Visitors trying out 3D video games at a recent electronics exhibition in Beijing. Da Wei / for China Daily

Lack of content hinders 3D games’ popularity among players in China

Bullets and shrapnel fly out of the computer screen, causing the gamer to duck and weave, and literally bringing a new dimension to video gaming.

It's the way of the future for computer games, with China's path into true 3D gaming paved with an abundance of developers interested in presenting their creations in the latest format.

And the country seems uniquely prepared for 3D. In fact, the computer graphic card manufacturer NVIDIA says China is well placed for the onset of gaming in the third dimension.

What makes China unique is the high graphic card attach rate in computers. In terms of desktops China's attach rate is more than 80 percent, and for notebooks 65 percent, and all have dedicated graphics, Michael Jong, senior marketing director, NVIDIA Asia-Pacific, says.

"The two drivers behind why China has a higher dedicated GPU (graphic processing unit) attachment than other regions are because of online gaming and online video," he says.

Modern day true 3D graphics have been a dream of game developers since the early days of on-screen 3D development, says Christopher Pfeiffer, CEO of Beijing game developer Balanced Worlds.

"Back in 1995 we were working on a game called Descent and we experimented with 3D graphics," Pfeiffer says.

"There were these headsets by various suppliers and even at that time people were trying to get 3D into games because it was cool and you were more immersed."

Balanced Worlds is among

the leaders of developers in China working on producing 3D games - and Pfeiffer says that it's quite easy.

NVIDIA says many modern video games are designed with 3D graphics, but because of the cost of 3D glasses and monitors, the graphics remain on a 2D level.

With prices of 3D glasses dropping and more manufacturers producing 3D monitors, there are more incentives for game makers to take the 3D path.

Pfeiffer says games are more suitable for the 3D experience than movies.

Movies are equivalent to taking a photo of something and then turning it into 3D.

"I'm sure if you get enough PhDs in a room you can do it, but it's hard," he says.

However, even with audiences who have 3D-ready graphics cards, monitors and glasses, 3D gaming is held back by what Jong and Pfeiffer say is a lack of content.

"I won't say that it will have an explosive growth immediately; 15 titles isn't a lot. Right now it's only for early adopters, and it will take some time for broader consumers to adopt it," Jong says.

As well, 3D's growth faces potential health problems, with no one knowing the effects of prolonged exposure to 3D.

Pfeiffer says video game giant Nintendo has multiple health disclaimers on its 3DS system, which doesn't require special glasses.

China has the biggest online video gaming market in the world. China used to be the art development outsourcing capital before it became a place for developers, so there is an abundance of talent ready to produce 3D art, Pfeiffer says.

"The reality is it's mostly an art issue and the artists here are exceptional," he says. "It's the same thing with the programmers."

At present, the limited numbers of 3D video games available in China come from companies such as Tencent, Perfect World and Shanda.

NVIDIA says new video cards bought over the past 18 months will be able to support 3D graphics, provided a 3D monitor and glasses are available.

Jong expects 3D gaming will take off after a fairly lengthy wait-and-see approach by the public, with present offerings being attractive to only enthusiasts and hardcore gamers.

"3D online gaming has just started," he says.

"All the top Chinese game developers are developing or have already launched 3D games. It's only just the beginning.

"I think it will continue to grow, given that Chinese consumers are willing to adopt the latest technologies.

"If you look at all the 3D games and 3D movies online, they're all really good quality. You can also see them in HD (high definition)."