Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Rambus (RMBS) - Eagle or Penguin -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Dave B who wrote (29883)	9/19/1999 2:49:00 AM
From: Dave B	Respond to of 93625

Another interesting article, also from March: SONY AND TOSHIBA TO START PLAYSTATION CHIP VENTURE. Computergram International, March 5, 1999 i3612 pNA ... The [Sony] machine offers the kind of graphics performance previously only seen on high end graphics workstations, with rendering speeds up to 75 million polygons per second. Polygons are the geometric basis of three dimensional graphics, images and backgrounds being made up of vast numbers of polygons. The new Sega Corp Dreamcast console has a peak performance of just over 3 million polygons per second. So the PS II can render 25 polygons in the time it takes the Dreamcast to render just one. That will create much smoother, realistic-looking graphics. Sega better sell a bunch quickly to get the volume up which in turn will convince the game companies to build games for the Dreamcast system, otherwise they could be in trouble. It will help Sega that the Sony system will be quite a bit more expensive -- it will certainly be interesting to see if gamers are willing to pay more for performance, or want to save the money. Dave

To: Dave B who wrote (29883)	9/20/1999 4:38:00 AM
From: Sam P.	Respond to of 93625

nikkeibp.asiabiztech.com Computer to Create Networked Digital Entertainment Market with PlayStation2 September 20, 1999 (TOKYO) -- Ken Kutaragi, chief executive officer of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE), revealed that his firm will launch a business to produce and sell contents with the PlayStation2 as a platform. This follows the firm's announcement of the new game machine on Sept. 13. Kutaragi said the industry has developed from the first stage of toys, to the next stages of video games and computer entertainment and will enter a new stage of "networked digital entertainment." According to Kutaragi, SCE plans to begin offering the networked digital entertainment service starting in 2001, and will develop related peripherals, such as an adapter which will connect the PlayStation2 with the cable TV network, and the hard disk drive in which the data downloaded from PlayStation2 and the cable TV network will be stored. At present, the cable TV network seems to be the only communications network that the firm plans to use for this purpose. SCE believes that the media for software titles will change from CD-ROM and DVD-ROM to communications networks. The firm appears to have concluded that the existing telephone circuits are incapable of sending data at a high speed, and are unsuitable for supplying a massive amount of contents to its customers. Kutaragi admitted that it would be impossible to offer this service to all households in 2001. But he said that it would be possible to provide this service to 4-5 million households in the initial stage. The firm has yet to work out details of the design of the hard disk. But an informed source said that SCE intends to make it a unit with more than 50GB. The most likely design will be connecting the hard-disk unit with the PlayStation2 by a PC card interface. This may be realized if hard disks meeting the IEEE1394 standard come into wide use in the PC industry, the source said.