Will the playstation help linux adoption?

[NoTiG]

Just wondering what everyone thinks.......... Will it be to expensive ? in a couple of years after its released........ the price will be down and more affordable... and since its going to be based on linux... who thinks that it will help linux adoption ? at least possibly the games will be ported to linux. Im also wondering what programming tools they will use for the playstation and if they will also be ported to desktop PC linux.

[mscman]

I think Sony has royally screwed themselves with the PS3. To start with, the price is outrageous. There really isn't any advantage for the price when compared to the XBox. Second, the major games for it are (in general) going to be released at the same time for Xbox as they are for PS3, taking away that advantage. I know there are some games you can get for PS3 that you can't for Xbox, but I don't think it will be enough to boost sales significantly.

Also to take into consideration are the technical flaws currently found in the system. Memory reads 3 times slower than it can be written -- not a good thing. There's also the issue of PS2 parts being put in the first wave of PS3's, since the PS2 emulator is (allegedly) not ready at all.

The final nail in the coffin (at least for me) is Sony's insane proprietary goals. Remember the rootkit CD's? Now you're going to go out and buy a whole system filled with software like that.

As far as pushing Linux goes, I think cell phones, PDAs, and servers have a better chance of giving Linux a boost than the PS3. Do what you want, but I will not be buying a PS3.

[Stealth]

Just wondering what everyone thinks.......... Will it be to expensive ?

Most definitely


in a couple of years after its released........ the price will be down and more affordable... and since its going to be based on linux... who thinks that it will help linux adoption ?

I don't. Just look at Sony and be realistic, the way they close their PSP and stuff, I doubt the PS3 will be soo much better. That, and many other devices have used Linux (cellphones, DVR, etc.) without "helping" linux adoption (especially distros like Ubuntu in specific).


at least possibly the games will be ported to linux.

No, I highly doubt this. I'm sure they will be using Linux as the computer part of the system (music, video, files, etc.) and the game just runs straight off the hardware (probably goes into the console mode, and you jsut start playing). The game won't actually run in Linux.


Im also wondering what programming tools they will use for the playstation and if they will also be ported to desktop PC linux.

If they are emphasizing openness, we should get an SDK. And maybe it will be available for desktop linux distros...

[bruce89]

The OS of the PS3 is going to be Linux, and the development platform to develop games for it will also be Linux. Homebrew apps are going to be encouraged, I'd imagine the hard disk linux install will use GNOME, like PS2 Linux. I put a PS2 DVD in my computer here and analyised the executable, and it is a System V type executable, compiled with gcc.

[BWF89]

I think PS3 is really gonna boost Linux adoption. It's not going to be installed on the PS3 its self, your going to have to buy the hard drive for it and that is going to have Linux.

Sure, the PS3 will be expensive but a year after its out the price will be down and tons of people will buy it.

[darkhatter]

if sony says its Linux then it will help, but if they say nothing everyone will just think that its something that sony created

[graigsmith]

i just kinda have this feeling that the PS3 will flop horribly.

they are stressing that it's more than a game system, it's a whole media computer... well they should know that most computers dont even cost that much now adays. mabey it will pick up later when the price drops after a few years.

i'll be getting the nintendo wii. and playing games on that, and on ubuntu.

[Brynster]

Just a correction here

the PS3 doesn't run Linux of any form. It only has a basic OS of system calls which is a propriety OS written for it by Sony. When you load a disc into a PS (doesn't matter which) they all have there own miniOS on them to control the system calls (again this isn't Linux)

The PS3 *can* have a Linux distrbution installed onto it as long as its the Sony reconmeded one. It will work similar to the the original "Yaroze" Playstations that you could develop your own games on.


I do a lot of work for a Sony game developer based in the UK and i asked about this when the rumour mill first started grinding this out.

[tseliot]

I think PS3 is really gonna boost Linux adoption. It's not going to be installed on the PS3 its self, your going to have to buy the hard drive for it and that is going to have Linux.
The 2 versions of PS3 will have a hard disk (20gb on the cheapest version and 60gb on the premium version)

[Thoop]

i just kinda have this feeling that the PS3 will flop horribly.

they are stressing that it's more than a game system, it's a whole media computer... well they should know that most computers dont even cost that much now adays. mabey it will pick up later when the price drops after a few years.

i'll be getting the nintendo wii. and playing games on that, and on ubuntu.
Me too :D

[ZipoTe]

The PS3 *can* have a Linux distrbution installed onto it as long as its the Sony reconmeded one. It will work similar to the the original "Yaroze" Playstations that you could develop your own games on.



So, what is gonna be the distribution? a debian based one? it will have any popular desktop (gnome or kde)?

[commodore]

It will help Linux adoption as much as Tivo- it won't.

[NoTiG]

If you look at the system specs though........ and you take into consideration that the hardware will be marked DOWN... meaning they will actualyl probably lose money for each console sale..... and that most computers , the hardware is marked UP... then maybe consumers will see a cost advantage. However... and this is the one big problem... even if the sony playstation three had uber hardware at a cheap price compared to all other computers in that price range... the fact that it would run linux is almost unfortunate... since the hardware is meant for gaming really (its not like you need all of it for running an office app ) ... and you cant really game as of yet with linux.

To me the worst enemy to linux is the next version of directx. once developers are flocking to it... they write games for it and that makes it hard or impossible to port to linux.

[Virogenesis]

If you look at the system specs though........ and you take into consideration that the hardware will be marked DOWN... meaning they will actualyl probably lose money for each console sale..... and that most computers , the hardware is marked UP... then maybe consumers will see a cost advantage. However... and this is the one big problem... even if the sony playstation three had uber hardware at a cheap price compared to all other computers in that price range... the fact that it would run linux is almost unfortunate... since the hardware is meant for gaming really (its not like you need all of it for running an office app ) ... and you cant really game as of yet with linux.

To me the worst enemy to linux is the next version of directx. once developers are flocking to it... they write games for it and that makes it hard or impossible to port to linux.
You can game with the linux kernel, Nvidia made arcade machines for namco, sure linux doesn't have a frame work like windows but nothing is stopping game developers from using opengl.

[bored2k]

I don't expect Sony to do anything _really_ helpful to Linux. In fact, they first need to do something positive for themselves first, no?

[Virogenesis]

I don't expect Sony to do anything _really_ helpful to Linux. In fact, they first need to do something positive for themselves first, no?
It will help the cell cpu fit into servers so major backing from IBM due to that.

[B0rsuk]

No, it won't. I expect it to be an abomination; a linux secured tighter than a chastity belt. My guess is that users won't even know they're running Linux. It will probably be called Sony OS or similar.

[poofyhairguy]

It will help Linux adoption as much as Tivo- it won't.

This is what I was gonna type.

[darkhatter]

its hard to say now we should wait until sony releases the ps3

[jpkotta]

It won't help desktop Linux adoption, which is what everyone seems to be talking about here. It will help Linux adoption in general, though. Every product that runs Linux does that, by definition.

I read somewhere that Sony wants this thing to be a desktop replacement, which is ridiculous, I think. Yes, people are using computers more and more for entertainment these days, but would you want to create documents on a PlayStation?

[Johnsie]

I honestly don't know why people would fork out that kind of money for a games console.... New games are becoming boring and I have much more fun playing the oldskool games that were based on playability and fun rather than high speci graphics which normally ruin gameplay. Then again, I'm not much of a gamer. I think anything which says it's Linux based is good for Linux awareness as long as it works well. However, I think the best way to show off Linux is by having it on your desktop/laptop and showing it off to people.

Sony aren't exactly known for being open and supporting "free stuff" though so their philosphy is pretty much the opposite of Ubuntu.

[coldwiston]

Wiiiiiii!

[Rhapsody]

I've had some thoughts about this.

If the PlayStation 3 is going to use Linux, which is free software, then the hardware is going to have to be ridiculously restrictive in order to stop people from doing 'naughty' things with all that freedom. It's just going to make the whole situation even worse!

Why couldn't they just have used BSD instead?

[mech7]

i rather buy an xbox or wii.. or both ^_^

[GuitarHero]

It seems some people are missing some info....
Price: $500 for the base system, $600 for the one people actually want.

OS: It's a limited linux os, it won't be a full fledged OS. And you can bet sony will have their name all over it and not once metnion Linux/GNU.

Even if it is mentioned somewhere. Most people won't make the connection to put linux on their desktop.


And don't expect the price to go down for a long while. Even at $600 it costs them hundreds more to make it than they are selling it for. Most game console makers (sans nintendo) sell their systems below manufacturing cost, hoping to regain the loss and then some with software. Microsoft actually lost money on the xbox, while nintendo with the distant third place gamecube actually made more money because they sold it for profit.

Oh, and I'll be getting a Wii.

[MetalMusicAddict]

I keep saying Im gonna buy a PS3. I want to buy one but so far none of the launch games are really doing it for me. Game I wanna play most mow is God Of War 2 and its for the PS2. I still dont know why they didnt make this a launch title.

I am also getting more jazzed about the Wii. Some people wanna down Nintendo for not producing insane horsepowered consoles but I like their focus on the quality of games and experience. I wanna know how the access to their entire back catalogue of games is gonna work.

[GuitarHero]

Hell yeah Wii
Gameplay>Graphics

But seriously, I am more than content with the current gen's graphics. I tend to play classic NES games more than the latest 3d games on my powerful gaming computer anyway. Super Mario Galaxy, Sonic Wildfire, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, The Ledgend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Super Smash Brothers Brawl, Red Steel, Rayman, etc. The list of good looking Wii games is huge, and Nintendo is very tightlipped about everything so more is bound to come.

[richbarna]

Sony have no business being within 100 miles of anything related to linux or open source !!! They want to start releasing their f*ck+ng drivers first !
Seems to me that they are jumping on the linux popularity band-wagon.

[Virogenesis]

Sony have no business being within 100 miles of anything related to linux or open source !!! They want to start releasing their f*ck+ng drivers first !
Seems to me that they are jumping on the linux popularity band-wagon.

Actually you'll find that you are wrong I'm afraid to say, sony did release a linux kit for the ps2.

not to forget about the developer playstation wasn't it called something like net yazoo ain't sure...but yeah think of it like this... many will write games for the ps3

http://playstation2-linux.com/lnxny02_booth.jpg
http://playstation2-linux.com/lnxny2002_close.jpg
http://playstation2-linux.com/screenshot.jpg
http://playstation2-linux.com/Linux_kit.jpg

[Virogenesis]

It seems some people are missing some info....
Price: $500 for the base system, $600 for the one people actually want.

OS: It's a limited linux os, it won't be a full fledged OS. And you can bet sony will have their name all over it and not once metnion Linux/GNU.

Even if it is mentioned somewhere. Most people won't make the connection to put linux on their desktop.


And don't expect the price to go down for a long while. Even at $600 it costs them hundreds more to make it than they are selling it for. Most game console makers (sans nintendo) sell their systems below manufacturing cost, hoping to regain the loss and then some with software. Microsoft actually lost money on the xbox, while nintendo with the distant third place gamecube actually made more money because they sold it for profit.

Oh, and I'll be getting a Wii.
True....but magazines will mention linux and it will get rid of the non sense that you can't play games on linux.

[money2themax]

i'm not gonna buy a Xbox until they cut all ties with M$ nor am i buying a wii the PS3 is too far outta my price range so i'll stick with my PS2 that i got for Christmas. the first xbox was a widows 2000 computer with 4 modded usb ports on the front running the XFAT file system nothing more. yea playstation isn't gonna bring ppl to linux but it's not Microsoft and thats all that matters to me. most ppl are interested in things just working they don't want to learn and like somebody here said ppl are gonna runaway at the first sight of something not working. i say if you wanna get ppl to come to linux you have to start with the schools the first impression is the most important thing in this world.