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The Race for a New Game Machine: Creating the Chips Inside the XBox 360 and the Playstation 3
A personal account of the author's leadership of the team that created a revolutionary microprocessor that changed personal computers and the gaming industry.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
25 people are currently reading
221 people want to read
About the author
David Shippy
2 books1 followerDavid Shippy was the chief architect and technical leader of the PowerPC microprocessor for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game machines. His experience designing high-performance microprocessor chips and leading large teams spans more than 20 years. His work encompasses microprocessor designs for notebook computers, desktop computers, game machines, high-end servers and mainframes. Currently, he is a Vice President at Intrinsity, a company that develops microprocessors, based in Austin, Texas, where he lives.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
June 14, 2010
Oh. My.
I have read The Soul of a New Machine, and you sir are no The Soul of a New Machine.
The major problem is that the book is told from the point of view of the author, who appears to be a world-class egomaniacal ass. He all but calls himself a genius, then struggles with really basic concepts like "hardware", "software", and "pixel". He both pats himself on the back for micromanaging employees, and derides his bosses for trying to micromanage him. The whole experience keeps veering into a tough guy patois - "I grumbled through gritted teeth" - that makes you expect a blond dame with legs that go all the way down to the floor to walk into his office and hire him to find the Maltese Playstation.
The minor problem is the lack of focus, causing the book to be shallow on all fronts. In a handful of spots it reads like a management guide, but then thankfully moves on. In a different handful of spots it ventures into technology, then quickly retreats before reaching any depth. And of course since the main character barely cares about anyone other than himself, it isn't driven by compelling personal narratives.
Consider standing in the Best Buy video game department, injecting testosterone, and thinking how much better you are than all the people around you. That will provide roughly the same experience as this book while wasting a lot less time.
I have read The Soul of a New Machine, and you sir are no The Soul of a New Machine.
The major problem is that the book is told from the point of view of the author, who appears to be a world-class egomaniacal ass. He all but calls himself a genius, then struggles with really basic concepts like "hardware", "software", and "pixel". He both pats himself on the back for micromanaging employees, and derides his bosses for trying to micromanage him. The whole experience keeps veering into a tough guy patois - "I grumbled through gritted teeth" - that makes you expect a blond dame with legs that go all the way down to the floor to walk into his office and hire him to find the Maltese Playstation.
The minor problem is the lack of focus, causing the book to be shallow on all fronts. In a handful of spots it reads like a management guide, but then thankfully moves on. In a different handful of spots it ventures into technology, then quickly retreats before reaching any depth. And of course since the main character barely cares about anyone other than himself, it isn't driven by compelling personal narratives.
Consider standing in the Best Buy video game department, injecting testosterone, and thinking how much better you are than all the people around you. That will provide roughly the same experience as this book while wasting a lot less time.
June 17, 2024
A tale of overwork, treachery, and deceit. There are lessons to be learnt from this book, but they don’t include honourable behaviour or sustainable work practice.
January 23, 2009
As a microprocessor geek, this book was great fun, but i'm not sure that civilians (i.e. non-IC designers) would get much out of it, as the book is full of engineering terms and jargon. i had the opportunity to meet Dave Shippy, the author, in his new role as VP of Engineering of Intrinsity a couple of months ago and i was very impressed at the time. now i can understand why...clearly the guy is a top notch computer architect and design leader. This story of how he helped build the team at IBM that created both the Playstation 3 Cell processor and the XBox 360 PowerPC processor at the same time (!) is fascinating. I have lived through many of the same events with my projects and teams, but never in such high profile engagements. Highly recommended for anyone who has worked on a major computer design project in the past.
March 20, 2013
A must read for anyone involved in the game industry, or any avid fans of gaming itself. A rather insightful and amusing look at some of the corporate trials and tribulations that went into the development of the core CPU for both the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360, which interestingly enough were built by the same company based off the same original technology. Follow along as the project manager of both projects outlines how the business partnership between IBM, Sony, and Toshiba came about, and how partway through the development of the core for the Playstation 3 a side project was branched off from the work to define the CPU for the Xbox 360.
The authors, while technical people themselves, go to great lengths to not speak over your heads, and even a lyman can follow along with the technical happenings and even learn a thing or two about the complex processes that go into processor development.
The authors, while technical people themselves, go to great lengths to not speak over your heads, and even a lyman can follow along with the technical happenings and even learn a thing or two about the complex processes that go into processor development.
May 10, 2011
I use a computer every day of my life. Whether it is at school or at home, working or playing, computers are pieces of technology that play a very important part in my life. Before I read David Shippy’s book, I had no idea the work that went into creating the ‘brains’ of my computer. Shippy and his team had to create a new processor, called Cell, to power the PS3 and eventually also the Xbox360. This book was interesting for me because it taught me new things about computer architecture and engineering. Also this book showed me how competitive the world of technology is and how much innovation was needed for a team to be successful. Shippy’s book also introduced me to the bond between co-workers an, while reading this book, I really gained a lot respect for the teams that make CPUs.
Jared P
Jared P
May 21, 2017
Synopsis: IBM was tasked with creating the new cutting-edge microprocessor that was to power the PlayStation 3. When Microsoft was also searching for designers for their new chip for the Xbox 360, they also turned to the same team at IBM, but had different performance requirements and an even tighter design and manufacturing schedule.
My Review: Ok, so the writing itself could have used some touching up and condensing, but the back story and technical aspects of this book were very interesting. A lot of the book was focused on the relationships between the design teams, but the parts that I found most interesting were details about the performance, technical requirements and how Microsoft and Sony each approached the design process. That said, a good portion of the technical topics were over my head.
My Review: Ok, so the writing itself could have used some touching up and condensing, but the back story and technical aspects of this book were very interesting. A lot of the book was focused on the relationships between the design teams, but the parts that I found most interesting were details about the performance, technical requirements and how Microsoft and Sony each approached the design process. That said, a good portion of the technical topics were over my head.
December 12, 2015
As a gamer and engineer, I loved it. The authors tells via the perspective of key engineers, a gripping tale of the (un)fortunate engineering team tasked with developing both the Xbox 360 and PS3 core CPUs, producing an unlikely intersection in the titanic struggle for the living room between Microsoft and Sony.
Covering the period up to 2005 the narrative places you in the head of the scrappy engineering IBM team while providing fascinating perspective of the contrasting leadership between Microsoft and Sony.
Covering the period up to 2005 the narrative places you in the head of the scrappy engineering IBM team while providing fascinating perspective of the contrasting leadership between Microsoft and Sony.
October 10, 2010
I'm in the chip design business, and I loved hearing the war story of one of the biggest designs of the decade. It gave me a lot to think about as I approach the next chip, and gave me confidence that, yes, other designs can get as mad as the one we recently completed!
December 16, 2010
Book is amazing, it documents the process for creating the chips for the Xbox 360 and playstation 3. It covers the business involved, the ugly politics, and the tense workplace interactions. Be warned, it is really geeks only. It makes heavy use of engineering and programming terminology.
December 30, 2019
The fascinating (at times technical) true story of how the same people developed the Xbox 360 and PS3 in secret at the same time in IBM.
An interesting reflection on what IBM has become and how things have changed.
An interesting reflection on what IBM has become and how things have changed.
February 7, 2016
This book hits very close to me. I was there when these projects where started, I helped start them and I know all the players and saw the real world version of this unfold.
It's a daring move for the authors to write this all down and spill the beans.
The book start with Dave's monster-size ego at display and Ms. Phipps' pretentious attempts to be a 'literary' author. During the first 1/3 of the book, I severely cringed many, many times.
But, towards the middle, the narrative and the tone settle down and there is more focus on the facts and suddenly the story is captivating (even for me, who saw it first hand) and it becomes a thrill ride.
The last 5 pages almost destroy the middle part's accomplishments when Shippy starts boasting his genius again.
However, in sum, this is a great book for anybody who wants to see a close-up of high-tech chip development and the crazy human interactions under extreme pressure. Not bad as an accomplishment for a book that I first took as total joke !
It's a daring move for the authors to write this all down and spill the beans.
The book start with Dave's monster-size ego at display and Ms. Phipps' pretentious attempts to be a 'literary' author. During the first 1/3 of the book, I severely cringed many, many times.
But, towards the middle, the narrative and the tone settle down and there is more focus on the facts and suddenly the story is captivating (even for me, who saw it first hand) and it becomes a thrill ride.
The last 5 pages almost destroy the middle part's accomplishments when Shippy starts boasting his genius again.
However, in sum, this is a great book for anybody who wants to see a close-up of high-tech chip development and the crazy human interactions under extreme pressure. Not bad as an accomplishment for a book that I first took as total joke !
December 7, 2013
Wow, just wow. A powerful example of how bleeding edge technology and corporate politics go together. I can't remember enjoying any book more than this one.
March 14, 2018
A good book with a bit to much fluff
I'd like to say this book is perfect but the author spends to much time telling us about things that don't matter. I think the idea is to give us some flavor for how upscale life is at IBM, but it doesn't come off that way.
There's also too many examples of what video games are, the same ones over and over again, and a bit to much back patting.
But it is a must read if you care about this very important chapter in video game history.
I'd like to say this book is perfect but the author spends to much time telling us about things that don't matter. I think the idea is to give us some flavor for how upscale life is at IBM, but it doesn't come off that way.
There's also too many examples of what video games are, the same ones over and over again, and a bit to much back patting.
But it is a must read if you care about this very important chapter in video game history.
December 8, 2017
boring....
February 14, 2021
The greatest video game hardware book ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2021
Subject Appeal: 5/5.
Research Depth: 4/5.
Research Breadth: 3/5.
Narrative Flow: 4/5.
Verdict: 4/5. Under the hood of HD gaming lies not just a daunting chip, but a daunting tale as well.
Research Depth: 4/5.
Research Breadth: 3/5.
Narrative Flow: 4/5.
Verdict: 4/5. Under the hood of HD gaming lies not just a daunting chip, but a daunting tale as well.
June 14, 2012
As a teenager, David Shippy read The Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder, and knew that he wanted to be a computer engineer. He got a master's degree in electrical engineering, and started working for IBM as a chip designer. In Shippy's computer architecture class in graduate school, the professor told the students that all of them need to understand how different computer architectures work, but few would end up creating new ones. Shippy got the chance of his lifetime in early 2001, when Sony, Toshiba and IBM agreed to design a microprocessor for multimedia and games with a completely new architecture, "a supercomputer on a chip". The microprocessor, called Cell, had an unusual heterogeneous architecture: a conventional RISC core with an instruction set similar to the PowerPC, and eight (originally six) specialized vector processing cores, all on the same die. Instead of cache, the specialized cores had local memory, which had to be loaded by software; the conventional core was a "traffic cop" running a regular operating system and managing the flow of code and data to and from the specialized cores. Shippy headed the team responsible for designing the conventional core. The new chip was supposed to be used in the PlayStation 3, Sony's new video game console, but the companies had larger plans for it.
Unbeknown to Sony, Toshiba or Shippy, in late 2002 Microsoft approached IBM with a view of using IBM's RISC core as the heart of its new video game console, the Xbox 360. In the summer of 2003, Shippy was told about it and asked to design a new variant of the core for Microsoft. Microsoft opted for a more traditional architecture for the Xbox 360 than Sony did for the PlayStation 3; Microsoft's variant did not have specialized vector processing cores and therefore needed a more powerful vector processing unit in the conventional core; Shippy's design had to accommodate both variants. Sony did not realize that insider knowledge of the chip it spent tens or hundreds of millions of dollars to design would be passed to its competitor. IBM's behavior was ethically questionable, to say the least; Shippy says that he felt "contaminated": he was not allowed to use the knowledge of the PlayStation 3 to influence the design of the Xbox 360, but realistically, how could this be avoided? To add insult to Sony's injury, the Xbox 360 shipped a year earlier than the PlayStation 3, in November 2005 versus November 2006.
Now, does anyone seriously think that Microsoft's dominance in business is due to the skill of its engineers?
Unbeknown to Sony, Toshiba or Shippy, in late 2002 Microsoft approached IBM with a view of using IBM's RISC core as the heart of its new video game console, the Xbox 360. In the summer of 2003, Shippy was told about it and asked to design a new variant of the core for Microsoft. Microsoft opted for a more traditional architecture for the Xbox 360 than Sony did for the PlayStation 3; Microsoft's variant did not have specialized vector processing cores and therefore needed a more powerful vector processing unit in the conventional core; Shippy's design had to accommodate both variants. Sony did not realize that insider knowledge of the chip it spent tens or hundreds of millions of dollars to design would be passed to its competitor. IBM's behavior was ethically questionable, to say the least; Shippy says that he felt "contaminated": he was not allowed to use the knowledge of the PlayStation 3 to influence the design of the Xbox 360, but realistically, how could this be avoided? To add insult to Sony's injury, the Xbox 360 shipped a year earlier than the PlayStation 3, in November 2005 versus November 2006.
Now, does anyone seriously think that Microsoft's dominance in business is due to the skill of its engineers?
January 6, 2012
I was really dismayed by this book. I wanted to enjoy it, It reminded me a lot of my days in IT in the early 2000s but i felt it was not a book about the industry nor making the chips that powered the PS3 or Xbox 360 but more about how a bunch of egoistic people came together with essentially (500 million / 1 billion) unlimited resources and came up with a decent chip that ultimately had no clue about the world in which this chip played an important role.
These people may be brilliant engineers to their own claims (yes, they keep reminding me they're top of the class, top of IBM, top of the world, worthy of all the appraise that they felt compelled to write a book to get MORE praise) but they're not GAMERS. They're not GAME developers. They're not GAME fans. They're not game testers, graphics designers - heck, they didn't really even talk about the technology of the prior systems.
I still finished the book and i'll keep it on my shelf, but man, can't someone write something like this and not talk down to us like were not as good as them? Why couldn't the include some math about the speed of light and problems with gating whenever electrons are actually taking too long to go across the bus? Why only spend 2 paragraphs on that but page after page after page describing corporate meetings and outings out for more beer? no references of righting virtual machines, no references to testing your own emulators, no mention of open source cpu frameworks to see for yourself in what chip designing is actually about. If you read this book, chip designing seems less about math and science and more about the university you graduated from and how good you were at office politics.
This isn't a book for people who grew up with games and wanted an insider view, this is a book about people who graduated top of the class, grew up priviliged and want to see what its like to work in a privileged group @ IBM.
These people may be brilliant engineers to their own claims (yes, they keep reminding me they're top of the class, top of IBM, top of the world, worthy of all the appraise that they felt compelled to write a book to get MORE praise) but they're not GAMERS. They're not GAME developers. They're not GAME fans. They're not game testers, graphics designers - heck, they didn't really even talk about the technology of the prior systems.
I still finished the book and i'll keep it on my shelf, but man, can't someone write something like this and not talk down to us like were not as good as them? Why couldn't the include some math about the speed of light and problems with gating whenever electrons are actually taking too long to go across the bus? Why only spend 2 paragraphs on that but page after page after page describing corporate meetings and outings out for more beer? no references of righting virtual machines, no references to testing your own emulators, no mention of open source cpu frameworks to see for yourself in what chip designing is actually about. If you read this book, chip designing seems less about math and science and more about the university you graduated from and how good you were at office politics.
This isn't a book for people who grew up with games and wanted an insider view, this is a book about people who graduated top of the class, grew up priviliged and want to see what its like to work in a privileged group @ IBM.
March 26, 2009
While I was looking forward to reading this, I can't quite say that it met my expectations. Perhaps I was looking for too much (a pulsating real-world corporate espionage thriller laced with technical details that would ground it in reality), or perhaps I was just the victim of an overenthusiastic review.
In any case, it comes off like something from a management self-help guide (due to the chapter subheadings that look like advice), a hardcore processor manual and a snapshot biography-cum-defense written like a novel. I wonder who the intended audience of this book is? If it's meant for engineers, I don't think the technical details given would satisfy them. The general public would be too confused by those same details.
Perhaps then it's best to treat it as an insight into the development of two gaming consoles and a brief peek into the culture of IBM, who arguably is still one of the leaders of its industry.
In any case, it comes off like something from a management self-help guide (due to the chapter subheadings that look like advice), a hardcore processor manual and a snapshot biography-cum-defense written like a novel. I wonder who the intended audience of this book is? If it's meant for engineers, I don't think the technical details given would satisfy them. The general public would be too confused by those same details.
Perhaps then it's best to treat it as an insight into the development of two gaming consoles and a brief peek into the culture of IBM, who arguably is still one of the leaders of its industry.
November 7, 2011
Sometimes too technical for an average joe, sometimes too unspecific for a technical geek. With some weak spots it still gives a good impression on how the base for the 360 and PS3 processors was made and what happens when when you have to put the Chinese wall in the middle of your head. The author was a (co-?)lead of the development of the PS3 chip and two years into the project became a lead of the xbox 360 chip too. A recommended read for all PS3 programmers who wonder why the processor is such a crazy piece of art .. spoiler? At the time the HW designers put 6 SPUs on-chip with not much space left and Ken Kutaragi came and said "Well, can we have 8 SPUs on the chip? It's a good number ..."
November 3, 2024
The time of the Xbox 360/PS3 era was probably the last time the gaming indusry
has expreinced a substantial increase in computational horsepower by highly customied, exotic hardware.
It was a fascinatating read to get a look on how the behind the scenes hardware development of the two 2 CPUs went ( and how unlikely it is to ever reoccur again), the impossible deadlines, the delays, the sweat and the tears.
Cell was such an anomally of a CPU- ambitious as it was challenging, powerful as it was limiting, there was never a CPU like it, and will probably never will.
I highly recommend the book to anyone who is even remotley intersred in hardware development, let alone the gaming industy.
has expreinced a substantial increase in computational horsepower by highly customied, exotic hardware.
It was a fascinatating read to get a look on how the behind the scenes hardware development of the two 2 CPUs went ( and how unlikely it is to ever reoccur again), the impossible deadlines, the delays, the sweat and the tears.
Cell was such an anomally of a CPU- ambitious as it was challenging, powerful as it was limiting, there was never a CPU like it, and will probably never will.
I highly recommend the book to anyone who is even remotley intersred in hardware development, let alone the gaming industy.
December 11, 2009
I've been a sucker for this genre ever since Tracy Kidder's "The Soul of a New Machine". While this one did not quite live up to that classic it was interesting in several respects. Among them the impact of game consoles on the chip industry, the technology of modern game chips and some of the moral gray areas faced by a company when it undertakes development for competing companies (in this case Sony and Microsoft)using the same basic platform.
December 18, 2009
Tells the history from IBM’s perspective of the development of the core area within the CPU for the Sony Playstation 3 and the technical challenges encountered. After two years of development Microsoft caught wind and IBM found itself using the same core design for both systems. Interesting when talking about the challenges of keeping secrets from different partners. Boring when trying to preach about hard work and how this is a business model (it’s not).
June 1, 2009
I enjoyed reading this book. David Shippy (what an appropriate name!) tells the story of developing the processors behind the PS3 and Xbox 360. There's not too much detail, which is appreciated, since the little that he did go over was beyond my ken. Overall, a quick and fun read. The most interesting bit for me was seeing how Microsoft beat Sony to market.
September 21, 2012
PROS: Easy-to-read book about how microprocessors are designed. Learn about the politics and drama of computer hardware engineers. Makes computer engineering seem understandable.
CONS: Shippy pats himself on the back way too much. Similes that make you wince. Explanation points are used. Metaphors used more than once.
CONS: Shippy pats himself on the back way too much. Similes that make you wince. Explanation points are used. Metaphors used more than once.
February 10, 2010
A good introduction to some of the concerns faced when creating derivative products for competitors from a common base product. A good short introduction to the world of computer hardware development for non-hardware types.
June 15, 2009
I'll review this later, but if you are interested in the software/hardware development process, you will like this book!
July 22, 2009
Interesting insights into the engines that power the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.
April 1, 2012
I liked it a lot, but was VERY dry... if your not a bit a of a history buff and a tech person, this would be a rough read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews