Menu Close

PSXE Poll Update: Move Takes Priority Over 3D…For Now

Ben-Dutka 40 Comments

Sony plans to get rolling on two new technologies this year: PlayStation Move and 3D gaming. But which is likely to see more early adopters?

Well, unsurprisingly, it seems that most PSXE readers will be more willing to get Move before they dive into 3D gaming. Obviously, there's a much bigger price hurdle for the latter; even if you need the Eye and plan to drop $100 on Move, it's a far cry from a new 3D-enabled HDTV with 3D glasses. Furthermore, there will be more Move products immediately available out of the gate; 3D will certainly require more time to catch on, and it'll help when more and more HDTVs start to feature 3D technology. We still say things like Killzone 3 and Gran Turismo 5 could be downright amazing in 3D but for now, we have to emphasize the "could" part…until we really embrace the concept and see it for ourselves, we'll just have to hope. Move, on the other hand, has been seen and sampled by many and thus far, it's gaining quite the solid reputation. We'll also be interested in seeing how Move advances over the years; in 2012, we could have some very cool motion-oriented products on shelves.  The possibilities are almost limitless…

This week, with the summer drought staring us square in the face, we want to know how you'll be spending your catch-up time. What amazing gem of the first half of 2010 did you miss, but now fully intend to play? God of War III ? Bioshock 2 ? Red Dead Redemption ? Yeah, you can only pick one.

Read more →

Sony: The PS3 Will “Store All Types Of 3D Content”

Ben-Dutka 45 Comments

It's not just about 3D games; it's about 3D everything .

In addition to being able to play 3D video games and 3D Blu-Ray movies (the requisite patch for that should drop in September, by the way), Sony wants the PlayStation 3 to handle anything related to 3D, including television shows and even YouTube. Sony Worldwide Studios head of 3D games Mick Hocking told PSU that the PS3 would eventually become your one-stop machine for your 3D entertainment.

"Crucially for us, PlayStation 3 will be able to store all types of 3D content. And we can do this through properly upgrading the Firmware on the platform. So you'll see 3D games in the next 12 months, you'll see Blu-ray movies in 3D, and as soon as the broadcasts start through our PlayTV services, you're going to watch 3D content [via that].

YouTube will be supporting 3D content over the next 12 months as well – and you'll be able to watch that on the PlayStation 3. And as you start taking 3D pictures of your family or 3D camcorder movies, you can play those back on PS3, too."

3D, 3D, 3D. It's gonna be everywhere. Hopefully, by the time it really starts to penetrate the market, those glasses will have dropped in price. The price of 3D-compatible TVs might fall a bit as well, but I wouldn't expect them to fall too far; industry analysts said late last year that HDTV prices had essentially bottomed out, and they appear to be right so far. But hey, everything gets cheaper over time, right? And I'm ready to go…gots my 3D HDTV. …just need something in 3D I want to see/play.

Read more →

Possible Health Concerns Associated With 3D Viewing

Ben-Dutka 58 Comments

The world is getting all excited about 3D movie viewing and gaming and while it certainly sounds amazing, there may be some potential health risks involved, especially for younger children.

Those of you who plan to purchase the Nintendo 3DS for your kids or have a mind to bring 3D viewing into your home via a 3D HDTV and the PlayStation 3, should probably read this Audioholics article . You can form your own conclusions, but it talks about how humans utilize stereoscopic vision and how continued exposure to 3D video viewing could, theoretically, mess with that ability. Stereoscopic vision begins developing when we first start using our eyes, and most experts agree that it's complete by the time we turn six. That's when the nerves and muscles behind the eye are "fully formed and have learned to work in conjunction with the brain to respond automatically to visual cues that provide seamless depth of vision."

However, you may not know about strabismus:

"Unfortunately there’s a malaise in children that can prevent full stereopsis from developing, called strabismus. This condition is also called lazy-eye but has nothing to do with laziness; it’s an abnormal alignment of the eyes in which the eyes don’t focus on the same object and depth perception is compromised.

There is treatment for strabismus that involves helping a child’s nervous system to learn stereopsis, causing it to eventually become a natural response. But the ability to re-learn has its limitations, and treatment has been met with limited success beyond a certain age."

Recent medical evidence suggests that the nervous system "never stops learning and re-learing" so in other words, it's never too late to treat strabismus…while on the flip side of the coin, it's never too late to contract strabismus. The chances of contracting this illness lessens after the age of seven and – presumably – as we get older, but the risk may still be there. Just something to consider from a health standpoint.

Personally, I have no intention of over-indulging in 3D; I've always believed that might have some sort of backlash, like headaches or something.

Read more →