3D as native feature for next gen consoles?

[Ctrl Alt Del]

We've all seen how many technologis leaps regarding tv technologies have taken place in the last few years. If anything, this popularization phenomena only tends to get faster. This is true if the 3DTV finds it way into the homes of regular people later this years, according to specialists. The TV, in case anyone missed this year's CES, will contain the same 3D functionalities we've come to expect from a regular theater, including some minor drawbacks, such as the special glasses, that apparently will keep being necessary for the time being.

 

To help, and capitalize, with this new trend, some big names of the visual entertainment industry have already commited themselves on 3D channels soon. The stage seems set for a revolution.

 

Now, since game consoles are always on the edge of available technology, why shouldn't they have native support for 3D graphics? Seems like a natural step for console makers.

 

Of course we'd get those cheesy 3D tricks in which the devs, thinking of the gamer as a moron that can't perceive how good their effects are, throws the most obvious stunts at the player's face constantly - and literally - but not too different as the movies do nowadays. And besides, it's not as if every generation does that in the first rows of games. It was like this with the crappy three dimensional graphics of the 32bits gen, the polygon count on the 128 bits and seas of wandering characters on the screen at the same time on the current gen.

 

But for those who says games can't get any better in terms of visuals, that seems like a perfect slap on their faces, including myself. But it seems that, for this kind of beating, I'm a perfect masochist indeed.

[urluckyday]

Ugh...it's just another fad until smell-o-vision becomes mainstream.

[JediAthos]

yeah..can't say I'd buy into that myself. I don't really think 3-D is necessary to enjoy media whether it be movies or games.

[Mav]

The main thing I don't like about 3D tech right now is that you have to use some form of eye-wear, which is annoying. I don't remember where, but I read that eye-wear-less 3D tech should be "available" some time in the next 3-5 years, the 3 year mark, being around the time-frame that people expect the "next generation" of consoles to come out.

 

That being said, as far as the PS3 is concerned 3D will be added via a firmware update, that's not a question of if, but when they've already shown GT5 and other games running in 3D numerous times. Also, Samsung has a 3DTV that creates the effect itself, i.e. the platform of choice, video game console, media PC, DVD/Blu-Ray player isn't even required to support 3D (Samsung had this TV running Gears of War 2 in 3D @ CES this year). So in the long run, do I think 3D will be a necessary feature for consoles, no I don't. Do I think consoles will support it, yes I do. It will be like one of those features that the console makers can put a check mark next to in their brochures.

[Lynk Former]

If vidya does end up getting 3D games, it'll have to be a long way off considering you'd need a certain kind of TV to enjoy it... people are lagging behind to upgrade to HDTVs as it is.

 

People do also forget that there are other ways of creating a "3D" experience... remember that youtube vid of that guy who experiemented with the Wiimote to create head tracking?

 

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It's not the same kind of 3D, it's more along the lines of making your TV into a window in a way, but the concept is extraordinary when you think about it and something that could really work with video games if done right...

 

That guy works for Microsoft now... and Natal could just pull off what that video showed you but using a different method.

 

Think about it.

[urluckyday]

^That is actually really awesome and never thought about making it 3-D in that way. Looks like a promising technology.

[True_Avery]

I have glasses. I'm not putting on a second pair of glasses to play poorly color balanced games.

[Ctrl Alt Del]

If vidya does end up getting 3D games, it'll have to be a long way off considering you'd need a certain kind of TV to enjoy it... people are lagging behind to upgrade to HDTVs as it is.

Wouldn't be too different as getting a HDTV as you mentioned. It's still playable without one, just not fully enjoyable.

 

Think about it.

I must say this was ingenious at least. But you still need a sensor apparatus on your head, which still pretty much glasses. And he mentioned the limitation of the effect as well, about it being limited to one person.

[Lynk Former]

@ Ctrl Alt Del: My point is that it takes awhile for people to switch over to new technology and new standards. For example... it took a VERY long time for people to switch from VHS to DVD, and it taking a long time for people to switch from DVD to Bluray...

 

Also, you're not thinking enough

 

The reason he used the glasses with the infrared lights is because the camera on the Wiimote can't see anything but infrared light. Natal and the PlayStation Eye on the other hand are full camera's. There are already plenty of camera based games that know how to track peoples movements as well as recognising facial features, etc. Take that concept a few steps in the right direction and you have head tracking.

 

Also, it is true that it would only really work for a single person... but there are plenty of single player games out there... and even if it was a multiplayer game, it would still work pretty well with online multiplayer games with a single person using that TV... I guess split screen multiplayer could work if they were able to make the software efficient and smart enough to track multiple heads at once... and yeah, multiple people watching the same TV for stuff that isn't split screened wouldn't work at all... but then it's not like you'd need the feature to be present in EVERY game or need it to be a permanent feature of a game, you could easily turn it on or off... just like how a lot of games allow you to choose whether you want the rumble/force feedback to be on or off.

 

 

The way I see it, if Microsoft's boasting is anywhere near as accurate as they want us to believe, then Natal would probably be an awesome platform for future games to take advantage of head tracking. I would like to see at least ONE game attempt it.

[Ctrl Alt Del]

@ Ctrl Alt Del: My point is that it takes awhile for people to switch over to new technology and new standards. For example... it took a VERY long time for people to switch from VHS to DVD, and it taking a long time for people to switch from DVD to Bluray...

I understand what you're saying. But if the industry thinks like that, no advances are ever going to happen, or happen at a even slower pace.

 

Also, you're not thinking enough

 

The reason he used the glasses with the infrared lights is because the camera on the Wiimote can't see anything but infrared light. Natal and the PlayStation Eye on the other hand are full camera's. There are already plenty of camera based games that know how to track peoples movements as well as recognising facial features, etc. Take that concept a few steps in the right direction and you have head tracking.

 

Also, it is true that it would only really work for a single person... but there are plenty of single player games out there... and even if it was a multiplayer game, it would still work pretty well with online multiplayer games with a single person using that TV... I guess split screen multiplayer could work if they were able to make the software efficient and smart enough to track multiple heads at once... and yeah, multiple people watching the same TV for stuff that isn't split screened wouldn't work at all... but then it's not like you'd need the feature to be present in EVERY game or need it to be a permanent feature of a game, you could easily turn it on or off... just like how a lot of games allow you to choose whether you want the rumble/force feedback to be on or off.

Thanks for the explanation. Guess I missed this.

 

Nevertheless. Something has occurred to me. So for this kind of 3d to be used, does the watcher/player - or the watcher's/player's head - needs to be in movement. If so, then we might have a problem. This may become even more niche than the Wii.

[Mav]

@ Ctrl Alt Del: My point is that it takes awhile for people to switch over to new technology and new standards. For example... it took a VERY long time for people to switch from VHS to DVD, and it taking a long time for people to switch from DVD to Bluray...

Hasn't taken you a long time, you buy like 5 Bluray's a week.

[Lynk Former]

Ctrl Alt Del: There are many technologies that have failed over the years because not enough people invested in them despite the push by companies. It's not dependant on the companies but the consumer as to whether these things work out. Bottom line is that 3D will become successful quickly just as long as companies can put them into the HDTVs as a standard feature across all the lines at no rise in cost....... which won't happen. I mean the companies can push this on people, but the problem is that a lot of people are still going from SDTVs up to HDTVs right now and a lot of them will want the cheaper HDTV instead of the more expensive one that just happens to have 3D.

 

And about the camera. No, your head wouldn't need to need to be moving all the time for it to be able to track you. It just needs to recognise your face as a face... so if you've been in a terrible car accident and have become horribly disfigured and don't have any eyes and a nose and your mouth is in your forehead or something.... then you may have a problem. Other than that, the problem you stated would not exist because if it did then Wii's pointer system would lose track of your IR pointer every time you held it still... which it doesn't since the camera records the information and refreshes constantly.

 

@ Mav: Yeah, cause whatever I do effects the entire world XD