Tuesday July 6, 2010 – Shelby Cunningham
After playing some of the new PS3 games in 3D at E3 I am convinced that video games will do a lot more than TV content to encourage the sale and use of 3D TVs. For me at least, 3D requires some sort of interaction beyond leaning back and watching a TV to captivate me and keep my attention. Game play produces an intense and concentrated interaction where you forget you’re wearing glasses or forget the need to check Twitter. As long as viewing 3D on a TV requires glasses, the laser-focused activities that naturally discourage multitasking are likely to deliver the best 3D experience.
The gaming community is a leader in providing source devices and material for new stereoscopic 3D TV sets. The PS3 has already received its first firmware update that supports 3D games. Microsoft has remained silent about whether the Xbox 360 will support 3D except for saying that it is capable of doing so. During the EA press conference at E3, however, the makers of Crysis 2 may have “outed” Microsoft by saying that the game will be the first 3D game to play on multiple consoles in stereoscopic 3D. The current Wii won’t handle 3D or receive any updates to do so, but Nintendo says it is considering 3D for the next generation Wii depending on sales of new 3D TVs. Despite its conservative approach to the 3D console market, Nintendo is no 3D slacker, however, as it demonstrated a working prototype handheld 3D gaming device (3DS) that requires no glasses.
3D gaming will definitely take some getting used to, and supposedly you won’t be able to play the 3D games as long as a regular game due to suggested 3D viewing lengths, but I don’t think that will stop hardcore gamers.
Judging by the stable of veteran game makers with valuable content franchises developing 3D games, whether for the PS3 or the new Nintendo 3DS, industry players are betting on 3D with development dollars. I’m betting that TV makers can count on the game industry to deliver sales from hardcore gamers buying 3D TVs.
And once those hardcore gamers buy the 3D TV set, will there be time left over for them to watch a 3D movie or sports event? You’ll have to ask them once they take off the 3D glasses.
