Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

3D Projection Rumoured to be The Revolution

Posted by Zonk on from the computer,-lights-up dept.

mars soup eel writes "Cube.IGN is reporting that Brooke Burgess (of Broken Saints) has let the proverbial cat out of the bag concerning Nintendo's new Revolution console. The big secret (assuming the rumors are true)? 3D projection." From the article: "At the core of the theory sits how Revolution will display games: through a form of real-time 3D projection. That's right folks, along the lines of a classic 50s monster movie. Nintendo itself has stated that what it plans to use on Revolution isn't all that unique, only that it has never been applied to videogames. Taking that into account, plus recent patents filed by Nintendo, and it doesn't sound all that far fetched, argues Burgess." As always, take this with a grain of salt.

8 of 120 comments (clear)

  1. Not a bad idea... by black+mariah · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If they can implement this and do it RIGHT then I'll be impressed. While this smacks of Virtual Boy 2, I'd really like to see something like this made to work right.

    --
    'Standards' in computing only impress those who are impressed by things like 'standards'.
    1. Re:Not a bad idea... by IorDMUX · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The Virtual Boy failed because it was too large to be a handheld yet not "console" enough to take it's place with the television.

      The problem with trying to express 3-D with video games is that the utterly ubiqtuous display device of choice is quite 2-D.

      It seems their options are:
      * 3-D glasses (not necessarily the red-blue type, there are many options nowadays; but would gamers really want to wear them?)
      * Head mounted displays (Virtual Boy again?)
      * Filter array displays (Average cost upwards of $1000)

      So what'll it be, Nintendo?

      --
      >> Standing on head makes smile of frown, but rest of face also upside down.
    2. Re:Not a bad idea... by MBCook · · Score: 4, Insightful
      I loved the Virtual Boy, but my worry is the glasses. My guess is wireless LCD shutter based glasses if all this is true. The problem is I wear glasses (basically blind w/o 'em). I have never seen any kind of 3D glasses system that works well for people like me. This would be the biggest problem to solve.

      As for gyroscopic controllers, I'm not sure how well that would work, but if anyone can do it, Nintendo can. The touchscreen controller idea sounds good, but reminds me a bit of the Jaguar's 12 button section on the controller you put button guides around. But the touch screen opens up MUCH more possibilities.

      --
      Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
    3. Re:Not a bad idea... by PhosterPharms · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Yeah, see, I can't stand the IMax3D glasses. I have horrible vision in one eye and fairly good vision in the other, so the whole thing is just a bad experience. Couple that with the fact that I can almost see the shutters blinking (it's enough to distract me, and give me a headache, even though it's fast enough to not actually see) and the whole experience is underwhelming. I hope Nintendo is planning a different sort of Revolution.

  2. Hm by FLAGGR · · Score: 3, Insightful

    How would culling work? Does it like project a 3D scene out into your room, if so then it would have to be a pretty powerful machine, since you couldn't cull none visible polygons. What would the viewing distance on something like this be? Hmm I'm having a hard time imagining but major props to the big N if they pull it off.

    1. Re:Hm by FooAtWFU · · Score: 2, Insightful

      No. This is not a hologram-like technology. Look instead for either 3-D glasses, or some other (more sophisticated, less red-and-blue) optical tricks.

      --
      The World Wide Web is dying. Soon, we shall have only the Internet.
  3. Not likely by PhoenixOne · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Unless I'm missing something, I'm thinking this isn't real or it will be the last console Nintendo ever makes.

    If the 1990's VR craze has taught us anything, it is that most people do not like wearing things on their head and I doubt they have come up with a way to "beam" these images into thin air.

    More power to them if they want to innovate new gaming technology but this is so out of left field that I doubt any developer outside of Nintendo would try to do anything with it.

    --
    Spell cheek you've failed me four the last thyme!
  4. Let's think about this practically by briancnorton · · Score: 2, Insightful
    There are many ways to greate 3D images. I think it's a safe assumption that you won't have to buy a new TV to participate in the revolution, so there are limited options as to how this can work.

    One way is to interlace offset frames and wear shutter glasses. You lose part of your horizontal FOV and they give people headaches, and is only really practical on CRTs. Another way would be the REAL way that 50's movies worked with an anaglyph. (blue/red seperation) but that usually looks like crap.

    That all said, Call me a skeptic.

    --

    People who think they know everything really piss off those of us that actually do.