Straight from the get-go, Sony told gamers that its PlayStation 3 was going to push the envelope for 3D gaming. With games such as MotorStorm 3D Rift and WipeOut 3D already out of the gate and looking great, Sony's planning to take it to the next level: combining 3D with holographic technology.
In an interview with tech site Develop, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe studio director, Mick Hocking said that the company was working on "techniques like holographics for the PS3" that he thinks "will be very interesting for future 3D games."
If you've ever played a 3D PlayStation 3 game, you'll know that the games certainly "pop" off the screen, but it doesn't put you into the game. Now, I don't know what SCEE has planned, but I'm dreaming up some crazy ideas.
Imagine a camera that sits in front of your TV and can project a hologram around you. Combine that with a 3D game and what do you have? Tron, for the most part. For example, holographics could literally put you inside the cockpit of a sports car in a realistic racing sim such as Gran Turismo 5. Three-dee, schmee-dee — that'd be truly immersive.
To kick it up even more, Sony could even combine holographic tech with its PlayStation Move controller. The end result would be the gamer feeling physically immersed within a virtual world, moving around with 1:1 motion detection. I know it sounds a lot like virtual realty — which, for the most part, is pretty lame — but it's still an enticing thought.
Kaz Hirai, head honcho at Sony Computer Entertainment, has repeatedly stressed the PlayStation 3 as a console that is here for the long run — it will have a 10 year lifecycle. Similarly, Microsoft has given its own console a reboot halfway through the usual five-year console lifespan with the Kinect and the sleek new Xbox 360 Slim. Video games designed with holographics and 3D could put Sony back on top — assuming the technology is affordable (and, of course, actually fun to use).
