[one]

It's a bit early, but hey

http://www.isscc.org/isscc/2006/ap/2006_AP_Final.pdf

Monday, February 6th

SESSION 1
PLENARY SESSION - INVITED PAPERS

1.3 The Future of Computing for Real-Time Entertainment

11:05AM

Ken Kutaragi, President and CEO of SONY Computer Entertainment, Tokyo, Japan

There are two elements in real-timeliness that a human being can intuitively sense. One is the continuity of motion that a human being can cognitively feel to be natural, and the other is response time between action and reaction. Correspondingly, of the applications that have advanced the concept of real-time computing is computer entertainment systems which originally started as computer games. Real-timeliness of computer entertainment systems must be quick enough to match the speed of the response time of the player. Lack of both processing power and data-transfer rate in achieving this level of real-timeliness using general-purpose microprocessors have motivated the development of a new breed of more-powerful processors built on a new architecture.

In computer entertainment systems, since the hardware is normally fixed for several years, once its specifications are determined, there is an inclination to seek the most-advanced technology within the future roadmap, typically that of three years ahead, and one generation ahead in the semiconductor-fabrication process. As a consequence, a system must start off by utilizing large-size chipsets at launch, but, during its life cycle, it goes through two generations of semiconductor fabrication processes for downsizing, as well as progressive integration of chips to reduce manufacturing costs, and to enable mass production. Today, more than 40 million computer entertainment systems are shipped in a year, and are becoming a strong leading power in spearheading advancement in semiconductor technology and in creating demand.

In the future of real-time computing, massive assembly of "Parallel computing over the network" to execute vast amounts of computation, and "Vision System" that recognize the real world, in real-time, from a vast number of sensors over the network, will lead the next era in real-time computing.

Also, for Cell,

Thursday, February 9th
10:40 The Cell Processor’s Multicore Architecture: Impact and Influence of Physical Design
James Kahle, IBM, Austin, TX

["Nerve-Damage"]

Thanks for the information..........

[mckmas8808]

Can't wait. Only about 68 or so days left.

[Megadrive1988]

I'll be interested in reading what Ken has to say about PlayStation4 and what I assume will be its 'many core' Cell processor. just what's going to be inside my next-next gen Playstation

I don't believe any of that stuff about parallal processing over a network. not enough bandwidth + too much latency = pipedream.

[Guden Oden]

Originally Posted by mckmas8808

Can't wait. Only about 68 or so days left.

Please remember to breathe occationally despite all your excitement! Oh, and eat, sleep and go to the bathroom every once in a while too. And a shower at least every few days probably wouldn't hurt either!.

[PARANOiA]

Originally Posted by Megadrive1988

I don't believe any of that stuff about parallal processing over a network. not enough bandwidth + too much latency = pipedream.

I agree with this completely. It's a great idea for stuff which doesn't require a real-time result, but how is that useful on a games machine?

[TTP]

Before arguing about Ken Kutaragi's visions, please consider that the guy is stuck into the future after a bad accident he had with a PlayStation 9 prototype. He's writing from year 2053. He shows up at nowadays mettings and press conferences thanks to a time-defing-halogram-projector he himself invented in the spare time.

[one]

Originally Posted by PARANOiA

I agree with this completely. It's a great idea for stuff which doesn't require a real-time result, but how is that useful on a games machine?

The Cell realtime network described in the new SCE patent by Takeshi Yamazaki found by xbdestroya in the other thread is a bit more concrete than the Cell network in the original patent. Also it's relevant to the 100 PFLOPS Cell supercomputer which reproduces a world just like Matrix. All these pipedreams are just for fun

Method and apparatus for providing an interconnection network function

Abstract

Method and apparatus are provided for improved connection of devices and lower latency of communications between devices of a massively parallel network. In particular, method and apparatus are provided for cross-bar switches, a multiple protocol interface device, a low latency upper communication protocol layer, addressing and remote direct memory access over a massively parallel network.

...

[0030] Embodiments of the invention shown and described herein relative to FIGS. 4-14 are directed to systems and methods for providing interconnection between processors and between processing systems such as broadband engines (BEs). Desirably, the systems of methods according to the following described embodiments facilitate a high degree of collaboration between processors and/or BEs, and reduce latency for transporting messages between devices and BEs of the network.

[0031] One possible application for such interconnection systems and methods is for a "networked computing environment (NCE)". The NCE is a computing environment having a heterogeneous network including a large number of nodes, which can be operated in a massively parallel manner on a large-scale computing project (LSCP). Among types of nodes in the NCE are server computers (either large or small-scale servers), personal digital assistants (PDAs), consoles (e.g. video game machines, set top boxes), web cameras, home servers, servers, etc. The NCE preferably includes nodes capable of processing applications and data organized into software cells, as described in the '554 Application, such nodes hereinafter referenced as "cell architecture" or "CA" computers. CA computers share certain features in common, these being a common architecture having at least a common basic intruction set, and a streamlined communication protocol. CA computers can be small, having one to a few processors and few resources, or can be midsize computers or even large computers, having very many processors and resources. All CA computers have a generally similar processor organization and communication interface, which allows for more efficient communication and collaboration between computers. Communications between CA computers are generally capable of traversing network interfaces such as adapters, bridges and routers more rapidly than non-CA computers.

[0032] An NCE can provide the supporting computing infrastructure for services including a "shared virtual world". The shared virtual world is a computer-implemented environment providing simulated sensory experiences which mimic the real world in a believable manner to a user. The shared virtual world enables interactive play with computer-generated characters, whose characteristics, movement and behavior are generated through artificial intelligence. To simulate such experiences, much data is collected from a sensor network including images, sounds, and current weather conditions from locations in the real world. Data is also collected from sensors attached to a human user to detect the user's movement, or to detect the movement of a robot in response to the actions of the user.

[Carl B]

Originally Posted by one

All these pipedreams are just for fun

Are they though?

Take the red pill my friends.

[mckmas8808]

Originally Posted by TTP

Before arguing about Ken Kutaragi's visions, please consider that the guy is stuck into the future after a bad accident he had with a PlayStation 9 prototype. He's writing from year 2053. He shows up at nowadays mettings and press conferences thanks to a time-defing-halogram-projector he himself invented in the spare time.

I wonder if he can tell me who's going to win Super Bowl 50. No seriously I love the fact that he's stuck in the future all the time. I just hope he comes through with what he wants in the PS3 too.

[rabidrabbit]

There are two elements in real-timeliness that a human being can intuitively sense. One is the continuity of motion that a human being can cognitively feel to be natural, and the other is response time between action and reaction.

I like the fact he's emphasizing these factors for next gen. I do completely agree, they are both often neglected aspects of what make the game enjoyable beyond the immediate eye candy.
I do hope sub 60fps games would be history when PS3 arrives, but I'm afraid it won't be so in reality. First gen games I believe will mostly be 60fps, but after years go by and developers are pushed to make the games look all the time more pretty, the framerate is what must sacrifice first when they go beyond the resources.

[mckmas8808]

Originally Posted by rabidrabbit

but after years go by and developers are pushed to make the games look all the time more pretty, the framerate is what must sacrifice first when they go beyond the resources.

Yep this is the most important thing to remember when talking about 60 fps on next-gen games. I don't want all games to be 60 fps. RE5 doesn't need to be 60 fps. I want it to look pretty damn it.

[pipo]

Didn't you guys get the '120 FPS' memo?

[Shifty Geezer]

They ought to mandate 60fps constant framerate. I don't want extra eye-candy at the expense of framerate. At the very least ensure every game has a fixed 60fps mode that loses some of the detail to keep the framerate up so we, the gamers, can decide which we prefer.

[london-boy]

I think they should just mandate "stable 30 or 60 fps" and leave it to the devs to decide whether to go for 30 or 60, as long as it's stable. It's the slowdowns that make games look choppy, a stable 30fps is fine for lots of games, while 60fps is preferred for some others like racing games and fighters.

Obviously i'd love 60fps for every game, but it's just not gonna happen and an unstable 60fps is worse than a stable 30fps so i rather they mandate stable framerates over numbers.

[Shifty Geezer]

60 fps looks so much nicer though. Still, if I have to settle for 30, better that and no lower than something that's 60 fps runnig down corridors and 15 fps in a fight. Personally I rate silkysmooth framerate more important that fancy effects. The sense of quality that comes with the smooth framerate can't be duplicated by spasmodically updated particles and lights. It's not like next-gen games would look bad if they had to cut back shading and poly-counts for 60 fps. The stills might not look as nice (which is guess is what they're more concerned of, until we get Harry Potter style animating pictures on the boxes) but the game is mich nicer to view and play.

[dskneo]

Originally Posted by pipo

Didn't you guys get the '120 FPS' memo?

that was a "video" frame rate in the future, not gaming frame rate... but im sure you know that

[Megadrive1988]

Originally Posted by Shifty Geezer

They ought to mandate 60fps constant framerate. I don't want extra eye-candy at the expense of framerate. At the very least ensure every game has a fixed 60fps mode that loses some of the detail to keep the framerate up so we, the gamers, can decide which we prefer.

I completely wholeheartedly agree with this.

[dantruon]

Originally Posted by mckmas8808

Can't wait. Only about 68 or so days left.

*fainted* that long.............., so you guy got any plan to keep your mind out of this?

[one]

ISSCC is an academic conference, to boot

http://www.edn.com/blog/400000040/post/540002654.html

Coming hot on the heels of the PlayStation 3's baffling no-show at CES, and just a few months ahead of E3 where I expect production schedules for the PS3 will be announced, I figured that Ken would give us something we didn't already know about the console....and maybe show us some real-life running hardware, to boot (pun intended). So I rolled out of bed at 4AM to catch a 5:30AM Amtrak-plus-BART combo to San Francisco....

....and was disappointed once again. I'll summarize Ken's thinly-disguised Sony commercial in four succinct bullets:

* The PlayStation CPU was really big and expensive when we first went into production, but thanks to Moore's Law and around a decade's worth of lithography shrinks, we made it really small and cheap.
* The PlayStation 2 two-chip set was really big and expensive when we first went into production, but thanks to Moore's Law and around a five year's worth of lithography shrinks so far, we've made them so small and cheap that we were able to combine them onto a single chip (Brian's comment: at the cost of imperfect backwards-compatibility).
* The PlayStation Portable CPU is really big and expensive in its first incarnation, but (nudge nudge, wink wink, know what I mean, know what I mean?) I bet you can guess what we plan to do thanks to Moore's Law and a few years' worth of lithography shrinks.
* I wasn't allowed to show you a Cell die shot, but here's some simulated screenshots of the incredible things it's going to do.....someday....really....trust me....

[croc hunter2]

oooohhhh, scandal..

Ken K talked about chips at a chip conference, whatever next??

beer at the pub? shops at the shopping centre?? cars in a carpark? What is the world coming too??

[one]

...And a more level-headed article
http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/s...leID=179100739

Kutaragi predicted the Cell processor connected to a broadband network could eventually dominate the market. "If you follow the course of computer history, you see how the quest for constant semiconductor scaling and the equal quest for ever higher performance have led to where in 2006 a single chip such as the Cell is one-sixth the size of the original two chips brought out in 1998," said Kutaragi.

"Improving system response changes the relationship between computers and humans," said Kutaragi, citing the example of real-time computing in Formula 1 racing cars packed with sensors and processors that are monitored by a supercomputer miles from the racetrack.

Real-time network computing would require the upgrading of network bottlenecks like servers and switches. Instead Kutaragi proposed forming a Cell-based supercomputer-like server as an application server accessed by many client systems. By incorporating Cell processors, real-time responsiveness could be secured by exchanging only a small number of objects.

Kutaragi noted that the "location-free" concept enables users to access their home terminal via the Internet. "By expanding this concept, it will also become possible to access computer entertainment systems in the home, from mobile clients, in real-time," he said. Thus, mobile clients become a remote display and interface for PC entertainment systems.

"Computer entertainment systems and applications are now leading this trend," said Kutaragi.

[BTOA]

Originally Posted by dskneo

that was a "video" frame rate in the future, not gaming frame rate... but im sure you know that

I remember reading somewhere that Sony's SXRD display can do 120hz refresh rate in the near future. So the future Ken Ken sees is pretty sweet, indeed.

[MfA]

The concept in and of itself isn't really helped by Cell though ... the rather arbitrary 128kb local storage makes developing applications in the form of "apulets" for network computing a bit of a pain. Plus computation for anything except for games is cheap, what's the point in doing the computation non locally in the first place?

[Carl B]

Since it's indirectly related to the 'vision' Kutaragi expressed in his keynote, here's that 'grid' network patent again Sony got cleared based on Cell computing.

Patent

Anyway and yes, that edn article on the keynote is completely whack. That guy deserves having wasted his day if he got up at 4am and went to ISSCC expecting PS3 information.