Microsoft Keen On 3D Gaming, Have Performed Experiments

If you care to remember, Jim Cameron has said that the game adaptation of his upcoming sci-fi flick - Avatar - is already running in 3D, and running in 3D on a 360. Ubisoft are the guys behind that game, but they're not the only ones looking at the tech. XNA boss Chris Satchell has said Microsoft have also been "experimenting" with stereoscopic gaming, although he's quick to stress that, as it stands, the requirement that gamers wear glasses makes the technology's widespread acceptance a thing of the future, not the present.

Microsoft has experimented with 3D games, reveals Satchell [GI.biz]

Microsoft's Satchell Talks Games For Change

"Imagine a world where we have no ability to influence the people that are going to lead and shape thought for tomorrow," said Microsoft's Chris Satchell, general manager of XNA.

"We have social causes we care about, but we don't have the means to connect with people who can do something about them. We're not there, but its a world that's possible to see unless actvities like we're doing here today really gain some momentum."

Satchell was at the 2008 annual Games For Change festival, discussing the ways Microsoft hopes its XNA development platform will help provide creative activists and educators the tools and opportunities to connect with the young, energetic audience passionate about new media and world issues.

"People will base their lives around gaming experiences; gaming experiences will permeate their lives," he said, stressing just how important it was for the culture to recognize games as agents of genuine social impact.

So what is Microsoft doing?

Zune Demonstrating Tasty Multiplayer That's Getting Cold

At GDC, we had the opportunity to demo a Zune running an XNA game. And it looked pretty good. So what has been Microsoft's Zune team been thinking about in the several months since then? XNA commander and chief Chris Satchell fills us in:

One of the things we talked about was the network play, and we've had people doing prototypes internally of multiplayer shoot-'em-ups both in versus and co-op.

Microsoft: Others "Inviting Trouble" By Supporting Mods

I think there's a potential risk on any platform where you're allowing...where you're running in what we call native mode, where you're writing straight to the metal, not a sandbox layer like XNA, and then that runs a script engine and you let people do that in that script engine.

Audio: Microsoft Blogger Breakfast

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