Traditionally, console gaming systems have focused on hardware, content, and royalties. It makes perfect sense; you buy the hardware, play the content, and someone receives royalties. Though Sony is a hardware company, their console systems are typically sold at a financial loss. It's only the royalties received from software content sales that keeps them in the black. Every company that produces a game for any console, must pay a royalty fee to the console manufacturer for that honor of having that game played on that system.

Sony is planning to make the PS3 a common platform for developers. What does that mean? By making the PS3 a more programmer friendly system, software developers can reach potentials never before dreamed possible with console hardware. To put it bluntly perhaps, are they speaking of 'Open Source'?

It's been added that the PS3 will tout a PC type architecture. This will allow users to install a variety of different Operating Systems; everything from Windows to Apple OS X to Linux. The PS3 hard drive will even come with a type of Linux OS pre-installed.

As for the reference to Apple, it not what your thinking. There isn't going to be a glowing Apple logo and outrageous price tag attached. The stability and success of the Apple is due largely in part to the standardization of the OS and underlying hardware. By having a common format that is well designed, widely adopted, and comes with open standards, you can do far more with far better results.

Of course, we will have to wait until years end to see what Sony is really talking about. But it save to say, the PS3 won't be just another set top box.