TOKYO - Following reports from last month that the CELL chip's designs have almost been completed, the Nikkei Journal is now reporting that Toshiba president Tadashi Okamura has confirmed that the chip's development is nearing completion.

In development by Sony, IBM, and Toshiba since the spring of 2001, the CELL is a next-generation multimedia processor with the ability to handle intensive graphics and high-bandwidth communications. The CELL is expected to be used in Sony's next-generation video game console, which is unofficially referred to as the PlayStation 3.

"[The CELL] will be used in IBM's computer, Sony's game machine, and Toshiba's digital consumer electronics, among other things," Okamura said. "It will change the world."

While specific details on the CELL remain elusive, the chip's commercial production is scheduled to begin next year, which is coincidently when Toshiba will be celebrating its 130th anniversary. However, as part of its presentation at E3 2004, Sony said graphics workstations using the CELL could be available as soon as this winter.