Why is it that Facebook has became an instant hit to many people, whether the young and the matured ones? Well, aside from the many exciting and interesting interfaces, applications and features, the Facebook games are definitely an attraction to almost all people of all walks of life. They are so effective that many people have been using the Facebook games as past time habits and ice breakers.

How many people around the world wake up in the morning and the first thing they do is grab their computer to check their Facebook account? And how many more of them check their account just to see how their farm in Facebook game Farmville or Farmtown is growing, or how is their gameplay in Mafia Wars doing, or what are needed in their Café World or Restaurant City or what changes have happened while they went offline for the night to sleep?

There are many reasons why people around the world and from different facets of life turn to Facebook games to entertain themselves. But the truth is it is more than entertainment that they are after. The relief they get from the online games and the addiction they have come to love everyday break the ice that they regularly interact with in their daily life. Whatever is their reason, one thing is for sure the network site’s games are simply addictive and definitely no-nonsense or not no-brainer online games.

If you are an addict Facebooker, it will be easier for you to find out why there are many people hooked with the applications. There are many games available and in which different types of individuals find one or more applications suit their wants. There are endless choices and the variety is more than enough for the people to browse through.

Some of the most popular Facebook games include the Mafia Wars, Café World, Bejeweled Blitz, Pet Society, Bowling Buddies, Farmville, Farmtown, Restaurant City, PlayFish, Brain Buddies, Who Has The Biggest Brain, Geo Challenge, Word Challenge, among many others. The surprising thing is that these games do not just cater to a particular crowd because both men and women find themselves addicted and just love checking their Facebook account to see their game account at the same time.

Age also did not become a barrier to enjoy the online game applications because practically everyone is using them, whether they belong to the matured or the youngster category. Another reason why Facebook games are excellent online game choices is the fact that you can play them by yourself or with your other friends. While you are playing, you can challenge other people by sending them your high score and challenging them to beat you.

The exciting part is when you are beaten by your friend and then you do another round to beat them. The heat of the challenge even arises as more and more of your friends take it and try to beat each one another. The mind games in particular are great choices as they try to squeeze your mental and analyzing capacity.

Somehow, it is through these games that you discover how much you are intelligent on a particular aspect or how much skillful you are on a certain facet of intelligence in you. It is easy to find out how many people, and more and more individuals everyday, are so addictive to Facebook games and continue to discover many more applications that come up as the days went by. If you are new to Facebook, you have many to discover for yourself. So be prepared to be entertained to the fullest!

3D in your living room

Having recently made their entry into the market, 3D TVs are not expected to sell in huge numbers like liquid crystal display (LCD) TVs anytime soon. But, then, they are the ‘Bentley’ of this category and they don’t need a mass frenzy to support manufacturers.

Samsung, which has launched 10 models of 3D TVs in India, claims that 3D light-emitting diode (LED )and LCD TVs are attracting consumers. “We have a target to sell 300,000 LED/LCD TVs and we believe 10 per cent of these will be accounted by 3D TVs this year,” says R Zutshi, deputy managing director, Samsung India.

Samsung’s 46-inch 3D TV, which comes bundled with a free pair of 3D glasses, worth Rs 8,000, and a 3D movie title, has been flying off the shelves, claims Zutshi. Extra 3D glasses (battery-supported) can be bought for Rs 4,900 and rechargeable glasses for Rs 8,000.

Realising that there isn’t too much 3D content to begin with, Samsung has been bright enough to include the capability to convert conventional 2D transmission into 3D at the press of a button.

“You can convert any 2D content (on TV) into 3D with a button on the remote control. Of course, it won’t be the best of 3D visuals but, nonetheless, users will have content to watch on their 3D TVs,” reasons Zutshi. In the near future, Samsung plans to bundle 3D Blu-Ray DVD players and 3D home theatre systems with its LED and LCD panels to expand the market.

Sony, which is trying to catch up with Samsung, is set to launch its 3D TVs in June. The proposed model will have a 46-inch screen and will sport a price tag of $3,875 (nearly Rs 1,75,000).

Two pairs of 3D glasses will accompany each TV set. While 3D TV-owners can get their hands on nearly 80 3D movies along with 3D-enabled Blu-Ray disc players, the fact that broadcast players in the country are still nowhere near offering 3D content can limit the popularity of these TV sets.

Life-like gaming becomes reality

Computer manufacturers like Asus and Acer are also making technical adjustments to show games in three dimensions. Digital graphics maker NVidia, at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, showcased how PCs based on its GeForce GPUs — along with the Nvidia 3D Vision hardware and software ecosystem — could make any PC 3D-compliant. This includes Blu-Ray 3D movies, games, photos and even surfing on the web.

To display 3D images, computer monitors will need to refresh at a rate of 120 Hz — slightly higher than current models. So, manufacturers have begun to launch 3D-ready monitors in high definition and non-high definition, but these can cost upwards of Rs 20,000.

Also, high-end video cards (Rs 6,000 or more) are needed to handle the extra rendering loads. And, don’t forget the shutter glasses that connect to the computer wirelessly (an extra Rs 5,000).

The big three console makers are taking their own roads to 3D. Sony has already rolled out software changes to allow 3D games on its gaming console, PlayStation 3. Microsoft said it also could allow 3D on the Xbox 360, but preferred to wait. Nintendo, maker of the Wii consoles, has unveiled plans to launch a hand-held 3D video game console by next year that does not require special glasses. Game developers, like EA Sports, too, have plans to go 3D, but chose not to comment on their India plans.

According to Atindriya Bose, country manager (Playstation), Sony Computer Entertainment: “A simple software update from our site, which is free of cost, will enable 3D on PS3 and existing Playstation (PS) consoles.” Sony PS consoles have the necessary processor and connection capabilities to show games in 3D, and all PS3s sold since 2006 can support the upgrade.

However, no 3D gaming titles have been launched by Sony. “3D is an exciting segment and everybody is excited about it, and so are we,” he says.

As for Microsoft, it wants to focus on Project Natal, which enables control-less gaming on Xbox. “We do have the first 3D game on Xbox out already, though it’s from a third-party developer, not a Microsoft product. So, in terms of 3D compatibility, Xbox is ready. But we are betting big on a bigger universal gaming strategy under Project Natal,” says Jaspreet Bindra, head of Microsoft Entertainment and Devices Division.

Globally, LG Electronics, along with Microsoft, has announced plans to jointly promote stereoscopic 3D content and video games using LG Infinia HDTV-sets and Microsoft Xbox 360 game consoles.

Initially, the companies only plan to collaborate on promotion of stereo 3D Infinia LED HDTVs and stereoscopic 3D games for Microsoft Xbox 360 video game consoles in South Korea. But, eventually, the cooperation may be broadened to other countries, too.

The initiative of LG and Microsoft will counter a similar move announced by Sony, which plans to promote stereo 3D TV sets with its PlayStation 3 game console.
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Where’s the content?

Indians spent a whopping Rs 115 crore for a 3D film like Avatar. So, it is logical to ask: What use will a Rs 1-lakh (or above) 3D TV for consumers be if they can’t source 3D content for it?

Of course, be it 3D TV sets, 3D displays for laptops or 3D games, there are plans on the anvil. According to Ranjit Thakur, CEO of Scrabble Entertainment, audiences are warming up to 3D. “What most of those people saw was much more interesting than your average movie — they saw people jumping out of the screen and the experience of movie watching was immersive.” This year, Thakur’s company, Scrabble, is slated to release over 22 3D movies. There are a few silver linings though, like the recent partnership between Sony and Discovery for a 3D TV network. Even ESPN is all set to launch its own 3D channel. Sony, Samsung, LG and Panasonic seem to be banking on 3D video games to drive 3D TV sales.

So, is 3D worth delaying a TV or gaming device purchase decision? The answer is no, except for those with the budget to afford the absolute latest. Besides, one has to also factor in the cost of the glasses (for the family to enjoy 3D together), the availability of 3D content and the question of viewer comfort.

With inputs from Shivani Shinde and Aabhas Sharma

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Ubsoft, the publisher of JCA:TG, though, believes 3D is the future and this week Ubisoft Montreal chief executive Yannis Mallat said the transition to 3D will be as momentus as the move from standard sound to Dolby Digital.

That might be the case, but I think it’ll be a while before proper 3D gaming is a reality, especially if the hardware needed to showcase the effect is going to cost you an arm and a leg to buy it. I remember playing a Sly Racoon level in a PS2 game a few years back where you had to pop on a pair of those red and blue cardboard 3D glasses. It was a start but since then there have been few attempts at incorporating 3D into games, apart from some special glasses that require a special monitor to display the 3D and some nVidia video card drivers that do a nice 3D effect in some PC games.

I’ve also heard that Sony is looking into implementing 3D processing into future PS3 models using a firmware update, so that could be a much cheaper entry point into 3D gaming, but do you think 3D is the way of the future when it comes to gaming?

One game that I reckon would be super awesome with 3D treatment is Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and funnily enough, today we’ve got one Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3) media kit which features a copy of the game and artwork, and two copies of the game (it’s a PS3 exclusive so PS3 only).

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[Via GameJunkie]

What’s more, Sony reps said that it also plans to integrate the stereoscopic 3D technology directly into the PS3 beginning in 2011 or 2012. Now, Sony has thrown its full corporate weight behind its intent to integrate stereoscopic 3D into the PS3 as part of a presentation given to media and investors today.

As part of a slide titled “5 Key Advantages of PlayStation 3,”Sony said all PS3 units would eventually be given a 3D display mode as part of a future firmware update. The company also said that it will release a line of 3D games that make use of the technology. However, it did not indicate when the firmware update or the 3D-compatible games would come to market.

[UPDATE] Sony’s entrance into the stereoscopic 3D market will come sometime next year. Speaking alongside the aforementioned presentation, Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kaz Hirai confirmed that the PlayStation group will begin enacting its 3D strategy in 2010.

“Next year, in tandem with the Sony 3D TV product launch, PS3 also plans to launch 3D game titles–not just first party, but we are actively supporting third-party software developers 3D game development,” Hirai said. “Finally, I’d like to announce here today that all PS3 sold since the 2006 launch will support 3D through firmware update.”

“HDMi enables high-quality output of 3D video, and the cell processor’s SPU performs video decoding which allow us to support new codecs through a software update,” Hirai continued. “As a result, through a network software update, our customers will be able to instantly enjoy 3D games without replacing their existing PS3 consoles.”

Aside from new games, Sony has previously indicated that the 3D tech could also work with existing software. At the aforementioned German exhibition, Sony set up the prototype unit with a PS3 showing off existing games, like WipeOut HD, being played in 3D. Company reps said the technology on display was built into the HDTV itself, meaning it would work with preexisting PS3 games and consoles.

[UPDATE] Japanese electronics giant says all consoles will benefit from stereoscopic depth-of-field technology after downloadable patch.

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[Via GameSpot]

The main feature of the 3DS will be its ability to project a 3D image to users without requiring them to wear special glasses. Nintendo didn’t disclose how this would be done but it will most likely be with a screen that has a thin sheet of lenses in front of the main display panel. Such screens, already in use on at least on model of cell phone in Japan, focus a 3D image to a particular point in space and the user can see a 3D image if they are viewing from that point.

Glasses-free 3-D technology has been around for a while in computer monitors, laptops and televisions, but hasn’t proven as popular as the kind that uses glasses. That’s because glasses-free 3-D uses a lenticular screen (it’s covered with an array of tiny vertical lenses) to direct different images to each eye. It works, but only if you hold your head in the right position. That’s a serious limitation for couch potatoes staring at a TV across the room, but would be no problem at all for a handheld game console.

The Asahi Shimbun said that the screens would be manufactured by Nintendo’s longtime hardware partner Sharp. Nikkei said the screens on the 3DS (all DS devices have dual screens) will be no larger than 4-inches. Nintendo’s DSi XL has a 4.2-inch screen while the DSi has a 3.25-inch screen.

It will also have a 3D joystick and force feedback, and Nintendo is considering including an accelerometer so that the device will react to tilting, the report said. It will also offer improvements in wireless networking speed and battery life.

The first Nintendo DS was released in 2004. On March 28, Nintendo will release the latest (and apparently last) in the line of original DS players, the DSi XL, in the United States.

Nintendo has said the 3DS will launch sometime before the end of March 2011, but the Nikkei report narrowed the time-frame to the second half of this year. Nintendo of America said that it could not provide further comment on the Nintendo 3DS. Its Japanese parent company issued a terse English-language press release.

Sony’s first two sets, which are 40- and 46-inch models, will come bundled with two pairs of 3D glasses and will cost Â¥290,000 (US$3,215) and Â¥350,000 respectively. In July it will launch six further sets: 52- and 60-inch models that come with 3D glasses and four “3D-ready” models that have 3D circuitry inside the set but require the purchase of glasses and an infrared transmitter.

The cheapest of the sets, a 40-inch model that requires the additional glasses and transmitter, will carry an estimated retail price of ¥220,000. The glasses will cost ¥12,000 per pair and the transmitter, which sends out a signal to synchronize electronic shutters in the glasses, will cost ¥5,000. All prices are Sony estimates and products can typically be found online for less.

Included in each set will be a real-time 2D-to-3D convertor, which can take a conventional 2D television image and simulate a 3D image from it. The technology was demonstrated on Tuesday with footage of figure skating, where the skater was in focus and some distance from spectators in the background, and appeared to work well. Sony didn’t offer demonstrations on any other footage.

Tuesday’s announcement fills out Sony’s 3D launch plans, which began in September last year when it became the first major consumer electronics maker to disclose plans to launch 3D televisions in 2010. It has subsequently been followed by other big names including Panasonic, Samsung and LG.

Two of those companies will manage to beat Sony to market with 3D sets. On Wednesday Panasonic plans to start selling 3D televisions through Best Buy stores in the U.S. and some retailers are already advertising availability of the first 3D TV from Samsung.

Sony has high hopes for 3D and expects sales of 3D-compatible sets to be about 2.5 million this year. That represents a 10 percent slice of its total TV sales target.

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[Via PCWorld]

The two companies have signed a “memorandum of understanding” to cross-promote 3D technology. The deal initially covers an agreement to sell LG’s 3D televisions alongside Xbox 360 games consoles in South Korea, although the agreement could be extended to other countries in future.

It seems likely that Microsoft will be issuing a firmware update to add 3D support to the Xbox 360, in much the same way as Sony did for the PlayStation 3, and more details are expected to emerge at E3 next month, the annual gaming expo in Los Angeles.

“There are already 3D games available today on Xbox 360, and this selection will continue to evolve,” said Microsoft in a statement. “Today, you can buy a 3DTV and wear glasses to play games such as Avatar and Batman: Arkham Asylum. The promotional partnership announced in South Korea today is specific to the South Korean market, but is further evidence that as 3D adoption grows, Xbox 360 will support 3D games and entertainment.”

3D is seen as the next key battleground for games companies. Sony has issued a firmware upgrade for that PlayStation 3 that allows it to play 3D games, such as the forthcoming Wipeout and MotorStorm, while Nintendo has revealed that it is launching a new hand-held games console, the Nintendo 3DS, that will allow people to play 3D games without the need for special glasses.

Both Sony and Microsoft will also be going head-to-head with Nintendo with their new motion-sensing gaming systems. Sony’s PlayStation Move is similar to the Nintendo Wii, and uses a wand-style remote to control on-screen movement. Microsoft’s Project Natal system entirely does away with the need for a controller, instead using a camera to capture the movement of players and translate that in to on-screen action.

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