Intel talking to Nintendo about Larrabee

thop

Great Member
Veteran
Claims man in Japan. I got a brief translation from here, but maybe someone from Japan can provide a more detailed translation.
According to Hiroshige Goto, Intel has been attempting to get Nintendo to make use of its upcoming Larrabee processor. Due to the timing, explains Goto, the target for Larrabee would likely be a true next generation machine rather than Wii HD, which Goto says is widely rumored to be planned for 2010 release and would thus need to have been in its final development phases when Intel approached Nintendo.

Goto does not provide specifics on what kind of talks are taking place between Nintendo and Intel at this point, stating that he himself does not know.
Awaiting PRINT/GOTO comments :D
 
Intel seem to be trying to hawk the architecture off to everyone. First there were rumours of them approaching Microsoft and Sony, then I guess we need Nintendo to finish the set.
 
I can imagine how the conversation went...

"Hi Nintendo, what's good? It's Intel. Yeah, I'm good..
Listen, I remember you put a lot of effort in the 64DD and the Virtualboy..
... You felt like shit right? Oh man, that's exactly what I'm going through right now.
Yeah, we at Intel also thought we had the future in our hands..
To admit you are wrong is difficult indeed..
We tried to sell the Larabee to Sony, but even Microsoft declined.
Turned out, even years before our Larabee would be ready, AMD and Nvidia already had us by the balls..
The x86 legacy architecture?.. yeah, it's healthy, but all netbooks could be ARM in a few years. But you are right Nintendo, we should look at the bright side. Maybe some people at B3D still believe in what they conveniently call "LRB". Lol, yeah, it sounds cool amirite?
Ah Nintendo, you are the best, you always cheer me up!
Thanks for letting me, Intel, talk to you Nintendo!
Kbye!"

ontopic:
I don't think the next nintendo would have the LRB, because there are proved, more efficient, even more powerful solutions available *right now*. In 1-2 years the situation will be even worse for Intel..
IMO
 
We've discussed in the past that one of the best moves Intel could make for the future health of LRB would be to get it inside a console - there you would have a minimum developer base to become familiar with your architecture and support the efforts on the PC. And to that effect, I don't think that LRB's per-mm^2 performance vs other architectures would be the absolute determining factor in whether someone went with them or not, because the tools Intel puts up and more importantly the price they offered it at may play a larger role.

Not saying that I think Nintendo will have 'Intel Inside,' but that I wouldn't count Intel out of any project they are bidding on until the stones are set.
 
Could actually be the best option for Intel. Nintendo aren't too fussed about performance parts. If LRB is that flexible, a mediocre GPU and flexible CPU could be an okay choice. If they offer it cheap just to get someone using it, it may benefit Nintendo. However, it'd be down to Intel to sell the system. I doubt Nintendo are looking at possibilities and approaching LRB enthusiastically as their first-choice processor.
 
What is the LRB roadmap on PCs?

Only thing I hear about LRB is in connection with consoles. Almost as if Intel developed it for consoles, not their main revenue source, the PC market.
 
Nintendo: Intel, you have any bids for the Zii?

Intel: Well, we got this Larrabee chip. Great concept--x86 GPU. 32 CPUs, 128 threads, really neat design that has some unique ideas for efficency gains over NV and AT products. Opens a new world of software based rendering solutions and closely fusing the CPU and GPU.

Nintendo: Sounds nice. So what are the catches?

Intel: Well, it is big. Really, really big. And hot. And sucks power. And seeing as we move a ton of x86 chips from netbooks to datacenter servers we have no interest in subsidizing it hugely. Oh, and it is slower than last gen DX GPUs from NV and ATI and their new products, while not as flexible, have really improved. And their tools and drivers are eons ahead. Essentially you will get some nasty ports and will require a small army of great engineers to make the chip sing. But buy going with Larrabee you are future looking and helping us make Larrabee 2 and 3 that may actually be competitive someday, at which point we will sell it to Microsoft.

Nintendo: Ok. Anything else?

Intel: Oh yeah, it was canned.

Nintendo: Well, why didn't you say that earlier? We will take 2!
 
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You make it sound like a Sony processor!

Lol, I remember this from... 2005?

z990mcm.jpg


A lot of fud was being spread that cell would be very big, even bigger than in this image. Fanboys did not have the ability to understand 'concept prototype' :p
But thanks for mentioning it, I almost forgot :D
 
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