1st 3d Game Ever!

[Dram]

http://www.idsoftware.com/games/vintage/hovertank/

 

Self explanatory. Read it, then comment. I though it was Wolfenstein too

 

--Dram

[sparhawk]

Actually the first 3D game ever was done much earlier, but at this time it only had vector graphics. It still featured first person view alread, though and it was just black and white with no textures or colour.

[Dram]

ahh. lol. but this is the first "rendered" 3d game right?

[Ishtvan]

Are we counting those dungeon explorer games where it would show you the hallway ahead and doors to the left/right, and you could turn in 90 degree increments?

[Pyrian]

Battlezone...

[Zaccheus]

Actually the first 3D game ever was done much earlier, but at this time it only had vector graphics. It still featured first person view alread, though and it was just black and white with no textures or colour.

You must be talking about "Elite", published 1984 (not for the PC though).

Edited February 25, 2005 by Zaccheus

[Pyrian]

Battlezone (also not for PC - in fact it was an arcade game - although this early that's hardly a surprise) was several years earlier than Elite.

 

An article found through google - I can't really vouch for it, but hey.

[Renzatic]

It depends on what kind of 3D you're talking about. Battlezone was the first 3D game out officially, but it's vector based...the first polygon based game was I Robot I think.

[oDDity]

Technically all games are still 2d, just height and width on your monitor, the depth is just an illusion.

THe term 3d makes no sense, if you're going to count the illusion of depth as a 3rd dimension, then the fouth dimension of time should also be counted.

So let's start using the correct term '4d'

[Zaccheus]

It does make sense when you ask how the 2D image on your monitor is generated, and how the player can move around in the game world.

 

You are right about the 4D thing, though. In fact I remember a ray-tracing package which called itself 4D because you could do animations with it.

[Pyrian]

Hmm, I guess there is a slight semantic problem with the term 3D. I do think we're generally agreed that it refers to perspective-based mapping of a virtual 3D environment to a 2D screen with the ability to move the camera relatively freely in at least two dimensions. What constitutes the first 3D game then depends on whether we define 3D to include vector-based perspective mapping or only polygon-based solutions. I can't honestly say I care, though I haven't the foggiest notion what the first polygon-based 3D game was. There were also a number of incredibly early bill-board based "3D" arcade games (by bill-board I'm referring to the way Doom 1 did enemies).

[oDDity]

Like I said, games create an illusion of 3d, but are actually only 2d. Even 'virtual reality' games where you put on that stupid head set are still only 2d, you're still not seeing real depth.

True 3d games will only happen when we have hologramatic worlds, like the holodecks on Star Trek TNG. How long that will be is anyone's guess.

[Dram]

LOL. In a way you're wrong oDD, cos the screen "shoots" electrons at the flourescent screen, therefore emitting light. So in a way it really IS 3D. Though not 3D in the sense of walls, etc

[Renzatic]

Like I said, games create an illusion of 3d, but are actually only 2d. Even 'virtual reality' games where you put on that stupid head set are still only 2d, you're still not seeing real depth.

True 3d games will only happen when we have hologramatic worlds, like the holodecks on Star Trek TNG. How long that will be is anyone's guess.

THE FUTURE HAPPENED 14 YEARS AGO!

[Pyrian]

Like I said, games create an illusion of 3d, but are actually only 2d.

No, oddity, you're just deliberately mis-interpreting what people mean when they say 3d so you can make a pointless semantic argument that nobody cares about.

[sparhawk]

The internal representation of the data is fully 3D. That it appears on the monitor as 2D doesn't change that fact. So they are 3D games with all respect. WOuld be the same as claiming that the actors on TV are only 2D as well.

[Domarius]

Heh.

 

Someone mentioned those dungeon crawlers, where you walk forward one square at a time, and turn around only at 90 degree angles at a time.

 

This is not real-time 3D, or 4D if you like. This is a "render it to screen and let them sit back and look at the pretty picture" like a 3D modelling app does. When you click, it renders a new picture. It's not like Wolfenstien where a monster can actually be running toward you while you sit there.

[oDDity]

But it isn't 'running to eward you' that's my pioint - it's simply changing from small to large while the LOD inceases at the same time. THe same effect can be achieved with so called '2d' pen and paper animation.

It's just an illusion.

Games are either '4d' or 'artificial 3d' but NOT '3d' (unless you're refering to height, width and time, in which case '3d' is acceptable)

[Dram]

But it isn't 'running to eward you' that's my pioint - it's simply changing from small to large while the LOD inceases at the same time. THe same effect can be achieved with so called '2d' pen and paper animation.

It's just an illusion.

Games are either '4d' or 'artificial 3d' but NOT '3d' (unless you're refering to height, width and time, in which case '3d' is acceptable)

LOL - oDD, we know, no need to be the obvious

[Napalm]

No we don't know!!! I don't believe it!! my moniter actually goes in milions of kilometers!!!!! I walk around in it!!!!

[Domarius]

oDDity, I was reffering to how the monster would be moving around in real time, as opposed to an old "dungeon crawler" game where it was completely turn based; nothing happened till you clicked something. You move one step, the monster moves one step. It pre-renders the picture, it's not real-time. I was just answering Ishtvan when he asked if the "dungeon crawler" games count.

In my opinion, no, not to be classified as 4D or "real time" though. I don't even think the data is stored as 3D, it's 2D data just drawn in perspective. So like Wolfenstien, its like... 2 and a half D.

 

People called Wolfenstien 2 and a half D for the same reason. But it was real time. ...so, maybe it should be called 2 and half plus 1 D... (the plus 1 is for real time, like how 4D means real time)...

Edited February 26, 2005 by Domarius

[Napalm]

Or maybe callit 2.5 D -.75 D * 6D^2

[Domarius]

Mine was funnier.

[Zaccheus]

But it isn't 'running to eward you'

Yes it is!

 

You seem to be confusing the actual data with the representation of that data.

 

The game world itself is 3D. The player's movements, the guard's movements, the architecture of the buildings, all of that is represented in 3D inside the game.

 

Only when it comes to presenting all this to the player are we forced to render it in 2D due to the lack of 3D monitors.

[Domarius]

But there are 3D monitors available now They're kinda holographic, you only see depth, nothing pops out of the screen, but its like looking through a window into a world