Game developers - Make Stereographic 3D an OPTION
Hi guys,
If there's anything we've learned from the Dirt RALLY thread (viewtopic.php?f=42&t=22689), it's that people have a hard time telling if things are really 3D.
Carmak has gone on record stating that 3D isn't completely necessary, and has even shown monoscopic demos to colleagues that comment on the quality of the 3D.
We've even had quotes from the Dirt RALLY thread like:
It's a pretty compelling argument, but when the game isn't actually rendering in stereo how can this happen? Well it happens in real life. Close one eye and get someone to jab a branch at you. You'll know when it's getting close, you'll still want to jump back. Just because you're not seeing things in stereo doesn't mean you brain is completely unable to determine depth from all the other minor cues it gets from the subtle movement of your head.
The same thing appears to be happening with the rift.
I'll happily admit that when I first tried Dirt Rally I actually thought it was 3D. Only when I went on the forums did I go back and have another look and realise that it wasn't 3D.
This is a deal breaker for some, people are putting off buying it until it's "fixed". But having played it myself, going in "blind" to the fact there was no 3D, I can say for certain that unless you're "looking for it", it's hard to notice.
What does this mean? Well, why not make 3D a option? Games like Project cars would benefit from this. There's problems with shadows in 3D that mean you have to disable them (obviously we hope this will get fixed) but at the same time being able to disable stereo 3D would likely mean a 2x increase in performance!
I'd happily use those extra processors ticks to add the shadows back in and turn up the texture quality.
So, why not make 3D an option in your game? Test it with users that aren't used to the game and without mentioning it ask them what their thoughts are. I'm willing to be only a select few would notice the lack of true stereo vision.
It will open up your game to more users by being more scalable and, in turn, hopefully better received.
If there's anything we've learned from the Dirt RALLY thread (viewtopic.php?f=42&t=22689), it's that people have a hard time telling if things are really 3D.
Carmak has gone on record stating that 3D isn't completely necessary, and has even shown monoscopic demos to colleagues that comment on the quality of the 3D.
We've even had quotes from the Dirt RALLY thread like:
When I was watching a replay, a tree branch got in between the camera view and the car and I jumped back because it felt like it was going to jab me in the eye. I also can see depth in the cockpit and can lean into the steering wheel and see it as a real object. I have played enough games and demos to know if I am seeing depth or not.
It's a pretty compelling argument, but when the game isn't actually rendering in stereo how can this happen? Well it happens in real life. Close one eye and get someone to jab a branch at you. You'll know when it's getting close, you'll still want to jump back. Just because you're not seeing things in stereo doesn't mean you brain is completely unable to determine depth from all the other minor cues it gets from the subtle movement of your head.
The same thing appears to be happening with the rift.
I'll happily admit that when I first tried Dirt Rally I actually thought it was 3D. Only when I went on the forums did I go back and have another look and realise that it wasn't 3D.
This is a deal breaker for some, people are putting off buying it until it's "fixed". But having played it myself, going in "blind" to the fact there was no 3D, I can say for certain that unless you're "looking for it", it's hard to notice.
What does this mean? Well, why not make 3D a option? Games like Project cars would benefit from this. There's problems with shadows in 3D that mean you have to disable them (obviously we hope this will get fixed) but at the same time being able to disable stereo 3D would likely mean a 2x increase in performance!
I'd happily use those extra processors ticks to add the shadows back in and turn up the texture quality.
So, why not make 3D an option in your game? Test it with users that aren't used to the game and without mentioning it ask them what their thoughts are. I'm willing to be only a select few would notice the lack of true stereo vision.
It will open up your game to more users by being more scalable and, in turn, hopefully better received.