I think the main issue that stereoscopic gaming has nowadays is that there are too many difficult variables to work with to get stereoscopic gaming to be very popular. Sure, if you get everything setup before hand, and someone sits down at a game that's already setup to do fantastic stereo, they will love it. The main issue with this is the variables involved:
1. Fast enough PC to run games
2. Nvidia Video Card
3. High quality CRT Monitor
4. The glasses themselves
5. Games that are even compatible
6. The initial configuration to optimize stereo gameplay
7. All the money required to set all of this up
I had a little Stereoscopic stand at an indoor swapmart (it was cheap rent and I could see peoples reactions) where I sold the E-D glasses for the standard prices ($70 wired / $100 wireless). I was overwhelmed by the amount of people that did indeed like the glasses. Because of the location, the main issue was with the audience, but I still got a good perception of the target audience’s reaction. To start off, it’s really hard to get anyone to go out of their way to get a CRT monitor. Beyond that, not everyone has an Nvidia video card, and some don’t even HAVE dedicated cards (console gamers). Above all of this, it’s the question of “will my game work with these things”, and it’s hard to give a concrete answer unless I have played it myself. There are too many variables to get people interested enough to take that step…
But put ANY gamer in front of a system that’s already perfectly setup so all they have to do is put the glasses on, and you’re good to go. This brings me to the actual topic. What if there were Stereoscopic LAN cafés that had EVERYTHING setup… hardware, games, config, surround sound headphones, and all they had to do was pay some money and get the greatest gaming experience they have ever had… with their friends playing there as well. If this became big, which I think it would, the stereoscopic scene might really blow up. Developers might start paying attention to their games stereo compatibility so they might get into the arcades as well. The great side of stereoscopic gaming would be out in the open, instead of the frustration and troubleshooting that we all know too well. Anyone else have any opinions?
I think the main issue that stereoscopic gaming has nowadays is that there are too many difficult variables to work with to get stereoscopic gaming to be very popular. Sure, if you get everything setup before hand, and someone sits down at a game that's already setup to do fantastic stereo, they will love it. The main issue with this is the variables involved:
1. Fast enough PC to run games
2. Nvidia Video Card
3. High quality CRT Monitor
4. The glasses themselves
5. Games that are even compatible
6. The initial configuration to optimize stereo gameplay
7. All the money required to set all of this up
I had a little Stereoscopic stand at an indoor swapmart (it was cheap rent and I could see peoples reactions) where I sold the E-D glasses for the standard prices ($70 wired / $100 wireless). I was overwhelmed by the amount of people that did indeed like the glasses. Because of the location, the main issue was with the audience, but I still got a good perception of the target audience’s reaction. To start off, it’s really hard to get anyone to go out of their way to get a CRT monitor. Beyond that, not everyone has an Nvidia video card, and some don’t even HAVE dedicated cards (console gamers). Above all of this, it’s the question of “will my game work with these things”, and it’s hard to give a concrete answer unless I have played it myself. There are too many variables to get people interested enough to take that step…
But put ANY gamer in front of a system that’s already perfectly setup so all they have to do is put the glasses on, and you’re good to go. This brings me to the actual topic. What if there were Stereoscopic LAN cafés that had EVERYTHING setup… hardware, games, config, surround sound headphones, and all they had to do was pay some money and get the greatest gaming experience they have ever had… with their friends playing there as well. If this became big, which I think it would, the stereoscopic scene might really blow up. Developers might start paying attention to their games stereo compatibility so they might get into the arcades as well. The great side of stereoscopic gaming would be out in the open, instead of the frustration and troubleshooting that we all know too well. Anyone else have any opinions?
[quote name='ohgrant' date='Jun 22 2006, 08:17 PM']Great idea, I would also like to see other 3D setups like HMD's and projector setups. It would be nice to try before you buy 3D products.
[right][post="97201"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]
Agreed. I guess it all goes into the quality of the device. I'm not sure how good the HMUs look being that they are 800x600, but if they are that good, it might be worth it. I have never used one, so I'm not sure if they are that much better than a CRT running at 1280x1024x120hz. I guess the removal of ghosting that the HMDs provide might be worth it alone. The cost would be alot... but with the droped price of the Z800s, that could be very nice. I think a good projector setup might be nice if you had multiple glasses where people could watch... Like a tournament.
I think the one place that LAN cafe's have gone wrong in is what they have to offer. All they really offer is a bunch of computers in one area. Beyond that, there is nothing special about them. If you incorperated some of the following features into games people already play at home, it could be a big success:
Stereoscopic Displays (either HMDs or e-d glasses)
Motion Tracking (already comes with the Z800)
localized surround sound (5.1 surround headphones)
Good force feedback chairs and input devices
a force feedback gyroscopic controller (e-d is about to put one out with immersion's tech)
a good selection of games already totoally configured to work with all devices
These are all features that most people do not have... and to some extent... will never have at home. That alone is the selling point. I would think... eventually... developers would even want to make games that are optomized to work in a standardized "VR Cafe". Now we just need a huge chunk of change to get it started... Anyone? Anyone?
[quote name='ohgrant' date='Jun 22 2006, 08:17 PM']Great idea, I would also like to see other 3D setups like HMD's and projector setups. It would be nice to try before you buy 3D products.
[post="97201"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]
Agreed. I guess it all goes into the quality of the device. I'm not sure how good the HMUs look being that they are 800x600, but if they are that good, it might be worth it. I have never used one, so I'm not sure if they are that much better than a CRT running at 1280x1024x120hz. I guess the removal of ghosting that the HMDs provide might be worth it alone. The cost would be alot... but with the droped price of the Z800s, that could be very nice. I think a good projector setup might be nice if you had multiple glasses where people could watch... Like a tournament.
I think the one place that LAN cafe's have gone wrong in is what they have to offer. All they really offer is a bunch of computers in one area. Beyond that, there is nothing special about them. If you incorperated some of the following features into games people already play at home, it could be a big success:
Stereoscopic Displays (either HMDs or e-d glasses)
a force feedback gyroscopic controller (e-d is about to put one out with immersion's tech)
a good selection of games already totoally configured to work with all devices
These are all features that most people do not have... and to some extent... will never have at home. That alone is the selling point. I would think... eventually... developers would even want to make games that are optomized to work in a standardized "VR Cafe". Now we just need a huge chunk of change to get it started... Anyone? Anyone?
Heres something I just found that kinda relates to your idea.
[url="http://www.twitchguru.com/2006/06/22/peculiar_pc_peripherals/"]http://www.twitchguru.com/2006/06/22/pecul...pc_peripherals/[/url]
That site is all right I guess, if you can get past all the er.... fanatics, I'd guess you'ld call them.
But anyways theve done a couple of articles in the past on 3D gameing so they can't be all that bad.
If you ever get yours set up then I will definally get a few friends to go play.
1. Fast enough PC to run games
2. Nvidia Video Card
3. High quality CRT Monitor
4. The glasses themselves
5. Games that are even compatible
6. The initial configuration to optimize stereo gameplay
7. All the money required to set all of this up
I had a little Stereoscopic stand at an indoor swapmart (it was cheap rent and I could see peoples reactions) where I sold the E-D glasses for the standard prices ($70 wired / $100 wireless). I was overwhelmed by the amount of people that did indeed like the glasses. Because of the location, the main issue was with the audience, but I still got a good perception of the target audience’s reaction. To start off, it’s really hard to get anyone to go out of their way to get a CRT monitor. Beyond that, not everyone has an Nvidia video card, and some don’t even HAVE dedicated cards (console gamers). Above all of this, it’s the question of “will my game work with these things”, and it’s hard to give a concrete answer unless I have played it myself. There are too many variables to get people interested enough to take that step…
But put ANY gamer in front of a system that’s already perfectly setup so all they have to do is put the glasses on, and you’re good to go. This brings me to the actual topic. What if there were Stereoscopic LAN cafés that had EVERYTHING setup… hardware, games, config, surround sound headphones, and all they had to do was pay some money and get the greatest gaming experience they have ever had… with their friends playing there as well. If this became big, which I think it would, the stereoscopic scene might really blow up. Developers might start paying attention to their games stereo compatibility so they might get into the arcades as well. The great side of stereoscopic gaming would be out in the open, instead of the frustration and troubleshooting that we all know too well. Anyone else have any opinions?
1. Fast enough PC to run games
2. Nvidia Video Card
3. High quality CRT Monitor
4. The glasses themselves
5. Games that are even compatible
6. The initial configuration to optimize stereo gameplay
7. All the money required to set all of this up
I had a little Stereoscopic stand at an indoor swapmart (it was cheap rent and I could see peoples reactions) where I sold the E-D glasses for the standard prices ($70 wired / $100 wireless). I was overwhelmed by the amount of people that did indeed like the glasses. Because of the location, the main issue was with the audience, but I still got a good perception of the target audience’s reaction. To start off, it’s really hard to get anyone to go out of their way to get a CRT monitor. Beyond that, not everyone has an Nvidia video card, and some don’t even HAVE dedicated cards (console gamers). Above all of this, it’s the question of “will my game work with these things”, and it’s hard to give a concrete answer unless I have played it myself. There are too many variables to get people interested enough to take that step…
But put ANY gamer in front of a system that’s already perfectly setup so all they have to do is put the glasses on, and you’re good to go. This brings me to the actual topic. What if there were Stereoscopic LAN cafés that had EVERYTHING setup… hardware, games, config, surround sound headphones, and all they had to do was pay some money and get the greatest gaming experience they have ever had… with their friends playing there as well. If this became big, which I think it would, the stereoscopic scene might really blow up. Developers might start paying attention to their games stereo compatibility so they might get into the arcades as well. The great side of stereoscopic gaming would be out in the open, instead of the frustration and troubleshooting that we all know too well. Anyone else have any opinions?
[right][post="97201"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]
Agreed. I guess it all goes into the quality of the device. I'm not sure how good the HMUs look being that they are 800x600, but if they are that good, it might be worth it. I have never used one, so I'm not sure if they are that much better than a CRT running at 1280x1024x120hz. I guess the removal of ghosting that the HMDs provide might be worth it alone. The cost would be alot... but with the droped price of the Z800s, that could be very nice. I think a good projector setup might be nice if you had multiple glasses where people could watch... Like a tournament.
I think the one place that LAN cafe's have gone wrong in is what they have to offer. All they really offer is a bunch of computers in one area. Beyond that, there is nothing special about them. If you incorperated some of the following features into games people already play at home, it could be a big success:
Stereoscopic Displays (either HMDs or e-d glasses)
Motion Tracking (already comes with the Z800)
localized surround sound (5.1 surround headphones)
Good force feedback chairs and input devices
a force feedback gyroscopic controller (e-d is about to put one out with immersion's tech)
a good selection of games already totoally configured to work with all devices
These are all features that most people do not have... and to some extent... will never have at home. That alone is the selling point. I would think... eventually... developers would even want to make games that are optomized to work in a standardized "VR Cafe". Now we just need a huge chunk of change to get it started... Anyone? Anyone?
Agreed. I guess it all goes into the quality of the device. I'm not sure how good the HMUs look being that they are 800x600, but if they are that good, it might be worth it. I have never used one, so I'm not sure if they are that much better than a CRT running at 1280x1024x120hz. I guess the removal of ghosting that the HMDs provide might be worth it alone. The cost would be alot... but with the droped price of the Z800s, that could be very nice. I think a good projector setup might be nice if you had multiple glasses where people could watch... Like a tournament.
I think the one place that LAN cafe's have gone wrong in is what they have to offer. All they really offer is a bunch of computers in one area. Beyond that, there is nothing special about them. If you incorperated some of the following features into games people already play at home, it could be a big success:
Stereoscopic Displays (either HMDs or e-d glasses)
Motion Tracking (already comes with the Z800)
localized surround sound (5.1 surround headphones)
Good force feedback chairs and input devices
a force feedback gyroscopic controller (e-d is about to put one out with immersion's tech)
a good selection of games already totoally configured to work with all devices
These are all features that most people do not have... and to some extent... will never have at home. That alone is the selling point. I would think... eventually... developers would even want to make games that are optomized to work in a standardized "VR Cafe". Now we just need a huge chunk of change to get it started... Anyone? Anyone?
[url="http://www.twitchguru.com/2006/06/22/peculiar_pc_peripherals/"]http://www.twitchguru.com/2006/06/22/pecul...pc_peripherals/[/url]
That site is all right I guess, if you can get past all the er.... fanatics, I'd guess you'ld call them.
But anyways theve done a couple of articles in the past on 3D gameing so they can't be all that bad.
If you ever get yours set up then I will definally get a few friends to go play.
-Duckey
http://www.twitchguru.com/2006/06/22/pecul...pc_peripherals/
That site is all right I guess, if you can get past all the er.... fanatics, I'd guess you'ld call them.
But anyways theve done a couple of articles in the past on 3D gameing so they can't be all that bad.
If you ever get yours set up then I will definally get a few friends to go play.
-Duckey