The Sony PlayStation has been on our minds a lot recently here at the Massive HQ. Especially since strange noises began emanating from our PlayStation 2. This was the beginning of a series of increasingly loud, ominous and frequent sounds coming from the console. The phenomenon suggested that after hundreds--if not thousands--of hours of use, the video gaming platform of choice was on its last legs. A few days later, our PS2 was no longer able to read discs ... System failure. Repair was out of the question; the warranty had long since expired. The only thing left was to make funeral preparations for the hardware and dispose of it with Zelda-like dignity.

In the meantime the Massive will have to rely on other platforms and our desktop PCs to get our daily gaming fix, at least until we can replace our beloved PS2.

But with this unfortunate turn of events we've realized something important--It's time to move on. Rather than grieve and wax for our PS2 glory days, we ought to be looking forward to the third coming of Sony's almighty category-killer gaming platform: Yep, the PlayStation 3.

The PS3 is indeed coming down the pike, but Sony, as would be expected, are secretive about what the next generation of PS will look like. Gradually, details have been released, a spec here, announcement of a component there, and lots of hype, some based on truth, some just seeds for further rumor-mongering among global otaku youth.

Speculation as to what the next generation of Sony PlayStation, the world's most popular video game console, will actually look like (see above image) has fed the imaginations of product designers and game fanatics the world over. Many of these ideas for the hardware design of the PlayStation 3 have been widely circulating around the Net. Some encouraged by third-party design competitions with no affiliation with Sony.

It may be only as early as next year when we get a glimpse of an official PS3 design from Sony. Until then we can dream and speculate and enjoy what the global PS massive can come up with.

Already, there are web sites devoted to PS3. The best of the bunch is a British Web site, the PS3 Resource Center, the first site devoted to covering the next Sony PlaySation.

As the site itself puts it, the Resource Center has a "relentless interest in all things 'PS3.'" The site was founded three years ago with the mission to diligently report the latest PS3 news and developments at Sony. The PS3RC also had loads of speculative PS3 designs, some bold and beautiful, others obvious Photoshop hacks by amateurs. Check them out here.

Among the key nuggets of info the Web site reports is that Sony may offer two versions of the PS3 and that the console has been in development under the codenames "JELLY FISH" and "API." Three major companies, Sony, IBM and Toshiba, will be collaborating to develop a new microchip that will make the device the fastest, most-powerful videogame system ever. The chip set itself is allegedly code named ³The Cell.²

Oh, and BTW, if any of our readers would like to donate a new or used PS 2 to Air Massive, we would be the happiest team of impoverished Web/media freelancers in the whole wide world.

--Supercore + L.I.T.

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