WereKitten said:
Squilliam said:
Actually the flash memory was to ensure that whether the game was loaded from the HDD or from a cartridge that the performance seen by the developer would be the same. I was actually concerned with the slow HDD speed and in keeping up with the idea that the 'pro' SKU be just an Arcade with a HDD.
The reasons why I believe that flash would be a good solution are:
1. They can use price stratification, say $55 for a direct download or kiosk download and say $65 for a resellable disc. That way the people buying the game can have an as cheap or cheaper option than the 2nd hand market. They can also sell other products like Music and movies through those same kiosks and kill several birds with one stone.
2. They don't have to pay the $25 or so for the optical drives, nor pay for extra Ram, nor use a mechanical HDD in the Arcade SKU and they can package the console better. The cost savings up front outweigh the extra cost from about the first 5-7 flash cartridges.
3. Not having an optical drive allows them to package the console in other products as well. You could see for example a console based entertainment system in a car, or in the TV or in the Cable box. If they had to have an optical drive the architecture wouldn't be as useful for
this functionality.
4. It makes piracy harder, people cannot simply burn a DVD or Blu Ray disc. They can keep the DRM chain locked throughout the different stages and it makes it easier to make changes to prevent piracy.
|
Point 2 is unclear: ok about the $25 or so of the optical disk. I don't understand the Ram comment (unless you're thinking of Ram as a permanent storage), nor do I see why we should keep using mechanical HDDs.
Point 3 and 4 are sort of what I was talking about: the architecture being centered about having the content internally stored (this is where the solid state drives will come useful) and remotely authenticated. Now how do I bring that content on my console/media hub/TV?
Either I have access to enough/cheap enough bandwidth and then downloading and authenticating is done via DD, or I have to use a physical medium.
Flash Cartridge vs Optical:
They are more expensive per GB. They're faster in random access (negated if the content is stored/buffered in a solid state disc). They are writeable, thus they could use binding authentication mechanisms (negated if the DRM is handled via remote authentication). They require cheaper electronic and no mechanical parts in the console.
So basically you're down to a more expensive medium that saves you the $25 and allows a more compact packaging of the hardware. You also are not compatible with any optical media out there. It might make sense for Netflix/TV combos. It doesn't seem to make sense for consoles/media hubs.
|
The quantity of ram required is a function of not only how much data is being used but also how quickly the buffer can be filled. For example, wouldn't they need less ram if the buffer could be filled at a rate of 400MB/S with a latency of 0.01ms rather than at 40MB/S at a latency of 10ms?
Im not talking about an overall saving of just $25 on the optical drive, theres the $5-10 of royalty payments to allow playback of BR/DVD media to think about, the extra cost in packaging and shipping and the additional ram required to act as a buffer between the slow media and the fast electronic componentry. In all it could easily had $50 to the base cost of the console.
A console only needs an optical drive in two instances, the first to play back legacy media and the second to playback other media. A console like the Wii has gotten away with not being able to do the latter and the PS3 gets away without doing the former. They can include the option for both whilst at the same time cutting the base price or increasing the profits for those who don't want such functionality. Theres no real need at this point to do anything bar playing games because content is more going to be accessed online than it is via optical media in the future.
The price per GB is higher with flash media but the incentives for their use are alligned perfectly.
It helps the console companies fight piracy and lowers the cost per unit and it helps the third party publishers by allowing much greater control over the 2nd hand market, which is what they want. They will be willing to pay more for media which cannot be traded in because they see the 2nd hand market as likely a greater threat to their revenue.
