PS3 as a Media Center Plus?
PS3 software engineers, SCE chief technology officer Kawanishi and AV manager Kanehide have been quoted as saying that the update potential via firmware updates for the PS3 is virtually unlimited (except of course by the hard drive space).
They even took a shot over the bow of the 360 hinting that the PS3 could be so much more including, I predict, a media center.
This of course is also the ultimate goal of the 360 - to be not just a gaming console but a whole home entertainment system
It makes sense for Sony to do this. After all, the PS3 does play Blu-Ray discs. Why not make it more functional? Giving it the ability to play other formats perhaps? Even without that it could become a media hub - storing and sharing movies, music, podcasts and the like.
And it seems as if this is what people want from their gaming consoles - We already know that Microsoft has built this into the 360, and that Nintendo has hinted at this for the Wii as soon as later this year.
So of course Sony would need to ante up or face losing even more market share.
Of course my feeling has always been that ultimately the PS3 will win this round of the "console wars." The Wii is a toy compared to the PS3 and the 360 is already old news comprised of old hardware and software compensating for its shortcomings.
If the interview is correct then expect to see many more updates to firmware allowing for much more flexibility. As the engineers say, "So far, we are not worried too much since we have plenty of processing power left even at peak usage." To me that screams almost perpetual upgrades and improvements.
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