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3D Gaming (As in screens, not graphics)
So it seems that we’re finally getting caught up with the HD craze. Gone are the days where high resolution games were pigeon-holed to the PC market and its only getting better. The next step? Making the images actually pop out at you!
At PAX East a few weeks back I got to see some amazing displays and demonstrations from NVidia and ATI and both technologies have their pros and cons.
NVidia goes the route of providing 3D imaging via expensive glasses which work with your already existing display (as long as your TV works at 120+Hz). ATI seems to be working on the already existing cheap glasses you get when you go to the movie theater but expect you to get a television that can display these special images. NVidia seemed to have a better quality experience but overall they had a better setup at PAX to begin with. To say that the quality was better on one over the other at the moment is simply splitting hairs (especially considering that both technologies are still in their infancy).
Either way, it is definitely the way to go for us gamers. Left 4 Dead 2 was not only better to play (as the enemies turned from a glob of zombies to fire at to individual assailants) but certainly easier. The sense of speed in racing games was definitely brought to a new level to the point where I actually feel like I would want to play that genre more often. A subtle observation though, making grass and other subtle world effects (such as trees,bushes or even pedestrians, etc) have a much more severe impact when these items are brought to life by 3D.
Here’s the bad part though…
Firstly, you’ll have to wear those goofy ass glasses. Secondly, I don’t want to buy another freakin’ television and I don’t think most consumers are ready to start trading in their fresh LCD’s yet either. Then again, I don’t think this technology will hit the gaming mainstream (consoles essentially) for at least another 3 years anyway…
Oh, and just so I can say that I said it first, if we can make those cheap glasses that you get at the movies in a contact form that doesn’t mess with your regular vision then there’s a CHANCE that ATI can bring it’s technology over NVidia’s more cumbersome super-glasses setup.
tags / 3d gaming / ati / nvidia
