By Neil Schneider
It’s hard to believe that 2010 is almost over!
Each year, we like to do a check on what MTBS, S3DGA, and the industry have done in the realm of 3D gaming to see how far we have come, and where we are headed. Here we go!
The S-3D Gaming Alliance (S3DGA) is the official voice and standards body for stereoscopic 3D gaming. Founded as an independent non-profit organization, its reason for being is to make stereoscopic 3D gaming successful in the home by representing the needs and interests of 3D technology enablers and game developers in this field.
Here are some of its accomplishments in 2010:
- Co-developed the first 3D Gaming Summit.
- Co-developed and was media sponsor for GDC Online’s first Stereoscopic 3D Games Summit.
- Among others, welcomed Panasonic, Blackout Studios, The Game Creators, and more as new S3DGA members.
- S3DGA was regularly featured in tier one media.
- Completed U-Decide 2010, the largest study of what gamers think and want out of stereoscopic 3D gaming. Worked jointly with Panasonic, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Zalman, Blitz Games Studios, SteelSeries, Computer Power User, DDD, Magix, and more.
Meant to be Seen (MTBS) was originally founded as a grassroots movement among gamers to create an independent website to help demonstrate the potential and popularity of stereoscopic 3D gaming. MTBS’ success was the basis for launching S3DGA and for several game developers to take an active interest in S-3D gaming.
MTBS’ 2010 accomplishments include:
- MTBS’ 3D Game Analyzer (M3GA), the first consumer driven S-3D game rating system was launched (200+ submissions!).
- Website updated with new content management system.
- Over 50,000 forum posts to date.
- Started testing and reviewing games in stereoscopic 3D on console as well as PC.
- Total annual traffic (number of unique visitors) increased over 60% since December 31st, 2009
Industry Developments:
- Multiple AAA titles released in S-3D on Sony PlayStation 3 and XBOX 360 Platforms
- Nintendo 3DS revealed at E3
- DirectX 9, 10, and 11 support now offered by all three PC S-3D driver developers (DDD, iZ3D, and Nvidia)
- AMD HD3D launched, featuring shutter glasses support on AMD 5000 and higher series GPUs.
- Nvidia released 3DTV Play: Nvidia S-3D support through HDMI 1.4 compliant HDTVs.
- Multiple consumer 3D editing suites available (Magix Movie Edit Pro 17+, Roxio Creator 2011, and more)
- Just in time for the holidays, 3D HDTVs were competitively discounted to increase their adoption by consumers.
While 2010 was great for S-3D gaming, we think 2011 is going to be a banner year for MTBS, S3DGA, and the industry.
First, MTBS is hard at work to make this website more enjoyable for its membership. Bug fixes, new features, and more content are going to be our top priority in 2011.
The S-3D Gaming Alliance is expected to take on new membership shortly. S3DGA has been effective from the point of representing the industry, drawing positive attention to S-3D gaming, and fostering S-3D game development. We are anticipating some organizational changes and additions that will strengthen our effectiveness even further.
Last but not least, the industry will continue to make great strides in the New Year. Affordable display pricing, S-3D game development, and growing product availability will further cement 3D’s positive future among gamers.
Thanks to all the members who visit, post in the forums, and help make MTBS possible. Happy new year, everyone!