250°

Exposing 3D and Kinect

StellarFlux Writes "I went to the Eurogamer Expo this weekend, for two main reasons. Firstly, I wanted to judge the 3D of Killzone 3 and Gran Turismo 5 for myself. I don't think I'll be able to afford a 3D TV anytime soon, so I wanted to see whether the hype was worth it and it truly was. The moment when I (accidentally) switched to the in-car view on Gran Turismo 5 was a real 'woah...!' moment for my friend and I (the exact moment is captured on camera to the right)".

4945d ago
Chaostar4945d ago

There is truly something great about 3D and games. The two technologies fit together so well and add a depth, which not only looks amazing, but actually helps you to judge distance in game.

3D TVs are already starting to drop in price and the plasma ones are in a average consumer friendly zone right now, 50" for < £1000 @ Currys. If you still just think it's a gimmick then by all means pass as 3D is an option but for the people that are willing to give it a go it can add a sense of immersion in great gaming moments that nothing else can achieve yet.

I've said all I need to about Kinect today so I won't comment further here.

USEYOURFIST4945d ago

i agree and after having a couple of instore demos of 3dtv with vids of 3d games playing i can say im sold. just gutted i have to wait till after xmas untill i can get one

Chaostar4945d ago (Edited 4945d ago )

Yeah but on the plus side they might be included in some January sales ;P also there should be a lot more content by then, not to mention Killzone 3 right round the corner.

@slugboss so you aren't going to enjoy any new gaming experiences until holodecks are invented in stardate 12345.69? Also why bring up motion gaming? Tumble is the only game I can think of that currently uses motion plus 3D together and it's a brilliant experience.

rockleex4945d ago

As each manufacturer gets their TV's refresh rates up, it will naturally allow them to do 3D... so why WOULDN'T they if their TV's capable of doing it?

Within the next five years, you won't be able to find any HDTV that are non-3D at any store you go to.

Heck, you can't even find SDTVs anymore.

multipayer4945d ago

3D and Motion gaming go together, because they have nowhere near reached full potential and are currently rubbish in my honest opinion. I'd wait for the holodeck on star trek...

ReBurn4945d ago

Your sarcasm is quite funny, but you make a good point. I'm starting to realize the potential that 3D and motion control have when paired together. Each technology on its own will probably see a lot of gimmicky applications. But to pair them and to use your body in a 3D space to interact with a virtual world could be a phenomenal experience, like a sort of virtual reality.

LightofDarkness4945d ago

I have to disagree, after demoing GT5 and a few other titles, 3D just isn't that great. It's not a game changer, a must-have or a awe-inspiring marvel of modern technology. It's cool, and an overall enjoyable effect, but nowhere near the level that some people seem to be hyping it up to be.

It is, for now at least, truly a gimmick. And one clearly designed so that you'll buy your expensive HDTV all over again. Perhaps some others will enjoy it more, I don't know, but this is not for me. Not yet.

Ps_alm3k4945d ago

but the same can be said for SD, HD, and from black and white to color tv.
It's just the price that keep it from going mainstream standard.
Everything is a gimmick until you have money to purchase it.

seinfan4945d ago (Edited 4945d ago )

@psalm

HD got better. Color did as well. It's not simply the price tag that's deterring consumers, but it's one of the reasons why.

The reason why it's a gimmick is because the technology is in its infancy and companies are milking it.

wsoutlaw874945d ago

just because you dont like a feature doesnt make it a gimmick

thorstein4945d ago

One way or the other. Let it go. Sony nor Microsoft are going to reward you guys with free games/ passes/ DLC or systems.

Give it a rest.

raztad4945d ago

What are you talking about?

On topic: So judging by that "whoa" moment, 3D GT5 really impressed those guys. The big gaming press love to downplay PS3 3D offerings but I have seen previews from regular gamers that seem to be honestly impressed. I think I have to give it a try by myself.

acky14945d ago

At least kinect seems to be functioning properly. Would be ridiculous if some of the problems we've heard in the past weren't ironed out before release.

Biggest problem I have with kinect is the pricing (along with the limits of the games)...way, way too expensive for a controller. Has to be well under a £100 for it to be a sound purchase.

King-Leonidas4945d ago

hahaha It's not a controller, it's a gadget/acessory

acky14945d ago

...used to control games (i.e. a controller).

King-Leonidas4945d ago

but there's the funny thing about Kinect- You dont control...

vhero4945d ago

erm did you read it?
"So I think my impressions were that the tech works, but the games - Adventures, Joy Ride and Sports were the ones that I tried - were poor at best. We only tried the river rafting on Adventures, which just didn't work. Our Avatars seemed to be leaning and jumping within reasonable time but the raft itself didn't turn or jump as you would expect, or even hope it would do. "

They seem to really dislike Kinect for even the Kinect games and would prefer a real controller..

acky14945d ago

yep i read it.

They didn't like the games which is subjective but the tech was working which is fact. Was just pointing that out so it might get less stick for being a broken device (as I was quick to judge from the articles we saw and past experience with microsoft).

I still don't think the games will ever be any good without those crazy new 'button' things being developed right now though.

BrutallyBlunt4945d ago (Edited 4945d ago )

"Despite the dimly-lit environment, the crowd of people queuing behind the players, and me changing from black jumper to bright blue T-shirt halfway through (yes, I worked up a sweat) the camera had no problem distinguishing between the two players and the noisy background. I'm pretty sure we were closer than six feet to the TV as well.

I think that all the bad press about Kinect so far is unjustified."

There you have it. Someone who actually tried it and one who is trying to dispel all of those rumor junkies on the internet who would love nothing more than for this product to fail.

shadyiswin4945d ago

Like I said before the rumors only help, cause once proven not true people start to wonder what else isn't true about it. It actually works, if it didn't they wouldn't release it.

mantisimo4945d ago (Edited 4945d ago )

"There you have it. Someone who actually tried it and one who is trying to dispel all of those rumor junkies on the internet who would love nothing more than for this product to fail".

I was also there playing all these games and a rumour monger I am not.
Kinect as he said works, but only in the way eyetoy did.

Old tech rehashed and the promises are NOT fulfilled.

When You have actually tried these tedious mini games then come back and tell me I'm wrong ( I'm very open to being proved wrong)

Move was pretty similar the games are shovelware some enjoyable for a while others not so. But at the least the tech works and with "buttons" then the "shooters/hardcore" option is at least there.

I am not dissing a product because of fanboyism, rather that I do not want people to waste their money as early adopters of something no one will enjoy for more than a few days.

BrutallyBlunt4945d ago

How am i able to prove you wrong when
a) i haven't tried it
b) it's not out yet?

Now let's talk about what is available, the Move. I not only tried it i bought it. Do you not remember some of the fear mongering surrounding that device too pre-launch like lighting conditions and calibration issues? Needless to say i have used it at night with hardly any lighting to no lighting. The Eye camera does not display properly but it still tracks without a hitch. It is after all old technology as you put it. The image is still grainy with good lighting but the Move controller is very accurate. I have also used it less than 6 feet and more than 10 feet from my HDTV. Not in the prime area it suggests all the time.

Yes, the Move software so far has been, shall we say, lackluster? It does work though and the software will only get better.

Now back to Kinect, Your Shape looks promising as does Dance Central. Sure those games may not be to your liking but that doesn't mean Kinect doesn't work. It just means the launch line-up caters to a different demographic. Which as i said, makes sense for Microsoft right now. This is how you sell your product to the masses, by attracting the casual consumer, not by catering to your existing userbase. Adding Move support to games like Heavy Rain and M.A.G. don't necessarily sell you more hardware, it just splits up the existing community.

So as Kinect gains more popularity developers will take more risks. Right now they are focused on body tracking even though Kinect can do a lot more. So of course the early games will be rather simple gestures but as time goes on i expect programmers to exploit it's capabilities a lot more.

As for calling Kinect old hardware i don't know of too many games that have the ability to go into split-screen as soon as another person steps into view and recognizes who you are. I also don't know of too many game consoles that allow you to interact with video playback through your voice. Or any device that tracks this many parts of the human body. Take Gladiator Duel for example on Sports Champions. What exactly is it tracking aside where the Move controller is located? Does it track you while you play or just your sword and shield? What about that fighting game Lights Out or that fighting game that shows you? Isn't it in 2D, not 3D? Why is that, is it because the Eye camera can only track in 2D?

"I do not want people to waste their money as early adopters of something no one will enjoy for more than a few days."

And who are you to tell anyone what to buy? Hundreds of thousands of people buy Wii's every month, do you tell them not to buy one as well? Get over yourself, you have no idea what people want.

shadow27974945d ago

"Adding Move support to games like Heavy Rain and M.A.G. don't necessarily sell you more hardware, it just splits up the existing community. "

I hate to be technical, but the Move controller(s) and the Kinect camera are hardware. So adding Move support to hardcore games does sell hardware, just not consoles. It also helps sell the games (Move owners will want something to play). I don't see how Sony wouldn't be happy with that.

While market share is important to these companies, in the end, they're in the business to make money. Existing consumers or new consumers, money is money. And if the hardcore like it, they'll tell they're less core friends and it will spread.

Just my .02

vhero4945d ago

Yeah but now they finally got the Kinect working to a workable degree of accuracy the games seem to blow chunks.

Show all comments (34)
230°

20 Years of Guerrilla: The Story of a PlayStation Studio

The Amsterdam-based studio reflects on its humble beginnings, beloved franchises, and growth through the years.

Read Full Story >>
blog.playstation.com
SullysCigar351d ago

Up there with the top tier in the industry. Love Guerrilla Games - Horizon Burning Shores is simply STUNNING.

1Victor351d ago

Can’t wait for their next franchise

SullysCigar351d ago

Same. They nailed it with Horizon. The trouble is I also want a new Killzone! Can't I just have it all?!

jznrpg351d ago

I’m with you I want Horizon 3 , Killzone and new IPs

badz149351d ago

I have yet to play Burning Shores as I just started Forbidden West (bought at launch, just unwrapped last weekend LOL) and playing on PS5.

man...I still can't believe the graphics especially now I'm playing it on my LG OLED. that graphics and with stable performance backing it up, GG really is the master of their craft!

Vengeance1138351d ago

32.7M sales in the Horizon franchise! With 8.4M coming from Forbidden West alone! Truly a hugely successful game and franchise as a whole. Looking forward to Horizon III

Shane Kim351d ago

That's kind of a huge drop though. It's only been two games.

VersusDMC351d ago

One year after realease HZD sold 7.6 million.

https://www.noobfeed.com/ne...

So not a drop off.

Unless you're saying a HFW should have sold as much now as HZD sold in 5 years?

Vengeance1138351d ago

It's been 3 games, this includes Call of the Mountain. Also no, its a great improvement over HZD.

solideagle351d ago

lol you are comparing:

HZD: 28 February 2017 - May 2023 (6 years+)

HFW: 18 February 2022 - May 2023 (1 year+)

We will see if it surpass original number.

Phoenix76351d ago

@shane, 2 full main games, 2 DLC add ons, 1 VR spin off game, oh and a an official LEGO set.
Not too bad for an ip that's only been on market for 6 years

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 351d ago
REDGUM351d ago

Wow, very impressive. I didn't know the numbers were so high for Forbidden West. Still playing through it myself

thesoftware730351d ago (Edited 351d ago )

Yooo, when I first saw that Killzone 1 footage at E3, my friends my brothers and I were like, Holy shit! When it came out, it didn't look exactly like it, but we sunk so many hours into 1 & 2.

I even liked Killzone: SF, it was a spectacle to look at, and even today it looks good. I hope they make a new one. Can you imagine how that will look, and they can get some modern FPS pointers from Bungie.

blacktiger351d ago

thank you fps lover, I'm with you

talocaca351d ago

Such a wonderful studio. They deserve all their success.

The Decima Engine is absolute 🔥 I'm just mad they have abandoned Killzone.

OzzY-waZZy351d ago (Edited 351d ago )

Kinda wish they move on from Horizon tbh.

potatoseal351d ago

They are probably working on mutiple projects. One of them is Horizon 3, but another is a multiplaer game and probably somehting else.

Imalwaysright351d ago

There were rumours that they were working on a Socom reboot.

Show all comments (47)
90°

PlayStation 3: chasing the 1080p dream, part three - Gran Turismo 5 and the indie explosion

From Digital Foundry: "Welcome to the third part in the biggest DF Retro episode we've ever produced - a year-by-year look at how 1080p gaming fared on the PlayStation 3. Launched in 2007 touting its then-exclusive HDMI digital interface, Sony layered full HD gaming on top of its Cell processor and RSX 'Reality Synthesizer' as key selling points for its third generation console. Of course, we all know how that turned out - both Sony and Microsoft machines routinely ran the most advanced titles at sub-720p resolutions, often with questionable performance, so what happened to the 1080p dream?

In the first two parts of John Linneman's investigation, we've covered off the first four years of the Triple's lifecycle and moving into 2010, the overall fortunes of the PlayStation 3 continued to improve. The platform holder released - what was then - the most advanced motion controller in the console space, backed up by experiments with stereoscopic 3D, which turned out to be a short-lived but still formidable pairing. Combined with a strong E3 showing, PS3 was looking good.

However, it's fair to say that it was a fallow year for 1080p gaming on the system, with only Scott Pilgrim Saves The World's razor-sharp pixel art upscaling, Castle Crashers and Soldner X2's 3D/FMV stylings accommodating full HD output - alongside a wonderful Monkey Island remaster."

Read Full Story >>
eurogamer.net
ApocalypseShadow639d ago (Edited 639d ago )

Just remember ladies and gentlemen, Sony never said all games would be 1080p. Only that the system would support games up to 1080p in a survey before the system was released.
https://spong.com/article/9...
And as we saw, some games did support it, some games tried their best to support it and some games didn't or never reached it.

Is a higher resolution great to have if you can do it? Sure. Is it necessary for a fun game? No

But what I find interesting is Eurogamer. Are they really talking about HD and PS3 in their article or are they really pushing their 4.50 Euros 4K video download subscription? Seems one is being used to sell the other. Just look at the bottom of the article.

Michiel1989639d ago

thats what every company tries to do, push for people to buy their products. Are you really gonna blame them for that?

ApocalypseShadow639d ago

Not all articles are about selling. They're about informing or entertaining.

Maybe I'm supposed to watch the video instead of reading. But I shouldn't have to click. But the article lazily tells us some games did hit 1080p and some didn't. I didn't learn anything new as I own the console. Then, they push a Patreon subscription.

Are you saying every opinion, preview, review and rant article requires a push to buy something now? Tell me which sites are prone to do so so that I can avoid them in the future.

Michiel1989639d ago

not everyone played during the ps3 era. I started during snes era but loved seeing articles/videos about how gaming evolved before that.

i dont think this article is trying to push you to get that patreon sub, it doesnt for me at least. I dont think theres anything wrong putting an ad at the bottom of the article. all the regular DF videos are free already.

SonyStyled639d ago

Wipeout HD on PS3, a remake of the PS1 game was 1080p 60fps. And that released in 2007-08

Christopher639d ago

This really feels like a filler article. I don't feel like I learned anything notable or substantial from this. I feel they could have reduced the unnecessary intro and over-explanation of things and put the whole series in one article for a more substantial and possibly informative piece rather than piece-mealing it out as they have.

dumahim639d ago

It's more about the video. DF Retro videos are for Patreon members first, and I think the whole thing was one big video. For the youtube channel, it gets chopped up and released weekly.

ApocalypseShadow639d ago

Chris is actually right on this one. Something known already was just kind of washed over in the article. Unless you're supposed to get more in the video. If more is in the video, then more could have been said in the article.

Only thing I learned new was that they are selling a subscription. My point though is that you gain more viewers by having better articles and content.

636d ago
20°

Joy Ride Turbo - The Beginning of the End for Xbox Kinect

Joy Ride Turbo launched 10 years ago today. The first title was Xbox Kinect exclusive, yet this sequel failed to support the device at all.