Ronnie2K here! Back in October, I discussed NBA 2K11’s PlayStation Move functionality along with a deep look on all the great features NBA 2K11 has to offer. And if you ever have suggestions for NBA2K, hit me up on Twitter and follow us on Facebook.
NBA 2K11 has garnered more than two dozen Sports Game of the Year awards, has been called “the greatest sports game of this generation” in earning a 9.5 from IGN, and continues to be one of the most talked about games across social networks. And the nostalgia behind the return of Michael Jordan to the virtual hardwood continues to be overwhelming. For the few of you who have been holding out for a copy or have put your NBA 2K11 on the shelf for a couple weeks, I just wanted to give you heads-up about the upcoming game update. Especially anyone who was lucky enough to pick up a stereoscopic 3D TV over the holidays.
For those of you who missed out on the 3D retail exclusive at Best Buy released back in November, this Sunday, January 16th, we will be offering a free title update to your NBA 2K11 game that will allow PlayStation 3 users, who have a 3D television and online connectivity, to experience NBA 2K11 in 3D! Just pop your game in and it will update before the title screen. From there, you can turn on your TV’s 3D capabilities, grab those awesome 3D glasses, and experience the NBA game you love with an extra layer of depth (an extra dimension even!) to what many have hailed as the deepest, most immersive, and best sports game of this generation.
Many have been lucky enough to play the Best Buy 3D exclusive extensively over the past couple of months. This has led to the question of what goes on behind the scenes to make 3D possible in NBA 2K11. So I got together with Visual Concepts, the creators of NBA 2K11, and asked them!
All 3D effects come down to one simple idea: make each of a viewer’s eyes see a slightly different image and you can create the illusion of depth on a 2D screen. Technology to create 3D movies evolved from two-color images, called anaglyphs, into the more modern projection systems that use differently polarized light. Most of the new 3D televisions use a technique called “alternate-frame sequencing” in which they first display the image for one eye and then display the image for the other eye, holding each image on the screen for 1/120th of a second. To make sure viewers see the correct images with each eye, glasses that cover-up one eye in exact synchronization with the television display, called active-shutter glasses, are used. What’s most exciting about the new technology is the quality of the images it produces. The new generation of active-shutter HDTVs let us make a 3D game using full resolution HDTV images at framerates up to 120Hz.
To properly drive one of these televisions, NBA 2K11 must create two separate images every game frame–one for each eye. We create a virtual stereoscopic (two-eyed) camera and render the whole scene in full HD resolution twice, once for each eye of the camera. These two images are packaged together and delivered to the television as one “frame” which the television decodes and displays as two consecutive images, one for each eye of the viewer. Just in case anyone has a pair of the old-school [red-and-blue] 3D glasses lying around, NBA 2K11 will render using the anaglyph method as well.
The intelligence of the Visual Concepts guys, in programming NBA 2K11 as one of the finest sports games to be playable in 3D, is remarkable. And from personal experience, it’s absolutely amazing how your player literally jumps off the screen when going for a thunderous dunk. Or maybe a certain President in 3D? It must be witnessed to be believed!
I’d be remiss to mention that some other minor tweaks, including some updates to our online experience, are also included in this update. These changes should enhance the experience. So make sure to grab it and get to some 2K11 gaming immediately!
As always, thanks to the great people at PlayStation for giving me this time to talk to you about the latest NBA 2K11 update. And of course, thanks to you passionate Sony fans who have helped us make the NBA 2K Franchise what it is. Development for NBA 2K12 is already well underway and it’ll be October before we know it! How do we take it to the next level? Mark sure to follow us on Facebook to see exclusive info for the NBA 2K Franchise in the coming months.
I’ll be taking questions below so feel free to ask any follow-up questions. Thanks for reading!
