Bandai Namco and SCEI to establish a new joint company CELLIUS for Cell software
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deathindustrial
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Hopefully this isn't seen as flamebait but my immediate thought on hearing this news was that it was a way of pushing out Ken Kuratagi without Sony losing too much face. Any word on how this affects his role in Sony's gaming division?
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Probably doesn't effect it at all.
A chairmanship is an honorific of sorts, but I imagine Kutaragi will be fairly active in this venture. I also don't understand the feelings concerning Kaz Hirai's ascension to the new COO position as being some sort of behind-the-scenes demotion of Kutaragi. Kaz likely full well expected to become SCE CEO upon Kutaragi's presumed assumption of the Sony throne, so when that got upended, it probably rattled him nearly as much as Kutaragi himself. I think the COO position was more a way to give Kaz Hirai a promotion along with added responsibilities (and a pay increase), rather than a way to strip Kutaragi of the same.
For Kutaragi's part, he's probably happy to be back to dealing with Cell in non-PS exclusve ways and expanding his roles.
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Did you just quote yourself, and agreed with that quote?
Looks like evidence of multiple personality disorder. LOL.
I think the new company will focus on consumer cell software, leveraging on Namco-Bandai's existing assets and Sony's Cell expertise. It could be a corporate mechanism to capitalize on/speed up Cell adoption.
For specific projects, we can look at: http://www.bandainamco.co.jp/en/about/group/index.html
for low hanging fruits (assuming they want to make money quick instead of another multi-year investment). So we may see more Gundam, Power Rangers, Hello Kitty and Tamagotchis out of this.
I suspect they will take an integrated, content-driven approach, so PS3, PC and cellphone portions are merely channels for the "same" software and content (i.e., they will port the software to PS3, and content can be served from PSN or Bandai Networks).
Hopefully, they'll get out of porting mode and do some original work.
What I'm really looking for are:
* Integration/sharing between Windows and Macs with PS3
* Syncing (e.g., contacts and downloaded movie clips) between PS3 and cellphones, especially bluetooth ones.
* Home theater using PS3 ( Blu-ray LIVE )
* Home automation/robots (Remote controlling Roomba, Zoomba, Legos Mindstorms, Robosapiens, ...).
* Magic Mirror (This one is from Toshiba though ?)
* A worthy Gundam game (I was a diehard Gundam fan as a kid. Now I try to pretend it doesn't exist)
EDIT:
Hmmm.. I think Bandai also owns the Evangelion IP.
For specific projects, we can look at: http://www.bandainamco.co.jp/en/about/group/index.html
for low hanging fruits (assuming they want to make money quick instead of another multi-year investment). So we may see more Gundam, Power Rangers, Hello Kitty and Tamagotchis out of this.
I suspect they will take an integrated, content-driven approach, so PS3, PC and cellphone portions are merely channels for the "same" software and content (i.e., they will port the software to PS3, and content can be served from PSN or Bandai Networks).
Hopefully, they'll get out of porting mode and do some original work.
What I'm really looking for are:
* Integration/sharing between Windows and Macs with PS3
* Syncing (e.g., contacts and downloaded movie clips) between PS3 and cellphones, especially bluetooth ones.
* Home theater using PS3 ( Blu-ray LIVE )
* Home automation/robots (Remote controlling Roomba, Zoomba, Legos Mindstorms, Robosapiens, ...).
* Magic Mirror (This one is from Toshiba though ?)
* A worthy Gundam game (I was a diehard Gundam fan as a kid. Now I try to pretend it doesn't exist)
EDIT:
Hmmm.. I think Bandai also owns the Evangelion IP.
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http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/24/ken-kutaragi-to-become-chairman-of-cellius/
Less than a million dollars seems paltry to me in terms of software development costs.
Someone like Team Sweeny from Epic probably brings more than a millon profit home every 3 months or so.
I was agreeing with Bobbler, quoting myself as alrady having said what he was saying. Though it looks like we're wrong, and PS3 isn't set to get any software. That must mean there's soon-to-be-announced new hardware. Who the hell would develop software for a platform that doesn't exist? Short of a tax dodge!Did you just quote yourself, and agreed with that quote?
The Joystiq article contradicts the Bloomberg quote though:
"Cellius will use Sony's Cell chip, which powers PlayStation 3, to create games for the console and content for mobile phones and personal computers, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. spokesman Satoshi Fukuoka said today. "
It will be weird if Cellius avoids the PS3 market. Namco Bandai is not exactly a business software company too. We may still see their work on PS3 in time to come.
"Cellius will use Sony's Cell chip, which powers PlayStation 3, to create games for the console and content for mobile phones and personal computers, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. spokesman Satoshi Fukuoka said today. "
It will be weird if Cellius avoids the PS3 market. Namco Bandai is not exactly a business software company too. We may still see their work on PS3 in time to come.
Cell to actually create games itself.... I guess it really is more intelligent than us...
Joystiq said:
There is no mention of "business contents" anywhere in the original articles. I suspect Joystiq used Google to translate the WatchImpress release, and misinterpreted the translated mess: "In business contents of the cicely mortar [Cellius], there is no kind of description which is specialized in PS3".
one has already translated the news for us in the OP: "Today Bandai Namco Games, Inc (NBGI) and Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc (SCEI) has announced that they'd establish a new joint company CELLIUS to create new entertainment contents enabled by Cell Broadband Engine (Cell/B.E.) in March. The [company description] makes no mention of PS3 and the main business of this company is "development/sales of audio/visual software and computer software". Bandai Namco has 51% shares while SCE has 49%. "
In the preamble of the press release...
"セリウスではNBGIとSCEIそれぞれが有する開発技術や柔軟な発想を融合し、インタラクティブで“驚き”のあるエンタテインメントを創出すべく、コンテンツビジネスを展開して参ります"
Namco Bandai and SCEI will combine their relevant software development skills and concepts/ideas (in a content business [Cellius]) to create interactive and amazing entertainment [one, please correct me if I am wrong].
I take it that they will not preclude PS3 (or any other Cell devices) as long as it makes business sense.
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The venture would appear to be an SCEI directed CELL software development using gaming as a driving force, since it is a gaming company they are working with afterall. The immediate products ought to be games on cell-enabled portable devices, but they seem to allude to general software as well. The PS3 might well benefit indirectly from the widening experience with CELL where it is used in other devices.
The graphics market for portable devices is just as competitive as the one for the desktop, so a mini-CELL would be as unsuitable at being a replacement for a dedicated portable GPU in a mobile phone as the larger CELL would've been for the desktop level GPU in a home console.
Performance and power efficiency wouldn't be close to comparing to specialized solutions.
Sony Ericsson currently uses dedicated graphics cores in their phones, and I question whether mini-CELLs are on their roadmap at all.
Performance and power efficiency wouldn't be close to comparing to specialized solutions.
Sony Ericsson currently uses dedicated graphics cores in their phones, and I question whether mini-CELLs are on their roadmap at all.
They may be setting up the company now to start development of tools and techniques, prior to hardware releases next year. It's unlikely new hardware will be expected 3 mnths from Cellius opening its doors! Given the lack of Cell products at CES, I guess CES next year will show Cell products and Cellius software.
Mr. Domino
Regular
The first three game are revealed in famitsu, I have to say that if the screens are realtime it looks quite good imo, but scans aren't allowed here so...
From the sounds of it, they're kinda interactive movies, so they ought to look good! It's the play you'd worry about. And presumably they're portable across Cell devices, which makes one wonder what other Cell devices they're intended for. They're not really showcases for PS3... (if they're interactive movies. Haven't seen the source or scans)
Mr. Domino
Regular
Judging by the scans it indeed looks like interactieve movies, lots of cutscenes where you have to press a certain button at the right time. And it looks very "Japanese", I think those games will be quite popular in Japan.
