SEGA: Pioneers of 3D

[SOUP]

I found this pretty interesting article on stereoscopic gaming, and it looks like SEGA released the first commercial stereoscopic game: Subroc-3D. Not only that, but it was all the way back in 1982.

I knew about the glasses with the Master System, but there's some pretty interesting stuff here:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/220922/the_history_of_stereoscopic_3d_gaming.html

[Centrale]

I remember when Subroc 3D came out.  One of my local arcades had it at the time, and it was quite an impressive 3D effect.  The only thing was the "periscope" was in a fixed position so you either had to be the exact right height or you were on tiptoes/leaning over to look through.  As I recall there was a step built in to the cabinet so you could either stand on the floor or stand on the step. 

[Barry the Nomad]

SEGA should really rerelease their old 3D titles onto 3DS. TItle it the "SEGA did 3D first collection".

[SOUP]

@Central: That sounds pretty cool .

@Barry: That would be a fantastic idea. Maybe a line of SEGA AGES digital releases or something.

[Nameless 24]

Would be nice to see it in 3DSware or something for sure! I just hope it appeals to the masses.

[SOUP]

I don't see how they wouldn't. Good games tend to age pretty well.

[Centrale]

There was another 3D game by Sega from 1982 called Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom.  It utilized the sprite scaling technique developed by Steve Hanawa for Sega's Turbo which was released the year before.  You can see a lot of games branching off from Planet of Zoom -- for one thing, it looks like a chase cam version of Zaxxon in a lot of ways.  But even more strikingly, it looks like it has the DNA of what would eventually become Space Harrier just three years later.  It's even got a boss ship that reminds me a lot of the refueling plane in After Burner.  It was a pretty big hit, getting conversions for most platforms of the era, including the Colecovision, Atari 5200, TI99 and Apple II.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnoEcMbj6FQ[/youtube]

And here's some Sub-Roc 3D footage:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpTAhOp355w[/youtube]

When speaking of the pioneers of 3D gaming, I think it's important to note that while Sega was trailblazing with the stereoscopic technique of synchronizing shuttered lenses to the refresh rate of the monitor, and developing sprite scaling, Atari was innovating in the realm of 3D modeling using vector graphics with games like Battlezone, Red Baron, and perhaps the masterpiece of that era, Star Wars.  Two very different approaches to 3D that both formed important foundations for what we have these days.  Star Wars also features some of the first digitized voices (although I think the very first might have been in Berzerk by Stern). 

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSwul6HaGag[/youtube]

[ROJM]

technically its Periscope that's the first 3D game ever made also made by Sega and that was back in 1969. But the 3D angle was always sega's forte anyway especially during the Suzuki years.

[Centrale]

Here's a mind-blower from Atari, 1983 -- featuring flat-shaded polygons for the first time in a coin-op.  I, Robot. (With a funny annotation from the uploader.)  It wasn't much of a hit for them but shows just how forward-thinking Atari's coin-op division was in those days.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmvWxG2zvs8[/youtube]

[ROJM]

Yes the americans are the pioneers in video game tech but then again that same year orthe previous year Sega did ZAXXON which was also pioneering. Must help that the company was heavily influenced by its american  side since it was originally an anglo american company.