine by Epic Games. Or if you want to pay a little less up-front, there are options down to $350,000 plus royalties.

Sure, it’s a fair chunk of change, but it looks like PS3 and Xbox 360 developers are finding it a bargain. After all, they get a whole development platform for that money, which is a lot of work they don’t need to do. They can concentrate on the game itself.

The biggest next-gen game to use the Unreal Engine looks to be Gears of War for the Xbox 360. Joystiq points out that “To an extent, Gears of War is just a tech demo to prove the viability of Unreal Engine 3 for next-gen development. It’ll be an impressive game, no doubt, but perhaps mostly because it needs to be impressive to drive licensing revenues.” I don’t know if the creators of Gears of War would agree.

Joystiq - What’s up with Unreal Engine licensing?

A while back PS3 IGN posted some screenshots from Elveon for the PS3. Elveon is an action game for the PS3 built on the Unreal 3 engine, and it looks pretty good. The castle looks great. I wonder if it’s fully destructable? Not much is known about the game yet, but it’s currently due for a Q2 2007 release.

PS3 IGN - Elveon Main Page

If the latest poll figures are to be believed, Microsoft is doing very well in Japan compared to last time around.

According to Famitsu, 23.9% of Japanese gamers are interested in aquiring an Xbox 360. The number one reason for getting the Xbox 360? The controller. And you know, I have to agree with them. Unless Sony enhances their controller for the next gen, Microsoft’s controller will be the one to beat. Hey Sony! Are you listening???

That compares to 63.2% of gamers who are interested in buying a PS3. Number one reason? The features. Kind of nebulous, I know, but there are a lot of them to choose from. And the number three reason not to buy the PS3 was… the controller. Surprise surprise.

As the interface to the console, the controller has to be just right. And it looks like Microsoft is getting it this time around. And while the DualShock is a great controller, it’s getting a little long in the tooth. It needs to be a bit more ergonomic, maybe some online functionality. But most importantly, it needs triggers! I’ve mentioned this before, but got no reaction. Anybody at all agree with me?

Next Generation - Japanese Console Plans Revealed