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Differences
People are often confused by the differences between 2D and 3D environment and animation. Sometimes people are also confused by the methods through which the two types are created. In order to understand which of the two methods is better, it is important to understand how the two types of animation work. The two methods are similar in several way including the fact that they are both capable of serving a multitude of styles and purposes. However, the difference between the purposes and styles will be determined by the vision and goals of the project. 2D animations appear flat but can still result in a sophisticated and clean images. 2D environment applies the two dimensions in a workspace, X and Y, (Nah, Eschenbrenner, & DeWester, 2011). 3D animation provides both the viewer and the developer a full range of motion. 3D applies all the three dimensions in a computer workspace, X, Y, and Z. Because of the above said 3D games provide the player with an opportunity to experience all the virtual directions in a game. This makes the 3D games appear more realistic than 2D games.
While playing a game, 3D provides the player with the ability to move closer and deeper into the game environment. A 2D game allows for only a flat plane movement involving left and right directions. 3D games also allow the players to use a joystick which makes it much easier for navigation and are tilt sensitive, (Schild, LaViola, & Masuch, 2012). A 2D game only allows the person to move top, left, south and right. 2D games use a digital pad that have the four buttons for navigation and make it difficult to make movements that are not among the four mentioned. However, the creation of the two types is different with 3D being more expensive to create and consuming more time that 2D. However, the choice to create the two games is dependent on other factors not just time and cost.
Making
The production of the games is dependent on the goals and intentions of the developer and the client if the game is developed specifically for another client. Other than the goals, the appearance and the available resources will also determine the choice between the two methods. 3D games also rely on models and shapes created using a computer.2D only requires a flat surface and sprites, not much modeling is involved. 2D games are more similar to drawings while 3D are similar to sculptures, (Nah, Eschenbrenner, & DeWester, 2011).
The greatest advantage of 3D games is that it represents a more realistic and lifelike environment, (Schild, LaViola, & Masuch, 2012). This makes the game more attractive compared to the flat surface of 2D games. Another advantage is that the player or viewer has a wonderful experience ad can change the lightings and camera positions. The biggest disadvantage of three games is the cost used to create them and the time spent working on the games. 2D games on the other had lay their greatest advantage in their ease of creation given that they do not have to depend on models created prior to making the game. This factor also means that 2D games consume lesser time in creation as compared to 3D games. Another advantage lays with the cost of producing the 2D game which is much lower than a similar 3D game, (Nah, Eschenbrenner, & DeWester, 2011).
References:
Schild, J., LaViola, J., & Masuch, M. (2012, May). Understanding user experience in stereoscopic 3D games. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 89-98). ACM.
Nah, F. F. H., Eschenbrenner, B., & DeWester, D. (2011). Enhancing brand equity through flow and telepresence: A comparison of 2D and 3D virtual worlds. MIs Quarterly, 35(3), 731-747.
