Sony: Retrofitting Existing PlayStation Games To 3D A 'Challenge'

Sony is considering retrofitting more previously released PlayStation 3 titles with 3D, as it has with several other games already, but the company admits that the process can be "a challenge". The platform holder revealed earlier this week that it will release a PS3 firmware update in Japan introducing 3D support for several titles on June 10th, likely to promote the launch of its 3D-capable Bravia television sets. Sony announced three games so far that will offer a 3D option in Japan: Wipeout HD, Super Stardust HD, and Pain. "I'm sure we will [retrofit more PS3 titles with 3D], as adding 3D to a game can make it a whole new experience," said Sony's senior development manager Simon Benson in an interview with Official PlayStation Magazine. He admits, though, that the process of adding 3D to PS3 games can be somewhat tricky at times: "Retrofitting 3D is actually harder than building 3D into a game from the outset. One of the big issues is that all of the game assets were designed to work with only one HD output. Being able to render them twice to make a 3D output can be a challenge." "Also, the game interfaces are often designed to only work in 2D. The process used [to] covert the games varies greatly... so there isn't really a 'one size fits all' solution," Bensen adds. (However, it's clear that retrofitting 3D games is much technically easier than doing so for films.) The company has previously indicated that "a lot" of its internal studios are working on 3D games. It hasn't yet announced when specific plans or dates to release the new firmware and 3D-retrofitted games in North America or Europe, though PS3 updates tend to roll out simultaneously worldwide.