3D games – more so than 3D movies or 3D sports – is widely regarded as the “killer” content that can persuade consumers to take out their wallets and splash out on a brand new 3D TV. Bearing this in mind, TV manufacturers like Samsung, Panasonic, LG and Sony who have competed fiercely to launch their respective 3D-ready models this year will probably be overjoyed at the news that the latest episode in one of the most successful first-person shooter video game franchises of all time is going to support 3D gameplay.
Activision, the US-based video game publisher responsible for the ever-popular Call of Duty series, has revealed that its forthcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops installment will feature 3D support when the game is released to worldwide fanfare on the 9th of November.
All game modes – be it single player, multiplayer or cooperative (including the much-fabled “Nazi Zombies”) – can be experienced either in standard 2D or stereoscopic 3D on the Sony PS3, Xbox 360 and PC versions (the Nintendo Wii edition is only available in 2D). To play Call of Duty: Black Ops in 3D mode, Sony PS3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 users will require access to a 3D TV with compatible 3D glasses, whereas PC gamers will need the nVidia 3D Vision stereoscopic gaming kit.
Call of Duty: Black Ops is the first offering from Activision that supports 3D gameplay. Mark Lamia, studio head of Treyarch (the actual game developer and a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision), explained that the stereoscopic 3D enhancements were initially only meant to be an R&D project carried out with the help of Activision engineers, but eventually the development team found the 3D gaming experience so compelling that they felt they had to incorporate 3D gameplay in time for release.
Jay Puryear, senior manager at Treyarch, emphasised that the in-game content for Call of Duty: Black Ops remains the same both in 2D and 3D mode. He went on to elaborate that in 3D mode, the first-person shooter will run at 720p for smoother motion and less eye fatigue, but there won’t be any additional “3D depth” setting to adjust the intensity of the 3D effects.