Will The PS3 Win “Console War” At The End Of This Console Generation

13th NOVEMBER

Author: Nikodem MachnikDate:13.11.2007

Tutor:Dean ParkKey Skills

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Will PS3 Win The Console War

In many countries sales of games for consoles beats sales results on their Personal Computers versions. Reason – Machines from Sony Microsoft and Nintendo are very easy to use (you don’t have to install games like on PC’s). Consoles are made for games mostly so there is no fuss with use. Games are launched very fast, and bring the graphic that tease loads of people to buy it. Everyone can find something for themselves.

SONY PLAYSTATION 3

Release Date: November 2006 USA, Japan. March 2007 Rest of the world.

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Sony PlayStation 3 Most powerful console when we look at the hardware of the machine. Very amazing picture that it gives and games of new generation. Like

Xbox360 it’s one of these revolutionary game systems that will show us new style of gaming, and will amaze us through next couple years.

Cell

Sony, Toshiba and IBM build a processor it took about 4 years to complete it, which is the most important part – a Heart of Console. The effect of their work is called Cell one another and one's huge productivity, the same as supercomputers, owes to applying many processors. In times, when Intel only is entering the marketplace of arrangements quad-core, put processor compound of as many as 9 independent cores in her console table on the Sony, from which 8 these are tremendous special systems in vector calculations (Synergistic Processing Element). Vector processor, in contrast with scalar, lets for processing, in single cycles, of entire vectors of data.

Cell is a tremendous tool. In practice however exploiting the plenitude of his abilities isn't straight at all. This processor assumptions was supposed to be, and is, very elastic and in the great programmable degree with arrangement. In order to reach it, his designers made up their mind for maximum simplifying all 9 roots. A lower complexity is the simpler principles of operation and the possibility of simple redoubling the number of arrangements, hence and of the total computing power. However less steering logic causes that an unprecedented responsibility is laying with drinks cabinets of programmers too as best using all executive individuals. Saying more vividly not any ability is needed in order well to conduct all Cell’s cores.Largely how efficiently they will be used depends on the ability of the programmer all possibilities of this small supercomputer. And the ones are really huge. Total productivity floating-point 3.2 GHz is gaining all 9 cores of Cell’s working with the clock 256 GFLOPS (it is worthwhile however emphasizing that in the case PS3, one of SPE cores isn’t being used and the productivity of the entire processor declined to 218 GFLOPS).

About Graphics

For the rendering in the Playstation 3 console table a RSX agreement is answering (of Synthesizer Realist) NVIDIA companies, G70 being based on PC GPU from the family (7800 GTX). RSX is working with the clock for frequencies of 550 MHz and in a second carries 75 billion operations out. Also 256 MB of the GDDR3 memory acting with clock 700 is at his disposal MHz. RSX compound of 300 million transistors is adapted to the service of the image in the HD standard and its individuals of shading pixels in are to a large extent programmable. In combination with Cell, RSX a tremendous tool constitutes developers in hands.

Design

PlayStation 3 looks very in Futurist style. For her the casing was made of shining material of good quality. Unfortunately, since it is as far as this way elegant, very much it is easy for all smudges of dirt, apparently on it dab or even specks of dust. The PS2 successor is above all bigger and heavier (it is a console weighing deciding the most of a new generation). In the route action, the console isn’t heating the front or the upper surface. From the bottom however PS3 is able to be hot. At the front a drive was installed Blu-ray, the CD being able to cooperate also with carriers and the

DVD. What's interesting, he doesn't have ordinary CD tray, and instead of it slide hole by which the disc is being drawn into the – interior we will find the similar solution in car radio players.PlayStation 3 in the Premium version has the reader built in of memory cards: CD the Flash, Memory Stick and Secure Digital (Olympus is sorting the service of the xD standard of the company). The console has four nests USB (e.g. for pinning up the keyboard which is rather essential if we want to use the console for looking web pages through), HDMI exits, analogue AV as well as visual audio outings and nests network Ethernet. PS3 offers sound in the Dolby Surround 5.1 format.

Game Pad

The Japanese concern is attaching to PS3 it is raining cordless which is communicating with the console with the help of technology Bluetooth. It is looking like the Dual Shock well-known for PlayStation 2 (it is worthwhile adding that we won't connect the controller to PS3 from PS2). However his possibilities and action are completely different. Outside the cordless communication (reach according to the Sony up to 20 metres) we will find the mechanism reacting to the location here. There is this interesting solution since we can manipulate the figure in the game by raising it is raining or leaving, as well as changing – pitches it will be sufficient to turn the fall into the side or ahead and to the back. Thanks to that in the more natural way it is possible to drive central figures of games. It is worthwhile also adding that the SIXAXIS fall is slight it results from – among others for lack of mechanism responsible for vibrations. The novelty has also a battery, which with turning over the Sony for 30 hours incessant playing is enough. Unfortunately the battery isn't exchangeable, so if in the end he falls down, it will be necessary to buy the intact, new control pad.

Games

Sony PlayStation 3 Most powerful console when we look at the hardware of the machine. Very amazing picture that it gives and games of new generation. Like Xbox360 it’s one of these revolutionary game systems that will show us new style of gaming, and will amaze us through next couple years.Some of the games looks very realistic (GT5, Ridge Racer 7). There is not many titles but in next 2-3years console will reach it’s climax.

Entertainment

PS3 offers many multimedia possibilities. The view of the main menu very much resembles the one which we know from portable Portable PlayStation (PSP). The console lets watch the film recorded on the DVD or Blu-ray (the MPEG1 format, MPEG2 and MPEG4/h.264), great quality of the image, particularly when we are examining material of the video in the High Definition mode. Of course a possibility didn't run short of looking photographs through (the console is supporting JPEG formats, TIFF, BMP, GIF and PNG). What worth making a note, the thanks of the WiFi technology and the Bluetooth, on the console table it is possible also to examine photographs being on a hard disk of computer or for instance a mobile phone. PlayStation 3 without the problem deals also audio CD, and with file formats such as MP3, ATRAC, AAC and the WAV.

MICROSOFT XBOX 360

Release Date: October 2005

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During the presentation of the new console, the Microsoft boasted that Xbox 360 offered the floating-point computing power on the level to 1 TERAFLOPS. Many

aptly it noticed that that number referred to the entire machine so he is a sum of the peak output of all – processors applied in it above all however CPU (Xenon) and the GPU (Xenos). The Microsoft could this way act. Xbox 360 power results exactly from connecting into one organism of the central processor and the layout, this way in order to support each other gave unprecedented possibilities to programmers...

Xenon

CPU of the new console a Microsoft is a very untypical structure. We got used already to symmetrical increasing the number of processors or single cores in the arrangement. However Xenon has 3, identical 64-bit cores of the authorship of the company IBM (PowerPC). Each of them, apart from the standard individual stand-ed and floating-point, is equipped with the additional set of two vector individuals working on 128-bit registers (VMX-128 vector units). These are exactly vector individuals (and every of them is able to the work at the same time with 128 registers), are the driving force in the process of the decompression and preparing ready, geometrical data for GPU.Each of Xenon’s cores is able to the work at the same time as two motifs (Symmetric technology Hardware Threads, being a simpler counterpart of Intel HyperThreading) what is giving us the agreement able for the work with around 6 motifs (with threads of the instruction) at the same time. In the Xenon’s case we are dealing with two types of motifs. Responsible threads are first, standard for the general service of the game. Remaining tying is with the recalled higher decompression i.e. preparing data for GPU. What important, it is for CPU meaningless, what kind of motifs in the given medulla will be made (can be two standard, two graphical, or one each from of every kind).Entire Xenon is compound from 165 million transistors and is working with the clock 3.2 GHz. Relatively the high frequency results among others from the long executive flood of individual cores (21 stages, that is about one more than P4 Northwood). Xenon Floating-point productivity it about 115 GFLOPS.

Xenos

GPU of the newest console of the Microsoft is also a very untypical structure. Designers of the ATI company at forming it received the free hand practically. In the end a graphical processor came into existence with standardized computational, gifted individuals to the work both with pixels as well as tops. What's more, these individuals are fully programmable - can work with very any instructions set, far going beyond the Pixel Shader 3.0 specificity. ATI created computational individuals called Shader ALU (Arithmetic Logic Units). Three SIMD matrices are in Xenos (Instruction Multiple Singles Date), for 16 computational individuals in every. Every, in the 32-bitowa height Ala, can however work independently from remaining.Unlike traditional architecture, where effect of the work of the individual vertex shader must pass the entire, pixel executive stream in Xenos and then it can be farther processed. Executive individuals of traditional GPU are usually being exploited in the 50-60% while GPU Xbox 360 has the real chance of the work on full power. And also an extended logic is caring about it, which at the same time can track to 64 motifs and, keeps them in the buffer dynamically is separating executive individuals between the time off this way so that use was like the most ALU. Graphics used in Xbox 360 is similar to Radeon X1800 and X1900.

Sound

Xbox 360 is equipped also with the new processor of 7.1 sound (this arrangement is using vector registers), working with the own standard of the compression and the decompression of the audio signal - XMA. He is based on a WMA format pro but in this case sound is twice better compress (the 12:1 compression versus 6:1). In the console table they also applied corrected, managing sound, API interface. XACT (Xenox audio Creation Tools) allows for more realistic copying the sound environment in games.

Design

The console looks less in Futurist style than PS3 but she isn't ugly. The casing of the device isn't getting dirty easily and thanks to the dark colour he looks smart. Xbox 360 firmly is heating up and he is much louder than PlayStation 3. The console of the Microsoft as a default isn't equipped with the reader with the newest, Blu-ray (red laser instead of it, well for us known supporting plates the CD and the DVD), but a possibility of buying external HD drive the DVD. Xbox 360 can work in the vertical or horizontal position, with the fact that the CD tray coming out to surfaces much better is functioning horizontally. The basic version of Xbox 360 doesn't have the hard disk (only a Premium – 20 version has it GB in the casing 2.5 inch, like in the weaker version PlayStation 3). In the box, outside the console, we will find the power pack, wired gamepad and cable TV with the converter to SCART. The basic version of the console has the audio-visual cable which lets for connecting only two audio channels and entries composite on TV. It means that users of monitors about the HDTV resolution and this way will have to use the standard PAL – resolution better way outs already require placing component-based. What's interesting, Xbox 360 has such an exit, but in order to take advantage of it an appropriate cable is needed. But you get this cable only with Premium version.

Entertainment

Xbox 360 can be used as a music player, photo viewer, web page browser and DVD player. Console have 3 USB 2.0 Ports but you can’t plug any Pendrive to watch your pictures or listen to music files.

Nintendo Wii

Release date: November 2006 USA, December 2006 rest of the world

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The console Nintendo was supposed at the beginning to call Revolution. And even a new, at first criticised by users name, Wii, didn't change the revolutionary capacity of the console. Of course an innovative system of steering is being talked about. These are he rather than super graphics, rich in most diverse details, he is supposed to pull to Wii of all people. And attracts!

Design

Wii Nintendo is looking interestingly and he is a smallest and lightest console from the great three. Designers created the small and noiseless device looking shapely and modernly. A few colour versions turned up at the sale, casings are available in the white, black, silver and blue colour. Wii, similarly to different consoles, can work both in the vertical, as well as horizontal position, and these are thanks to special pads which are caring about the stability devices. Inside the console such a great power isn't dozing like at competitors, but with appearance certainly can equal his rivals.

Software

The console Nintendo was equipped into the WiiConnect24 software which very well is functional and additionally, even when we aren't using Wii, he is taking e.g. of updating for games whether different additions. The Menu of the console was divided in special channels: Disc Channel (games), Photo Channel (photographs), Internet Channel (Internet), Forecast Channel (weather), News Channel (news) Mii Channel (program for creating the virtual caricature) Message Board (access to a discussion forum) and Wii Shop Channel (possibility of purchasing games). The screen of choice of channels consists of small rectangles and to each of them one function is assigned. At present the majority from these rectangles is empty but the producer certainly will be adding next functions so that fill all channels and offer us as the most additional possibilities. Thanks to the WiFi control system built in it is possible to play with different users. But what with places where there is no access point? In such an accident it is necessary to purchase the special plug adapter USB 2.0 LAN to which it is possible to connect the standard cable. Unfortunately, the console isn't reconstructing audio of the CD and films on the DVD but MP3 to listen we can only in the mode of looking photographs through (slideshow).

Virtual Console

It is worthwhile recalling, that at the purchase of the game, we are paying for it once. It means that when we decide to dismiss the given title, later it will be possible to download it for free. This solution is very good and it deserve recognizing. The Nintendo service offers the titanic amount of games to the user can choose the games most well-known for the plenty the one which he most like. It is simply impossible in order not to find something for oneself! Moreover, Wii Nintendo is supporting also games to NES, SNES and Nintendo 64, the thanks what we have an opportunity to play older titles for. Because would like to give up with Super Mario Bros or also The of Legends of Zelda, not mentioning Donkey Kong?

WiiMote – Gamepad

Nintendo implemented the really interesting solution - untypical WiiMote controller which has no analogue knobs whereas with appearance resembles... remote control of the TV set. The equipment has built in accelerometer and special, separate sensor responsible for detecting laying the controller in the space. Games exploiting the pilot Nintendo are giving the player pleasure very much. How does it work? Well, when we play tennis the equipment is replacing for us rocket, when we are fighting with the sword, the device will be performing the role of the sword. What's more, the system of implementing of moves is very user-friendly, what producers will be able to put new outlines of movements to data of games. The equipment has also a system of shocks and the loudspeaker built in.It is possible to connect different devices to the controller. Thanks to the special slot, the equipment can cooperate e.g. with Nunchuk – it is official addition, later will appear of them more. One should keep the device in the left hand since this way it was shaped. When equipped we will find the analogue knob and two buttons. What is Nunchuk giving to us? Above all he is broadening WiiMote functions in traditional games where mechanics of steering are forcing the user into using the analogue knob. This way so playing the war game e.g. he will be useful in 100 per cent. Combination WiiMote-Nunchuk is coming true very well in dedicated Wii games. However to older titles Nintendo recommends Classic Controller, which with appearance to the

console a NES. resembles the most standard fall We are connecting the equipment to WiiMote, the same as Nunchuk.

Nintendo Wii: It’s a console wich is different than Xbox360 or Sony PlayStation 3.It’s NOT that powerful. Nintendo Wii it’s more a family console where all of family members can sit in front of TV and shake their wireless remotes – game pads to achieve the task. It’s more fun for all the family. Games are very innovative and bring something fresh to gameplay.

SUMMARY

PlayStation 3 is a real console of the tomorrow. And that's not all. Technology included in it is running out so far in the future that saying quite seriously the Sony is don’t have to think about PS4 earlier than in 2010. Probably not earlier than 2-3 years developers only will learn fully to exploit huge PS3 abilities. And that is the entire problem.Sony exaggerated for the first time creating such a difficult processor in the service, that many programmers, including authors of the most popular games so as Half Life or Quake (John Carmack) are literally catching allergy to very thought about forming something on PlayStation 3. Sony exaggerated for the second time making up mind for integration with its console of the new standard Blu-ray with very unsure future. Wii from the beginning was created with the thought about entertainment here and now. She was created in way completely different from two remaining consoles of a new generation. Instead of because to concentrate on getting the most photorealistic graphics possibly, Nintendo offered players the unique cordless control system, which can provide with not any entertainment and emotion, particularly when Wiimote in the heat of the fight will fall out from our hands from the hand and will destroy the TV set e.g.;) but it is just beautiful in the console Nintendo. Straight climb: we are building the cheap, not very advanced console and we are giving the super interesting gadget with which real players quickly will fall in love. Because in the end consoles are for playing, not for presenting newest technologies … Between PS3 and Wii a Xbox 360 console is a so to speak indirect solution. For her the price is placed between above consoles, the same as well as technological possibilities though of course deciding Xbox 360 more close to PS3. On today is this most sensible determination solution. Xbox 360 well is conducting itself also as the multimedia centre and in the future, after buying some more the inexpensive, outside HD drive relatively we will be able to be pleased with a DVD with films in the High Definition quality. Of course on the condition that this standard will win.

After all, I think that Playstation3 will win the race to victory. Of course it’s the most expensive console but power will show much more potential, it’s just the problem that now it’s hard to use the Cell (CPU of PS3), but we’ll see that in next years SONY will develop some games that we won’t be able play them on Xbox360 or they will be just a weak versions of them. I believe in Sony Playstation 3

Comparison

Name Xbox 360 PlayStation 3 Wii

Console

CPU3.2 GHz IBM PowerPC tri-core codenamed "Xenon"

Cell Broadband Engine (3.2 GHz POWER-based PPE with seven 3.2 GHz SPEs)

729 MHz PowerPC based IBM "Broadway"

Memory

512 MB GDDR3 @ 700 MHz shared between CPU & GPU10 MB EDRAM GPU frame buffer memory

256 MB XDR @ 3,2 GHz256 MB GDDR3 @ 700 MHz, GPU can access CPU memory

24 MB "internal" 1T-SRAM integrated into graphics package64 MB "external" GDDR3 SDRAM3 MB GPU frame buffer memory

GPU500 MHz codenamed "Xenos" (ATI custom design)

550 MHz RSX (based on NVIDIA G70 architecture)

243 MHz ATI "Hollywood"

ControllerXbox 360 Controller (up to four controllers; any combination of a maximum of 3 wired (4 with the use of a USB hub) or 4 wireless)

SIXAXIS Controller (up to 7 via Bluetooth)

PSP via Wi-Fi* or USB

Wii Remote (up to 4 via Bluetooth) and/or other attachments.

Virtual Console and Nintendo GameCube compatibility mode can use up to four GameCube

controllers, including Game Boy Advances connected via Link Cables

Some TurboGrafx-16 games on the Virtual Console can support up to 5 players with a combination of Wii Remotes, Classic Controllers and Nintendo GameCube controllers

Nintendo DS via Wi-Fi

Dimensions 8.3 cm × 30.9 cm × 25.8 cm (6,616.9 cubic cm)

9.8 cm × 32.5 cm × 27.4 cm (8,726.9 cubic cm)

4.4 cm × 16 cm × 21.5 cm (1,720 cubic cm)

Weight3.5 kg (7.7 lbs) 5 kg (11 lbs) 1.2 kg (2.7 lbs)

Backward compatibility

394 Selected Xbox games (as of April 2007), additions made with software updates, Hard Drive required

Supports most PlayStation 2 titles; All original PlayStation titles either from the original disc or downloaded from the PlayStation Network; future firmware updates will provide more compatibility

European and Australian versions offers limited compatibility

Supports all Nintendo GameCube software and most accessories. Many games from systems prior to Nintendo GameCube are available for download through Virtual Console

User interface Xbox 360 DashboardCross Media Bar (XMB)

Wii Menu

System softwarefeatures

Audio file playback (non-DRM AAC, MP3, WMA)

Audio file playback (ATRAC3, AAC, MP3,

Audio file playback (Previously MP3, in the future,

Video file playback (WMV, MP4)

Image slideshows

Connectivity with Windows PCs for more codec support and external playback (compatible natively with Windows XP Media Center Edition and Windows Vista, with Windows XP with downloadable utility like Connect360 on mac)

Keyboard support

WAV, WMA) (Video file

playback (MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4)

Image editing and slideshows (JPEG, GIF, PNG, TIFF, BMP)

Mouse and keyboard support

Folding@home client with visualizations from the RSX

only AAC) Video file

playback (Motion JPEG)

Image editing and slideshows (JPG)

Keyboard support

Consumer programmability

Development on PC with XNA Game Studio ($99/year subscription, binary distribution with XNA 1.0 Refresh)

Development on console via free Linux platform or PC (but no access to RSX graphics acceleration)

WiiWare

ResolutionsHDTV-capable (480i, 576i, 480p, 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p)

HDTV-capable (480i, 576i, 480p, 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p)

EDTV-compatible (480i, 480p, 576i)

Video output

RGB, VGA, Component, S-Video, Composite, SCART, HDMI is now available on new consoles,

RGB, Component, S-Video, Composite, HDMI 1.3a

RGB, Component, S-Video, Composite, SCART, D-Terminal

Network100BASE-TX EthernetOptional 802.11a/b/g [[Wi-Fi Adapter

1000BASE-T EthernetWi-Fi 802.11 b/g (built-in, optional adapter)

Built-in Wi-Fi 802.11 b/gOptional Ethernet via USB 2.0 Adapter

Audio

Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital WMA Pro, DTS (DVD, HD DVD Movies only)

Dolby Digital, DTS*, Dolby TrueHD (DVD, Blu-ray movies only)

Dolby Pro Logic II surround, stereo sound and a Mono speaker is built into the controller.

I/O2.4 GHz radioInfrared for remote

Bluetooth 2.0 EDR4x USB 2.0 ports

Bluetooth2x USB 2.0 ports

2x Memory Card slots3x USB 2.0 ports1 Ethernet port

1 Ethernet port1 Memory Stick slot Pro/Duo

1 SD/mini SD port1 Compact Flash portOnly for certain models of the PlayStation 3

Four controller and two memory card ports (GameCube)1 SD Card slot

Media

12x DVD (65.6–132 Mbit/s), CD, HD DVD (Add-on, for movie use only, extra charges apply)

2x BD-ROM (72 mbit/s), 8x DVD, 24x CD, 2x SACD

Wii Optical Disc, Nintendo GameCube Game Disc, DVD-Video playback announced for Japan 2007

Storage

Included/ Optional detachable SATA upgradeable 20 GB or 120 GB hard drive, with 14 GB or 114 GB available to user.Xbox 360 memory cardsUSB mass storage (AV content)

2.5" upgradeable SATA 20 / 60 GB hard drive with 14 and 54 GB available to user respectivelyMemory Stick, SD, & Type I/II CompactFlash (60GB model)USB mass storage

512MB built-in flash memorySD card

Nintendo GameCube Memory Cards

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References & Appendices

Research based on information from:

Wikipediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_video_game_consoles_(seventh_generation)

Engadgethttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/11/playstation-3-vs-xbox-360-vs-wii/

Konsoleum – polish web site about consoleshttp://www.konsoleum.pl/sony_playstation3.phphttp://www.konsoleum.pl/xbox360.phphttp://www.konsoleum.pl/nintendo_wii.phphttp://www.konsoleum.pl/konsole_gier_wideo.php

Odigo.plhttp://www.odigo.pl/konsole.html

About.comhttp://playstation.about.com/od/ps3/a/PS3SpecsDetails_3.htmhttp://playstation.about.com/od/ps3/p/PS3Hub.htmhttp://playstation.about.com/b/2006/02/10/ibm-starts-selling-cell-chips.htm

Game-zone.plhttp://www.game-zone.com.pl/readarticle.php?article_id=43

Znak.plhttp://znak.pl/index.php?cid=2944&scid=2949&prid=konMicXBOX360Core+EN

Wii-consoleshttp://www.wii-consoles.co.uk/wii_hardware_specification.asp

Pictures And Grpahs

Picture01: (http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/11/playstation-3-vs-xbox-360-vs-wii/)Picture02: (http://www.odigo.pl/wpcontent/uploads/2006/11/sony_playstation_3_1.jpg)Picture3: (http://pclab.pl/art17838.html)Picture4: (http://www.konsoleum.pl/gfx/konsole_nintendo_wii.jpg)

Graph01: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_video_game_consoles_(seventh_generation)