Snowalker said:
...it seems that the general opinion is that 3D in general is about as well received as motion controls. ... my mind is set, I'm going to give 3D a try, but I was curious as to what you guys think about 3D PCs here at the escapists. ... I'm not so much concerned as to whether or not I should get it, cause thats a done deal, but what your opinion is on 3D PC gaming.
Snow, I do respect your intention to use "cutting edge" technology.
However, I am going to predict that 3D implementation in new games is going to largely incidental for the next two years.
[I have not seen 3D PC graphics implemented, but neither am I directly criticizing the implementation. Having been asked for an opinion, its is: ]
I can't possibly fix a date to it, but I remember when PC games started putting "fantastic 3D environments" into new games. The one that stands out in my head right now was a Guild Wars Demo. Yeah, there were lots of hills, and yeah they looked pretty good compared to 'conventional' environments, but that innovation often served no purpose. There were hills because they could make hills, and not because they added anything to gameplay. I'm not saying they *never* added anything to gameplay, just that the steeply sloping hills were largely irrelevant. I'm fairly sure that a major use was to obscure the player's line of sight.
Fast forward a few years. The terrain in Fallout 3 was absolutely bleak and desolate. Any serious exploration meant scrabbling over rocks and hills. This added to immersion, and ultimately contributed to one of the game's big payoff sequences. Finally some developers have learned to make terrain a supporting player in the saga, rather than gratuitous window dressing.
Again, I haven't been paying attention to new technologies. I haven't been paying attention to new games either; new games are WAY too expensive, there are plenty of old titles to keep me entertained. So, without looking to see what's in development, or being offered right now, here is a list of games that I expect to see for the new 3D technology within the next 18 months:
Super Mario 3D (no surprise there)
Sonic the Hedgehog 3D
Metal Gear Something or other 3D
Splinter Cell 3D (Sam takes revenge on the Splinter Cell developers)
Modern Warfare 3(D)
Call of Duty 5
Wolfenstein (really) 3-D (I'd rather see this as an experiment before DOOM 3D)
Since I've already seen Yahtzee's review of Gears of War 3(D), its not hard to imagine 3D being used as an excuse for rushed-out 3D versions of existing game franchises.
When will I start paying attention to 3D games? 'Amnesia: the Dark Descent' was an innovative title that made an interesting use of ... uh ... I guess I have to call it 'perceived 3D'. [If you haven't played the game, try the demo or you won't know what I mean.] When developers are comfortable enough with 3D technology to do that manner of rendering, then I'm going to take a hard look at 3D hardware.
... or if S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is in 3D. I have weaknesses too.