The re-release of Terminator 2 in 3D very well may be the end of an era. At least, it feels like a period on the modern 3D era that started slowly around 2005, exploded in 2009 with James Cameron's Avatar, and became almost all-encompassing in the years to follow.
Years before Sega did what Nintendon't the two gaming giants briefly went head to head in the newly discovered market of 3D gaming. It didn't go very well for either of them.
Few video game systems have had as strange a journey as Nintendo's 3DS. The spunky portable console flopped, got a massive price cut, gradually built up a spectacular library of games, and received several bizarre (and confusing) hardware models throughout its six years on store shelves. And now, it's ditching its biggest selling point. Farewell, 3D.
When I mentioned these headphones, one of my colleagues immediately quipped that it sounded like snake oil. And I can understand their reluctance, because it sounds too good to be true.
A set of 3D headphones so advanced that they instantly calibrate to your anatomy the second you put them on. It's a Kickstarter project. It has almost two months to go, but it's already surpassed its funding goal three times over.
Instead, it's a series of 3D-animated shorts showing what Minecraft could be if it was, well, not more "realistic" per se, but rather more smooth and rounded around the edges.
My favourite videos on the internet are the ones that are difficult to explain. "Why am I watching this? What makes this good?" This video of tiny 3D people falling down is one of those special videos.
Because video game items are made using 3D models, it turns out it's not that hard to rip them out of a game and get them working with a 3D printer. And, from there, bring something that previously only existed on the screen into the real world.
I don't think I have the brains to become a terraforming scientist though. I'd just tag along and look out windows all day.
Rocks are everywhere in video games. They sit by roads, roll around as debris, make up whole rooms, or even sometimes star in their own games — they're pretty important! So really, it's no wonder there's a whole, pages-long forum thread dedicated to crafting and sharing the prettiest 3D rocks.
The Ishikawa Watanabe Laboratory at the University of Tokyo recently showed off its very cool 3D gesture tech. Using high-speed camera, the system is able to track hand movements at 500 frames per second.
Playing with the Oculus Rift is better with friends. You can get your head chopped off, or use them as your personal "gaming chair". The idea is simple: the player with the headset on enjoys the game, like this hang gliding simulator, while the others lift, tilt and push the player, following on-screen instructions.
That is one spectacular, buffed up Mewtwo sculpture, like something out of the XCOM games, or a live action Pokémon movie — not one of the cartoony monsters from a Nintendo game.
Drawing a realistic 3D Yoshi from Mario Kart with chalk is one thing, but the way the fine folks at the AweMeChannel animated and put him into a real-life street scene is quite spectacular.
Ever wanted to be a mobile game developer and weren't sure where to start? This. This right here. Project Anarchy is completely free end-to-end game development engine, just waiting to bring your ideas to life.
Two years ago, Nintendo was in trouble. The House of Mario had just released a brand new handheld system with impressive 3D graphics, but nobody seemed to care. Sales were sluggish and reception wasn't great.
I arrived in this industry when the 360 and PS3 were considered "next-gen", and like a kid who never grows out of a speech impediment, I've habitually (and incorrectly) referred to them as "next-gen" ever since. But now that there's a new next-gen on the horizon, I find myself much more excited by changes elsewhere in the industry. Specifically, open microconsoles like the OUYA.
Nintendo has been obsessed with 3D ever since Hiroshi Yamauchi asked his staff if they could find a way to make Mario jump out of the screen. After decades that demand manifested itself in the Nintendo 3DS, but now it seems as though that legacy lives on through the Wii U's new GamePad. In the worst possible way.
