3-D Video Gaming Becomes a Reality

With movie and television companies hitting more on the 3-D world, gaming companies are jumping into the mix. In the past few years there have been more 3-D movies, like UP, Avatar, and Alice in Wonderland, more have been released on Blu-Ray. Samsung and Panasonic are selling TV's with 3-D.

So what does this have to do with gaming companies and 3-D? Quite a bit. Since games are made with 3-D technology, allowing players to play in a 3-D mode can enhance their playing experience with such games as "World of Warcraft," which released a new download for their game this week, the "Celestial Steed."

In "World of Warcraft's" interest, seeing the see-thru steed in 3-D would add to the downloaders of this pet a better way to see it and other fantasy items come more to life. While this could be a positive thing for fantasy game players, the extra gear and costs may too expensive for gamers with the economy and jobs not having bounced back as fast as many would have liked it to have.

As we know, watching movies in 3-D, you need those special glasses to watch. Many find the 3-D glasses annoying when watching movies or other shows on television in 3-D.

Gamers are going to need a not only a pair of 3-D glasses, they are going to need a computer and graphics card that can handle the 3-D games. They will also need a monitor that can display 3-D. For avid gamers who want to play games on their computer may see costly upgrades to get in on the action.

What does this mean for gaming consoles and televisions? As mentioned earlier, there are manufacturers who are already producing TVs with 3-D capabilities. As for manufacturers of gaming consoles, they are plan to step up to the plate for this new addition to the gaming world.

Sony and Nintendo have plans to go 3-D. Playstation 3 consoles are being updated this week with the new gaming features for 3-D playing. This means any new consoles bought before the release of the ones in progress now will need to be replaced if gamers want to go 3-D.

Nintendo plans to release a handheld DS that won't require the 3-D glasses later in the year. The same theory could apply for handheld DS gamers as it does for Playstation 3 console owners.

It looks like in the end, gamers who want to go 3-D have new toys to add to their Christmas and birthday wish lists. This doesn't include any games that will be released later that may be revised for 3-D gaming for either company.

Sources

Derrik J. Lang; 3-D video gaming aspires to become spectacle; Businessweek.com

Paul Tassi; Blizzard Makes $500,000 an Hour with a Few Bits of Code; AssociatedContent.com