Actuality Systems and the Revolution, yes this thread is about holograms...

G

Gaia Theory

Member
Holograms. Coming soon to a console near you? True, volumetric, 3d holographic displays that Nintendo has already used and that we have already seen. With all the jokes pertaining to Nintendo and the 'coveted' holograms for Revolution, I thought it would be fun to examine any realistic possibility of such an event. Not expecting to find a chance in hell, I was surprised to learn of Nintendo's connection to the leader in 3D volumetric holographic display technology. We, of course, cannot forget Nintendo's past desire to explore technology of this kind with the Virtual Boy.

Flashback to E3 2002 and remember the Starfox hologram showcased at Nintendo's booth.
HUGE_HOLOGRAPH.jpg

Fox McCloud in holographic glory courtesy of Actuality Systems

The company behind this holographic display still exists and is very healthy. Actuality Systems is still at work, trying to commercialize their product.
Actuality expects to go commercial with the technology in 2005.
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source: SIGGRAPH 2004

You're probably thinking by now that this is only suitable for the exploits highlighted by the company itself on it's website. Medical research and surgery and oil and gas exploration, but if you read through their press releases, you'll find their list of 'typical applications.'
Typical applications for the Perspecta 3D system include: drug discovery, such as visualization of protein structures; surgical planning and radiation treatment planning, for doctors visualizing angiogram data or working to understand the exact location of a tumor on an x-ray, CAT scan, or mammogram; air-traffic control, for controllers securing and monitoring aircraft locations and traffic patterns; game development, for the visualization and creation of 3D gaming; security, for specialists seeking a faster and more reliable way to visualize the contents of freight or passenger luggage.
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There's a lot of stuff you'd expect in that list, but I thought that gaming really stood out in that list. It's the only entertaintment use listed for the product. But then, this is a company that has expressed that they actually want to use their product for games.
Eventually, Actuality Systems said it could use similar technology to build lightweight versions of the 3D display that could be marketed to consumers for use with video game consoles, and has plans to begin work on such a display, said Actuality Systems' chief technology officer Gregg Favalora.

"We've thought of that, but it will be several years out before we are able to hook the device up to an XBox or Playstation," he said.
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Regardless of the fact he mentions Nintendo's competition and not Nintendo themselves is besides the point. The company clearly thinks that their technology can, should and will be used in future videogame consoles.

So will the Nintendo Revolution have holographic displays? Probably not. Will Sony or Microsoft's new systems? Probably not. Will future systems incorporate holographic displays? If Actuality Systems gets their way, probably.

And that ends my attempt at a real examination of the possibilities of holograms in tomorrow's game consoles. Hope you either got a good laugh, or were intrigued. :P
 
Junior Member

I would love to play games in a tube like that, rather than on a TV. Completely 3D hologram gaming would be pretty nifty.

I wouldn't want to see a console like that, though. I'd like to see single game releases like Ocarina of Time, reworked for the holotube. Stand alone price of $150.
 
Some questions for anybody who might know:

For a consumer-level device like this...

What are the colors like?

Does it refresh quickly?

Is it possible to make it solid so that you can't see through it? Similarly, can it be transparent (with varing levels of translucency)?

How large can it be?

Does it flicker?

Is it possible to somehow hide that ray of light that shines from the bottom of the display?

Does it necessarily have to be in a circular tube?
 
This would be awesome if true. I know I would love to develop on a device that allows the user to have true 3D display.
 
I can see this working in Arcades nicely. A Boxing game done using holograms, where you actually punch the guy! Can you imagine that? That'd be pretty sweet.
 
They have a Spatial 3D Tetris on their site...strange.

But it's the source files in C, so I'm not exactly sure what's supposed to be done with it.
 
Um. What is with you and Nintendo's consoles? We don't know squat and speculation at this point in time is pointless and actually quite boring.
 
snapty00 said:
Some questions for anybody who might know:

For a consumer-level device like this...

What are the colors like?
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Prototype models used 7-8 colors, but they have obviously increased since then. Look at Fox McCloud. He has many more colors. Haven't seen hard numbers though.
Does it refresh quickly?
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Images can be up to 768X768 and there is no refresh problems.
Is it possible to make it solid so that you can't see through it? Similarly, can it be transparent (with varing levels of translucency)?

How large can it be?
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Most have a somewhat transparent look to them, it's in the nature of technology, but some are much more opaque (solid) than others. I've seen multiple size domes, but the larger they are the more expensive.
Does it flicker?
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No.
Is it possible to somehow hide that ray of light that shines from the bottom of the display?

Does it necessarily have to be in a circular tube?
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As seen in this pic, most of their stuff is in a dome shape, not cylinder like the Starfox one. It also seems that the light you mention from the bottom is not visible either.

102372-n_062802_3dDisplay.jpg


You can find out a lot more if you browse their website. There's even sample source code for holographic Tetris!
 
Odnetnin said:
Um. What is with you and Nintendo's consoles? We don't know squat and speculation at this point in time is pointless and actually quite boring.
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First question - I like games.

Your second point - If you don't think an examination of the likelihood of holographic gaming is interesting, then don't read it. Of course this topic would be speculative, but speculation isn't automatically pointless.
 
It's crazy that this stuff is actually starting to surface. In a few decades, we might have full holographic stuff like in the sci-fi movies we see. :lol
 
If they could sell something like that for $300-$450, I'd buy it just for 3D diaroma images (say of Niagra Falls or New York City or the pyramids of Egypt).
 
Well this would eliminate any camera problems within games, you would just walk around and view it from a different angle :D
 
Stryder said:
Well this would eliminate any camera problems within games, you would just walk around and view it from a different angle :D
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Exactly. :D
 
So does this mean that porn will no longer have the multiple camera shot feature? We'll be able to find our own angle?

You mock now...just wait til the adult industry starts tinkering with this... :lol
 
Sigh. The "Revolution" of the next Nintendo system will be the ability to download old Nintendo games over a wireless connection and play them online. You'll be able to choose from NES, SNES, and N64 games and download all you want for a small fee. The system will be a wireless WiFi box also backwardly compatible with the GameCube and have teh connectivity with the DS and GBA. Nintendo fans will spooge over it and the rest of the industry will be given yet another giant "WTF" from Nintendo.
 
ManaByte said:
Sigh. The "Revolution" of the next Nintendo system will be the ability to download old Nintendo games over a wireless connection and play them online. You'll be able to choose from NES, SNES, and N64 games and download all you want for a small fee. The system will be a wireless WiFi box also backwardly compatible with the GameCube and have teh connectivity with the DS and GBA. Nintendo fans will spooge over it and the rest of the industry will be given yet another giant "WTF" from Nintendo.
Click to expand...

Actually I could more or less see that, but add say a motion sensor gyration type controller and/or a motion sensor built right into the system itself. Some kind of new control mechanism. Also probably no controller wires or anything like that.

It'll probably be some small GameCube-sized or smaller "box" with a WiFi range that picks up wireless controllers, DS, Game Boy, other Revolution systems (wireless LAN) etc. without needing wires and a really crazy controller which some people will like, others will hate, but will probably make it easier for beginners/non-gamers to play.

Dunno about GCN backwards compatibility. Nintendo's notorious for price cutting in their hardware and since the GCN isn't that successful of a platform anyway, this feature could get the axe, if it was ever really planned to begin with.
 
ManaByte said:
Sigh. The "Revolution" of the next Nintendo system will be the ability to download old Nintendo games over a wireless connection and play them online. You'll be able to choose from NES, SNES, and N64 games and download all you want for a small fee. The system will be a wireless WiFi box also backwardly compatible with the GameCube and have teh connectivity with the DS and GBA. Nintendo fans will spooge over it and the rest of the industry will be given yet another giant "WTF" from Nintendo.
Click to expand...


That huge feature in a new console with new games and technology would be absolutely killer. I wish to the good Lord that it will happen, but I'll give an even bigger WTF when it undoubtedly never happens.
 
I would be surprised if the controller is a "conventional" controller. I think it will be like what that Japanese newspaper reported, no traditional buttons or a d-pad. Maybe some type of gyration thing.

It'll probably get a "what the hell" type of reaction at E3 and then when people try it they might "get it" a little better, kind of like Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat.

The control interface will definitely be different. Downloading of older Nintendo software would also be something I could see.
 
Displaying a static image is one thing. Attach it to a engine that has to store and calculate all the models, animations and make them interact is another.
How does it work if you have to display a full enviroment? For example MGS3 would be unplayable if you had to show all the trees.

I doubt they will have this ready for videogames by the time 'Revolution' is released, but you never know with those engineers....
 
soundwave05 said:
Dunno about GCN backwards compatibility. Nintendo's notorious for price cutting in their hardware and since the GCN isn't that successful of a platform anyway, this feature could get the axe, if it was ever really planned to begin with.
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It was promised actually iirc. That's part of the reasoning for going with the same hardware partners too.
 
Stryder said:
Well this would eliminate any camera problems within games, you would just walk around and view it from a different angle :D
Click to expand...
Actually, thinkin I'd just rotate the box in front of me, and then eat another handful of Chee-tos.
 
The Fox McCloud from E3 is real, but it was just a static image from what I remember.

The holograms do display static images, but they also display images that can be rotated and manipulated too.

On top of that, I have seen displays with moving, controllable planes flying over landscapes. So it's not just static images. The plane animation I saw was back in 2002.
 
No demo is shown on the website but check this out. Also, not much information is there to be seen but it seems that they have shown it on some trade shows and people were very impressed.
It was in some english magazine a month ago. I think it's much more intesting because it has no caseing around its 3d image...

www.3dsolar.com
 
snapty00 said:
They have a Spatial 3D Tetris on their site...strange.

But it's the source files in C, so I'm not exactly sure what's supposed to be done with it.
Click to expand...

Durr, compile it? :)

I tried to, but I seem to be missing the "hmesa.h" header. The rest is fairly standard OpenGL/GLUT stuff though, should run on most systems.
 
CrunchyB said:
Durr, compile it? :)

I tried to, but I seem to be missing the "hmesa.h" header. The rest is fairly standard OpenGL/GLUT stuff though, should run on most systems.
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But why? I don't HAVE a spatial 3D display, and I don't think most people do.
 
I would love for something like this to happen, but is that the biggest size tube that they have or can you get bigger tubes?

I love manabytes idea. Downloading games for a small fee would be so f'king awesome. Just imagine if Nintendo did both though. A holographic system and downloadable games, that would be a revolution.

I bet if Nintendo read this, they would either take mrangryfaces idea :lol
 
snapty00 said:
But why? I don't HAVE a spatial 3D display, and I don't think most people do.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure it's a normal game, justa 3D version of Tetris like Terisphere. But it won't compile without hmesa.h header and I can't be bothered to figure out how to install it.

*edit*

Works fine without all the hmesa stuff.(!)

Furthermore, it sucks.

3dtetris.png
 
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