Yeah, I know there was 3D way before. The algorithms for expressing 3D have been around for decades, and I was playing vector 3D and even polygon games on my Commodore 64. To me, though, AM2 has practically marked the beginning of each major stage in modern, real-time, 3D gaming graphics with a major release:
Back in the 2D era of the mid 80s, they pushed the boundaries of expressing 3D with some of the most amazing sprite scalars: Hang On, Space Harrier, etc.
Around 1994, smooth, modern 3D came to life with Virtua Racing and the first Virtua Fighter on the Model 1 board.
AM2 then showed us the next stage sometime around 1995 (while the Saturn and PSX were still getting off the ground), with higher res, textured mapped polygons and 60 fps in Virtua Fighter 2 and Daytona USA on the Model 2 board.
The first time we saw 3D with all the fancy effects drenched onto the polygons with things like perspective correction, mip-mapping, z-buffers, texture filtering and all that was when Virtua Fighter 3 and Super GT dropped around 1996 on the Model 3 board. Super GT was all fleshed out with modeled rims and tires on the car, translucent and reflective windshields, etc.
And the very first time we saw characters of that detail and more running around in their own expansive world, like last-gen pre-rendered CG come to life, was when AM2 showed Shenmue way back in '98 and released it in '99.
I think we're still in the Shenmue stage at this point. Sure, more recent games like Halo and Panzer Dragoon Orta improve all the seperate elements like effects, lighting, geometry, texturing etc. to some degree, but I don't think we're quite at the point yet where the standards mark a whole new look in 3D over Shenmue. Maybe later this generation with games like Halo 2, or perhaps when the next powerful arcade board gets released.
Back in the 2D era of the mid 80s, they pushed the boundaries of expressing 3D with some of the most amazing sprite scalars: Hang On, Space Harrier, etc.
Around 1994, smooth, modern 3D came to life with Virtua Racing and the first Virtua Fighter on the Model 1 board.
AM2 then showed us the next stage sometime around 1995 (while the Saturn and PSX were still getting off the ground), with higher res, textured mapped polygons and 60 fps in Virtua Fighter 2 and Daytona USA on the Model 2 board.
The first time we saw 3D with all the fancy effects drenched onto the polygons with things like perspective correction, mip-mapping, z-buffers, texture filtering and all that was when Virtua Fighter 3 and Super GT dropped around 1996 on the Model 3 board. Super GT was all fleshed out with modeled rims and tires on the car, translucent and reflective windshields, etc.
And the very first time we saw characters of that detail and more running around in their own expansive world, like last-gen pre-rendered CG come to life, was when AM2 showed Shenmue way back in '98 and released it in '99.
I think we're still in the Shenmue stage at this point. Sure, more recent games like Halo and Panzer Dragoon Orta improve all the seperate elements like effects, lighting, geometry, texturing etc. to some degree, but I don't think we're quite at the point yet where the standards mark a whole new look in 3D over Shenmue. Maybe later this generation with games like Halo 2, or perhaps when the next powerful arcade board gets released.
