by: Andy Robinson
Terminator and Aliens director talks the future of stereoscopic 3D gaming
Hollywood director James Cameron says digital 3D technology in movie theatres could be "the next big" thing in gaming.
The Terminator and Aliens director's new 3D film, Avatar, is due in cinemas next year but Cameron says the stereoscopic projector technology could be extended to other media as well, such as games.
"That digital image can be live," Cameron said at Microsoft's Advance 08 advertising conference. "That digital image can be 3D.
"When you are viewing in stereo, which is what we do, more neurons are firing. More blood is pumping through the brain," Cameron added, noting that FPS games in particular stand to benefit.
"You are in the game," he said. "This is the ultimate immersive media."
Cameron noted that Ubisoft, which is handling game duties for Avatar, already has a stereoscopic game running on Xbox 360 with 3D glasses. But the director says displays for laptops, phones and Zunes can be made to use the 3D tech without even needing special glasses.
"Stereo production is the next big thing," he said. "We are born seeing in three dimensions. Most animals have two eyes and not one. There is a reason I think."
We must admit we were pretty impressed by the digital 3D films we've seen on the big screen, but as has been proved time and time again, the only way this tech will ever succeed in games is without the need for those rubbish 3D glasses. And Quake III 3D would cause real heart attacks.
