Wow, back to another term of classes, assignments and exams. I hope everyone has had a good first two weeks back – and gotten in some gaming before the work starts piling up. For this article I’m going to be talking about new technology coming to movies and video games, as well as some other interesting gaming tech that could be around the corner.
3D movies have exploded in the last two years, with lots of computer generated (CG) and a few live action movies getting the 3D treatment for the big screen. But now there is 3D for the small screen as well. Many of the big TV companies have released their own 3D TVs, with common prices in the $3000-$4000 range. The most incredible pricing is for the glasses required to view the image properly, a pair of glasses costs around $500 – bundled with Monsters Vs. Aliens, one of the two 3D movies currently available. Obviously 3D TV has a long way to go before it can become a real contender in the TV market, lowering prices and increasing the number of movies available for 3D viewing. As for converting older movies to 3D, the technology is there, if not the desire. Many studios have expressed their intention to make their new movies in 3D, rather than spending resources on old movies. Of course CG movies like the Disney/Pixar movies are good examples of existing movies that could be re-released in 3D with less effort than a live action. For live action movies the existing film must be processed to create an artificial left and right view, where as the original CG material could be re-rendered maintaining the 3D fidelity instead of creating a standard 2D image. Already some CG movies have been re-released in 3D; Toy Story and Toy Story 2 were re-released in theaters in 3D for a short time to promote Toy Story 3 (yay).
Now I know all this talk about 3D TVs isn’t directly related to gaming, but it could be. While the Sony PS3 will be getting firmware upgrades in the near future to enable the playback of 3D movies, none of the other systems have this capability looming on the horizon. After the death of HD-DVD rumours started of a Blu-ray player for the Xbox 360, but these have been continually shot down by Microsoft. If Microsoft wants to extend the lifespan of the Xbox 360 they are going to have to keep up with the growing size of games. I personally am going to be annoyed if I have to keep swapping between five DVDs while the same game is available on one Blu-ray on PS3. OK, getting off topic. Video game creators are also interested in the potential integration of 3D into video games. Having that monster really jump out at you would be incredible, totally immersing you in the game world. Of course this would mean a much larger game – as with existing games the entire world must be rendered and detailed from every angle, not just the angle shown in a movie. Whether this technology will overload the capacity of Blu-ray has yet to be determined.
I mentioned some interesting technology of the future, but first we have to go to the past. Remember the movie Minority Report, with Tom Cruise? It was a sci-fi movie set in the future where murder has been entirely eradicated thanks to the premonitions of three people. Knowing that somebody is going to commit murder allows the ‘pre-crime’ unit to arrest the person as well as saving the victim’s life. In the movie, the premonitions are viewed on an interactive computer interface, projected onto a glass surface and manipulated using a language of hand gestures. In the years since this movie came out there has been talk about how that technology would be the next step in computers – entirely replacing the mouse. Well, it turns out the tech in the movie wasn’t imaginary, it was based on designs and prototypes by John Underkoffler, who has been working on actually building that kind of control system.
Imagine that system working on a computer or gaming system, the most obvious medium to utilize that comes to my mind is the Microsoft Project Natal system. Using the same kind of gesture controls looks like it could be a reality in the near future.
Now, to some news. PS3 owners are probably aware that firmware upgrades are rendering the support of the Linux operating system a thing of the past. While regular consumers have mixed reactions, some saying “Who cares?” and others even launching class-actions lawsuits against Sony, it seems the military is the most worried. The US Navy runs a supercomputer consisting of a few thousand PS3s linked together – running Linux. While the machines are not connected on-line and therefore will not be forced to update, there is always the potential for a failure, especially when you have a few thousand PS3s in a single room spaced a few inches apart. Any new system, purchased to replace a broken one would be incapable of running Linux, and therefore useless for the super computer.
On our own campus, a new gaming club has started up. The EngSoc Video Game League is going to be run as a casual place to discuss gaming and compete in your favourite games. Join the facebook group “EngSoc Video Game League” and put down the games you want to play. Possibilities include leader board competitions, inter-class/year competitions; start your own team in your favourite game, system link as well as hand-held gaming. This club is still in the formative stages, so voice your opinions and let’s see what happens.
Until next time, Keep on Gaming.
Car DVD Players
3D TV has a long way to go before it can become a real contender in the TV market.