Sony To Launch First 3D PS3 Games On Friday

Stoobalou writes "Sony plans to show off the first 3D PlayStation 3 games in the UK on 10 June, with a retail launch on 11 June. If you were wondering why Sony is shutting down half the PSN today for maintenance, then wonder no more. We reckon the company's simply gearing up for the launch of the PlayStation 3's first stereoscopic 3D games. Unfortunately, many game developers are seemingly indifferent to the 3D revolution at the moment. In fact, EA CEO John Riccitiello reckons that it's going to be a good three years before 3D becomes a standard gaming feature. Riccitiello explained that there's a big difference between converting a game to run in 3D mode and properly developing it to take full advantage of the extra dimension."

Comments

Sony reserves the right

[TouchAndGo]

to revoke this PS3 feature based on their whims

It's a shame

[pinkushun]

It's a shame there are no YouTube videos of this 3D game in action.

About time! I'm tired of 2D platformers

[noidentity]

It's about time they start using their 3D graphics hardware. I'm pretty tired of 2D platformers. You can only take so many Castlevania Symphony of the Night sequels. I'd been wondering if the system could even DO polygons and 3D stuff, given the total absence of 3D games. I just don't see how Sony has done so well with a 2D-only system.

Re:About time! I'm tired of 2D platformers

[Barny]

Bleh, I will wait till 4.5D when they are bringing out more classes and such, I bet they will have a whole new set of books to buy too.

Wait, what were we talking about again?

Re:About time! I'm tired of 2D platformers

[Lumpy]

Do you honestly believe a person with only one eye can perceive depth the same as a normal sighted person?

Yes. I've seen it.

One eyed archer. He looks downrange and moves his head side to side. and can tell me the range to target. Same as the two eyed people can.

Re:About time! I'm tired of 2D platformers

[Yvan256]

If only there were some way to find out... like closing one of your eyes or wearing an eye patch.

There's also the fork method, but it's permanent.

Re:About time! I'm tired of 2D platformers

[TimToady]

Sorry, that's bogus. I spent 14 years blind in one eye, in the middle of my life. Yes, there are many tricks that you can use to compensate for lack of binocular vision, and I learned most of 'em, but it is not the same, and I missed my stereoscopic vision terribly. I was fortunate to get my stereo vision back with a cornea transplant, and have never taken it for granted since. Integrating a 2d video signal over time is much harder work for your brain than the relatively instant and effortless 3d awareness that binocular vision can provide when stereo fusion is achieved. If it's not there, it's just not there, and there's only so much you can do to compensate.

First 3D games?

[dangitman]

Sony plans to show off the first 3D PlayStation 3 games in the UK on 10 June

That's weird. I've had 3D games on my PS3 for years. Even had them on the PS2 as well.

Re:First 3D games?

[Psaakyrn]

But we're talking about real 3D graphics, not those fake simulations on a 2D image.

Of cause, how to implement this 3D without it being a mere add-on is the question. For some reason, I'd think Nintendo would do it better, seeing their extensive forays into worlds which implements 3D environments in a not-just-2D-planes-stacked-on-top-of-one-another manner.

Existing games which I'd think would benefit from 3D:

Flight sims (like X-Wing vs Tie Fighter)
Atmospheric games (like Shadow of the Collosus)
3D platformers (in the vein of Super Mario 64)

Re:First 3D games?

[dangitman]

But we're talking about real 3D graphics, not those fake simulations on a 2D image.

You mean, Sony has implemented holography? I don't think so. They are talking about stereoscopic imaging, which is pretty much a slightly advanced "fake simulation on a 2D image," hardly "real 3D graphics." Anyway, "3D graphics" has been a term used to describe 3D perspective renderings on a 2D plane for decades.

Even then, it's still not the first stereoscopic gaming on the PS3 - for example, G-Force used red-blue anaglyph stereography on the PS3 and Xbox, and there were many other stereoscopic games on older platforms such as the PS2 and PC.

Re:First 3D games?

[Merls the Sneaky]

As for your "fake simulation on a 2D image" is like calling video a "fake simulation of moving pictures using still frames", technically its correct, but if its enough to fool the eyes, its very much the real deal :)

Only if you have two functional eyes. Non- depth perception 3D is perfectly acceptable to use with only one eye. New polarised glasses do nothing for those with only one eye, if games start going in the direction of requiring depth perception of the type requiring two eyes, that just fucks up gaming for them. Sure they could still enjoy a movie but playing a game where they have to interact at $distance?

Re:First 3D games?

[xtracto]

Bah! as always, Sony keeps imitating Nintendo. I played 3D games in the original NES almost a quarter of a century ago.
That's REAL 3D games ... as real as what GP called real (using some type of glasses)

Now, regarding holographic games, I remember playing such an arcade game around 1991

Cross-Media

[Lord_of_the_nerf]

Does this mean the producers of Clash of the Titans can rush in some crappy 3D DLC to go with their crappy rushed movie 3D as well?

Late to the niche market by some time

[Anonymous Coward]

the 3-D adventures of world-runner (by square) on the NES already had this feature, just press Select button.

And IIRC, it wasn't the only game on the NES to showcase 3-D.

And does anyone wonder why it's been mostly forgotten?

Re:Late to the niche market by some time

[Antony-Kyre]

You mean this?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3-D_WorldRunner
http://www.google.com/products?q=3-D+World+Runner&output=nojs

Knowing Sony

[$RANDOMLUSER]

It'll be a 3D side scroller. With a rootkit.

YOu got them on a 2D television...

[aepervius]

Those game used a trick to make your brain think stuff looked in 3D when in reality they are all flat. Now they want to gear up to be able to send *stereoscopic* signal to a TV, which is another trick to make your brain seeing a 3D image by sending two different image to the right and left eye. This is theoretically better than the trick 3D we have on 2D TV since actually the eyes are really seeing different perspective. In other word Sony climb up on the 3D TV bandwagon.

the first 3D games

[mogness]

From a different source, the first 3d games will be

* WipEout HD (full game): Experience the adrenalin rush of navigating the twists and turns of futuristic racetracks at breathtaking speeds like never before.
* Super Stardust HD (full game): Experience asteroids fly past you as you navigate the deadly battleground — only a battle on a cosmic level will save the indigenous life below from destruction.
* PAIN: The stereoscopic 3D content will include the Downtown area and tutorial along with three modes, including two new modes created specifically with stereoscopic 3D in mind, Alien Toss and Ice Breaker.
* MotorStorm Pacific Rift (demo): MotorStorm Pacific Rift in stereoscopic 3D puts you in the driver’s seat of a buggy for a one track, single player race around the deadly Kanaloa Bay for a dangerously real battle against ruthless opponents.

I haven't been a fan of the whole 3D TV thing, but I could really get into 3D video games. For that, I'd wear the silly glasses.

Tired of false advertisting

[xororand]

Stereoscopic imaging is not real 3D. It doesn't allow you to change the focal point. That's why stereoscopy is fatiguing. Also, you can't change your point of view. Yes, there are some kludgy workarounds like head-tracking or displays that work like lenticular images. Still, it's not the same as real 3D.

Fighting this word abuse is an uphill battle that probably can't be won. Hacking isn't cracking either. Gotta go, have to shoo some kids off my lawn.

Re:Tired of false advertisting

[Psaakyrn]

However, holograms aren't the solution either, since they've a limited distance before images would get cut off by real-world objects. The only real solution would still be stereoscopic imaging (or equivalent) coupled with both head and eyeball tracking. We've 2 parts of the solution publicly available and mass-producible.

Re:Tired of false advertisting

[NoZart]

Maybe because "Fake depth perception gaming" is just such a mouthful ;-)

Re:Tired of false advertisting

[L4t3r4lu5]

Further, piracy is not stealing.

Good luck getting either of these changed. Public view is already skewed, and it's only a matter of time before common use dictates a change in definition in the dictionary.

Re:Fulltime wearer of Glasses

[LingNoi]

I'm with you. It's the same as 3D movies which I also hate as does my girlfriend. It adds nothing to the experience, is annoying and just costs more.

This makes no sense

[Zouden]

"If you were wondering why Sony is shutting down half the PSN today for maintenance, then wonder no more. We reckon the company's simply gearing up for the launch of the PlayStation 3's first stereoscopic 3D games."

I don't see how graphics-rendering technology requires an overhaul of the network. The third dimension doesn't require more bandwidth.

Re:This makes no sense

[bky1701]

Don't be silly. It requires the bandwidth used now, times the square root of it.

Just wait until comcast hears about this!

Re:This makes no sense

[DrXym]

More likely server maintenance is for something coming up in E3. Perhaps the PSN+ service or whatever. Or maybe they just choose to do major maintenance at this time of year because it's quieter so it's less disruptive.

Re:Fulltime wearer of Glasses

[LingNoi]

Wearing things on your face for 2 hours is a completely different matter to colour or stereo sound. It's also extra annoying if you already have to wear glasses anyway.

The only reason they're making everything 3D is so people can't cam it anyway, stop making it sound like it's some kind of breakthrough in technology when it only exists to charge you extra.

Virtual Boy

[British]

Now PSN can release the Virtual Boy back catalog! Everyone's been clamoring for that!