[Philip Lelyveld comment: this article addresses 3D game creative and technical design issues]
[IT Business Net]
High-definition gaming is on the cusp of a visual evolution. The past year’s introduction and slow proliferation of 3D-enabled games, displays and laptopssuggests that the next major frontier is on the horizon.
Whether 3D moves beyond a stylistic evolution and becomes a revolution, though, has yet to be seen. As somedevelopers and players note, the unique visual effect of 3D — with the initial disorientation of viewing a scene with an illusion of depth and then continuing to direct the action — can take some getting used to. However, the PCgames that have made the jump to 3D run the gamut, including StarCraft II, Call of Duty: Black Ops, World of Warcraft and Duke Nukem Forever. …
Getting the Basics
A common misconception is that 3D only works for certain genres of games, like shooters that require judgments in depth, or slow-moving games that afford players more time to enjoy the view. But it’s more about figuring out how the specific aspects of 3D can be best applied to a given game. …
Moving Into the Next Dimension
PC monitors have an advantage over TVs in being able to display 3D at 1080p60. Although glasses-free monitors and televisions are emerging, and passive polarized glasses present a less bulky option, the current standard is set by combinations of active shutter glasses and 120Hz 3D displays. …
3D as an Art Form
3D presents a number of creative challenges and questions, which will only increase as more developers use it. Convergence — where the focal point of a scene is, determining its range of depth — affects both gameplay and cut scenes. The specific camera implementation in a game — whether it’s a fully controllable first-person camera, a third-person camera with a fixed distance to the avatar, or a static isometric camera — naturally makes this more or less complicated. …
It’s a common sentiment that 3D game development, as a creative approach, is in its very earliest stage. Experts and developers speculate on using 3D to deliver a true sense of vertigo by controlling the rate of change of convergence planes or amplifying its shock value in survival horror games. In one innovative use of 3D technology, Sony is experimenting with allowing active shutter wearers to play together on one screen by having one player view the 2D left image and one player view the right. When it comes to 3D development, the horizon’s the limit.
Read the full story here: http://business.itbusinessnet.com/article/Getting-Acquainted-With-the-3D-Generation-1765771