IndustryGamers - Informing the Games Industry

3D Games Are Like 'HD with Porn,' says Lanning

Posted August 12, 2010 by James Brightman

Sony is pushing 3D gaming hard on a corporate-wide level, with TVs, Blu-ray players, and of course the PS3 itself. Other publishers and developers are hopping on the stereoscopic bandwagon too. Crytek, for example, stuck its flag in the ground, proclaiming that Crysis games will be synonymous with 3D. When building for a 3D stereoscopic world, however, developers need to be careful, Lorne Lanning recently pointed out. 

As part of a panel at last week's [a]list summit in Napa, California, the Oddworld founder got the audience to erupt in laughter when he said that 3D is "like HD with porn; it'll make the bad look worse." Developers are used to working in a flat, 2D plane, but adding that extra dimension means that there's more you have to be aware of when you're crafting game worlds and gameplay mechanics. If not done right, it'll just be a bad experience for the gamer.

For more on the future of 3D gaming, check out the panel summary on the[a]listdaily, which also features comments from EA's Rich Hilleman and Capcom's Mike Webster.

James Brightman has been covering the games industry since 2003 and has been an avid gamer ever since the days of Atari and Intellivision. He was previously the EIC of GameDaily Biz.