Help cure cancer with your PS3

I hate Sony, but this is still nice. Doesn't mean I'll be getting a PS3 anytime soon, though.

This could lead to a competition in virtueware on consoles. Porting the F@H client to the Xbox 360 using the XNA kit should be trivial. If you have a bunch of downloads queued up, it shouldn't add too much to the power draw to have some F@H threads running.

Regarding power usage, longtime F@H PC users know that this isn't as bad as it first may seem. While it will stop a PC from entering the deepest sleep state, just shutting down the video subsystem and display reduces the PC power budget during that time considerably. IT would seem likely that the PS3 and Xbox 360 could perform similar power saving measures. Since both of these systems will likely spend a lot of time in the wee hours downloading trailers and demos, they might as well contribute to the sum knowledge of humanity along the way.

The Wii should be able to partiipate as well. Lesser throughput in fewer threads but also a very low power system when running, so it should cost hardly anything more to do some calculations while in its semi-sleep mode while awaiting the latest downloads. If we are going to have a lot of machines that are never truly off they should be doing something more useful than waiting to hear from their remotes.

I agree with LaughingTraget. SETI is for idiots. I'm a huge science fiction geek but I have no illusions. The original calculations that drove the SETI concept were wildly optimistic where there weren't simply wrong. Determiing the existence of another sentient species in the universe is swell but it wouldn't be much of a conversation. Given the choice between listening for the alien version Jack Benny and achieving a true understanding of the mechanism that determine my longevity and health, I'm voting for the medical advances.

PS3 fits perfectly with this. It's a computer. While someone is not playing thier PS3 it's connected to the net and combined with tons of other PS3's to make what is like a super computer for cell research and analysis.

The other systems can't do that, so that leaves only the PS3 do this kind of thing. If the 360 could do this M$ would be all over it to. Since PS3 has the power to do it, I guess SOny is using their powers for good.

I agree with Truth, Who could possibly want to get more than just a single use out of something you buy? Hell while we are on that topic, Why do DVD players play CDs or MP3's for that matter? I DONT BUY A DVD PLAYER TO PLAY MUSIC!

/sarcasm off

Multiple uses of an entertainment system, is not a bad thing. The DS is a gaming machine, but they are putting a browser, brain training, and cookbooks on it. Where are your negative comments towards those? This is a good move, it wont eat up a large amount of bandwidth, and it will run while you aren't using the machine. There is no reason that F@H shouldn't be on all the systems.

@ Aex

True but where does it end? Will they keep adding more and more extras untill you have one machine that does everything and cost an arm and a leg. They throw in these extras so that they can charge you more. Why not just make it play music, movies and games for a lower price. I won't buy a PS3 or a 360 just because it plays movies.
I buy them to play games. Thats it! Make a game machine that only plays those three I mentioned (like the wii) and charge me $150 to $200 and im happy.

Like I've always said the PS3 is the most powerful console ever it can even cure cancer.

this is supported by sony on the ps3? then screw those damn cancer patients i just want to play video games!

what a bunch of self absorbed jerks... sony allows the end user decide if they'd like to help out with research to cure diseases by doing nothing but turning on a machine and we get people in here criticizing it just because it's related to the ps3.

i hope you get cancer.

With all the extra stuff its more likely to give you cancer than cure it.

Huh, I honestly didn't expect to see something like this appearing on a console, though I'm quite pleased it did. Hopefully MS and nintendo borrow the idea and do something similar. Can you imagine the potential good millions of consoles could do with a program like this?

Considering this appears to be completely voluntary I'm not really sure how people can fault it. Still, fault it they do, and yet right above this post is a post with slightly negative (and really kind of irrelevant) news about the 360 and there are few attacks on it.
I'm not claiming Joystiq is biased, it's the forums posters saying this stuff, it just makes me feel a little sick to see peoples partisanship get the better of them. You don't have to climb a mountain and raise hosannas to Sony but you should admit it's a nice gesture considering all the crap they've put their customers through.

"They throw in these extras so that they can charge you more"

I didn't see a price hike of the PS3 since this announcement. So how are they charging me more? Do I have to buy a program? I dunno, do you have to buy a game?

No one is making you buy a PS3, and if you want a PS3, no one is making you buy it on release day, and if you do buy it on release day, no one is making you buy the top end system.

Wait a year or so TRUTH, you'll be able to play your $200 basic 360. Until then, suck it up princess, go buy a PS2 that plays music, movies and games for $100 and you can play hundreds of games right now.

What type of dream world are you people living in?
Do you really think sony gives a damn about the peoples health? If you look at the big picture its all about the money. They just implement this crap so people say "oh sony is so sympathetic and caring lets go buy a PS3" wake up people its just a marketing trick.

heh, so much for PS3s causing cancer...
And for the idiots saying this is BS and a worthless attempt at Sony to get attention.
You are F***ing idiots anyway.
Seriously, this is actually a decent, HONEST thing Sony is doing and you total ASSES are putting it down as marketing, well shame on you, shame on F***ING you!

I think this is a brilliant idea, hell i wish MS would do this as well, even Nintendo as well.
The more processors for this, the better.
Theres been many advances because of this and it will only get better in the next few years, especially if alot of people contribute to this.

Some of you people make me sick and sad that people like you even exist, selfish SOBs
"oo, my internets, i dont want them stealing my internets, oh noe!"
Im glad the most of the comments are actually positive for once instead of "sony sux!!one!!"
"sony are liers, they just want your monies!!!"
And yes, the typos are on purpose to demonstrate the idiocy of most comments.
Fanboys deserve to get cancer and die horrible deaths just for being idiots.
Its always wars with fanboys! And i dont speak for just gaming, sports, whatever.
YOU ALL EQUALLY SUCK, damn fanboys!

rant over.

Yes IT... having people voluntarily use their systems to help in algorithms to fight cancer is just a marketing scam... completely unlike the useful to the world item that XBLM is right?

Get over yourself, please. This wont make people go out and buy a PS3 if they were otherwise going to, its just a helpful little aside because they have the means to do it.

I mean hey having a windows media extender on 360 is just a marketing trick too right? To get people to buy a windows media extender that wouldnt otherwise buy it huh?

this is sony master plan of trojan horsing somehting useful to people. damn them.. damn them straight to hell...!!!!!!!!

#55
"hope you get cancer."

LMFAO

My take on this: if a PS3 console happens to be instrumental in finding a cure Sony will demand to have the patent on it.

MS uses XBLM so people can download extra content for the games. Now the trick that MS uses is to charge the gamers for updates. How is that comparable its game related.

I was just making a point Intangible Fact, it wasn't supposed to draw a direct parallel.

I'm just saying its pointless to argue about it as its trivial to complain about. I mean its just helping a cause, what is there to bitch and moan about?

Even Nintendo said they have the WiiConnect 24/7 going on, and for sony to do something similar yet its helping people in a way and to complain about it...well dont you think that's kind of stupid?

@ hunnter

With all the obscene words you are using I can tell your very ignorant to what I am trying to say. If you know anything about the past with marketing you would know that companies use certain techniques to sell their products and if they can get to a persons heart by making them feel apart of something or helping out they will try it.

No i know what you are trying to say, who the F**K cares if it is marketing or not, its still a damn decent thing to do!

I know that companies use alot of techniques to get consumers in their pants, some nasty, some not-so nasty.
Im just pissed off that people cant even see through that and see that its still a decent thing either way, regardless if it IS only to get more PS3s bought.

If you were in the same position, you would do the same damn thing to get more peoples attention and dont deny it.
Running a company is a hard job, if you dont get the consumers aware of your existence, you die, simple.
Even the "holy" Nintendo have done some evils in the past and still today, yet people just bitch and moan about Sony because its the trend.
Well F**K that S**T!

Ahem.... let's start with the 'marketing ploy' NOONE is going to buy a PS3 BECAUSE it folds...period. Now, knowing that also look at how sony announced the folding innitiative..through the F@H website...not on some media floor.

So "The Intangible Fact" spare us this b/s about them using this as a marketing ploy. Just because some corporate bodie tries to do something nice doens't mean you haveto bash it.

I may not work @ Sony, but I do work with them and I haveto say from my perspective F@H isn't exactly a marketing elbow for them. The team up in Foster city that is probably working on this is still a team of PEOPLE, and on top of that a very NICE bunch of people that I am proud to have met in my lifetime. Not EVERYTHING is a marketing ploy, so get your head out of your a**. Even big corps are still made up of people that have lives, children, etc. and though I am sure that this has some financial and positive effect for sony as a corp, I am also pretty sure that the reason behind it isn't as shallow as your smartass comments simply place it.

oh sweet. I'm totally gonig to use a gameshark and beat that game. Is there a code for infinite health?

Hehe, I also wonder what Jack Thompson will have to say about games. "they teach kids to murder and cure cancer!" haha.. good times.

Well, here's hoping it will actually see the light of day. Please let it be a free download off your shiny new online service sony. please? Don't just say these things and then never produce, just put it out there. for real this time.

Maybe we could release the console before we start seriously discussing what it will do in its spare time.

Isn't this the same thing they said about the ps2? It's just sony hype guys. Everyone knew it was coming, expect more in the following months. Oh and by the way, maybe they can cure the cancer caused by all the games like "Fantavision." ha ha

Geez Would not be a majic trick if someones box saved YOUR life? Would that be worth something? Get greedy and think of yourself. Someone may also get in one your action.

all this over a game.cancer is no game ,i had it i know.get down to the real issue and cure real cancer.

Does anyone remember the commodore 64 ? or the vic 120 ? Audio tape VIDEO GAMES, lol. HEY..........KNOW YOUR ROOTS.......good luck sony.....i am not paying $600 to cure cancer (all be it, good luck though)

Yeah I will buy a PS3 to help cure cancer if Sony sends a check in the mail for the price of the console shortly after I buy it;D