Isn't It Time We Stopped Being Jaded About 3D Technology?

Every other publication out there seems to be grappling with the "why" and "how" rather than the base-line concept. Look, we understand as well as everyone else that 3D is going to be expensive, and many (us included) will not be looking to upgrade for some years. That's absolutely fine. It doesn't make it rubbish though. Just like the jump between black-and-white to colour, and SD to HD, 3D will get its time. Who knows how long that will take - it could be upwards of ten years. But it's going to break mainstream eventually - there will come a time when you won't be able to buy a TV without 3D, and presumably there will come a time when glasses won't be necessary.

Assuming that's the case, it's going to take early adopters to get things wrong. Maybe Killzone 3 will look unbelievable in 3D, maybe it won't - it takes Guerrilla to test-the-waters for future projects to do it right. That's experimentation.

It's nice, therefore, to hear publishers back the progression. Let's be honest, 3D could be amazing. It doesn't matter what 3D content you've seen in the past, it matters where the tech is going. And it's going to take adopters and risks to convert the jaded industry we're a part of.

Names like Andrew House from SCEE are vocal about the tech, but perhaps without the true advocation the tech needs. Andrew House works for Sony, and Sony are invested. It's names like Namco's Oliver Comte and Take-Two's Ben Feder which carry more weight. All of whom are looking into the tech.

“Natal and Move are two new tools, but I don’t think either are the next revolution of games,” Oliver Comte from Namco-Bandai told MCV. “I believe the next revolution will be 3D. I have tested some 3D games and I think it is a big change.”

Take-Two's Ben Feder was less positive: “The use of 3D needs to be meaningful to the gamer and publishers will need to ask questions. Will it draw players further into my world? Will it change how they interact with the game? Will it make the title more fun and keep the player engaged? The answers need to be ‘yes’ for them to fit into our strategy of being a leader in innovation and quality.”

Sony will be banking on providing a resounding "yes" to Take-Two, but what's key to remember is that the technology is still in its infancy. Avatar has only just proved that 3D is beneficial to the cinema, and it'll presumably take a few fail states from the games industry before it's widely accepted here.

What's apparent to us is that the potential's there. If you're patient through the trial and error, if you sit from the side-lines and watch how the tech develops, surely there's no need to be sceptical?

Why do we have the telephone? Why do we have the Internet? What's the point of a high-definition TV? Just wait.