As a technology demo, Electronic Arts worked with Dynamic Digital Depth (DDD) to give a flawless glimpse of what their upcoming award-winning title, Need For Speed SHIFT, will look like when played with stereoscopic 3D drivers. Other technology demos included Cryteks CryEngine3 running in S-3D with native support, and a showing of Blitz Games Studios Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao, arguably the first console game to support modern stereoscopic 3D technologies. To add to the fun, all demos were presented on a huge RealD projection screen as part of SIGGRAPHs Computer and Animation Festival.

According to the U-DECIDE Initiative, a well received study of modern gamers, 93% of survey respondents want to see game developers support stereoscopic 3D technology. The industrys answer is to start development of The S-3D Gaming Alliance, an organization that is 100% focused on making stereoscopic 3D gaming possible through standards, education, and product adoption.

Some of S3DGAs founding companies include Blitz Games Studios, DDD, iZ3D, Jon Peddie Research, TDVision Corp, XpanD, and more. The President and CEO of S3DGA will be Neil Schneider, best known for his pioneering work on Meant to be Seen (www.mtbs3D.com), the worlds leading website focused on stereoscopic 3D gaming and entertainment.

High immersion S-3D gaming experiences include explosions that pop out of the screen and a sense of depth so real that players think they can place their hands inside the display. S-3D technology is growing popular in the home with products like LCD shutter glasses, 3D monitors, and several new and developing 3D HDTV and projection solutions.

Neil Schneider, via MTBS, has done a great job of supporting the rapidly-growing S-3D market. There are some amazing creative opportunities in this new field and having the support of a community such as his is a powerful resource for anyone working in this area. We are therefore happy to support and encourage his ongoing work with the newly-formed S3DGA and look forward to its success, said Andrew Oliver, Co-Founder of Blitz Games Studios.

MTBS, and now S3DGA, works with our early adopters, and while other organizations may claim to be able to speak to gaming, Neil and his group actually take the time to play the games. XpanD is very interested in participating in the S-3D Gaming Alliance’s next steps, said Ami Dror, Chief Strategist for XpanD.

The effect of a standards group such as S3DGA is to accelerate the adoption of technology by presenting a forum for members to express, test, and agree on ideas and approaches to educating consumers.