Book Claims IBM Research for Sony’s Cell Processor Directly Benefitted Microsoft in Console Race
The Wall Street Journal reports that a new book by IBM engineers has revealed some startling facts about the most recent console race.
"The Race for a New Game Machine," by IBM engineers David Shippy and Mickie Phipps, details how research conducted for Sony's Cell processor--used in the PlayStation 3--ended up directly benefiting the development of Micorosft's Xbox 360 chip.
The Journal summarizes:
All three of the original partners had agreed that IBM would eventually sell the Cell to other clients. But it does not seem to have occurred to Sony that IBM would sell key parts of the Cell before it was complete and to Sony's primary videogame-console competitor. The result was that Sony's R&D money was spent creating a component for Microsoft to use against it.Mr. Shippy and Ms. Phipps detail the resulting absurdity: IBM employees hiding their work from Sony and Toshi...