Sony has recently dropped a few hints that it may offer some extra incentives in exchange for your PS3’s extra processing cycles. As some people may already know, the PS3 harbors a very valuable processor, so they say. A program known as “Folding@home”, allows PS3 owners to contribute to the national Supercomputer, that might be used by Stanford in an effort to cure Cancer, Alzheimers and others. Sony has offered several useful incentives for participation, including free downloads, products, and other swag. Simple huh? Just leave your PS3 on and Sony will give you some free stuff. I’m all for that, plus your helping a good cause.

But it may not all be for charity, Sony’s reputation(as well as other suspicions) suggest that Sony may try to monetize the entire thing. As thousands of PS3 owners may jump on to this, who’s to say where this “Extra” processing power goes? Wheres the assurance that your precious processing cycles reach Stanford, or any place you’ve intended it to go? The Folding@home program may enable you to choose which institution your PS3 will assist, but it may not, possibly enabling Sony to rent out your PS3’s processor to any old company as a cheap supercomputer, just allowing Sony to make a few extra bucks from your hard earned PS3.

These are all just floating around, Sony may or may not go through with this, but personally, it’s bittersweet, I’d love to get some extra swag from my dormant PS3, but then who’s to say who I’m helping? It’s still pretty cool though, I would’ve given sony a higher/lower rating on this, but again nothing is in solid planning yet, so who knows what Sony may decide to do?