In Armonk, Gaming Is Not Kid Stuff
But, like just about everything with IBM, it's a little more complicated than that. According to IBMer Catherine Helzerman:
GameTomorrow is about the future of gaming, and how it will impact our lives beyond the confines of the console or the PC. Our contributors are IBM leaders who are involved with games and game - -related technologies - - whether it&'s inside the consoles, within a massive online environment or the business of gaming. They&'ve come together on this blog to spark more discussion about the long-term implications of gaming and third-generation user interfaces.
Look for the discussion, however, to even go beyond gaming. Peter Hofstee, an IBM architect on the Cell project – the processor co-developed by IBM, Toshiba and Sony initially for PlayStation 3 – has already started:
I have given quite a few technical talks on Cell, but in this blog I&'d like to talk a bit about some potentially further reaching implications of the next generation of gaming technology. For me the most significant aspect of this next generation of technology is the transition from consoles and games designed primarily for stand-alone use, to systems and games defined by broadband connectivity and interaction in real-time within a virtual 3-D environment. The ability for large groups of people who are only virtually co-located to interact in real time I think is profound and is likely to have an impact far beyond gaming. It is likely to change education with virtual classrooms that can become better than real ones, for example by allowing everyone in the class to get an instant good view of someone asking a question. It is likely to change research and collaboration by significantly lowering the barriers to organizing an international conference or increase the value of a smaller meeting. It is likely to change the way sports are watched by allowing personalized points of view and audience participation. It will likely change business, with new opportunities for advertising and new ways for people to respond to advertisements and new ways for businesses and consumers to interact.
No, he doesn't use the phrase "On Demand," but it's clear that the broader possibilities - - and opportunities - - of Cell and gaming technology are front and center in Armonk.