Did you ever think that the superchip Sony poured 200-billion Yen into in conjunction with Toshiba would be put up for sale? Well, that's sort of what's going on right now. Word has surfaced that Sony is currently in talks with Toshiba to sell the production facilities that fabricate the Cell processor. Sony is looking to get rid of expensive semiconductor assets, as they are looking forward to shifting their sight onto their various other products.
The sale of the facilities could near $900B, and it would basically hand over control of Cell and its production over to Toshiba, but a special venture will exist between the two giants, preventing the PlayStation 3 from suffering as a result of this. It's interesting to note that Toshiba is also, coincidentally, Sony's rival in the HD market right now (HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray).
Now, this all comes back to the pricing of the PlayStation 3, ultimately. With the $399 price-tag fast approaching, and with Sony unleashing a horde of shares from a separate IPO estimated at a couple of billion dollars, it's looking more and more likely that Sony will be in easier financial health. And hopefully that means cheaper prices for their products.
link
Linear Mode
