LG Debuts OpenGL-Based 2D to 3D Game Conversion Engine for Smartphones

LG is close to marking another world's first, as the company announced it will demonstrate an OpenGL-based 2D to 3D game conversion engine for smartphones, at IFA 2011 in Berlin.

According to LG, the 3D Game Converter application will be included in the first Maintenance Release (MR) of the LG Optimus 3D smartphone that is expected to be delivered in October.

Once the 3D Game Converter is installed, users will be able to enjoy 3D on previously purchased 2D games simply by activating it.

Furthermore, users will be able to toggle games between 2D and 3D mode with a simple push of a button.

Obviously, the conversion engine will benefit both game developers and smartphone users alike, as the it won't require additional costs for companies to offer 3D versions of their existing 2D games.

“Our Game Converter is a major breakthrough for this industry. Mobile gaming is a huge trend on the cusp of massive growth and LG is determined to be the de facto leader in this space,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company.

It appears that once the user puts a 2D mobile game through the 3D Game Converter, the program automatically scans the game to see if it is listed among the 2D mobile games optimized for 3D conversion.

The game will be converted into 3D using default visual settings, if it was previously optimized.

More interestingly, all unlisted OpenGL-based 2D games can still be converted to 3D by adjusting the settings manually.

LG officially stated that optimized settings for about 50 2D games will be available by October, while 50 more will be so by the end of the year.

“Far from being a gimmick, LG’s 3D Game Converter automatically recognizes the depth information based on the location of each object and separates the 2D graphic images for each eye,” explained Dr. Henry Nho, LG’s 3D technology evangelist.

To protect the technologies included in the conversion engine, the company has filed several patent licenses in major countries such as the U.K., Germany and the U.S.