Recent advances have made it possible for many games to be played in stereoscopic 3D on PC. In addition to stereoscopic 3D drivers by DDD, iZ3D, and Nvidia, we are also starting to see native 3D support by the likes of AMD (HD3D). Unfortunately, despite all these advances, there are more marketing claims than you can shake a pair of 3D glasses at, and there is little consistency in quality expectations and results between titles and solutions. After much time and effort invested by Neil Schneider, Vadim Krivosheev, and Cris Villalobos, we have the solution!
GameGrade3D is a fully functional system that asks a series of multiple choice questions. Based on the answers given, a huge database is created complete with recommended game settings, quality expectations, and current GameGrade3D certification ratings. These ratings adjust and compensate according to what members submit, driver updates, diversified results, and more.
The engine’s back-end is completely dynamic, and we have the means to alter questions, add new options, adjust scoring, and fine tune the process without losing or resetting earlier contributions.
Some of GameGrade3D’s benefits include:
- GG3D will give gamers an independently developed and credible resource for S-3D game quality and best settings for DDD, iZ3D, and Nvidia S-3D drivers. It will also indicate the level of native 3D (e.g. AMD HD3D) support where applicable.
- GG3D is customer driven, and has no vested interests in any one product.
- Whereas before S-3D quality was subjective, we now have measurable methods to use and improve upon.
- Game developers and technology enablers now have a non-proprietary quality expectation to aim for, and will see how their solution compares to others through the eyes of their customers.
- GG3D is dynamic and adjusts with the times. The more gamers submit, especially for games already listed, the more accurate the system is.
New Features
GameGrade3D is based on an early prototype called MTBS’ 3D Game Analyzer. Here are some improvement we’ve made since!
- When selecting anomalies, gamers can attach screenshots and share comments to help illustrate the problem.
- Each submission can have a driver profile attached. While this is most applicable for DDD TriDef Ignition profiles, gamers can upload .TXT files for Nvidia and iZ3D equivalents where applicable.
- The certification mechanism has been revamped to increase fairness and accuracy for all applicable 3D solutions.
- Submissions can include a subjective score in addition to the measured approach.
- Gamers can edit their submissions. It is no longer necessary to start from scratch every time a new anomaly is discovered or a correction needs to be made.
- A “Native 3D” classification has been created to acknowledge titles based on AMD’s HD3D implementation, as well as titles that have additional 3D options built in without the need for a special 3D driver.
Before You Begin
Before using GameGrade3D, please ensure that you follow these steps:
- Download and install the latest graphics card and stereo drivers available for your system. If there are updated game profiles by driver developers, it’s encouraged to use them as well.
- Download and install the latest game patches for the title you are submitting.
- Download and install the latest DirectX runtime executable.
- Read through MTBS’ Stereoscopic 3D Anomaly Guide so you know what to watch out for.
- If you are new to stereoscopic 3D gaming, familiarize yourself with MTBS’ Stereoscopic 3D Settings Guide. This will save you a lot of headaches when it comes to understanding how stereoscopic 3D works in video games, and how to go about getting the results you want.