Interesting news on the Xbox 360 front. As it turns out, when Microsoft worked with IBM to create the Xbox 360, they had previously gleaned knowledge from working on the Cell processor for Sony’s PS3. So in an essence, R&D money from Sony benefited Microsoft. Not only that, but Microsoft made it to market first partly because they had a third party manufacturing plant outside of IBM set up as a backup, while Sony did not. Errors on the first runs of chips for both consoles caused delays, and the third party plant allowed Microsoft to keep moving.

A new book, The Race for a New Game Machine, published by Citadel yesterday and written by the Cell chip’s designer, speaks to how Sony, Toshiba, and IBM all came together in 2001 to develop the Cell chip. Microsoft then came to IBM in 2002 for work on the 360, which was developed in the same building, just one floor above Sony’s PS3.

Source: spong.com