3-D technology making trading cards relevant
Lucas Yates
Issue date: 4/29/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
The developers at the innovative company Total Immersion have created a way to merge virtual reality with baseball cards, opening a newer technology to the consumer.
In the article "Webcam Brings 3-D to Topps Sports Cards," published March 8 in the New York Times, Erica Taub reported on the new technology called "augmented reality."
According to the article, using the technology, card collectors see a 3-D version of a player and can play elementary pitching, batting and catching games using the computer keyboard.
David Roland, owner of Comics Plus, 1812 Sunset Blvd., said his store has been in business 22 years, and Topps has been trying all kinds of things from holofoil to hologram cards to get collectors interested in cards again.
According to NY1's technology reporter Adam Balkin in the article "Baseball Cards Come To Life On Your Webcam," published March 11, the Topps 3-D Live augmented reality trading cards appear to be normal cards until they are held in front of a computer's webcam.
According to the same article, Steve Grimes, chief digital officer at Topps sports card company, said: "You buy a pack of Topps 2009 Series 1 baseball cards, and in every pack of those is a special Toppstown card. You go online and find your player, one from every team, select him, and it'll turn on your webcam."
Roland said baseball cards have come a long way since the brown cardboard days. The new cards are steps up from their innovative stained glass-looking cards. With the new functions the company might meet their goal of bringing collectors back. Topps is looking to encourage more interactivity with the kids, he said.
In the article, Grimes said: "You hold that card in front of your webcam and magically, almost Harry Potter-like, the player appears out of the card in three dimensions and starts interacting on your screen as you're holding the card in your hand. You can put the card down on your desk and now you can start playing some games."
In the article "Webcam Brings 3-D to Topps Sports Cards," published March 8 in the New York Times, Erica Taub reported on the new technology called "augmented reality."
According to the article, using the technology, card collectors see a 3-D version of a player and can play elementary pitching, batting and catching games using the computer keyboard.
David Roland, owner of Comics Plus, 1812 Sunset Blvd., said his store has been in business 22 years, and Topps has been trying all kinds of things from holofoil to hologram cards to get collectors interested in cards again.
According to NY1's technology reporter Adam Balkin in the article "Baseball Cards Come To Life On Your Webcam," published March 11, the Topps 3-D Live augmented reality trading cards appear to be normal cards until they are held in front of a computer's webcam.
According to the same article, Steve Grimes, chief digital officer at Topps sports card company, said: "You buy a pack of Topps 2009 Series 1 baseball cards, and in every pack of those is a special Toppstown card. You go online and find your player, one from every team, select him, and it'll turn on your webcam."
Roland said baseball cards have come a long way since the brown cardboard days. The new cards are steps up from their innovative stained glass-looking cards. With the new functions the company might meet their goal of bringing collectors back. Topps is looking to encourage more interactivity with the kids, he said.
In the article, Grimes said: "You hold that card in front of your webcam and magically, almost Harry Potter-like, the player appears out of the card in three dimensions and starts interacting on your screen as you're holding the card in your hand. You can put the card down on your desk and now you can start playing some games."
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