Ubisoft's Avatar game: '3D' mode optional, requires 'special' TV

by Randy Nelson { Jun 3rd 2008 at 8:25PM }

Playing the game based on Terminator and Titanic director James Cameron's next big thing, Avatar, in full 3D sure sounded like a neat idea. After all, the movie itself is being shot to take advantage of the growing number of digital 3D cinemas popping up across the globe. Leave it to Ubisoft prez Yves Guillemot to get us all un-jazzed by revealing to GamesIndustry.biz that the game will only be playable in 3D on certain HDTVs.

According to Guillemot, the technology used to 3D-ify Ubi's Avatar game has been designed only for "a specific TV" and glasses that work with it. He goes on to say that the display is already available in the US. Could these TVs and these glasses be what he's referring to?

So ... no new TV, no Avatar 3D. Bummer. Though Guillemot has confirmed that the game will be playable in one less "D" on that nice, big old style HDTV you just spent your economic stimulus check on.

Tags: avatar, dlp, hdtv, jamescameron, ubisoft

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Heffenfeffer @ Jun 3rd 2008 8:36PM

Is this the 3D version of the game that gives you 1,000 achivement points in less than a minute?

dark_inchworm @ Jun 3rd 2008 9:11PM

Wrong Avatar series.

Though James Cameron (or whoever was ultimately responsible for the choice of name) is one colossal dumbass for choosing a name already in use by an established cartoon. Fun with marketing...

Obie @ Jun 3rd 2008 8:37PM

Cats + Oversized props = Always funneh!

ALH @ Jun 3rd 2008 8:39PM

i doubt i could be bothered to sit wearing a goofy pair of glasses just to play the vidya. This 3D fad is pretty silly.

tmacairjordan87 @ Jun 3rd 2008 8:46PM

I thought this whole 3-D glasses and movie/game thing died in 1996?

Tiptup300 @ Jun 3rd 2008 10:02PM

I still wear mine everyday. They enhance life! DON'T JUDGE ME!

J @ Jun 4th 2008 1:28PM

You wouldn't be saying that if you saw Beowulf in 3D. It was simply amazing. They've done a lot with the technology.

Residentevil72501 @ Jun 3rd 2008 8:56PM

Like anyone would ever play this game anyway.

mmarino @ Jun 3rd 2008 8:57PM

It probably only works on 120 hz TV's.

Tag @ Jun 3rd 2008 9:02PM

He was refering to HDTVs that use DLP chips to process the image. This is mostly projecton based HDTVs and projectors. Very few if any LCD tvs and no plasmas use DLP processing.

Zeromaru @ Jun 3rd 2008 9:15PM

Yeah, this game doesn't spark much interest in me. As a relativist, I'm either 4-D or no-D. 3-D is for wimps and engineers.

John McPoop (PSN:johnnynumber5) @ Jun 3rd 2008 9:23PM

Those TVs are pretty damn cool ... I did not even know they existed until this post ... Seems like a pretty expensive feature as the glasses and kit were $200.00 and no telling how much the TVs actually cost (link was dead on Samsung page) ... I would certainly get into something like this but I prefer head traccking via Eye Toy or 2 Wii Motes ... It is the next evolution in entertainment ... Just not feasible right now for anyone who is upper middle class and under

R_Shackelford @ Jun 3rd 2008 9:26PM

Don't know anything about this game, but more games need to incorporate this! My Samsung HLT5689S is 3d capable, and if there were enough good games taking advantage of it, I'd be more than happy to put on those goofy glasses.

dabamf @ Jun 4th 2008 11:29AM

Wow, which marketing genius thought this one up?

Aerick Eisenstein @ Jun 9th 2008 8:32PM

Im an illustrator in Los Angeles and I work very closely with the art director for one of Cameron's new films. Its still in pre-production, but I will tell you right now, the technology that Cameron and Spielberg are pushing for film (and subsequently gaming) is absolutely out of this world. Hands down, stunning.

Be very very excited for the changes that are happening within the next 5 years.