Off the agenda

For the first time in several years, attendees at Sony's E3 press conference this week weren’t forced to put on 3D glasses. In fact, host Jack Tretton didn’t even spend a single second talking about the technology on stage. But what has caused the company’s sudden change in attitude?

According to SCEA's Scott Rohde, it’s just not newsworthy anymore.

He said in an interview with Joystiq:

A couple years back, even three years ago, because PlayStation is a big pillar in the overall Sony structure, Sony and Kaz [Hirai] came to us and said, “Hey, we know that you guys can make a big impact by showing a lot of things in 3D.” So we're sort of the fire starter, if you will.

Now that the fire’s been lit, however, Sony’s toned back its approach. Of all the first-party titles currently announced for PS3, just three of them are 3D compatible. Rohde reckons that’s down to developer autonomy.

He continued:

If it's going to enhance an experience, then absolutely [we’ll support it]. But if it's not core to the experience, then it's not going to be a focus.

Still, Rohde doesn’t see the change in strategy as an admission of failure. He continued that the nature of the technology means it’s suitable for some games, and not for others.

What’s your opinion of 3D? Do you want to continue seeing games being developed with the technology in mind, or are you indifferent?

[source joystiq.com]