How Sony's R&D budget subsidized the Xbox 360 processor for Microsoft

When Sony entered into a partnership with Toshiba and IBM to design the Cell processor for their PlayStation 3, they agreed that IBM would eventually sell the Cell to other companies. What they didn't know was that parts of the Cell would be sold to their major competitor Microsoft for use in the Xbox 360 processor - before the Cell was completed.

IBM engineers David Shippy and Mickie Phipps have released a book titled The Race For A New Game Machine, that details the design of both CPUs and the ridiculous situations that occurred as a result of IBM's relationship with Sony and Microsoft, like mere cubicles separating Sony and Toshiba engineers from those working on the Xbox chip.

The Race For A New Game Machine is available now from Amazon for $14.93.

via WSJ