Tretton queries Microsoft's commitment to Folding@Home initiative

SCEA boss Jack Tretton has questioned whether Xbox 360 has enough power to take part in a Folding@Home-style initiative - saying he'd be "very disappointed" if the company is just seeking out good PR.

Folding@Home enables multiple, connected PlayStation 3s to calculate data which is used in medical research at Stanford University. As reported earlier this month, Xbox boss Peter Moore suggested Microsoft may be interested in launching a similar initiative, stating, "If we truly believe that we can in some way marshal the resources of a much larger installed base of Xbox 360 owners, with a processor that's of equal power to the PS3, then you have my commitment that we'll look at that."

Speaking to GamePro, Tretton questioned Microsoft's intentions: "Let's face it, if your motivation is for PR, to me, that's a little shallow. We go out of our way, correctly so, to make sure that we don't try to sell PS3s on Folding@Home.

"I think to look at it as a marketing platform is something that a company certainly wouldn't want to do. I'm certainly not insinuating that's Microsoft's motivation, but I'm not even sure how relevant it is to what we're doing. Would they be even having this conversation if we weren't doing it? I don't know."

Tretton went on to query whether Xbox 360 is even powerful enough to take part in such a project, stating, "I would guess that the medical community would take help from anywhere they could get it, but the commentary that I heard is that Stanford isn't sure that [the Xbox 360's processing abilities] would help them very much. Which is odd to me because if it helped at all, it seems like they would welcome it with open arms.

"It's really ugly territory to get into, but let's take fighting a disease and see if we can get some credit for that," he continued.

"It's not a cool game to play one way or the other so I don't want to even give the impression that that's our motivation, and I'd be very disappointed if they're looking for PR value or to try to suck off some of the goodwill that we're doing."

via gibiz

Would be interesting to see if Microsoft does indeed partake in Folding@Home. And not only that, we would have a DEFINITIVE answer to which console has a better CPU, as we can clearly see the amount of computing power each Folding@Home computer offers to the project.

PS3's home is gonna win just for originality

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Originally Posted by F9zDark

Would be interesting to see if Microsoft does indeed partake in Folding@Home. And not only that, we would have a DEFINITIVE answer to which console has a better CPU, as we can clearly see the amount of computing power each Folding@Home computer offers to the project.

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Not really. It will just show how optimised the clients are.

Cloudy

I don't really think these comments are necessary. If MSoft wants to partake in a good cause for the wrong reason then let them. It's shallow but pointing it out is stooping to their level. And if they get folding at home then people will know that they're just copying sony.

I dont see why it matters. Folding@Home should not be used to discuss the console war and any one that says otherwise should be looked down upon. Everyone and their mother knows that the PS3 with its clustered math processors is very good ad calculating this kind of stuff. MS took a different approach and its processor can do some interesting things the PS3's cant.

If they want to help let them. It's likely both Sony and MS are pulling a PR stunt. Sony's just falling into MS's trap and whining about it and using it as an excuse to say their processor handles calculations better. Disgusting.

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Originally Posted by Cap'n 1time

I dont see why it matters. Folding@Home should not be used to discuss the console war and any one that says otherwise should be looked down upon. Everyone and their mother knows that the PS3 with its clustered math processors is very good ad calculating this kind of stuff. MS took a different approach and its processor can do some interesting things the PS3's cant.

If they want to help let them. It's likely both Sony and MS are pulling a PR stunt. Sony's just falling into MS's trap and whining about it and using it as an excuse to say their processor handles calculations better. Disgusting.

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If I recall, it was the folks over Stanford who said that about the PS3 vs 360; Sony merely reiterated it.

I can't help but feel that this is a PR stunt for Microsoft. Why all of sudden is Microsoft interested in helping? Seems fishy to me, and Sony simply called them out on it.

And considering that Halo 3 beta is out and its coming soon, I cannot imagine that many, if any 360 users would be folding. Not to mention the overheating issues and Red Ring of Death problems that still plague the console... I have a feeling Folding@Home on the 360 will do way more harm than good.

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Originally Posted by Cap'n 1time

I dont see why it matters. Folding@Home should not be used to discuss the console war and any one that says otherwise should be looked down upon. Everyone and their mother knows that the PS3 with its clustered math processors is very good ad calculating this kind of stuff. MS took a different approach and its processor can do some interesting things the PS3's cant.

If they want to help let them. It's likely both Sony and MS are pulling a PR stunt. Sony's just falling into MS's trap and whining about it and using it as an excuse to say their processor handles calculations better. Disgusting.

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I have to agree with you here, Cap'n.

Wait, hold up? This article is Sony speaking? Figures, if it is.

not exactly sure how this could hurt the 360...

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Tretton went on to query whether Xbox 360 is even powerful enough to take part in such a project, stating, "I would guess that the medical community would take help from anywhere they could get it, but the commentary that I heard is that Stanford isn't sure that [the Xbox 360's processing abilities] would help them very much. Which is odd to me because if it helped at all, it seems like they would welcome it with open arms.

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That is spot on. Why didn't Stanford approach Microsoft before? Why is it only now that Microsoft wants to help?

One of the biggest games in Microsoft history is coming out in 4 months and now Microsoft is interested in getting onto the Folding bandwagon?