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Latest 3D Gaming Articles
Games Consoles - For high quality 3D gaming, you can't beat the major consoles. Sony's PS3 and Microsoft's Xbox are already capable of delivering 3D games, though of course you'll need a suitable display and glasses. The Nintendo 3DS has a planned 2011 release date and initial reports suggest you won't need glasses to play. Read more about 3D Game Consoles...
Discover the parts that make up the 3D experience - Revealing what you need to enjoy the 3D gaming experience - a simple to follow introductory guide to the equipment you need to play 3D games - introduction to game consoles, 3D laptops, special 3D glasses, 3D TVs, 3D PCs, projectors, and other 3D gaming solutions such as Nvidia 3D vision. Read more on the hardware and software you need to play 3D games...
3D Laptops - Revealing the leading 3d laptop models on the market. Examining the latest models with up to date reviews.
3D Monitors - Discover the best of the 3D capable monitors on the market.
3D TVs - Learn how 3D TV works, the latest advances in technology...and the 'why, what, where, and when' of buying your first 3D TV. Get valuable info on the major TV maufacturers - Toshiba, Samsung, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Sony, LG, Vizio, Philips, and Sharp - plus the upcoming and latest released models.
3D PCs - Revealing the background info on 3D capable PCs and the best of the 3D PC games available.
3D Glasses - Discover why 3D glasses are required to see good quality images in 3D, and get the lowdown on no glasses 3D technology.
3D Online Games
An introduction to online 3D games. Forget about consoles and TVs, play games in 3D direct in your browser.
What Types Of Games Can I Play In 3D? - The types of games currently waiting to be played on 3D vary in genre and by the technology employed in the hardware to play them. This article covers the types of 3D games, in easy to follow lists of boys games and girls games covering horror, adventure, RPG, racing, puzzles, sports, 3D skill games and many more.
How Are 3D Games Created
There are two basic ways to create 3D games - either by converting older games from 2D or 3D, or by building the games from scratch specifically to be played in 3D.
3D Game Forums - Find communities of like minded gamers with the comprehensive directory of valuable 3D games forum sites.
Games Consoles - For high quality 3D gaming, you can't beat the major consoles. Sony's PS3 and Microsoft's Xbox are already capable of delivering 3D games, though of course you'll need a suitable display and glasses. The Nintendo 3DS has a planned 2011 release date and initial reports suggest you won't need glasses to play. Read more about 3D Game Consoles...
Discover the parts that make up the 3D experience - Revealing what you need to enjoy the 3D gaming experience - a simple to follow introductory guide to the equipment you need to play 3D games - introduction to game consoles, 3D laptops, special 3D glasses, 3D TVs, 3D PCs, projectors, and other 3D gaming solutions such as Nvidia 3D vision. Read more on the hardware and software you need to play 3D games...
3D Laptops - Revealing the leading 3d laptop models on the market. Examining the latest models with up to date reviews.
3D Monitors - Discover the best of the 3D capable monitors on the market.
3D TVs - Learn how 3D TV works, the latest advances in technology...and the 'why, what, where, and when' of buying your first 3D TV. Get valuable info on the major TV maufacturers - Toshiba, Samsung, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Sony, LG, Vizio, Philips, and Sharp - plus the upcoming and latest released models.
3D PCs - Revealing the background info on 3D capable PCs and the best of the 3D PC games available.
3D Glasses - Discover why 3D glasses are required to see good quality images in 3D, and get the lowdown on no glasses 3D technology.
3D Online Games
An introduction to online 3D games. Forget about consoles and TVs, play games in 3D direct in your browser.
What Types Of Games Can I Play In 3D? - The types of games currently waiting to be played on 3D vary in genre and by the technology employed in the hardware to play them. This article covers the types of 3D games, in easy to follow lists of boys games and girls games covering horror, adventure, RPG, racing, puzzles, sports, 3D skill games and many more.
How Are 3D Games Created
There are two basic ways to create 3D games - either by converting older games from 2D or 3D, or by building the games from scratch specifically to be played in 3D.
3D Game Forums - Find communities of like minded gamers with the comprehensive directory of valuable 3D games forum sites.
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know...
About 3D....
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About 3D....
(Comprehensive 3D guide - opens in new browser window)
Introduction To 3D Games
It wouldn't be a far fetched guess to make that you're here to find out more about the recent hype over 3D in general, and developments in 3D games in particular. 3D Games are being offered as the expected catalyst for an explosion of public interest in 3D TV technology and other hardware, and once you've seen a high quality 3D movie such as Avatar it's easy to see why 3D could be the next great thing in games entertainment. All the evidence suggests that 3D entertainment is going to be huge.
If you're an experienced gamer, then it's likely you're in the reported one in four gamers who can't wait for 3D games to become widely available....and if you don't class yourself as a hardened gamer, then these new games might well be the fuel that sets you on the road. Throw in the explosive developments in Smart TV and it's easy to see how gaming can only be improved by the growth in high quality TV technologies.
In the introductory article which follows shortly I'm going to cover some of the basic history of 3D games, take a brief look at the possible future of 3D gaming, and review some of the benefits you'll get from the immersive experience that playing 3D games promises to deliver.
First I just want to give you the opportunity to jump via a quick link to our easy to read section that shows you exactly what you need to play 3D games, covering everything you need to know about the different hardware and software elements that go into delivering a high quality 3D gaming experience.
The section below of 3DGamesNet.com makes a start on explaining the different 3D games consoles, the new models of 3D laptops on the market, and why you'll need special 3D glasses. Plus we take a look at 3D TVs, PCs and projectors...and of course the games themselves.
Ultimately I'm hoping to develop 3DGamesNet.com into a valuable, authoritative resource (you can help me out with that by bookmarking or sharing this site). You can read a little more about me, and why my interest in 3D and 3D games has encouraged a lot of effort on building this site on the about us page of 3DGamesNet.com.
Now to the introduction article:
3D Games : Where Are We Now
You'd have to have been hibernating for all of 2010 to have missed the hype surrounding 3D technology in general, and more specifically the focus on 3D movies and TV. But ( and it's a biggish but because it's unclear if the initial successes of this 3D technology can be sustained) the most likely catayst for an explosion in consumer uptake is going to be 3D gaming.
The first ever 3D Gaming Summit was held in April of 2010 and as long as games are built from the ground up using this technology rather than rendering existing ones in 3D this is a huge potential market.
We may well be at the beginning of a major revolution in the way that we enjoy games and gaming.
PCs have been able to deliver a 3D game experience for the last few years to suitably compatible monitors and TVs, but it's only recently that the major games console manufacturers have been announcing capability. It's these manufacturers and their consoles - Sony Playstation 3, Nintendo 3DS, and Microsoft Xbox 3D - that will be leading the way for 3D games enthusiasts in 2011 and beyond.
The journey from 2D to 3D is a natural progression for video game development. 3D increases the feeling of immersion, which after all is one of the key attractions of gaming in general - to take you out of this world and into another where you're in control and slap bang in the middle of the action.
History of 3D Games
The multimedia industry has been trying to find a way to make a two-dimensional image appear in 3D since the 1920s. By comparison, our much loved video games are a relatively new form of entertainment, only entering homes in the 70s. The 3D style has made great strides in last 90 or so years regarding movies, but there's been some trouble adapting the technology to create sufficient quality 3D video games. Creating the necessary anaglyph images for a 3D video was incredibly difficult.
New innovations in the technology, however, have made it possible to combine the immersive quality of 3D with the fun of a home video game.
The first 3D games were introduced in conjunction with Nintendo's Virtual Boy console in 1995. The Virtual Boy was an eyeglasses-like projector capable of producing three-dimensional images by showing a single image of slightly differing perspective to each eye. The brain would then join these images together, creating the illusion of a single image that seems to jump of the screen.
Unfortunately, seeing different images in each eye causes a lot of strain, which often led to headaches in as little as 20 minutes of game play. This, combined with a small game library, proved to be the downfall of the first 3D console.
With the fall of the Virtual Boy, the video game industry wouldn't attempt to explore 3D gaming again until now.
The Future Of 3D Gaming Is Now
In the last couple of years, the desire for a 3D gaming experience has seen a resurgence, leading to a number of announcements about upcoming 3D gaming opportunities. The first such announcement was the Nintendo 3DS, a new portable 3D games system that produces 3D with much less strain on the eyes thanks to a new advancement in display technology; the parallax barrier. A parallax barrier is a thin polymer layer placed over an LCD screen which contains hundreds of tiny slits that filter different viewing angles to each eye. March 2011 sees the official sales release, and it's widely anticipated that Nintendo 3DS games could be the catalyst for an explosion of interest in 3D gaming.
Soon after, Sony announced the PlayStation 3 would soon be getting a 3D mode uplift as well. The PlayStation 3 will use LC shutter glasses to produce a 3D experience. This gaming mode flashes images of different perspectives in time with a display's refresh rate. The LC shutter glasses actively darken each lens in sync with the display, allowing only one image to enter each eye.
This isn't just about special effects jumping out of the screen. 3D games give a sense of depth to the images you're watching, building up complex layers in game scenery.
Consoles aren't the only way to play video games in 3D, either. Nvidia has recently developed a system for 3D PC gaming called Nvidia 3D Vision, and it's this that arguably started off the true 3D revolution. The system uses a combination of software, LC shutter glasses, and a high-end 120Hz CRT or LCD 3D monitor to create a 3D image. It may have taken a few decades, but three-dimensional gaming is finally becoming a serious entertainment option.
Benefits of 3D Games
An image that seems to leap off the screen, or the feeling for a gamer that he could reach into the screen, are far from the only benefit of 3D games.
Three-dimensional gaming can also give players a more vibrant, detailed game environment with a truly immersive experience, allowing players to feel more “in the game” than ever before. If 3D games were to be paired with motion-sensing controls, it could lead to whole new ways of gaming. Players could manipulate 3D environments with a wave of their hand. Game play and even player level creation could become far more intuitive than ever before. Should 3D games prove successful, it could open new and innovative gaming experiences to players.
Aside from the hands on benefits to game players, there are other less tangible benefits. Examples of these might be the prospect of 3d gaming becoming one of the saviours of the entertainment industry. Imagine a hugely successful future for 3D games, and how that spills over into an increase in 3D TV and other hardware sales, ultimately leading to further investment and increases in technological capability. Money makes the world go round, or so they say - and financial success in 3D games might enhance the financial position of cinemas, encourage even more releases of 3D movies, and spurred on growth of 3D content and networks.
It's almost a certainty that creative and inventive games will act to drive adoption rates in general of many 3D related technologies and equipment.
Additional 3D Games resources
I'm hoping you'll find anything you need know about 3D games here on this site, but there are of course many valuable websites which are great sources of information.
DMOZ is one of the internet's oldest and most trusted directory sites containing a wealth of info on good quality websites covering all subjects. Here's the link to their 3D games websites area.
Shockwave 3D is one of the leading online 3D games sites providing free games and multiplayer virtual worlds. All games listed are designed to be played in your Web browser.
DailyGames.com has a dedicated 3D games section which promises one of the biggest online collections including Snowball Adventure, Protect My Planet, Wall Wallker, and Tennis Star Cup.
Gamezone.com is a highly regarded games website that covers 3D gaming in a dedicated section of the site, with useful articles and reviews of most of the available 3D games.
Games.net is another hugely popular games website - with a wealth of 3D gaming info held in it's 3D games article archives.
More great sites to follow.
It wouldn't be a far fetched guess to make that you're here to find out more about the recent hype over 3D in general, and developments in 3D games in particular. 3D Games are being offered as the expected catalyst for an explosion of public interest in 3D TV technology and other hardware, and once you've seen a high quality 3D movie such as Avatar it's easy to see why 3D could be the next great thing in games entertainment. All the evidence suggests that 3D entertainment is going to be huge.
If you're an experienced gamer, then it's likely you're in the reported one in four gamers who can't wait for 3D games to become widely available....and if you don't class yourself as a hardened gamer, then these new games might well be the fuel that sets you on the road. Throw in the explosive developments in Smart TV and it's easy to see how gaming can only be improved by the growth in high quality TV technologies.
In the introductory article which follows shortly I'm going to cover some of the basic history of 3D games, take a brief look at the possible future of 3D gaming, and review some of the benefits you'll get from the immersive experience that playing 3D games promises to deliver.
First I just want to give you the opportunity to jump via a quick link to our easy to read section that shows you exactly what you need to play 3D games, covering everything you need to know about the different hardware and software elements that go into delivering a high quality 3D gaming experience.
The section below of 3DGamesNet.com makes a start on explaining the different 3D games consoles, the new models of 3D laptops on the market, and why you'll need special 3D glasses. Plus we take a look at 3D TVs, PCs and projectors...and of course the games themselves.
Ultimately I'm hoping to develop 3DGamesNet.com into a valuable, authoritative resource (you can help me out with that by bookmarking or sharing this site). You can read a little more about me, and why my interest in 3D and 3D games has encouraged a lot of effort on building this site on the about us page of 3DGamesNet.com.
Now to the introduction article:
3D Games : Where Are We Now
You'd have to have been hibernating for all of 2010 to have missed the hype surrounding 3D technology in general, and more specifically the focus on 3D movies and TV. But ( and it's a biggish but because it's unclear if the initial successes of this 3D technology can be sustained) the most likely catayst for an explosion in consumer uptake is going to be 3D gaming.
The first ever 3D Gaming Summit was held in April of 2010 and as long as games are built from the ground up using this technology rather than rendering existing ones in 3D this is a huge potential market.
We may well be at the beginning of a major revolution in the way that we enjoy games and gaming.
PCs have been able to deliver a 3D game experience for the last few years to suitably compatible monitors and TVs, but it's only recently that the major games console manufacturers have been announcing capability. It's these manufacturers and their consoles - Sony Playstation 3, Nintendo 3DS, and Microsoft Xbox 3D - that will be leading the way for 3D games enthusiasts in 2011 and beyond.
The journey from 2D to 3D is a natural progression for video game development. 3D increases the feeling of immersion, which after all is one of the key attractions of gaming in general - to take you out of this world and into another where you're in control and slap bang in the middle of the action.
History of 3D Games
The multimedia industry has been trying to find a way to make a two-dimensional image appear in 3D since the 1920s. By comparison, our much loved video games are a relatively new form of entertainment, only entering homes in the 70s. The 3D style has made great strides in last 90 or so years regarding movies, but there's been some trouble adapting the technology to create sufficient quality 3D video games. Creating the necessary anaglyph images for a 3D video was incredibly difficult.
New innovations in the technology, however, have made it possible to combine the immersive quality of 3D with the fun of a home video game.
The first 3D games were introduced in conjunction with Nintendo's Virtual Boy console in 1995. The Virtual Boy was an eyeglasses-like projector capable of producing three-dimensional images by showing a single image of slightly differing perspective to each eye. The brain would then join these images together, creating the illusion of a single image that seems to jump of the screen.
Unfortunately, seeing different images in each eye causes a lot of strain, which often led to headaches in as little as 20 minutes of game play. This, combined with a small game library, proved to be the downfall of the first 3D console.
With the fall of the Virtual Boy, the video game industry wouldn't attempt to explore 3D gaming again until now.
The Future Of 3D Gaming Is Now
In the last couple of years, the desire for a 3D gaming experience has seen a resurgence, leading to a number of announcements about upcoming 3D gaming opportunities. The first such announcement was the Nintendo 3DS, a new portable 3D games system that produces 3D with much less strain on the eyes thanks to a new advancement in display technology; the parallax barrier. A parallax barrier is a thin polymer layer placed over an LCD screen which contains hundreds of tiny slits that filter different viewing angles to each eye. March 2011 sees the official sales release, and it's widely anticipated that Nintendo 3DS games could be the catalyst for an explosion of interest in 3D gaming.
Soon after, Sony announced the PlayStation 3 would soon be getting a 3D mode uplift as well. The PlayStation 3 will use LC shutter glasses to produce a 3D experience. This gaming mode flashes images of different perspectives in time with a display's refresh rate. The LC shutter glasses actively darken each lens in sync with the display, allowing only one image to enter each eye.
This isn't just about special effects jumping out of the screen. 3D games give a sense of depth to the images you're watching, building up complex layers in game scenery.
Consoles aren't the only way to play video games in 3D, either. Nvidia has recently developed a system for 3D PC gaming called Nvidia 3D Vision, and it's this that arguably started off the true 3D revolution. The system uses a combination of software, LC shutter glasses, and a high-end 120Hz CRT or LCD 3D monitor to create a 3D image. It may have taken a few decades, but three-dimensional gaming is finally becoming a serious entertainment option.
Benefits of 3D Games
An image that seems to leap off the screen, or the feeling for a gamer that he could reach into the screen, are far from the only benefit of 3D games.
Three-dimensional gaming can also give players a more vibrant, detailed game environment with a truly immersive experience, allowing players to feel more “in the game” than ever before. If 3D games were to be paired with motion-sensing controls, it could lead to whole new ways of gaming. Players could manipulate 3D environments with a wave of their hand. Game play and even player level creation could become far more intuitive than ever before. Should 3D games prove successful, it could open new and innovative gaming experiences to players.
Aside from the hands on benefits to game players, there are other less tangible benefits. Examples of these might be the prospect of 3d gaming becoming one of the saviours of the entertainment industry. Imagine a hugely successful future for 3D games, and how that spills over into an increase in 3D TV and other hardware sales, ultimately leading to further investment and increases in technological capability. Money makes the world go round, or so they say - and financial success in 3D games might enhance the financial position of cinemas, encourage even more releases of 3D movies, and spurred on growth of 3D content and networks.
It's almost a certainty that creative and inventive games will act to drive adoption rates in general of many 3D related technologies and equipment.
Additional 3D Games resources
I'm hoping you'll find anything you need know about 3D games here on this site, but there are of course many valuable websites which are great sources of information.
DMOZ is one of the internet's oldest and most trusted directory sites containing a wealth of info on good quality websites covering all subjects. Here's the link to their 3D games websites area.
Shockwave 3D is one of the leading online 3D games sites providing free games and multiplayer virtual worlds. All games listed are designed to be played in your Web browser.
DailyGames.com has a dedicated 3D games section which promises one of the biggest online collections including Snowball Adventure, Protect My Planet, Wall Wallker, and Tennis Star Cup.
Gamezone.com is a highly regarded games website that covers 3D gaming in a dedicated section of the site, with useful articles and reviews of most of the available 3D games.
Games.net is another hugely popular games website - with a wealth of 3D gaming info held in it's 3D games article archives.
More great sites to follow.
Revealing 3D game consoles, new models of 3D laptops on the market, and why you'll need special 3D glasses to play games or watch movies on 3D DVD.
Take an introductory look at 3D TVs, 3D PCs, projectors, and other 3D gaming solutions such as Nvidia 3D vision...plus comprehensive detail on released games. Read more on 3D TV models at 3DTVGuide.org, or get info on breakthrough 3D HMD (Head Mounted Display) developments.
Take an introductory look at 3D TVs, 3D PCs, projectors, and other 3D gaming solutions such as Nvidia 3D vision...plus comprehensive detail on released games. Read more on 3D TV models at 3DTVGuide.org, or get info on breakthrough 3D HMD (Head Mounted Display) developments.
Start The 'Easy To Follow' 3D Gaming Tour...
Discover what you'll need to play games in 3D - an easy to read guide to 3D gaming hardware and software.
Discover what you'll need to play games in 3D - an easy to read guide to 3D gaming hardware and software.
3D Games - New Games & Breaking News
June 2011 - Sony Break New Ground With The Playstation 3D TV
Sony have announced the autumn 2011 arrival of their brand new Playstation 3D TV model. The 24 inch display features technology that will allow two gamers to play side by side and both see individual, different 3D images on screen. If this sounds great to you, the playstation 3D TV pre order details are on website 3DTVGuide.org.
Jan 2011 MotorStorm Apocalypse -
Sony have announced the PS3 3D release date of MotorStorm Apocalypse as March 16th for general Europe, March 18 in the UK, April 12th for the US.
June 2011 - Sony Break New Ground With The Playstation 3D TV
Sony have announced the autumn 2011 arrival of their brand new Playstation 3D TV model. The 24 inch display features technology that will allow two gamers to play side by side and both see individual, different 3D images on screen. If this sounds great to you, the playstation 3D TV pre order details are on website 3DTVGuide.org.
Jan 2011 MotorStorm Apocalypse -
Sony have announced the PS3 3D release date of MotorStorm Apocalypse as March 16th for general Europe, March 18 in the UK, April 12th for the US.