Everything you need to know about playing 3D games

The arrival of 3D technology into cinemas and now our homes is one of the most controversial aspects of popular entertainment. Some see it as a massive creative leap forward, the equivalent of Renaissance painters discovering perspective; others dismiss it as a gimmick, a means of selling ever more expensive movie tickets and TVs to gullible thrill-seekers. And now, at the heart of this whole debate, is the gamesindustry.

All three of the major console manufacturers are backing 3D as a concept (some more than others, but we’ll get on to that in a bit) and most game publishers, too, are supporting 3D with their main titles. There’s now an interesting range of games available, showcasing the potential for 3D in the interactive sphere, and several massive examples are due out later in 2011.

Arguably, it is in games where the tech could really make a difference. While seeing stuff flying out of the screen can certainly enliven films, the ability to perceive depth might actually make a palpable impact on the very nature of game design, leading to environments of greater immersion and a more intuitive navigation experience. Anyone who’s ever tried to leap from one platform to another in a polygonal world, like Assassin’s Creed or Super Mario 64, will know what I mean.

So what do you need to play 3D games at home, and what titles should you try first? With the significant help of James Rivington fromTechRadar, here’s our quick guide to 3D entertainment for the interested console owner…

Read the full, lengthy article here:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2011/apr/15/3d-a-gamers-guide

[By Greg Tarr — TWICE]
Combined consumer spending on Blu-ray Discs 3D (BD3D) in the U.S., U.K., Germany and France will grow 533 percent in 2011 from 2010, according to forecasts from market analysts IHS Screen Digest.

According to new research from the firm, sales to consumers of BD3D in the collective territories will reach $213.9 million this year, up sixfold from $33.8 million in the 2010 launch year of the format.

That would cover the sale of approximately 7.5 million BD3Ds, up from 1.1 million discs sold to consumers a year ago.

Looking further forward to 2014, IHS said consumer spending on BD3D should reach $909 million on 41 million disc sales, more than four times the 2011 forecast.

“Consumers are snapping up BD3D titles because of a number of positive occurrences in the home 3-D segment,” said Richard Baxter, research analyst, video, at IHS. “These developments include increasing consumer awareness of 3-D technology, rising 3-D hardware sales and an expanding catalog of 3-D films for the home environment. Meanwhile, the arrival of more BD3D titles in retail stores will enhance the technology’s profile among consumers and encourage 3-D hardware adoption. BD3D-enabled households are also likely to buy more BD3D titles if they have a larger slate to choose from.”

BD3D-enabled households are defined as homes having a 3D TV connected to either a Blu-ray Disc 3D player or to a PlayStation 3 video game console with the required glasses.

The BD3D titles tabulated in the study confirm to the Blu-ray Disc Association BD3D standard, and exclude earlier 3D discs required anaglyph (red/green) glasses.

IHS said the increased catalog of BD3D titles is an important factor in boosting demand for home 3D.

The number of titles at retail was limited until September 2010, when more BD3D titles began to hit retail stores.

Movie studios are expected to offer more than 65 titles for the U.S. market this year, HIS said. Disney alone is planning to release at least 15 titles on BD3D, including “Tron Legacy” and “Tangled,” along with “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Lion King,” which have been converted from 2D to 3D.

These Disney titles will offer further incentive to upgrade to home 3D hardware.

Warner Bros. will convert three titles from the Harry Potter series, including “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One.”

Of the markets used in the study, the U.S. represented the largest base of sales, but the three European countries are expected to show significant growth.

The U.S. accounted for 75.2 percent of consumer spending on BD3D at $160.8 million, up from $28.4 million last year. U.S. consumers will buy 5.7 million BD3Ds this year at an average per-title price of $28.33, compared to the roughly 900,000 titles bought in 2010 at the higher price of $31.09, IHS said.

Some 3.2 million U.S. households in 2011 will be BD3D-enabled, compared to 790,000 last year, with the number expected to exceed 22.5 million in 2014.

The U.K., which is expected to have about 60 BD3D titles available by the end of 2011, will be the second-largest BD3D market of the four Western territories this year, IHS said. Consumer spending there will reach $25 million, up from $2.5 million last year. By 2014, spending will reach $91.2 million.

Germany follows in third place with $15.8 million in BD3D spending predicted by the firm, while France’s volume is targeted at $12.3 million.

By 2014, consumer spending in Germany will reach $88.9 million, compared to $46.8 million in France.

See the original post here:  http://www.twice.com/article/466866-Major_Growth_Seen_For_3D_Blu_ray_Discs.php