NN4D just returned from the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2011 in San Francisco, California.

The NAVTEQ^® map supports a growing range of high-quality 2D and 3D visual content designed to support differentiation in applications. With this visual content you can create:

• Enhanced navigation, as well as realistic and advanced game scenes, through visual 3D content such as fully navigable and textured 3D city models (learn more about NAVTEQ's Enhanced 3D City Models). 
  
  
  
• A realistic game walking around in the city (location-based).
  
  
• Advanced games narrative, e.g., racing games, by integrating real-life 3D map data (learn more about Motorway Junction Objects)

There are many opportunities for creative developers to leverage new map and 3D location content together with the right tools for development. The following two SDKs from technology partners integrate sample data from NAVTEQ's Enhanced 3D City Models:

• POWERVR Insider SDK 2.8 – the latest software development kit (SDK) and toolset for mobile 3D graphics development from Imagination Technologies. It is free to use and includes a new 3D navigation tutorial showing you how to take full advantage of graphics acceleration using OpenGL^® ES2 to create advanced graphics effects like lighting and shading on a map, 3D visual objects and fully textured 3D city models rendered at high speed. Read more at www.nn4d.com/powervr-sdk. Watch the video.
  
  
• VisioDevKit – a real-time 3D rendering engine and SDK created by Visioglobe^®. It allows developers to easily create or enhance an existing mobile application with advanced 3D location data. Visioglobe has already optimized the graphics rendering to work efficiently with underlying graphics acceleration technology. VisioDevKit currently supports iOS and is available to all NN4D members for a free evaluation period of three months (90 days) via http://www.NN4D.com/visiodevkit. Watch the video.