By: Titus Hoskins
Submitted: 2011-09-18 02:48:57 | Word Count: 705
At the recent E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) Sony introduced 3DS, its new handheld 3D gaming console to somewhat mixed reviews. Some were saying it doesn't have the full 3D effect that can be achieved with the new 3D Televisions which were also displayed at the E3. However, unlike the 3D TVs the 3DS doesn't use glasses, which was one of its major selling points for many testing out the new device and one which could make this new gaming console a real contender.
However, the 800 pound gorilla in the room: Can 3D gaming really win over gamers?
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Video gamers are a dedicated lot, they like their video gaming to be as realistic and heart-pounding as virtually possible. They want to be totally immersed into a fabricated world that doesn't seem fabricated at all, one that draws them into the action so completely that they escape their boring lives. It's the excitement stupid.
If new 3D technology can make that world more realistic and more absorbing, then it may just have a slim chance of catching on. The emphasis is on slim because we have seen 3D movies, games, and technologies come and go. This may be why many pundits are countering: It's a fad stupid.
However, this time the 3D technology seems more powerful and much more engrossing. We only have to look to the popularity of such recent blockbuster 3D films like Avatar and Alice In Wonderland, to realize if you produce an effective 3D image, they will come. But if 3D is to make it into mainstream media, it can't be all dazzle and flash, it must make the viewing experience more realistic.
Just like full HD or High Definition completely changed our enjoyment of viewing movies and TV programs, so too must the new 3D technology be as enjoyable. It must improve that viewing enjoyment so much that anything less than 3D will look incomplete. If viewers and gamers can't get the ultimate viewing image or experience without it, then 3D will have a decent chance of becoming the next must-have technology.
We are seeing the introduction of 3D gaming laptops, we already have the ASUS G51J-3D and now the boutique computer maker Origin PC is introducing a customizable 3D laptop called the EON15-3D which uses the Nvidia 3D Vision Kit and active-shutter 3D glasses. Origin PC is a fairly new company started by Kevin Wasielewski, who gamers will also know co-founded Alienware which Dell took over in 2006. It could possibly give 3D some street cred.
We are also seeing the introduction of 3D Television Sets from Sony, Samsung, Panasonic... among others. We are also seeing the introduction of 3D Blu-ray Players so all systems are set to go for 3D. But will gamers and the general public embrace it like there's no tomorrow? One big obstacle seems to be the glasses which are required for most 3D systems, many complain of headaches and nausea when they use them. Besides, many consider them just too uncomfortable to wear, which could turn off more viewers.
Next is the cost of these new 3D systems, they don't come cheap. However, for gamers who regularly spend thousands to get the ultimate gaming system, the cost is one they may be willing to pay. Or they may not, the determining factor will be the viewing experience offered up by 3D, if it is a great improvement, then no price is too high.
Lack of 3D content is only a temporary problem because just as we saw with HD, the marketplace will demand more programs and movies be available in 3D. Before long the majority of content will be produced in 3D as well as in HD, viewers will demand no less.
As for gamers, 3D is the next logical step (many gamers would argue 3D systems have been around for years) in gaming. Gamers demand the fastest graphics, the highest resolution, the best sound and the ultimate performance from their gaming systems and from their games. If 3D can overcome or even survive all the hype, and truly deliver a better gaming experience then most gamers will demand 3D be added to their gaming systems, no matter what form it would take.
