Sheridan College Creates 3D Game That Does Not Require 3D Glasses



By Paul Hunter

Not convinced that Canada is the coolest gaming country in the world? Aside from the, you know, hundreds of news items discussed right here on NextGen Player, how about this -- Sheridan College has created the first ever real-time stereoscopic 3D video game that does not require 3D glasses. Oh yes, it's true. Read on.

The game, called IC3D (get it, "I see 3D", har har!) was a showpiece on display in the Ontario House Pavilion at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, and was used to introduce Vancouver guests to some of Ontario's most well-known tourist attractions.

"The cutting edge technology of Sheridan’s 3D Game showcases our province’s tourism icons like never before. The world will see in a unique and innovative way that there truly is no place like Ontario to live, visit and invest,” said Michael Chan, Ontario’s Minister of Tourism and Culture.

So how does the technology work? A Toronto-based company called Spatial View has built its own proprietary 3D displays which creates a glasses-free 3D image with a special stereoscopic overlay on display screens. The technology allows for up to five channels of video to display concurrently providing an authentic 3D experience.

Using a BlackBerry smartphone as game controllers, players are required to assemble 3D puzzles of the popular Ontario tourist attractions. The pieces of each attraction appear scattered within the 3D environment and up to five players can work collaboratively to assemble the attraction. Once the puzzle is solved, a multimedia presentation of the attraction is displayed on each player's handheld device.

Nifty eh! Check out the clip above to see it in action.

Source: Metro News Toronto