Limited test for new technology

May 13, 2010 18:31 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft has confirmed that it has entered into a partnership with consumer electronics manufacturer LG in order to offer customers 3D gaming solutions. Initially, the products, which include Xbox 360 home gaming consoles and LG television sets, will only be offered on the South Korean market, starting with June 2010, with an extension to the whole of South Asia possible. Microsoft has not said whether it plans to also bring the partnership to the West.

It's not clear which videogames will be offered with full 3D display by Microsoft. It's not even clear why the company is only aiming its partnership at South Korea. The software giant is probably just targeting a smaller market in order to see whether players are interested in investing in the new hardware needed for the three dimensional gaming experience.

A statement on the issue from the United States headquarters of Microsoft reads, “3D games are available today on Xbox 360 and will continue to evolve. Today, you can buy a 3DTV and wear glasses to play games like Avatar and ‘Batman: Arkham Asylum.’ The promotional partnership with LG announced in South Korea today is specific to the South Korean market, but is further evidence that as 3D adoption grows, Xbox 360 will support 3D games and entertainment.”

Sony has already talked about aiming to make the PlayStation 3 platform capable of three dimensional displays before the end of 2010, with the latest firmware, 3.30, being just one step in that transformation.

The gadget will deliver the 3D experience with Bravia television sets Sony also manufactures and sells. Rival Microsoft has not announced which videogames it plans to launch for the newly 3D-capable Xbox 360. After the launch of the PlayStation Move and the Project Natal motion tracking systems, the battle for 3D will likely be the one to dominate console gaming.