Quad-core Marvell Armada to be used in "new gaming platform"

[goatroper]

Chipmaker Marvell saw a significant growth in sales due to "a major customer preparing to launch a new gaming platform" (http://seekingalpha.com/article/221467-marvell-technology-ceo-discusses-f2q2011-results-earnings-call-transcript). The chip in question is a quad-core ARM-based Armada.

More at Engadget (http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/24/marvell-major-customer-launching-new-game-platform/).

Thoughts? Maybe 3DS will be beefier in the CPU department than previously thought? I doubt it, though. The rumor is 2x 266 MHz ARM11. PSP2, perhaps?

[liolio]

Either it's the PsP2 or someone else is to enter the market.

[DennisK4]

Obviously the PSP2 springs to mind. I certainly expect them to use a more powerful CPU than Nintendo.

A new player in the handheld game? I...would be surprised. Between the 3DS, PSP2 and Smartphones, I think the scene is plenty crowded.

[liolio]

Hum thinking about it twice, could this be related to Kinect?
I remember read something about it sometime ago here.

[fehu]

somewhere they said that the chip was too powerhungry to be put in a cordless device, so wii2?

[Laurent06]

Chipmaker Marvell saw a significant growth in sales due to "a major customer preparing to launch a new gaming platform" (http://seekingalpha.com/article/221467-marvell-technology-ceo-discusses-f2q2011-results-earnings-call-transcript). The chip in question is a quad-core ARM-based Armada.Where does it say it's a quad-core ARM SoC? Armada 628 has 3 cores, not 4 (though if it's like other high-end SoCs, it has more than the claimed numbers, except they are dedicated to some specific tasks).

[tangey]

Where does it say it's a quad-core ARM SoC? Armada 628 has 3 cores, not 4 (though if it's like other high-end SoCs, it has more than the claimed numbers, except they are dedicated to some specific tasks).


The Marvell report is for the 2nd quarter that ENDED on the 31st of July, and merely talked about an Armada AP in a new gaming platform as being part of the recent growth of sales. It could be any of the many many 5xx or 6xx series, but for sure has ZERO to do with the 628, which announced as sampling 2 months after the timeframe for this report !

[Arun]

I remember this being discussed (without the unsourced claim of a quad-core CPU), me speculating about a custom deal for the DS2 with DMP GPU IP, and someone pointing out this was nearly certainly just Kinect. So yeah, nothing to see here folks.

[archangelmorph]

PSP2??

Think again (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2010-10-05-panasonic-returns-to-gaming-hardware-market-with-jungle)...

[tangey]

As I already said, the Marvell announcement related to growth of chip sales for the quarter May-July.

The PS2 isn't out for AT LEAST 12 months.
The 3DS is now coming until next Jan-Feb.
The panasonic won't be seen until next year.

Unless someone is gathering stock some 6-12 months before product release, such that it impacts of Marvells unit sales by 15%, its none of those previous devices, and it rather relates to something that is shipping NOW or very shortly.

[eastmen]

MS surpise launching a windows phone 7 / xbox portable dedicated game machine ?


If not mabye its someone trying to make a gaming tablet ?

[NeoTechni]

I wouldn't expect PSP2 to use an ARM processor.

[argor]

I wouldn't expect PSP2 to use an ARM processor.
personally i think it is just as likely or more so that it will use arm

[tangey]

As was suggested by me and others on this thread, the Marvell "gaming platform" device that was talked about at Marvell's last financial statement wasn't for the 3-core device they just announced (how could it be, the results were historic), but rather for something that was already in the supply channel.

Confirmation today from techinsights that Kinect uses a Marvell processor.

http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4210757/Teardown--Kinect-has-processor-after-all