Check Out Cool New 3D Television Shows From Beampath3D!

Check out some cool new 3D television shows that Beampath3D has produced. These guys are serious about 3D and have lined up some very interesting stuff! Namely, a 3D shark documentary entitled SHARK DEFENDERS, a paranormal 3D series called ANOMALY 3D and a children's 3D television show - DOLPHIN LIFE 3D.

Here's the synopsis for SHARK DEFENDERS: 
Monsters lurk in our oceans...
...and they are slaughtering an estimated 250,000 sharks PER DAY.
Shark Defenders 3D is the first made-for-3DTV documentary to chronicle research and conservation efforts to save rapidly diminishing shark populations. Coming soon to Next3D and other 3D TV outlets. Check back soon to view the Shark Defenders 3D trailer and for air dates. 

Here's the synopsis for ANOMALY 3D:
Anomaly is the worlds-first 3D television program to focus on the paranormal and unexplained. Anomaly uses never-before-seen 3D night vision cameras and new production techniques to immerse viewers in the world’s most unusual and frightening locations. The show’s 1-hour docu-reality format is fast paced, entertaining and often chilling. You can download a preview of the show here, including 2D options if you're not set up for S3D yet.

In order to accomplish what Beampath3D have done to date, they have had to put on their inventor's hat as well. They have come up with some very cool technology to assist them in their 3D content creation including a NightVision Beamsplitter (clearly needed for ANOMALY 3D), a 4K Red Scarlet Beamsplitter and 3DHD Underwater capabilities.

You can catch these shows in 3D through Next3D, a company who delivers stereoscopic content to the home at the highest quality, over broadband, cable and satellite connections. They are a pay-per-view service with absolutely no monthly subscriptions or contracts. You need a broadband Internet connection, a PC + graphics card + NVIDIA's 3DVision or 3DTV Play software, 3D glasses, and a 3D-ready TV, projector or monitor. Next3D delivers these shows, plus movies, documentaries, sports and concerts too.

If you've got the equipment - check them out! I'll have more updates from these guys as it happens - they have some very cool things percolating!

Ingenuity Engine Delivers Smokin’ Stereo VFX for A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS

Stoner comedy fans have a new reason to celebrate this holiday season, with the release of the first major 3D feature in the genre, A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS. For his directorial debut, Todd Strauss-Schulson looked to visual effects company Ingenuity Engine to help him create self-aware 3D gags and over-the-top visuals that deliver the kind of high art fans of the genre hunger for.

Working with production VFX Supervisor David Goldberg, Ingenuity Engine VFX Supervisors David Lebensfeld and Grant Miller created 125 visual effects shots that take Harold and Kumar across New York City to find a Christmas tree, stumbling into trouble (and Neil Patrick Harris!) at every turn. The effects encompass everything from a 100% computer generated (CG) flaming Christmas tree exploding out of a window to 3D egg throwing and Nativity scene gags, CG robot drumline dance numbers and more.

While Ingenuity Engine had plenty of VFX experience through its years of commercial, music video and TV series work, “Harold & Kumar” marked the company’s first major studio feature, and its first stereo 3D project. Since camera metadata was not recorded on set, Miller and Lebensfeld developed a tool to preview the stereo depth of visual effects shots using proxy geometry in the Foundry’s Nuke compositor. Using NVIDIA’s 3D Vision for stereo review on their existing Quadro-equipped workstations, this methodology allowed artists to accurately match the depth in the live action plates in an interactive preview. The stereo camera and geometry were then transferred from Nuke to Autodesk 3ds Max animation software for final rendering.

The shot of the Christmas tree catching fire, which kicks off Harold & Kumar’s quest, was particularly challenging. “Initially they were going to shoot a real tree on a stage, but by doing it all CG we saved the filmmakers a 2-day shoot, fire permits and tens of thousands of dollars,” said Lebensfeld.

The following shot of the flaming tree exploding through a window (featured in the movie’s trailer) was originally shot live, but then re-created in 100% CG to enable it to ‘hang’ in the air for a different look. Using their stereo preview tools, Ingenuity Engine artists initially created the scene in Nuke, matching the live action depth and post-vizing the animation. Artists then transferred the scene to 3ds Max where they created an entirely CG tree, shattering glass and sparks. The explosive effect was topped off with CG fire created in FumeFX.

“Being able to review proper full-color stereo on our artist workstations here was huge,” said Miller. “We were able to create the 3D shots with fewer rounds of notes and review depth in real time with the director.”

Lebensfeld added, “Because we use small teams of multi-disciplined artists, we’re nimble and able to adopt new methodologies and implement new software really quickly. Our approach has always been to work smart and fast, and focus on really helping the production. Operational flexibility is key.”

About Ingenuity Engine
Ingenuity Engine is Hollywood-based visual effects and design studio founded in 2004. The company has a reputation for nimbleness and creative experimentation, and has provided VFX and creative post for hundreds of commercials and music videos; serving top brands including Mazda, Sears, Asics, Coca-Cola and more and garnering MTV Music Video Awards for their work. Ingenuity Engine’s VFX credits include television episodics Parks & Recreation and Happy Endings and the feature film A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas. The company is in production on the upcoming feature Detention from director Joseph Kahn. www.ievfx.com

PassmoreLab’s Acclaimed 3D Films Coming to NVIDIA’s 3DVisionLive.com

Extreme Sports Films, Nature Docs and Cult Classic “Night of the Living Dead, Now in 3D” Available on 3DVisionLive.com in April!

San Diego, CA (Feb 29, 2011) (emphasis is mine) – The latest titles from PassmoreLab’s extensive library of 3D content will soon be available online to fans worldwide. Today, the San Diego-based 3D film studio announced that it has licensed a number of its latest 3D films to NVIDIA for 3DVisionLive.com, the company’s 3D online community and content destination.

3DVisionLive.com is an online community where NVIDIA® 3D Vision™ technology users can enjoy and share a broad range of 3D content on their PCs. It allows them to stream 3D films, trailers, music videos, sport clips, and video shorts, as well as upload, share and view full-resolution 3D photos.

“The mission of 3DVisionLive.com is to bring great 3D experiences to 3D Vision users and ultimately provide a marketplace for great 3D content,” said Phil Eisler, general manager of 3D Vision, NVIDIA. “NVIDIA is delighted to have PassmoreLab join the growing list of high-quality 3D content available for the world to enjoy easily inside their web browser.”

The licensing agreement consists of seven titles from PassmoreLab, with more to follow. Specifically, the titles include:
• The original 1968 George Romero zombie thriller “Night of the Living Dead, Now in 3D!”
• Ed Wood’s 1959 cult classic “Plan 9 from Outer Space, Now in 3D!”
• Science documentaries “The Extreme Nature of Bats” and “Microworlds”
• Extreme downhill skateboard racing documentary “DROP 3D: My Life Downhill”
• Extreme snowmobile documentary “S:4 The Product”
• The PassmoreLab original animated short “Holy Moly”

“The adoption rate of 3D PCs is outpacing all other 3D delivery devices,” said Greg Passmore, president of PassmoreLab. “Working with NVIDIA is significant because it means our content will now be enjoyed on notebooks and desktops anywhere in the world.”

Analysts estimate about 75M 3D PCs will be sold per year within five years. (Source: Jon Peddie Research, 75 million PCs in 2014). The 3D Vision ecosystem now includes 1,000 products, including notebook and desktop PCs, displays, TVs, projectors, video applications, cameras/camcorders, GPUs, games, and the world’s first online 3D community – 3DVisionLive.com.

“It’s an exciting time for 3D, as art and technology continue to gain new ground,” said Steve Glum, PassmoreLab’s Head of Branding & Distribution. “As consumers, now we can all enjoy 3D anytime, wherever we happen to be – in offices, coffee shops, or sidewalk cafes.”

To experience PassmoreLab’s 3D films via 3DVisionLive.com, users will need a compatible NVIDIA® GeForce™ GPU-equipped PC, a 3D Vision Ready monitor and NVIDIA’s 3D Vision active shutter glasses and software, which are available for purchase at the NVIDIA store. A complete list of system requirements can be found at: http://www.3dvisionlive.com/requirements

About PassmoreLab
Passmorelab, the San Diego-based multi-media 3D production studio, has the world’s largest library of 3D content available for licensing. The studio custom-designs and builds its own RED camera 3D rigs for both conventional and rugged film productions. Passmorelab’s proprietary technology for state-of-the-art 3D post-production is known in the industry for quick turnaround times and competitive costs. Additional offices in Russia and the Philippines. More at www.passmorelab.com, or contact Steve Glum (steve(at)passmorelab(dot)com, 858.200.5813.

Great to hear this news! PassmoreLab's award winning S3D content is a pleasure to watch. More when I get it!

PassmoreLab is a sponsor of MarketSaw

Got NVIDIA's 3D Vision? Check Out 3DVisionLive For 3D Streaming!!

Awesome! If you would like some more 3D content to enjoy at home on your NVIDIA 3D Vision powered computer, check out their new streaming site 3DVisionLive!

To ensure you have the latest drivers to play the content be sure to drop here. Once set up, it is glorious to behold! Watch anything from MUMMIES 3D: SECRETS OF THE PHARAOHS to the RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE trailer - all in S3D.

If you haven't got 3D Vision yet, what's taking you so long? :-) The 3D gaming alone is worth it! Buy it here.

Gaming Giant Ubisoft Forsees a 50% Marketshare For 3D By 2012!!

You read that right! Yves Guillemot, CEO of Ubisoft, spoke the company line during a conference call this week and said that he expects 15-20% of gaming titles will adopt 3D in 2011 and 50% in 2012!

Personally I believe he is bang on. With Sony's Playstation going 3D (looks like KILLZONE 3 will be S3D!), Nintendo coming out with their "no 3D glasses required" 3DS by March 2011 (more info here) and NVIDIA excelling with their 3D Vision technology for the PC, we are witnessing a 3D gaming renaissance.

I can't get enough of it really. I run NVIDIA's setup here in my office and it rocks! Every new title seems to better the previous one as developers master new techniques and start to envision in 3D what will happen on screen for gamers. You have got to try it!!

S3DHD Gamers Rejoice! NVIDIA Bringing 3D Gaming To Panasonic 3DTVs

Jim here. NVIDIA announced today a partnership with Panasonic and will be joining the "Panasonic Touch the Future Tour" to show off the graphics card maker's new 3DTV Play - a software solution that allows consumers to connect their new S3DHD TVs to compatible GeForce powered computers. Of course, Panasonic just launched their lineup of new VIERA 3DTVs this month.

So what does this mean to consumers? It means you have the power and versatility of S3DHD PC gaming on much larger screens. Further, the active shutter glasses that come with each VIERA 3DTV also works with NVIDIA's GPUs.

Take a look at the features (coming later this spring):
• Can be run on GeForce GPU-based desktop or notebook PCs equipped with an HDMI or DVI connector
• Full support for all HDMI 1.4-compatible 3D TVs, including Panasonic VIERA Plasma full HD 3D TVs
• Enables 1080p24, 720p60, and 720p50 3D formats
• Advanced NVIDIA software and graphics drivers automatically convert more than 400 games to stereoscopic 3D in real time, without the need for special patches.
• Enjoy full HD Blu-ray 3D playback with real-time GPU accelerated decoding and playback on GeForce GPUsi
• Watch streaming 3D movies
• View 3D photographs directly on the 3D TV
• NVIDIA 3DTV Play software will be available later this spring and sold separately with an anticipated U.S. MSRP of $39.99. It will also be available for free for current NVIDIA 3D Vision™ customers.

“NVIDIA is all about raising the bar of PC gaming, and gamers are going to love playing in 3D on one of the new Panasonic VIERA 50-inch full HD 3D TVs,” said Phil Eisler, general manager of 3D Vision technology at NVIDIA. “This is truly one of those ‘must experience to believe it’ moments, and we are ecstatic that consumers will have the chance to try it for themselves on any of our 15 stops across the US.”

Want to try all this excitement first hand? You can! Check out these tour cities and dates and make it on your calendar:
Tour dates and locations are:
3/15 - 3/17 New York, Penn Pavilion, 401 7th Ave at 33rd St
3/15 - 3/17 Chicago, Tribune 445, 445 S. Michigan Avenue
3/15 - 3/17 Los Angeles, Hollywood and Highland, 801 Hollywood Boulevard
3/20 - 3/22 Boston, Copley Place, 2 Copley Place
3/22 - 3/24 Detroit, Detroit Opera House, 1526 Broadway
3/22 - 3/24 Scottsdale, Fashion Square Mall, 7014 East Camelback Road
3/25 - 3/27 Philadelphia, King of Prussia Mall, North Gulph Road
3/29 - 3/31 Minneapolis, IDS Tower, 80 8th Street South
3/29 - 3/31 San Francisco, One Market Plaza, 1 Market Street
3/31 - 4/2 Washington, Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Ave, NE
4/6 - 4/8 Dallas, Grapevine Mills Mall, 3000 Grapevine Mills Parkway
4/6 - 4/8 Seattle, Top of the Market, 93 Pike Street, Suite 307
4/7 - 4/9 Atlanta, 595 North, 595 North Ave, NW Atlanta
4/12 - 4/14 Houston, The Warehouse, 4108 Dupont Street
4/15 - 4/17 Miami, Ice Palace, 59 Northwest 14th Street

Want another reason to go? You will have a chance to win a complete Panasonic full HD 3D home theater system—featuring a Panasonic VIERA® 50” full HD 3D TV, a Panasonic 3D Blu-ray Disc player, and a pair of Panasonic 3D Eyewear. One of these systems will be given away at EACH market listed above! If that isn't motivation I don't know what is. After you come back from the event, let me know what you think!

NVIDIA is a sponsor of MarketSaw

METRO 2033 To Support NVIDIA's 3D Vision, DX11 !!

Jim here. THQ and NVIDIA have announced that METRO 2033 will be supported by the graphics card maker's 3D Vision technology. Further, PhysX will also be featured.

METRO 2033 is a first person shooter that will make use of the most advanced DirectX 11 techniques ever seen.

Click images to zoom.

"Our engineers have been working closely with 4A Games to ensure that Metro 2033 takes full advantage of some of the spectacular effects made possible with the next generation of DX11 hardware," said Tony Tamasi, SVP, Content & Technology at NVIDIA. "The 4A Engine is one of the most advanced game engines we’ve ever worked with, and with DX11 enabled, Metro 2033 is undoubtedly one of the best looking PC games of 2010. Combine this with NVIDIA 3D Vision and PhysX and you will experience mind-blowing visuals."

The METRO 2033 video game is set in the shattered subway of a post apocalyptic Moscow, Metro 2033 is a story of intensive underground survival where the fate of mankind rests in your hands.

In 2013, the world was devastated by an apocalyptic event, annihilating almost all mankind and turning the earth’s surface into a poisonous wasteland. A handful of survivors took refuge in the depths of the Moscow underground, and human civilization entered a new Dark Age.

The year is 2033. An entire generation has been born and raised underground, and their besieged Metro Station-Cities struggle for survival, with each other, and the mutant horrors that await outside.

You are Artyom, born in the last days before the fire, but raised Underground. Having never ventured beyond your Metro Station-City limits, one fateful event sparks a desperate mission to the heart of the Metro system, to warn the remnants of mankind of a terrible impending threat. Your journey takes you from the forgotten catacombs beneath the subway to the desolate wastelands above, where your actions will determine the fate of mankind.

Man, this sounds like a ton o' fun. I will be definitely checking this out with my 3D Vision system the second it is out.

Look for METRO 2033 in PC and Xbox 360 formats on March 16 in North America and Germany, March 18 in Australia and March 19 for the UK and Europe.

Sony's PS3 and NVIDIA's 3D Vision Are The Tip Of The S3D Gaming Spear!!

Jim here. Wow - CES really has our heads spinning with stereoscopic 3D (S3D) announcements and product unveilings! Not the least of which is S3D gaming...

Of note is Sony's PS3. From what I can see, Sony plans on using the Playstation 3 as the centerpiece of their company's S3D products, and justifiably so. The PS3 has the ability to update its firmware over the Internet whenever it needs to - and that includes 3D.

There will be two firmware updates in 2010 for the PS3: The first will add S3D GAMING functionality to the console. The second will bring S3D MOVIE functionality. To the best of my knowledge, these updates will be FREE and will certainly support their awesome new lineup of S3DHD televisions - including the new HDMI 1.4 spec.

Those firmware updates will obviously be preceded by game developers SDKs (Solution Development Kits) for the industry. That way we can anticipate a nice selection of S3D content for consumers when the time comes to upgrade.

Well that pretty much sums up the consoles as Microsoft is practically standing still with regards to S3D. However, in Microsoft standard operating procedure you can use a third party's solution to achieve it - for example, Next3D's fine technology for the XBOX 360.

So what about PC S3DHD gaming? NVIDIA of course. NVIDIA's 3D Vision solution is amazing. I use it everyday and I am still dazzled over the effects. I don't know where ATI is while all this S3D excitement is going on - if they don't act fast they will miss this boat.

Take for example DRAGON AGE ORIGINS. I have been playing this for a while now and I am STUNNED at how well the 3D looks. Sure, the menu systems and cinematics are not in 3D - I don't care about that anyway. But once in the game, you can freeze the action to give instructions to your characters in 'stop time' - AND you can swing the camera around a full 360 degrees, panning, tilting and zooming (no dollying :-) in full 3D. And it is remarkable. It really is. It is something you have to witness for yourself as no amount of verbal disclosure comes close to the enjoyment I get out of this game in S3DHD.

Further, at CES NVIDIA announced their 3D Surround technology which enables S3D to be displayed on three monitors side by side for a wraparound effect. Or, if you have the inclination, three projectors on one very wide screen - this eliminates the monitor frames from your field of view. All of this essentially gives you 6 million pixels at 120Hz. Their new GF100 or Fermi GPU is really supposed to rock with 3D too!

NVIDIA showed off their 3D Vision technology with new Blu-ray 3D software players as well, including Arsoft's TotalMedia Theatre 3 and Cyberlink's PowerDVD Ultra. They played trailers for Disney's TOY STORY 3, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, ALICE IN WONDERLAND and others.

Of course they had existing S3D games on display like AVATAR, BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM (I am still playing this one - look for a review soon!), DARK VOID and JUST CAUSE 2 to name a few.

On the stunningly cool side, NVIDIA gave the world's first sneak peek of YouTube 3D, running on a new S3D demo version of Adobe Flash Player using the NVIDIA 3D Vision shutter glasses. Once this is up and live for the world, there will be MASSIVE S3D user generated content out there. Next3D will also provide a repository for user 3D clips. Can't wait! Exciting times for the 3D industry.

These are the two 3D innovators that you should keep your eye on the most as a consumer. Sure Panasonic is right up there too (I have my eye on that 152" screen hah!), but for end to end commitment to S3DHD as a large company, I would watch Sony and NVIDIA right now. Trust me. :-) Oh and Next3D is a definite up and comer...

Sony audience photo by Amy-Mae Elliott
Next3D is a sponsor of MarketSaw

NVIDIA Demonstrates their 3D Ecosystem

Michael here. Yesterday I saw a demonstration of a variety of 3D products powered by Nvidia's 3D Vision technology.

1. I saw ASUS' G51J3D 15.6 inch 3D laptop. The quality of the 3D images I viewed on the 120Hz screen was as good as it gets. NVIDIA has worked with laptop manufacturers over the past year to bring 3D-capable laptops into existence. From what I saw today, their efforts have paid off. Expect many more laptop manufacturers to debut Nvidia-based 3D models soon.

2. I got to play with Fujifilm's FinePix Real 3D Camera. The camera features an autostereocopic screen and produces stunning 3D images, which I then viewed on the ASUS laptop using a 3D image viewing program utilizing Nvidia's technology.

3. Avatar The Game in 3D, running on a Viewsonic screen, powered by Nvidia. The 3D in this PC version of the game was incredibly immersive. The 3D not only created depth behind the screen plane, but scenery and objects came out in front as well. When I played I felt like I was actually exploring Pandora.

4. NVIDIA is also set to fully support the upcoming 3D Blu-ray standard. I saw a demonstration of a film clip running in 3D off a desktop computer using a mockup of the 3D Blu-ray standards, and it looked spectacular.

5. NVIDIA is working with Youtube, Flickr, Facebook, and more to enable 3D on these platforms.

Look for tons of 3D-related announcements from NVIDIA and others at CES 2010.

Thanks to Bryan and Matt from NVIDIA for taking the time to demonstrate their technology, and to Debby for arranging the meeting!

NVIDIA Expanding 3D Ecosystem! 3D Gaming Set To Explode...

Jim here. It's happening! Next up of course is the upcoming launch of the ASUS G51J3D in December with it's 15.6" screen. If you happen to be in New York City tomorrow (Nov 19), check out the Wine, Dine & Demo which is focused on the ASUS laptop. Go to www.pepcom.com for more details.

We are now getting word on other OEMs (Manufacturers) that are joining the "3D Ecosystem": LG, Clevo, CPT and MSI to name a few. LG is building the next generation of 120Hz notebook panels with full support for the NVIDIA 3D Ecosystem, while the others will have S3D laptops emerging very soon.

From CNN: "We are extremely excited about bringing the first NVIDIA 3D Vision notebook to market," said PC Wang, Corporate Vice President & General Manager, Notebook Business Unit, System Business Group at ASUS. "NVIDIA and ASUS have a passion for gaming and cutting-edge technology, and this is another example of how great companies working together can deliver awesome new platforms to our combined customers."

"NVIDIA 3D Vision is by far the most immersive, highest quality, full-resolution stereoscopic 3D technology available today," said Ryan Chung, Chief Director of Notebook Business Unit of CPT. "This is an exciting time for users, who will finally be able to see their games, movies and pictures with true 3D depth."

"LG Display is planning to fully support NVIDIA 3D Vision technology with our next generation of 120Hz notebook panels," said David Choi, Vice President, LG Display.

"We look forward to bringing NVIDIA 3D Vision-capable notebooks to the market," said Stephen Chien, WW Sales and Marketing VP at Clevo. "The era of 3D is upon us, and immersive 3D gaming and movie-watching is indeed an exciting proposition."

"NVIDIA 3D Vision is the best 3D technology available today," said Vincent Sung, VP of Notebook Engineering team at MSI. "We are excited about developing new MSI notebooks that offer this awesome technology and bring 3D gaming and movies to the masses." "NVIDIA's 3D Vision technology provides the best 3D experience that we have seen, and we look forward to bringing this technology to market on notebook panels," said SH Moon, Vice President, Samsung Electronics. "Samsung LCD Division is fully behind NVIDIA's 3D Vision ecosystem."

There is obviously a tremendous corporate movement going on here and in the right direction. I have been an active shutter advocate for home S3D gaming for years now. It's finally coming to fruition and I couldn't be happier. Who is going to win? Gamers. Stay tuned!

3D Gaming Takes Off On Laptops! 3D Vision Leading The Way

Jim here. Acer has some competition now. Asus is coming out with TWO new 3D gaming laptops outfitted with NVIDIA's 3D Vision technology - so active shutter glasses. Active Shutter is the best option for gaming and home entertainment at this point and simply blows away Acer's entry (that uses polarization and a thin film on the computer screen). Asus' has much better 3D performance according to Reg Hardware.

The G51J3D will be released in December using NVIDIA's GeForce GTX160M graphics chip with 1GB of dedicated DDR 3 memory and a 15.6" screen.

The G72GX will see light in Q2, 2010 with a 17.3" screen. The GPU is still under wraps at this point. Both versions will utilize Intel's Core i7 CPUs with 4GB memory and 2 x 320 HDD.

Would love to test the larger unit out! Being able to pack up and move your 3D gaming system is great for visiting friends and setting up a quick "same room" session. More on these products when I get it!

S3D Gaming Review: RESIDENT EVIL 5 - 94/100

Jim here. Time for our S3D Gaming Review of RESIDENT EVIL 5! Take it from me, these guys know what they are doing. Simply spectacular 3D effects and immersion while all the time fulfilling the need for action and story. Capcom powered by NVIDIA really have outdone themselves with RE5. But don't just take my word for it! Metacritic gave it an 87 and Gamerankings an 88.

Lets talk about the stereoscopic 3D aspects of the experience first!

RESIDENT EVIL 5 is the first gaming title to be fully certified for the "3D Vision Ready" logo - and it looks it! Blood actually appears to fly off the screen at you. And yes, these gimmicks are tailor made for 3D gaming - kind of like the opposite of movies where you simply want to be immersed. Gaming with 3D Vision makes you feel like you are intimately involved! One of the first scenes that I really noticed how well this is done is the motorcycle scene. I found myself ducking :-) What is very cool about this scene too is that they combine elements of gameplay with cinematics - I won't go on too much about that though! Don't want to spoil it for you. And yes. All cinematics are in stereoscopic 3D (S3D) as well! I will mention a few highlights for me during the game and while I will not elaborate too much, there are small spoilers.

The gaming experience starts with the menus and I must say, they are the best I have ever seen. Seriously. A simple thing like menus can make a huge difference in the experience! ALL of it is S3D. Even the menus - floating spores are seemingly right in front of your eyes but still allowing you to clearly interact with your options and selections. It's all very creepy. I chose the easiest setting. You see I have a thing about zombies and I am just not quite prepared for the massive onslaught of the highest levels. YET. 

For suspense I don't think it gets any better than in the mines. One of the characters has to pack up their weapon and carry a lantern to illuminate their path and the shadows are AMAZING. The light from the few lightbulbs down there shine right in your eyes as you walk/run by. Obviously the lantern bearer cannot defend themselves and that adds to the excitement! And there is always a delay to see things when you change the direction you are looking as the lantern must be turned to match your view.

NVIDIA's 3D Vision:
Setting up NVIDIA's 3D Vision couldn't be easier really. The hardware is easy to use and understand - you just plug in the 3D IR device in a USB port, make sure your glasses are charged up (or use them while they are charging - again, a simple USB cord). The system auto-detects when you have started a 3D game, video or photo viewing session and kicks in the glasses. The glasses even come with two additional nose pieces to optimize the unit for your own needs! One thing to pay close attention to is the drivers - but NVIDIA is trying to make this as painless as possible. For me, 3D gaming was perfect from the get-go.

I used Steam for my gameplay and it works flawlessly. Love how the full game downloads in the background and lets you know when it is ready to be played.

Lets get to the gameplay!!
RE5 was released on September 15 with a rating of Mature. The story takes place years after the events of Raccoon City (previous RESIDENT EVIL location) and bands together two members of the Bio-terrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA) to figure out what is going on. Chris Redfield (survivor of the original game's Arklay Mansion) teams up with Sheva Alomar in a fictitious region of Africa to investigate suspicious activity. You play one of them.

The game has an awesome new co-op mode too - you have to work together for some aspects - or perish. The second character can be AI driven, or be played by another human through Windows Live. I have not utilized this yet, but I am told it is optimized for syncing up with another player after you have entered into a game chapter (there are other ways too, but a bit more cumbersome). Further, when your Windows Live companion leaves the session, the game's AI takes over seamlessly! You will unlock achievements very much along the lines of what Microsoft does with the XBOX 360 - some hilariously named.


You CAN use game controllers for the game which is nice, but I prefer the vast number of options that a keyboard/mouse provide. Hot swapping weapons based on inventory slot number is vital too :-)

During the game you must seek out gold, ammunition, the occasional weapon, and treasures. Everything can be sold to build up your savings to buy or upgrade your inventory. I think the in-game and setup equipment screens are very well done allowing you to see and adjust both you and your partner's stuff when needed.

When you or your partner dies, you are sent to the zombie zealousness screen as I refer to it :-) You are in first person and witness the hacking of your body as you perish most horribly. Yep. It's in 3D.

The chapter set up works. While loading, you are presented with a brief history item from the RESIDENT EVIL archive. Saves are made at logical locations and it is a breeze to relaunch where you have left off. One item of gameplay that bothered me was not being able to walk or run while aiming your weapon - I suppose your targeting would be all over the place but one might still be able to master it. I would like to see that corrected. But other than that I give the game a full 94 out of 100. I will be playing this one for quite some time - can't wait to explore the harder levels. It is rock solid and a blast to play! Recommended in S3D of course!

Here's the system I built and used for this review :
Resident Evil 5
Windows 7 64 Home Premium
Intel Core 2 Quad 2.66GHz
4GB Dual Channel Corsair 1066 DDR2 Memory
EVGA GTX285 1MB DDR3 PCI-Express 2.0 Graphics Card
NVIDIA GeForce 3D Vision Kit
Asus P5QL/EPU Motherboard
Western Digital 650GB Sata Hard Drive (this is actually a bottleneck - will try to get a SSD soon)
Antec TruePower 750W Blue Power Supply
Altec Lansing Speakers
Logitech Wave Keyboard and MX 620 Wireless Mouse
Coolermaster HAF 922 Case
Samsung 120Hz 2233RZ 22" 3D Monitor 

System recommendations are:
OS: Microsoft Windows Vista 32/64 bit or Windows 7 32/64 bit.
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon X2 CPU or higher.
RAM: 2GB system memory.
HDD: 100MB free disk space. 

Other Display recommendations:
DISPLAY: Either the Samsung monitor above or the ViewSonic FuHzion VX2265. Alternatively you could use a 100Hz or higher analog CRT.
HDTV: You can use a 1080p DLP TV - see NVIDIA's site for more details.
PROJECTOR: Various projectors can also be used such as the DepthQ HD 3D Projector.
GRAPHICS CARD: GTX 260 or better; GeForce 9800 GX2 or GTX+; or the GeForce 8800 Ultra or GTX.

3D Gaming Monitor Upgrade Coming Soon? Looks Like It!

Jim here. Looks like we may have another 3D capable monitor in play by the end of the year! 3D PC gamers using NVIDIA's 3D Vision technology have been able to choose from only 2 monitors recently, both 22" and running at 1680x1050p and 16:10 aspect ratio (I have the Samsung - the other is a ViewSonic).

Now comes Acer and their 24" 120hz, 1920x1080p, 16:9 aspect ratio monitor and it does look quite nice (orange IS my fav color). My GTX 285 should be able to handle the upgrade if I can get my hands on it. :-)

No word on pricing or other specs yet, but I suspect that it will be all over the Interwebs soon enough if they are releasing it by 2010. Can't wait to see it in action!

Source: twisted-reviews

First Impressions: RESIDENT EVIL 5 In Stereoscopic 3D Vision!

Jim here. WOW. I am stunned at how great RESIDENT EVIL 5 looks! To those of you not in the know, I just finished building my stereoscopic 3D gaming PC (powered by NVIDIA's GTX 285 and 3D Vision technology) and the first thing I put on it was this awesome zombie hunting game!

I will have a full review soon, but I wanted to share with you my first thoughts. Once I finished downloading the game with my Steam client, I was up and running very quickly (a brief side trip to create my Windows Live gaming account).

Right from the get-go I was into it: The menu screens have floating 'spores' that float in front of the text and man was it impressive. Getting right to gameplay, they have done an outstanding job. Small details like the sun giving a optical beam effect when looking through windows (coming right at you), or dust particles giving a floating effect for example.

Zombie hunting is cool too! You get a 3D effect for aiming your weapon (right mouse button) that traces a laser sight to your target.

Ghosting is very, very minimal. You have to look for it and once in the game - forget it - there is no way to notice very small nuances like that.

I have yet to put any solid game time into it yet, but very soon! Stay tuned for that review!! Hats off to NVIDIA and CAPCOM for this joint S3D effort. Amazing indeed. This stuff WORKS.

Want To See The Next Big Gaming Sensation? SILHOUETTE 3D!!

Jim here. Just saw some very interesting clips of Softkinetic's SILHOUETTE in action at NVIDIA GTC 2009! Awesome really.

Taking a cue from DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION and some outstanding innovation, Softkinetic has come up with a winner. Players simple stand in front of their televisions with their NVIDIA 3D Vision glasses on and watch the "silhouette" shape that they must make approach them as a shadow would on a wall.

I suspect that these approaching walls can be sped up and the shapes made outrageously hard! Now I am 6'6" so I don't know if I can even fit through them :-) Looks like fun though - my kids will enjoy laughing at me. I am pretty sure that this game will be a hit, especially in 3D.

Wrap Up From World Premiere: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, NOW IN 3D!

Jim here. San Diego-based 3D producer PassmoreLab, in conjunction with the Johnny Ramone Army, has confirmed that the iconic rocker’s memorial tribute was the largest ever, with approximately 3,000 fans showing up to pay homage to the guitarist and witness the World Premiere of “Night of the Living Dead, Now in 3D!” during the 5th Annual Johnny Ramone Tribute, which took place at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 3, 2009.

Ramones’ guitarist Johnny Ramone created the enduring template for punk rock guitar. With his blazing power chords and brutal licks energizing Ramones' classics like "Blitzkrieg Bop", "Rockaway Beach" and “Sheena is a Punk Rocker", Johnny inspired generations of punk bands until his untimely death from prostate cancer in 2004. His annual tribute, now in its fifth year, takes place at the foot of his 8 ft. memorial bronze statue inside the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Attending Hollywood celebrities and rockstars included actress Rose McGowan, actress Rosanna Arquette, actress PJ Soles, actress Virginia Madsen, actors David Arquette and Vincent Gallo, Sex Pistol’s Steve Jones, musician Pete Yorn, X’s Billy Zoom, radio personality Joe Escalante of the Vandals, Stan Lee of The Dickies, the Ramones’ Tommy Ramone, CJ Ramone and many more.

"This year’s event was spectacular and turned out to be everything we’d hoped for," said John Cafiero, Chief of Staff of the Johnny Ramone Army. "It was just a great night all around. The event was rich and diverse as a whole and so was the crowd. Commandos assembled from all over the world and it was the biggest turnout we’ve ever seen at the annual Tribute. I think Johnny would be proud.”

The event was a fundraiser with net proceeds benefiting the Johnny Ramone research fund at USC Westside Prostate Cancer Center lead by Dr. David Agus.

Fans enjoyed a full evening of Rock ‘N Roll and movie magic in both 2D and 3D with a vintage 1977 Ramone’s concert film “It’s Alive”; the rarely-seen “Rock ‘N Roll High School” original theatrical trailer, which was introduced by special guest PJ Soles, the original Riff Randall from the film; “Night of the Living Pinheads”, a unique clip from the “Ramones RAW” DVD where the band is seen in South America and their van is being mobbed by adoring fans fittingly intercut with shots from “Night of the Living Dead”; a rare memorabilia exhibit; an art show of original paintings by the legendary Ramones bassist Dee Dee Ramone; opening featurettes of animated music videos from the Johnny Ramone Army and the world premiere of Osaka Popstar’s “Wicked World” 3D video; NVIDIA’s new 3D Vision presentation of the horror game “Resident Evil 5”; and never-before-seen 3D photos of Johnny Ramone himself.

The evening concluded with the 3D World Premiere of George Romero’s original 1968 cult classic "Night of the Living Dead, Now in 3D!", produced by PassmoreLab, and was superbly introduced by actress and JRA affiliate Rose McGowan, a close friend of Ramone for many years.

“We had a huge turnout! What can I say? It was for the love of Johnny Ramone, a great cause and fantastic entertainment,” reflects McGowan. “Johnny would’ve been thrilled that so many people love & respect The Ramones.”
"The movie looked great in 3D," said Greg Passmore, president of PassmoreLab. "We took great care restoring and converting it, and I am very pleased with the outcome.”

"Night of the Living Dead", one of the greatest low budget cult movies ever made and originally shot in black and white over 40 years ago, was painstakingly restored, colorized and converted, frame by frame into full 3D using Passmorelab's proprietary technology.

“It was great to see this all come together," said James Humann, producer at PassmoreLab. "We are fans ourselves, and were happy to be a part of such an amazing event!"

The World Premiere of "Night of the Living Dead, Now in 3D!" and the Johnny Ramone Tribute event was open to the public for a $10 donation to the foundation. Attendees all received free 3D commemorative Johnny Ramone Army/“Night of the Living Dead, Now in 3D!” glasses upon entering.

“I think Johnny would have been very proud. He loved horror movies, and would have been thrilled that “Night of the Living Dead, Now in 3D!” had its world premiere at his tribute, in front of so many fans,” said Linda Ramone, wife of the legendary guitarist.

"Night of the Living Dead, Now in 3D!" can now be seen in selected US theatres and in wide release in 3D theaters in Europe. "Night of the Living Dead, Now in 3D!" will be available in anaglyph DVD on Amazon.com by Christmas, and a 3D TV version will be available when 3D BluRay becomes commercially available.

About PassmoreLab
Passmorelab, the “World’s Largest 3D Content Provider”, is a San Diego-based multi-media production studio that specializes in 3D production. The studio custom-designs and builds its own RED camera 3D rigs for both conventional and rugged film productions, shooting everything from feature films, television and science documentaries, to underwater diving, extreme sports and cave exploration. State-of-the-art facilities include a full 3D production studio, video/film post-production, optical development lab, and a software development environment. Production includes 2D, 3D, high dynamic range time lapse, stereoscopic microscopy and cutting-edge simulation technologies for real time SFX. PassmoreLab has additional offices in Russia and the Philippines. For more information, visit www.passmorelab.com.

About Johnny Ramone Army
For more information about the Johnny Ramone Army and tribute, visit http://www.johnnyramone.com

About Hollywood Forever Cemetery
For more information regarding directions, parking and screening rules, visit http://www.cinespia.org/howto

Photos by Paul Redmond. Under license to JRA LLC. Used with permission.

Quick Post: 3D Gaming Computer Another Step Closer...

Jim here. Just got my Cooler Master HAF 922 case and Antec Truepower 750w power supply in today! A perfect match for my NVIDIA GTX285 GPU, Samsung 120hz 3D monitor and NVIDIA 3D Vision kit.

All I need now is the motherboard, CPU, memory and CPU cooler which I will be getting this weekend. Should be up and running in 3D next week!

I will be capturing the unboxing on video too :-)

BRING ON THE ZOMBIES BABY!

3D Geek Alert: NVIDIA And Fujifilm Partner To Bring Easy 3D Photos To The Home!

Jim here. Once you get set up with NVIDIA's 3D Vision technology, the 3D world is your oyster. Case in point: Fujifilm has just released their Finepix Real 3D W1 - the world's first 3D point and shoot camera in North America. And it works with 3D Vision!

Yes the camera is pricey - $600. But for early adopters like a lot of us, it is time it happened! Further, you don't need 3d glasses to view the photos -or videos- you take with the camera; the rear LCD displays it in 3D for you. You can also buy Fujifilm's V1 Picture Viewer with an 8 inch screen for $500. Online ordering of actual 3D prints is done directly with Fujifilm for $6.99 each.

Even more good news is that Fujifilm has partnered with NVIDIA to deliver a way to view the photos on a regular screen (120Hz monitor that is) with their 3D Vision technology. So it really is the best of both worlds. With glasses or without.

This looks like perfect timing to me. With 3D movies and gaming absolutely booming right now and with 2010 holding the keys to 3D TVs - Fujifilm seems to be at the right place at the right time with the right product. I am hoping to try one out soon!

The 3D Premiere Of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD To Have 3D Gaming Too: RESIDENT EVIL 5

Jim here. It's zombie night at the 5th Annual Johnny Ramone Tribute in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery on October 3rd. Not only is the world 3D premiere of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (NOTLD) taking place, but NVIDIA will also be there to allow attendees to dispose of zombies in stereoscopic 3D with their 3D Vision technology and Capcom's RESIDENT EVIL 5!

PassmoreLab did the modern conversion of NOTLD and they are really looking forward to showing their 2D to 3D expertise at the festival.

Rose McGowan (GRINDHOUSE) will be on hand to introduce the movie.

The event is open to the public for a $10 per person minimum donation, with proceeds benefiting the Johnny Ramone research fund at USC Westside Prostate Cancer Center. Gates open at 5:30 pm. Picnic dinners, drinks (including alcoholic ones), pillows, blankets and small chairs are permitted. Attendees will receive free commemorative 3D glasses upon entering.

Resident Evil 5 is the latest PC game to take advantage of NVIDIA 3D Vision technology, which transforms standard games into eye-popping, jump-out-of-your-seat, 3D experiences. Not only did its creator Capcom design "out-of-screen-effects" to scare the daylights out of gamers, they also rendered all of the game's cinematic cut-scenes with the same immersive 3D effect. The critics have raved about the game running on NVIDIA 3D Vision. Said Jeff Haynes of IGN.com, "Resident Evil 5 was designed to fully take advantage of 3D, [with] certain segments of the game piercing the digital 'fourth wall' with a sense of negative depth that is quite incredible."

"Night of the Living Dead was one of Johnny Ramone's top ten horror film favorites of all time," said John Cafiero, chief of staff of the Johnny Ramone Army, an official entity acting on behalf of the seminal punk rocker and his Estate preserving the icon's memory and legacy. "What better way to celebrate the world premiere of this incredible flick in 3D than to give people a virtual experience to fight the living dead in Resident Evil 5 in 3D on NVIDIA's latest gaming hardware."

For more information: 5th Annual Johnny Ramone Tribute, NVIDIA 3D Vision, PassmoreLab.

Dell And NVIDIA Hook Up With S3D!

Jim here. Thought you should know that if you are considering a PC purchase and want to get into stereoscopic 3D gaming, Dell and NVIDIA just joined forces in presenting a one stop shop for just that.

Starting right now, you can buy a Dell XPS 630 or a Dell Studio XPS 8000 with a complete 3D Vision gaming kit, including Samsung 120hz monitor (Syncmaster 2233RZ) and compatible GPU right off of Dell's website. Further, you can buy just the 3D Vision kit as an accessory on Alienware's site (which is owned by Dell).

I love this marriage. It just makes sense - so many people want S3D gaming but are a bit standoffish as you want all the parts to just work out of the box without having to figure out compatibilities and how to upgrade your existing PC. Now you can easily do it.

I am building a PC right now around my new S3D hardware, so feel free to ask any questions and I will do my best to answer them. It really isn't all that hard to get S3D gaming at home right now. And the quality is awesome!