Sony: Developers Requested x86 Architecture for PS4

**The Sith** · 03-14-2013

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/PlaySt...ews-43053.html

**HellsJester** · 03-14-2013

Well they got what they wanted so they better put their games on the PS4.

**Nucleus** · 03-14-2013

I guess we can finally conclude that the Cell and Blu-Ray didn't have much of an impact as many people were led to believe.

http://m.tomshardware.com/news/PlayS...ure,21479.html

Nucleus

**Ghost-Rhayne** · 03-14-2013

Originally Posted by Nucleus

I guess we can finally conclude that the Cell and Blu-Ray didn't have much of an impact as many people were led to believe.

http://m.tomshardware.com/news/PlayS...ure,21479.html

Nucleus

No not really, it just gave PS3 some of the nicest looking games this gen and removed disc swapping, something I haven't done for over a decade.

Sony should have gone x86 this gen but it doesn't matter...it has learned from its mistake. Dev friendly tech + Sony's passion for providing bar raising content will make for a good 8th gen on PlayStation.

**PeanutButterMunky** · 03-14-2013

Originally Posted by Ghost-Rhayne

Sony should have gone x86 this gen but it doesn't matter...it has learned from its mistake. Dev friendly tech + Sony's passion for providing bar raising content will make for a good 8th gen on PlayStation.

Yeah man... I feel like a friggin' kid again.

So excited for next gen.

**Jabjabs** · 03-14-2013

I'm sure developers would of taken anything over Cell again, x86 is just a nice bonus not that most developers will even get that close to the hardware level to really concern them.

**Old Man Gamer** · 03-14-2013

Originally Posted by Nucleus

I guess we can finally conclude that the Cell and Blu-Ray didn't have much of an impact as many people were led to believe.

Nucleus

The Cell was a mistake for sure and it hurt Sony in both cost and marketshare. It took a long time to regain that marketshare and they'll never recover the cost of development and manufacturing of the Cell. They would have been MUCH better off going with a custom X86.

**mickice** · 03-14-2013

Now that Sony isn't running like a 3 legged dog, I suspect they are going to smash it, 70% market share for the generation.

**Insanehead** · 03-14-2013

I hope it means more PC ports too..

**PeanutButterMunky** · 03-14-2013

Originally Posted by Insanehead

I hope it means more PC ports too..

I honestly think there's a pretty good chance of that.

**Old Man Gamer** · 03-14-2013

Originally Posted by mickice

Now that Sony isn't running like a 3 legged dog, I suspect they are going to smash it, 70% market share for the generation.

That's a bit high but if MS doesn't do something about their lack of exclusives it could happen.

**coolguy** · 03-14-2013

dont blame blu-ray blame cell. now third party devs cant complain. if crazy ken was still at sony he would have picked some hard cpu to work with again that guy was nutz

**Bigdoggy** · 03-14-2013

Originally Posted by coolguy

dont blame blu-ray blame cell. now third party devs cant complain. if crazy ken was still at sony he would have picked some hard cpu to work with again that guy was nutz

that's exactly what would have happened. Obviously the PS1 was so easy to develop for I think, it had a slew of games, the PS2 from what I remember reading was a tiny bit harder to develop for and the PS3 was just a "what the fuck is this". Every single system was getting more and more difficult.

*goo · 03-14-2013

Originally Posted by mickice

Now that Sony isn't running like a 3 legged dog, I suspect they are going to smash it, 70% market share for the generation.

Are you saying 70% of all gaming will be on a Sony device when the next consoles are out, or are you talking only about the consoles? Either way, that's a mighty big figure.

My knee-jerk reaction is great hardware but people don't have as much disposable income as they used to, thus it follows that sales won't be great until the price point is low (same as the PS3, really). I couldn't possibly put a % on it but I think as time goes on, the basics are becoming much more important than the luxuries.

**Shingo** · 03-14-2013

Guy, you all got virus of NextGeniosis

Hope Sony and MS hurry up and cure you

**Jabjabs** · 03-15-2013

Originally Posted by Bigdoggy

that's exactly what would have happened. Obviously the PS1 was so easy to develop for I think, it had a slew of games, the PS2 from what I remember reading was a tiny bit harder to develop for and the PS3 was just a "what the fuck is this". Every single system was getting more and more difficult.

Ps1 was the best of a bad lot really, it was easy enough to code on and code required to make it work was very stream lined but it was by no means an easy machine. Compared with Saturns multi CPU/GPU configuration it was a dream and you didn't have to worry about the odd ball restrictions of the N64's RAM & cartridge setup.

Ps2 was easily the worst of the lot, not only was it lacking in development tools the CPU was an absolute mess, a powerful chip mess but still a mess. Technically the Emotion engine was eight separate programmable processors and all of them had to coordinated as such. I heard of cases in the opening months of development on the machine that it took some programmers weeks to get even the first images on screen and I'm talking just simple squares and circles.

Ps3 while not inherently difficult to program for at a processor level, each processor on it was very well thought out. The issue was what was asked of it in term of software design. Splitting game code 8 ways is incredibly hard at the best of times and even worse when you are trying to make it run efficiently. I can see where they where heading with the design but the rest of the industry wasn't following in it's lead.

**Rapture** · 03-15-2013

In hindsight most people in the industry agree that the Cell was a bad move in the end. Maybe this was a result of mass incompetence and an unwillingness for developers and the industry to adapt. Still, it seems things would have rolled much smoother with Sony and the PS3 had they taken a more typical and expected route. I'm happy they did. Developing will be faster and easier, and we gamers benefit in the end as a result.

**ps3freak18** · 03-15-2013

There is no denying this system was made for the devs. Sony is giving back to the ones that didn't find the Cell too easy to work with. This can only mean great things for us gamers.