I just saw Avatar last night....

[Captain Pancake]

I'd just like to take this moment to say that Avatar was awesome. Seriously, the CGI was so good it felt like real things at points (Specifically when jake and neytiri were looking at the skull of the last shadow, or when he was being hunted by the weird hyena things), and I actually really felt for the two main characters towards the end. And the scene when she saves him and looks at his human form, and he touches her face, it just seemed perfect to me.

But yeah, I heard the avatar game was in 3D as well, but apparently the game sucked so I'm not gonna look too much into it.

 

[ClerkWithKnife]

.

 

[Terramax]

The first thing that popped into my head after I left: When are we gonna have 3D gaming?

We've already had it. Anyone remember Space Harrier for the sega megadrive?

Personally, I consider 3D gaming to be just another gimmick. I doubt it'd really change the gameplay value for 90% of games.

 

[x0ny]

Won't that strain the eyes even more if gaming in 3d? My eyes get tired really easily at IMAX.

 

[Altorin]

There has been 3d capability in games for years... I mean, if you want to get technical with it, I think Rad Racer did it in the homes first on the NES, and there was an FMV style arcade game with holographic effects to make it seem like 3d.

my first real computer that was mine alone, I got about 10 years ago, and it had 3d capabilities. I never used them though.

World of Warcraft has had a 3d setting for nVidia cards for a while now, and the Avatar game was intended to be played using 3d.

There are other instances of 3d in gaming, but that's it.

And you really need to research what the Uncanny Valley is, because I don't think it means what you think it means.

Also, a freelancing engineer reverse engineered the Nintendo WiiMote to create a very realistic 3d effect, using the wiimote to track head movements. He's currently one of the heads working on the Natal Project for Microsoft.

and if we're talking about the 3d effects in Avatar, I didn't care for them that much, honestly. except for a few things; -- anything seen through glass seemed really really cool -- The HUD displays on the ships and in the station were nifty -- The scenes that had a rearview mirror, for some reason seemed really awesome in 3d.

 

[Pimppeter2]

Like we need more gimmicks

 

[Icecoldcynic]

I'm still a little unimpressed by the whole 3d craze. I mean the film was amazing, sure, but i don't think the 3d had anything to do with it.

 

[Dark Knifer]

I'm still a little unimpressed by the whole 3d craze. I mean the film was amazing, sure, but i don't think the 3d had anything to do with it.

This, also I don't really want to wear stupid glasses while watching a film, or playing a game.

 

[Supreme Unleaded]

There is a computer that can make your games 3D within its own sofware, but it costs a shit load of money so to answer your question, 3D gaming is here, but you have to be Warren Buffet to get it.

 

[Icecoldcynic]

Hell we need an arcade machine that's ACTUALLY 3D, with little LCD screens moving around on poles inside the cabinet. It'd be hardcore!

 

[Avatar Roku]

I'd just like to take this moment to say that Avatar was awesome. Seriously, the CGI was so good it felt like real things at points (Specifically when jake and neytiri were looking at the skull of the last shadow, or when he was being hunted by the weird hyena things), and I actually really felt for the two main characters towards the end. And the scene when she saves him and looks at his human form, and he touches her face, it just seemed perfect to me.

Agreed, District 9 seemed to be good with this as well: they created aliens that were pure CGI, but realistic enough (and, possibly more importantly, characterized well enough) that they seem real. You forget that you're watching a bunch of ones and zeros and start thinking of them as characters.

 

[Icecoldcynic]

I'd just like to take this moment to say that Avatar was awesome. Seriously, the CGI was so good it felt like real things at points (Specifically when jake and neytiri were looking at the skull of the last shadow, or when he was being hunted by the weird hyena things), and I actually really felt for the two main characters towards the end. And the scene when she saves him and looks at his human form, and he touches her face, it just seemed perfect to me.

Agreed, District 9 seemed to be good with this as well: they created aliens that were pure CGI, but realistic enough (and, possibly more importantly, characterized well enough) that they seem real. You forget that you're watching a bunch of ones and zeros and start thinking of them as characters.

I agree with you two as well. In district 9 you really could feel the alien's emotions (impressive when they lacked many human features) and understood the problems they were facing. I think both films did an excellent job of fleshing out their respective alien species.

 

[Avatar Roku]

I'd just like to take this moment to say that Avatar was awesome. Seriously, the CGI was so good it felt like real things at points (Specifically when jake and neytiri were looking at the skull of the last shadow, or when he was being hunted by the weird hyena things), and I actually really felt for the two main characters towards the end. And the scene when she saves him and looks at his human form, and he touches her face, it just seemed perfect to me.

Agreed, District 9 seemed to be good with this as well: they created aliens that were pure CGI, but realistic enough (and, possibly more importantly, characterized well enough) that they seem real. You forget that you're watching a bunch of ones and zeros and start thinking of them as characters.

I agree with you two as well. In district 9 you really could feel the alien's emotions (impressive when they lacked many human features) and understood the problems they were facing. I think both films did an excellent job of fleshing out their respective alien species.

Yeah. Avatar may have done a better job of fleshing out their species as a whole, though. We get a sense of the Na'vi culture, despite only knowing, maybe, half a dozen of them by name. Conversely, District 9's Prawn have Christopher, his son, and a bunch of animals. They're still amazing, but...

 

[Death on Trapezoids]

...You people worry me...

3D gaming has been around for many years.

And you don't need red/blue filters or polarized screens, you just need the right glasses.

They rapidly open and close the left and right eyes, creating a 3D image.

Yeah, I'm really going to be able to play Ratchet and Clank while doing the American eyeball toggle...

 

[Icecoldcynic]

snip

Well the difference here is that the prawn were aliens on OUR planet, living under OUR rules. They were restricted by the restrictions humans placed upon them, so perhaps were unable to truly express whatever culture they may possess. In Avatar, the humans were on the alien's world, and we were seeing how they were in their element, rather than how they would survive in ours.

 

[Altorin]

You that being in the uncanny valley is bad thing right? It's a description of people's negative reaction to things that are human enough that the inhuman bits stand out all the more. so yeah.
Good to know that Avatar is pretty good, might actually go see it now.

Avatar broke OUT of the uncanny valley.

Not really. It handwaved it almost entirely. All the real people were real people, all the creatures were clearly not humans.

To get past the uncanny valley, you need to make a machine or CGI character that looks so real that you can accept it as being a human, even if you're told it's a robot.

 

[Simriel]

You that being in the uncanny valley is bad thing right? It's a description of people's negative reaction to things that are human enough that the inhuman bits stand out all the more. so yeah.
Good to know that Avatar is pretty good, might actually go see it now.

Avatar broke OUT of the uncanny valley.

Not really. It handwaved it almost entirely. All the real people were real people, all the creatures were clearly not humans.

To get past the uncanny valley, you need to make a machine or CGI character that looks so real that you can accept it as being a human, even if you're told it's a robot.

They looked photo-realistic, next to the humans, unlike most CG/human interactions.

 

[Icecoldcynic]

You that being in the uncanny valley is bad thing right? It's a description of people's negative reaction to things that are human enough that the inhuman bits stand out all the more. so yeah.
Good to know that Avatar is pretty good, might actually go see it now.

Avatar broke OUT of the uncanny valley.

Not really. It handwaved it almost entirely. All the real people were real people, all the creatures were clearly not humans.

To get past the uncanny valley, you need to make a machine or CGI character that looks so real that you can accept it as being a human, even if you're told it's a robot.

It's like that film AI where the kid is a robot, but played by a human, so every time he does some robot thing, it freaks you out a lot.

 

[Avatar Roku]

snip

Well the difference here is that the prawn were aliens on OUR planet, living under OUR rules. They were restricted by the restrictions humans placed upon them, so perhaps were unable to truly express whatever culture they may possess. In Avatar, the humans were on the alien's world, and we were seeing how they were in their element, rather than how they would survive in ours.

That's true. I suppose that was sort of the point of the movie, on reflection.

 

[Icecoldcynic]

snip

Well the difference here is that the prawn were aliens on OUR planet, living under OUR rules. They were restricted by the restrictions humans placed upon them, so perhaps were unable to truly express whatever culture they may possess. In Avatar, the humans were on the alien's world, and we were seeing how they were in their element, rather than how they would survive in ours.

That's true. I suppose that was sort of the point of the movie, on reflection.

I think that's partly why I enjoyed District 9 slightly more. It was a rather unique take on the 'alien invasion' idea, in that they came to our planet supposedly fleeing disease and poverty, and ended up in a possibly even worse situation (judging from the dialogue from Christopher). I think it was a more powerful message than that of Avatar, which was more of a 'humans turn up and fuck shit up' sort of deal.