S-3D Gaming Alliance Formalized

TORONTO--(Marketwire - January 7, 2010) - According to the U-DECIDE Initiative, a well received study of modern gamers, 93% of survey respondents want to see game developers support stereoscopic 3D technology. The industry answered by starting development of The S-3D Gaming Alliance (S3DGA), a non-profit corporation that is 100% focused on making stereoscopic 3D gaming possible through standards, education, and product adoption.

"We need an industry-wide standard for S-3D gaming, and S3DGA has the drive and experience to push this forward. All developers and manufacturers should participate," said Habib Zargarpour, Senior Art Director for Electronic Arts Inc.

"S-3D gaming content is available on PC and console, gamers are great viral marketers, and our industry needs to reach out to the early adopters first. Our industry needed a qualified voice, so S3DGA was formed to properly leverage and develop this market," said Neil Schneider, S3DGA's Executive Director and Spokesperson.

Neil Schneider is best known for his pioneering work on Meant to be Seen (http://www.mtbs3D.com), the world's leading website focused on stereoscopic 3D gaming and entertainment.

S3DGA's current members include LG Electronics, Blitz Games Studios, RealD, Next3D, DDD, Jon Peddie Research, Sensio, TDVision Corp, iZ3D, and more.

Advisory board members include Habib Zargarpour, Senior Art Director for Electronic Arts, Andrew Oliver, CTO and Co-Founder of Blitz Games Studios, and Neil Trevett, President of the Khronos Group & VP of NVIDIA Mobile Content.

S3DGA wanted its first board to be comprised of people without vested interests until there is a member driven nomination or election process. The initial Board of Directors includes:

Syd Bolton, Interim S3DGA President, is also the Curator of the Personal Computer Museum in Brantford, Ontario. A seasoned expert in gaming and gaming history, Mr. Bolton has been featured on The Space Channel, MuchMusic, Custom PC, Games Magazine, and more.

Mark Fihn, S3DGA Vice-President, is the publisher of Veritus et Visus. A top analyst and consultant, his company publishes a well respected 3D newsletter that features columns written by top industry executives and pioneers.

John Merritt, S3DGA Treasurer, is the founder of the Stereoscopic Displays & Applications Conference, the oldest stereoscopic 3D conference in the world. Mr. Merritt is a leading consultant on matters of S-3D quality and immersive experience.

"I really believe that 2010 is the year that 3D will hit at home with consumers more than ever, and having this alliance is more critical than ever to ensure everyone is on the same page," said Syd Bolton, S3DGA's President.

The interim Standards Division Chair is Keith Elliott.

"When we are talking about standards in gaming, it's not just about passing a left and right image to the display -- that's easy. Game developers also need to speak the same language, quality and compliance expectations need to be set, and lots of compatibility politics are going to surface very quickly I'm sure. We wanted a strong people person to head this up, and this individual's previous work had to be well known. We found that person in Keith Elliott," Schneider explained.

Keith Elliott is one of the key inventors of the low-cost stereoscopic display architecture used in over two million 3D DLP® high-definition (HD) televisions. This high-speed "checkerboard" layout grew popular by offering high-quality 3D HD video at the lowest cost possible. In gaming, it is already supported by DDD, iZ3D, NVIDIA, and multiple game engines. As Director of New Business Technology for the HDTV group at Texas Instruments (TI), Keith was involved in the development of the infrastructure needed to support a wide roll-out of 3D content to the home consumer. He also directed TI's systems engineering team that delivered DLP technology to HDTV manufacturers around the world. He is currently a founder and technology consultant for Screen's Edge, LLC.

S3DGA's next official meeting takes place at the 3D Gaming Summit in April 2010. S3DGA is the conference's event sponsor, and all content makers and technology enablers are encouraged to participate. Visit http://www.3dgamingsummit.com for more information.

The S-3D Gaming Alliance, S3DGA, is a 3D gaming and entertainment industry standards and advocacy group charted to accelerate the adoption of 3D gaming and display technology by providing for standards discussions, consumer promotion, education, and awareness. Membership is comprised of organizations and individuals with an interest in developing 3D solutions. S3DGA membership inquiries should be directed to members@s3dga.com. Visit http://www.s3dga.com for more information.

Contact Information: Media Inquiries: Carol Warren Crew Communications Tel. 714-890-4500