CRI听力: 3-D Revolution Sweeping Through the Gaming World

2010 looks set to unleash sequels to much-loved gaming classics such as World of Warcraft and Mario Galaxy. Next year is also likely to see a 3-D revolution sweeping through the gaming world.

We will follow our reporter Li Dong to find more details on these games.

2010 will see a continuation of the online role-playing craze of what gamers often refer to as WoW.

And next year is going to see a further move away from the joystick.

Sony announced a new motion controller for the PS3 in June 2009. The controller contains a glowing ball at the top, which can be tracked by a camera. It could prove to be a serious rival to Nintendo's Wii.

Another much talked about contender is Microsoft's Project Natal. Based on the concept of motion capture, Microsoft is leading the way in gaming without any controls involved.

Michael Brook, editor of T3 Magazine, says that it's all very impressive.

"PS3 motion control—that's a big thing. Project Natal has already been showing this thing which is the motion control, but without any controller, so you're literally moving, you're driving and you're sitting there driving with no controller at all. And you can digitize your own personal items and put them in games. It's really impressive stuff, but when that's actually going to come out in a console is kind of up in the air."

Sony is aiming to wow gamers in 2010 with its gaming thriller "Heavy Rain: The Origami Killer."
John Houlihan, Editor in Chief of computerandvideogames.com says the game's character animation is so good it makes you feel like you're in a film.

"The big titles I'm looking forward to on the Playstation 3—there's one called Heavy Rain, a classic kind of noir thriller, four characters, a really engaging deep storyline as you're trying to search for this serial killer, the Origami killer. It looks really exciting, the graphics are just unbelievable. I think it's going to be the closest thing you're going to be to actually being in a movie, playing a game."

But Heavy Rain will not endorse the main trend that will be sweeping the gaming world next year: 3-D.

2009 has already seen some games released with the technology, most notably "Avatar: The Game." It looks like 3-D is set to be huge in the future.

Market Research firm Insight Media predicts the 3-D gaming market will grow from "a handful of 3-D-capable displays and a few thousand gamers" to an expected worldwide market of more than 40 million 3-D-capable displays by 2014.

Brook says 3-D gaming will fully take off next year because of the more widespread market release of 3-D televisions.(www.hxen.net)

"You've got the first 3-D TVs launching next year. You've also got people like SKY behind it, so there's going to be a lot of sport and things like that. But in the gaming terms, people are launching graphics cards and 3-D-supported consoles, et cetera. The PS3, for instance, can already do the 3-D kind of thing. And Sony has got these shuttered glasses that you wear."

For China Drive, I am Li Dong.