Avatar opened to near-universal acclaim and set the bench-mark for the modern theater experience, only to be followed months later by a horrendous post-conversion Clash of the Titans. Similar highlights (and lowlights) have occurred in the gaming industry but, if Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception developer, Naughty Dog is to be believed - the best is yet to come.
The in-house Sony team was quoted in the most recent issue of Edge - with Uncharted 3 lead designer Jacob Minkoff asserting that the upcoming triple-A title won’t just push the boundaries of third-person action-adventures, it’ll also push sales of 3D TVs:
Given what we’ve seen in the movie industry, there’s no doubt that great 3D gaming could encourage a wider adoption of the format - given that most hardcore gamers are also tech-heads. Following the success of Avatar, 3DTV sales picked-up in quick succession. While games like Call of Duty: Black Ops and Killzone 3 have incorporated competent 3D options - neither title stands-out as the must have 3D experience.
Part of what makes a 3D Uncharted title so appealing is the level of realism that Naughty Dog has put into the franchise. If the world isn’t immersive and doesn’t feel real, what’s the point of viewing it in 3D (ironically, we’re looking at you Avatar: The Game).
According to creative director Amy Hennig, the developer’s success rests in a healthy and supportive relationship with Sony - who not only funnels money for costly tech into the project but also allows the Naughty Dog team the room to rise to the occasion:
It’s not a stretch to imagine that if any developer can prove that 3D gaming isn’t just an optional feature - but must-have experience instead, it’s Naughty Dog. Some of the larger cinematic action set-pieces in Uncharted 2 (such as the reverse run-and-gun truck scene or the entire train sequence) could easily have been used for 3D tech demos - and that’s before the developer was even thinking about 3D.
This is a collaborative process that involves revision and improvement. Going through those drafts, having rehearsal time and table reads with the actors, letting them improvise and get to know their characters over a long period of time, it all contributes to raising the bar."
Follow me on Twitter @benkendrick and let us know how you’d like Naughty Dog approach the 3D experience in Uncharted 3.
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception releases November 1, 2011, exclusively for the PlayStation 3.
Source: Edge [via CVG]
