Understanding Console Gamers

[Neil]

Hi Guys!

I am completely new at this console thing. I think we are facing a whole new world for 3D when things pan out. For example, when game developers render for 3D with console, that should translate to similar render quality for 3D on PC.

What do you think a console gamer would look for in forums like this that we can have a value for them leading up to the launch of stereo 3D by Sony? What do console gamers talk about?

Regards,
Neil

[chrisdfw]

The console gamers I know want plug and play instant gratification without ever setting foot in a forum.

The only things I could see them needing from a community would be discussions of the best shutter glasses and the most immersive games. If the games allow adjustments of 3d parameters, then there may be some discussions of optimizing games to look the best in 3d.

[Neil]

I don't know about that.

Check out the console forums...very active! Why are they active?

Regards,
Neil

[chrisdfw]

I am sure the console game forums are very active. They have clans that play competitively and are opinionated in what options they want in games or what bugs need to be fixed by the game maker.

What I was referring to was hardware support. They don't have to worry about what video card to use or what driver to tweak like we do. They may be interested in what TV or glasses to use. If it isn't Plug N Play it won't survive in the console world.

[Killigath]

Take me for example. Yes, I come here for support, but also I come for entertainment, news, to help others, ect... If the PC was just plug and play(as I hope it becomes one day), would I still come to the forums every day? Of coarse. I come here to read up on new 3D content, monitors, solutions, and to play NAW . A PS3 is just a streamlined PC, its a computer with an easy to use interface. I'm sure there will still be tweaks, and people will still need help getting started. It all depends on what display you use in conjunction with the console.

Ultimately we should be reviewing and discussing content not hardware. Perhaps a little of both (70/30).
That's about the ratio of 2D game review web sites.

[android78]

Well, I would have to call myself, primarily, a console gamer. I play games on the PC, but I find the whole having to worry about adjusting this setting and that setting to get the game to render the best without compromising on framerate too much a hassle that detracts from the experience of gamming. Therefore, I have to partly agree with Chris in that it's about plug and play. And that's why, from my first posts here, I have stated that that is what S3D really will require to survive in the mass market world. I believe that most people out there want to be able to buy S3D certified hardware, buy certified S3D software and have it work without having to do this tweek, that registry hack, this driver installation, that patch for the game, etc, etc to make it work... and even then it is very rare that it'll work without a drawback like shadows only appearing in one eye or appearing in both, but overlayed in the wrong position in one and for only a few games.
So the question is about what would attract me to a site like this?
Answer would have to be an interrest in visual beauty, combined with a fascination for virtual worlds (mainly in games) and technology. When I first stumbled upon this site it was because I was researching S3D technologies and how they worked (interlaced vs page flipping vs checkerboard, etc) as I was converting a cheep mono HMD into stereo. This kinda contradicts my being just a console gamer, I know.
Now, for other console gamers, I believe they would have to know how to make their favorite console work in S3D. There are many console owners who are moding their console (in spite of warrenty) so they can store their entire game collection on the internal HDD. So I don't believe that console gamers are really against going outside the standard package to get something better... it just has to be packaged in a black box style with simple instruction of do A,B,C and then the games X,Y and Z will work without issue. There can even be a BTW.. games Q,R and S won't work. It has to be something that is done once and then can be left.
The other side to a console gamer is how they play. Rather then the intense sitting at a desk in a back room fighting against the world, usually the console gamer will be lounging back with a beer in one hand, pizza in another. I know some of you PC gamers will say that's how you play the PC, but there is a definite difference in the nature of console gaming. I wouldn't say less competative, but more relaxed.
So, what i think we need is mor 'black box' solutions. I think that iZ3D are on the right track with their... install out driver, install our hardware and it'll work (mostly). The driver even contains configurations for popular games... the standard configurations will even provide an ok starting point for most games.
I also don't think that a site like this won't really become attractive to console gamers until we have something solid to offer them. something like, put these glasses on and play this game on your XBox/PS3 because it looks awsome in S3D. I guess that having some more confirmed announcements on where the consoles are at with S3D would attract a portion even before it's released, but you'd have to have details of what hardware and games will support it. eg. you need to look out for television X because it'll work with the PS3 when they release the XX-XXX-XXXX next year update to make it S3D. Game developer EEEEEE are saying they are excited to be working on the first console S3D game, etc.
Well, I've rambled on more then enough. Hope some of this could be of some use to someone.

[cybereality]

Console gamers like to fight about what system is better. PC gaming is just on Windows so no one argues. I think console gamers will get interested when there is stereoscopic solutions for both PS3 and Xbox360. Then they could fight over which one is more 3d or whatever.

[CarlKenner]

Some Wii gamers might want to know how to play stereoscopic games with their Wii remotes... on the PC.

All Nintendo 64 gamers, or Playstation 1 and 2 gamers might want to know how to play Nintendo 64 or playstation games in stereoscopic 3D... on the PC with an emulator.

Nintendo VirtualBoy gamers will want to know how to play Virtual Boy games on a modern stereoscopic system on the PC with an emulator.

Gamers from consoles that are tile based, like the SNES, NES, Sega, Gameboy, etc. might want to try their 2D games in layered stereoscopic 3D. Since these consoles are designed to render in layers and perhaps apply parallax already, it would be possible to hack the emulators (which are generally open source) to render different layers at different depths.

Don't laugh, I've been playing lots of Gameboy Advance and Gameboy Colour games recently on my PC, and wishing the different layers were rendered in front of or behind the screen. But maybe that's just me.

Then there are the console users (PS3, and Wii especially) that want to hack their consoles to run homebrew, perhaps in stereoscopic 3D.

Has anyone actually got an emulator running in stereoscopic 3D?

[Tril]

Has anyone actually got an emulator running in stereoscopic 3D?

There's a dreamcast emulator that works. It's been posted before.

[cybereality]

Has anyone actually got an emulator running in stereoscopic 3D?

I've played some N64 games in stereo3d with UltraHLE + nvidia drivers a little while back.

[Likay]

I know i have played Mario64 in 3d (dual projectors, nvidia old school drivers). However i cannot remember which emu (used 3: Project64, Nemu64 and ultraHLE which i had to find a special glide2x.dll to make it work good though). And the 3d-experience was far from perfect too.
I recently tried with project64 and it was a nogo. Didn't bother any further.
However: There are quite lot of graphic plugins and maybe the one i once used is not available anymore.
The combos between emus and graphic plugins are quite many i think.

[BlackShark]

PCSX2, a playstation 2 emulator works with one very specific graphics plugin.
I've managed to play REZ level 1 with it. (then the emulator crashes)

[Tril]

PCSX2, a playstation 2 emulator works with one very specific graphics plugin.
I've managed to play REZ level 1 with it. (then the emulator crashes)

Which plugin?

[BlackShark]

The oldest GSDX9 plugin i think (the one shipped with pcsx v0.94)
Then the more recent one do not work anymore for me.