Blacklight dev: 3D the big thing for FPS

By Fred Dutton Published 2 November, 2010

Not "waving my arms around".

Multiplayer FPS Blacklight: Tango Down finally hits PlayStation Network this week but gamers looking for Move compatibility will be disappointed. Developer Zombie Games is much more interested in 3D.

Project lead Jared Gerritzen told Eurogamer, "Move is definitely one of the cooler motion controllers just because it's really easy to track. It's cool, but I think if anything Sony has is going the right direction, it's 3D."

"We have that working on some of the graphics cards for the PC. Other than the fact it gives me a splitting migraine after half an hour it's just so awesome. Actually looking into a screen and having it feel 3D is absolutely the best way to make a player feel like they're in that world.

"That right there is the big thing," he added, "not waving my arms around.

"Games are a way to escape. Having someone moving around to play is great but it's very tiring. Most people work a full day and then they come home and want to sit on their comfy couch and just move their thumbs, not their whole body.

Blacklight: Tango Down arrives on PlayStation Network tomorrow, priced £9.99. Eurogamer's Dan Whitehead gave the Xbox Live Arcade version 5/10, but Gerritzen suspects that was because there was no free massage on offer.

Picture of Fred.

About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (24) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #1 2 years ago

    Where was their crystal ball before they created Blacklight?

  • Xnoybis Verified Senior Software Engineer, Holition #2 2 years ago

    "Other than the fact it gives me a splitting migraine after half an hour it's just so awesome."

    Well, that's me sold...

  • sonicyoda #3 2 years ago

    The jury is still out on a 3D FPS for me. If a constant barrage of bullets come at you in 3D I can imagine that would be incredibly difficult to play and quite straining on the eyes.

  • Dolly #4 2 years ago

    "Most people work a full day and then they come home and want to sit on their comfy couch and just move their thumbs, not their whole body."

    Make him the president of games.

  • schnide #5 2 years ago

    I have to say I agree. 3D when done properly, potentially along with some form of motion controls if done right, have got to offer the most immersive gaming experiences we've ever seen.

  • Widge #6 2 years ago

    I’m not sure you’d see the individual bullets! But I bet being able to see depth in the play arena would be awesome. And I think that it doesn’t matter whether it is Killzone or Halo, 3D in FPS would really enhance the game as it bolsters the entire first person part of the experience.

    Yeah, not sure about Move, but thats because I’ve not tried and FPS with it. I’ve not envisioned how it plays without a “look” stick.

  • StolenGlory #7 2 years ago

    How is swapping one gimmick for another a good thing for any genre?

  • VandelayIndustries #8 2 years ago

    If you're waving your arms around you're doing it wrong!

  • funkateer #9 2 years ago

    So their next game will give you a splitting migraine, but I'm guessing the reviewers will be treated with a free massage (+ happy ending just to be sure).

  • Mox #10 2 years ago

    It sounds like such a "dad" comment to make, don't you think? "I don't see what all the fuss is about. It's just waving your arms around. I'd rather sit comfy in my chair with the paper."

  • merseymal #11 2 years ago

    Have been playing L4D and L4D2 in 3D for about a year now and absolutely love it. I tend not to use it for every game though, especially not MMOs.

  • Kaminari #12 2 years ago

    "Having someone moving around to play is great but it's very tiring."

    While getting a splitting migraine is so much more relaxing.

  • Darkedge #13 2 years ago

    PS3 dev backs ps3 SHOCKER.

  • WinstonChurchill #14 2 years ago

    I wish people would stop prefacing 'couch' with 'comfy' in the games industry.

  • mkreku #15 2 years ago

    I hate my couch.

  • Perfecto #16 2 years ago

    We just got a 3D TV in the office at work today, half the staff are now experiencing those same headaches.

  • Milkman1 #17 2 years ago

    "Other than the fact it gives me a splitting migraine after half an hour it's just so awesome. "

    I dont get how anyone can get excited for 3D in games. Who would want play game that gives you migraine after 5 minutes of playing? That must be great for your vision.
    3D will be huge fail. Again.

  • man.the.king #18 2 years ago

    "he added, "not waving my arms around. "

    Waving his arms around - he's probably thinking of Kinect.

  • peterfll #19 2 years ago

    Pratt.

  • man.the.king #20 2 years ago

    @Perfecto

    "We just got a 3D TV in the office at work today, half the staff are now experiencing those same headaches. "

    Pity for you guys. I just purchased a 60-inch 3DTV, and no migraines or headaches whatsoever.

    Extremely fun though.

    Admittedly, Super Stardust HD and Wipeout HD are the only two implementations I've seen and played so far, and in my experience, the 3D really ratcheted up the immersion!

    Still waiting for the other "major" games though - Killzone 3, LBP2, GT5. Haven't purchased Tumble or Motorstorm: Pacific Rift 3D yet.

    EDIT: I have ordered Black Ops (specifically for 2 reasons - Online Split-screen and 3D), so I should be able to try out 3D with that.
    Edited by man.the.king at 02/11/10 @ 21:25

  • DrStrangelove #21 2 years ago

    @Chaney

    "Other than the fact it gives me a splitting migraine after half an hour it's just so awesome. "

    Hitting my cock with a hammer feels great for a fraction of a second

    If your ex does that, I bet she feels good for a much longer time.

  • DrStrangelove #22 2 years ago

    And the guy is perfectly right. Shame that the performance of 3DTVs still leaves something to be desired.

  • PlugMonkey #23 2 years ago

    "Pity for you guys. I just purchased a 60-inch 3DTV, and no migraines or headaches whatsoever.

    Extremely fun though. "

    I'm honestly and genuinely jealous. But I still can't predict that there will be a wholesale uptake in technology that, say, 50% of the population are fundamentally incompatible with.

  • hat1324 #24 1 year ago

    You know, I can't help but notice something: I go through Steam looking at each game's update news, and all the other games have news like "MAJOR PATCH RELEASED" and this game has BS like "Dev defends BTD"