Archive for the ‘3D’ Category
Mortal Kombat Demo 3D Hands-On: What You’ll Get On Tuesday
Posted by Sid Shuman in 3D, Demos, mortal kombat, netherrealm studios, PlayStation Games, playstation plus, PS3, PSN on March 4th, 2011
Sometimes, life is about the simple pleasures. The contented cooing of a sleepy puppy. The smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls. The sickening crunch of Scorpion stomping your rib cage while an X-ray view displays the internal damage in real time. In 3D.
Yes, friends. I have played the Mortal Kombat PSN demo, and it is good. Comprised of four characters and two stages, the demo is a meaty preview of what to expect when the full game hits PS3 on April 19th (April 21st in the EU). PlayStation Plus subscribers are getting early access this coming Tuesday, March 8th (March 9th in the EU) and it’ll be delivered directly to your PS3 as long as you enable Automatic Downloads in your XMB settings. All other PSN users will be able to download the demo on Tuesday, March 15th.
The demo comes with four playable fighters: Johnny Cage, Mileena, Scorpion, and Sub-Zero. Fan-favorite Scorpion is nastier than ever, packing his trademark throwing spear (“Get over here!”) and a wicked new sword, while rival ninja Sub-Zero forges weapons from ice and shatters internal organs with a touch. Hollywood prima donna Johnny Cage hits below the belt, and sai-wielding mutant assassin Mileena makes no effort to hide her gleaming five-inch fangs. You’ll also get two environments: The Living Forest and The Pit, complete with its gruesome stage fatality.
Mortal Kombat’s stereoscopic 3D viewing mode is exclusive to the PS3, and I was lucky enough to try it on a massive 60’’ 3D Sony Bravia. Stereoscopic 3D lends an impressive sense of grandeur and scope — the environments seem to stretch on into infinity but don’t distract from the fighting. “We didn’t want 3D to change the basic mechanics or complicate things needlessly,” Mortal Kombat creative director and series co-creator Ed Boon told me. “Our 3D implementation makes the characters pop from the background a little more, and helps you focus on them.” By rendering the fighters in 2D for its stereoscopic 3D mode, Mortal Kombat’s action remains visible even if you’re not wearing 3D glasses. This is a handy detail if you’re playing with a group on a 3D TV and find yourself short of 3D glasses — everyone will be able to play and watch whether they wear 3D glasses or not. If you’re not wearing glasses, the 3D backgrounds will look a bit blurry but the characters will appear crisp and clean.
Gameplay-wise, the Mortal Kombat demo is loaded with special attacks, combos, juggles, and ultra-powerful X-ray attacks that will leave your opponents reeling (and your stomach heaving). The action is fast and satisfying, with a 2D, side-scrolling feel that’s much closer in spirit to MKII or MK3. A standout example lies in the glorious return of the turn-around kick, which is a powerful juggle combo starter where you jump over an opponent and kick after you clear his shoulder. Judging by my hands-on time, turn-around kicks — a staple of the classic games but downplayed in later entries — are back in full force. According to Boon, this is by design. “We know turn-around kicks are an essential ingredient this time,” Boon told me. With a little practice, I was able to easily perform my signature Scorpion combo from Mortal Kombat II: Turn-around jump kick, teleport punch, spear throw followed by an uppercut or combo for an easy 25-30% damage. Not bad, but I’m sure some of you can do much better!
The Mortal Kombat demo supports two modes: One-on-one Versus battles (the final game supports two-on-two tag battles as well), and a short single-player Ladder mode. Protip: Completing that Ladder mode in the PSN demo unlocks a jaw-dropping video montage of the final game, complete with glimpses of new fatalities, returning characters, and impressive new stages. I won’t spill any secrets, but consider that video to be required viewing.
Oh, and one more thing: The “Toasty” guy is back. I’ve seen him! Have any questions about the features or feel of the upcoming PS3 Mortal Kombat demo? I’ll be delighted to provide further information, just ask away in the comments.
Exclusive 3D Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Video – Available Today
Posted by Eric Lempel in 3D, PlayStation Network, PSN, sports illustrated on February 15th, 2011
As the folks over at Sports Illustrated previously announced, their iconic swimsuit models are available to make an appearance in your living room today—in 3D—when the exclusive video hits the PlayStation Store. The “Swimsuit in 3D” video, which is also available for rental and purchase in 2D format, features the swimsuit models on-location at their 2011 shoots for the popular edition of the magazine.
In addition to the behind-the-scenes 3D video, we’re also excited to bring you more than 12 hours of Swimsuit video content, including the official hour-long “Making of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2011” video, four videos focusing on this year’s shoot locations, and “Making of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit” videos from the last decade. Also coming to the PlayStation Store are the exclusive dynamic themes featuring SI Swimsuit models.
The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit videos, along with a free three-minute preview of the “Swimsuit in 3D” video, are available now in the video section of the PlayStation Store as well as on Video On Demand powered by Qriocity for Sony’s 3D compatible and network-enabled 2010 and 2011 BRAVIA HDTVs and 2011 Blu-ray Disc players.
Photo is of Julie Henderson from the 2010 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue (credit: Raphael Mazzucco/Sports Illustrated).
MotorStorm Apocalypse 3D Trailer Live on PSN, Watch it in 2D Now
Posted by Matt Southern in 3D, evolution studios, motorstorm apocalypse, PlayStation Games, PS3 on January 26th, 2011
Yesterday I paid one of my irregular visits to our research technicians in the building they share with our embedded testers and sound engineers. Once again they blew my mind with their staggering glimpses of tomorrow’s world. Videos of Sony prototypes such as the head-mounted display and the volumetric display cylinder show how exciting the exponential growth of technology for games really is. The Holodeck is closer than any of us could imagine!
About 5 years ago, at the same time MotorStorm was in pre-production, I shared a studio space with these guys, and they were adamant that stereoscopic 3D gaming was going to be far more compelling than 3D movies. To prove it, they built a 3D simulation of our local race track…and stunned us all. Politicians, senior execs and pro race drivers all secretly visited to see what the modest geniuses we hired from British Aerospace Engineering had achieved.
The culmination of that work can be seen in MotorStorm Apocalypse. It is now regularly described as the best example of stereoscopic 3D gaming you can get, so all that research and development looks like it was well worth it. Hopefully most of you will at least get to see the 3D, but even more than that I hope you get to play it. The video above is one we’ve made to showcase the tech on for the PlayStation.Blog, but the 3D version is now available for download from the PlayStation Store.
It’s so cool to see a ‘blue sky’ technology grow into a real game in this way. Maybe in a few years I’ll be back here with a video of something I saw yesterday, but till then, the 3D revolution will suffice! ;)
VUDU Update Adds Stereoscopic 3D Movie Streaming
Posted by Caitlin Spaan in 3D, Featured Post, PlayStation Network, PSN, vudu on January 14th, 2011
Hello fellow movie lovers, a quick note from VUDU. We’re excited to announce that as of today we’re ready to take you to a whole new dimension. If you’ve got a 3D-enabled TV hooked up to your PS3, now you can stream in 3D directly from VUDU. So grab your 3D glasses and hang on!
If you’ve already downloaded the VUDU app, it will be updated automatically with the new functionality – you don’t need to do a thing. If you haven’t downloaded the VUDU app – well, what are you waiting for? When you download the free VUDU app and sign up for a VUDU account, we will credit your account $5.99, which is enough to get you an HDX rental. We hope you’ll give it a try – we think you’ll love it!
We would love to hear what you think, or if you have any questions we’ll be responding below! We also love compliments, so post all of those too :-)
NBA 2K11 Gets Free Stereoscopic 3D Update on January 16th
Posted by Ronnie Singh in 2k sports, 3D, nba 2k11, PlayStation Games, PS3 on January 13th, 2011
Ronnie2K here! Back in October, I discussed NBA 2K11’s PlayStation Move functionality along with a deep look on all the great features NBA 2K11 has to offer. And if you ever have suggestions for NBA2K, hit me up on Twitter and follow us on Facebook.
NBA 2K11 has garnered more than two dozen Sports Game of the Year awards, has been called “the greatest sports game of this generation” in earning a 9.5 from IGN, and continues to be one of the most talked about games across social networks. And the nostalgia behind the return of Michael Jordan to the virtual hardwood continues to be overwhelming. For the few of you who have been holding out for a copy or have put your NBA 2K11 on the shelf for a couple weeks, I just wanted to give you heads-up about the upcoming game update. Especially anyone who was lucky enough to pick up a stereoscopic 3D TV over the holidays.
For those of you who missed out on the 3D retail exclusive at Best Buy released back in November, this Sunday, January 16th, we will be offering a free title update to your NBA 2K11 game that will allow PlayStation 3 users, who have a 3D television and online connectivity, to experience NBA 2K11 in 3D! Just pop your game in and it will update before the title screen. From there, you can turn on your TV’s 3D capabilities, grab those awesome 3D glasses, and experience the NBA game you love with an extra layer of depth (an extra dimension even!) to what many have hailed as the deepest, most immersive, and best sports game of this generation.
Many have been lucky enough to play the Best Buy 3D exclusive extensively over the past couple of months. This has led to the question of what goes on behind the scenes to make 3D possible in NBA 2K11. So I got together with Visual Concepts, the creators of NBA 2K11, and asked them!
All 3D effects come down to one simple idea: make each of a viewer’s eyes see a slightly different image and you can create the illusion of depth on a 2D screen. Technology to create 3D movies evolved from two-color images, called anaglyphs, into the more modern projection systems that use differently polarized light. Most of the new 3D televisions use a technique called “alternate-frame sequencing” in which they first display the image for one eye and then display the image for the other eye, holding each image on the screen for 1/120th of a second. To make sure viewers see the correct images with each eye, glasses that cover-up one eye in exact synchronization with the television display, called active-shutter glasses, are used. What’s most exciting about the new technology is the quality of the images it produces. The new generation of active-shutter HDTVs let us make a 3D game using full resolution HDTV images at framerates up to 120Hz.
To properly drive one of these televisions, NBA 2K11 must create two separate images every game frame–one for each eye. We create a virtual stereoscopic (two-eyed) camera and render the whole scene in full HD resolution twice, once for each eye of the camera. These two images are packaged together and delivered to the television as one “frame” which the television decodes and displays as two consecutive images, one for each eye of the viewer. Just in case anyone has a pair of the old-school [red-and-blue] 3D glasses lying around, NBA 2K11 will render using the anaglyph method as well.
The intelligence of the Visual Concepts guys, in programming NBA 2K11 as one of the finest sports games to be playable in 3D, is remarkable. And from personal experience, it’s absolutely amazing how your player literally jumps off the screen when going for a thunderous dunk. Or maybe a certain President in 3D? It must be witnessed to be believed!
I’d be remiss to mention that some other minor tweaks, including some updates to our online experience, are also included in this update. These changes should enhance the experience. So make sure to grab it and get to some 2K11 gaming immediately!
As always, thanks to the great people at PlayStation for giving me this time to talk to you about the latest NBA 2K11 update. And of course, thanks to you passionate Sony fans who have helped us make the NBA 2K Franchise what it is. Development for NBA 2K12 is already well underway and it’ll be October before we know it! How do we take it to the next level? Mark sure to follow us on Facebook to see exclusive info for the NBA 2K Franchise in the coming months.
I’ll be taking questions below so feel free to ask any follow-up questions. Thanks for reading!
Stereoscopic 3D on the PS3: Full List of All 3D Games and Blu-rays
Posted by Sid Shuman in 3D, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Games, PlayStation Hardware, PS3 on December 20th, 2010
Quite a few PlayStation.Blog readers have been asking me to provide a definitive list of all stereoscopic 3D content available on the PS3. Well, you wanted it and now you’ve got it. I’ve hit the books and researched all current and future games that support stereoscopic 3D on the PS3 – expect to hear quite a bit more in 2011.
Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments!
Out now
- Auditorium* (thanks gunguy01)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops
- Enslaved: Journey to the West (via PSN software update)
- EyePet
- The Fight: Lights Out
- Gran Turismo 5
- High Velocity Bowling
- Hustle Kings*
- James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game
- MotorStorm: 3D Rift*
- NBA 2K11 (new retail version; free PSN software update coming in January 2011)
- PAIN*
- Prince of Persia Trilogy*
- The Sly Collection
- Super Stardust HD* (via PSN software update)
- Swords and Soldiers*
- TRON: Evolution
- Tumble*
- WipEout HD*
Coming in 2011
- Crysis 2
- de Blob 2: Underground
- Dungeon Defenders*
- Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection
- Killzone 3
- MLB 11: The Show (thanks Nadafinga)
- Mortal Kombat
- MotorStorm Apocalypse
- Virtua Tennis 4
- Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
*Indicates downloadable PSN title
Blu-ray 3D Movies
Note: Select titles appear here, for a full list of all 3D Blu-rays, refer to Blu-ray.com/3D.
- Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 3D
- Clash of the Titans 3D
- Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D
- Avatar 3D (December 1st)
- Alice in Wonderland 3D
- Despicable Me 3D
- Open Season 3D
- My Bloody Valentine 3D
- Monster House 3D
- Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole 3D
- The Polar Express 3D
Prince of Persia Warrior Within HD today, only on PSN
Posted by Patrick Brod in 3D, HD, PlayStation Games, prince of persia, PS3, PSN on December 14th, 2010
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within is back! The second chapter of the epic Prince of Persia: Sands of Time trilogy is now available for your downloading and playing pleasure in full HD on the PlayStation Network for $14.99. In the combat-focused Warrior Within, you’ll fight an entire island of brutal and unrelenting creatures in stunning HD and stereoscopic 3D (for those lucky enough to own a 3D TV).
Wield two weapons at once, manipulate the environments and control your enemies with the Sands of Time AND rock out to some Godsmack while you hunt the mighty Dahaka! Long flowing jet-black hair + man-scara + M-Rating + Godsmack = Best. Week. Ever.
Prince of Persia: The Warrior Within HD and Prince of Persia Sands of Time HD are available for download on the PlayStation Store for $14.99. For more information about the game, wall run your way over to the Prince of Persia Facebook page. Come on, you KNOW you wanna “Like” it !
Shadow of the Colossus in 3D: Eyes On, Hands On
Posted by Sid Shuman in 3D, ico and shadow of colossus collection, PlayStation Games, PS3, shadow of the colossus, team ico on December 10th, 2010
Looming majestically over the wind-swept plains, the Colossus lowers its ponderous head to peer at the tiny, curious creature scuttling before it. Of course, that tiny creature is you. And before long, you’ll be dangling from the great brute, magic sword clutched tightly in one small hand, as you prepare to bring the Goliath to its knees with a series of pinprick stabs. Once the battle is over and you’ve slain the giant, you may be left to grapple with a haunting question: “Why?”
This is Shadow of the Colossus, one of the most highly regarded games ever released and a beacon to many game developers for its epic grandness, its subtle artistry, and its messy emotional context. Along with Ico, Shadow of the Colossus is returning this spring in dazzling HD with robust (though optional) stereoscopic 3D support. I donned a pair of active-shutter 3D glasses to get a fresh look at Fumito Ueda’s masterpiece running on the PS3.
Playing Shadow of the Colossus in 3D, I was immediately struck by the agoraphobic vastness of the landscape. The stark beauty of the world is far clearer thanks to new high-resolution environment textures looted from the hard drives at developer Team Ico. And in case you were wondering, Bluepoint Games is handling the conversion duties for the Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection — if you played the God of War Collection, then you’re familiar with their handiwork.
And then there are the colossi. I defeated the first two (there are 16 in all), and scrambling across their shaggy backs in stereoscopic 3D added immensely to the drama. But it it also aided the gameplay: Seen in 3D, the platforms and protrusions that jut from their immense bodies seem to occupy the foreground, making it easier to judge distances and find a safe place to rest when your grip is weakening. And dangling hundreds of feet in the air now gives you a striking sense of vertigo — the ground seems to sprawl endlessly around you, threatening to swallow you up.
Of course, you don’t need a 3D TV to enjoy the other benefits of the Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection. In addition to the new high-res environment textures, the crisp HD resolution brings out cinematic details I missed on the PS2 version, such as tiny birds flying around the head of the first colossus. The framerate now sits at a fluid, solid 30 frames per second, eliminating one of the few complaints of the original game. When I spun the camera angle around, I also noted smooth, natural-looking motion blur. And Trophy support is most definitely in.
Other than the massive graphical overhaul and stereoscopic 3D support, this is the same Shadow of the Colossus that you know and love. The minimalist story, gameplay, unique controls, and user interface are identical. You know what they say: Don’t mess with a good thing.
The Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection is scheduled to arrive on the PS3 in spring of 2011. Are you interested in trying the game in stereoscopic 3D? Let us know in the comments.
Uncover the truth in UNCHARTED 3!
Posted by Arne Meyer in 3D, naughty dog, PlayStation Games, PS3, UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception on December 9th, 2010
No need to scan that headline twice and make sure you read it right – UNCHARTED 3 is real.
This morning, Entertainment Weekly revealed the next chapter in the critically-acclaimed, top-selling UNCHARTED franchise – UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception.
UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception continues to evolve all of the core principles we laid out for the UNCHARTED franchise, most important of which is creating an unmatched and extremely compelling interactive cinematic experience. In addition to having a compelling story and authentic characters that all of our fans can relate to as key facets to creating this type of experience, we push ourselves and the capability of the PlayStation hardware through constantly refined gameplay mechanics and technology innovation. Our dedication to creating the best interactive cinematic experience can be seen in our last two games – UNCHARTED: Drake’s Fortune and UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves. We’re especially honored and humbled that both titles have been so successful, selling nearly 8 million units combined and earning more industry awards and accolades than we can keep track of. We’ve set the bar very high for us to outdo the past successes of our previous UNCHARTED games. We’re looking forward to taking on this challenge to top ourselves and create a truly unforgettable interactive cinematic experience that everyone can enjoy.
So, if you’re wondering what UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception has in store for you, we wanted to share some early details.
UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception features the return of famed fortune hunter Nathan Drake and follows him through a gripping, action-packed storyline that will take you all over the world. In his search for the fabled “Atlantis of the Sands,” Nathan Drake and longtime friend and mentor Victor Sullivan set off on a daring trek into the heart of the Arabian Desert. But when terrible secrets of this lost city are uncovered, their journey becomes a desperate bid for survival that will force Drake to confront his deepest fears.
Throughout UNCHARTED 3, you’ll be taken to spectacular new locations around the globe that will showcase all of the work we’ve taken on to take acclaimed physics, particle and visual effects to a new level.
Competitive and co-op multiplayer will return as a key ingredient to the UNCHARTED 3 package, where all of the new features we have planned will combine with our signature single-player cinematic gameplay to create a unique action-adventure multiplayer experience that can only be found in the UNCHARTED universe.
Oh, and there’s one more thing – UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception fully supports high-resolution Stereoscopic 3D.
We’re looking forward to exploring it all with you in the months to come. Be sure to hit up your local newsstand tomorrow and pick up a copy of the December 17 issue of Entertainment Weekly – you’ll find a ton of additional details on UNCHARTED 3 and the new art shown above in glorious, full color print. Enjoy!
All the Options: Gran Turismo 5 Collector’s Edition Unboxed
Posted by Sid Shuman in 3D, gran turismo 5, PlayStation Games, polyphony digital, PS3 on November 22nd, 2010
It may not come with “rack-and-peanut steering” like the Homer car, but Gran Turismo 5’s Collector’s Edition is still an object of admiration for any car lover. Jeff and I got our grubby paws on the first in-house box and have defiled its pristine shrink wrap for your viewing pleasure in the video above. Love that new-car smell!
What does your $99.99 get you? Read on for the full contents. Not enough detail for you? Head over to GranTurismo.com for even more specifics and images.
- Gran Turismo 5 on Blu-ray: 1000+ cars, a wealth of tracks, new Course Maker, stereoscopic 3D, kart racing, and more features than we could possibly list here. Seriously — this game is huge.
- Collectible Diecast Car: Exclusive limited edition 1:43 scale diecast 2009 Nissan GT-R Spec V with custom Gran Turismo livery designed by Polyphony Digital, produced by well-known collectible car maker Kyosho.
- Exclusive “Apex” Car Guide: 300 pages of advanced GT5 driving techniques, a crash course in modern automotive history, track reference material and much more straight from experts at Polyphony Digital.
- Five exclusive DLC cars: Special “Chrome Line” editions of the Audi R8 5.2 FSI Quattro, BMW M3 Coupe, Lamborghini Murciélago LP 640, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupe, and Shelby Cobra 427. You may commence drooling.
- Custom-etched Gran Turismo key chain: A man can’t live on his PS3 alone, so your friends at Polyphony Digital have arranged for a little keepsake memento of your GT5 conquests.
- Numbered certificate of authenticity: Hang it on your bedroom wall and impress your friends, or stash it under your bed amongst the cobwebs — the choice is yours!
Phew! That covers the GT5 Collector’s Edition, launching Wednesday, November 24th for $99.99. Only one question remains — what version are you going to get? Are you going deluxe or sticking to the standard edition? Let us know in the comments!