Is 3D The Future of Gaming?

By Neal "NeoMahi" Evans

"But, we believe this is the future, and three or four years from now, you won't be able to buy a television that doesn't have a 3D capability.... We're taking a cautious approach but we're very optimistic." - Sony

"At its heart, what Nintendo's trying to do is to bring more and more consumers into gaming. And to do it in a way that's fundamentally different than anyone else," - Reggie Fils-Amie (President of Nintendo America) @ 3DS Launch (Joystiq) 

I figured I'd talk a little about 3D today. Call it Sony fanboyism, or lets take it a step further and say call it PlayStation Fanboyism or you can even call it ignorance but I think I'm going to take a step forward and stand alone, or among the few that will say that 3D is the future of home entertainment as well as the future of gaming.

 If any of you think this here Skug ain't Peter Pan, cross the line

Lets look back in history for a bit. There has always seemed to be some sort of format war. Format war of VHS (JVC) up against Betamax (Sony). The format of VHS (JVC) up against DVD (Phillips, Sony, Toshiba and Time Warner). The Cassette Tape up against the CD (Phillips, Sony) and most recently HD DVD (Toshiba) up against Blu-ray (Sony). There's an 'algebraic' pattern here. The 'Input' and 'Output' seem to remain the same. Lets look back at the VHS and CD battles of which Sony was both involved. Sony may have lost the Betamax format with concern more of cost rather than storage capacity, their philosophy has never changed. Quality and store space over cost. Sony has never been one to give up on innovative technology. Lets not forget, Sony is a hardware company. A rather large hardware company. Sony's big contribution with its brethen in pushing the DVD format was with the PlayStation 2 in its time and the result was the PlayStation 2 coming out on top. Though Sony wasn't the first to include CD based gaming, Sony still pushed its developed format with the original PSOne. We now look at the format wars of today, and Sony has once again come out on top with its Blu-ray format succeeding over Toshiba's more cost effective HD DVD player. But, the Blu-ray format is so much more expensive, right? Well, yes. But there's another factor that needs be considered.

Those whom have bitten the bullet and shelled out the cash for High Definition and Blu-ray are going to tell you they're satisfied and majority are going to tell you they notice a huge difference in quality of Blu-ray over its predecessor DVD. Clearly, the tech enthusiasts are going to be the ones who jump on board first, even if it breaks their wallets and brag and show off the new tech and others begin to see and follow along. When more have invested in the technology and the price has dropped a little more, then it becomes more a social equation and human psychology shifts. "Well, everyone else has one. So if I want to fit in, I need to have one too." Its High School all over again. "They're wearing AE and Nike, so I need to if I want to stay in the loop." "Everyone else plays Xbox, so if I want to fit in with majority of the crowd, I need to have an Xbox." But, throwing out new technology is definitely a gamble. People and business' want to dip their feet in warm water, not ice-cold. So for a company to venture out and invest millions in pushing a new format and push innovation isn't easy because you'll either win over the crowd, or you won't. So how do you do this? Well, ask Sony. They've found more success in pushing new formats and technology than any company I can think of. So, what's their secret?

Is 3D technology innovative? Certainly not. Our parents or maybe even our grandparents were going to the drive-in and watching 3D. The Sega Master System had its own set of 3D glasses one would wear when playing Zaxxon 3D. 3D technology is pretty old tech in terms of purpose, but the technology has evolved to improve on that idea. In this generation, Sony has chosen to venture out and fill the pool allowing millions to dip their feet and decide whether its for them, or it isn't. Again, we go back to the question, what's Sony doing to push 3D? It had begun with Blu-ray. A format that permitted more storage space to work with and could provide superior picture quality. It was clear that Sony carefully kept its eye on 3D Cinema's and decided it was time to bring 3D to the home and their Blu-ray disc was once again going to help them to do it.

In short, Sony had used the PlayStation 3 to push Blu-ray and Blu-ray worked to help the PlayStation 3 in pushing the format similarly to PlayStation 2 pushing the DVD and vice-versa. Now, Sony is going to use Blu-ray to push 3D. Sony came out and announced they would begin using 3D in gaming. They threw out the hardware to back it. 3DTV's would work with Blu-ray players, and the PlayStation 3's capabilities would help televisions.  Sony was going to do it all again. Was Sony the only one to venture out and take a gamble? No.

While Microsoft sat back and kept going with their plans of Kinect and motion control, Sony may have claimed the gaming console and the living room once again, but Nintendo would stake its claim to the hand-helds. (Strangely Sony held off of 3D with the NGP. None can ever explain that.)

So, why do I believe 3D gaming is going to succeed? Well, its the same thing that has happened historically. People are always hesitant to adopt new technology. It isn't the social norm, but in time it becomes the social norm. Microsoft has finally chosen to allow their console to use 3D, though they still don't have much faith in it. But, they're going to be pleasantly surprised, and I'm predicting before too long, Microsoft will start pushing the technology on their own console rather than casually watching it go by and accepting the use of it on their console so they feel they can have what the competition has. (Even PC is using 3D with Nvidia and their graphics card and 3D PC monitors.) Sony's secret weapon isn't just its hardware, but rather, the support they're given. If they can convince a single big home name, its only a matter of time before it becomes mainstream. When it becomes mainstream, the price drops. 3D has a lot of support from several major corporations and companies. The biggest being Sony and their own reputation, Nintendo and their push and yes, Disney! Sony won the format wars with Disney. Warner Bros was simply there to seal the deal and Paramount and Universal would follow. Its marketing. Even looking at Microsoft, even though in most instances, many view them as not innovative, Microsoft has been known to take an idea ("A real artist doesn't invent, he steals." - Bill Gates taken from Picaso's "Bad artists copy, great artists steal.") and market the hell out of it and  have become known as 'Masters of Marketing.' (Sega's big fall. Innovation, but poor marketing.)

Disney see's great value in Sony's vision along again with, don't forget, Nintendo. Disney's faith in Sony is a key in Sony's success because of the reputation Disney has, which is the same reputation Nintendo has maintained their entire existence and is enjoying major success with the Nintendo Wii and that's the focus on the family. If its gory, has hot woman, fast cars and explosions, Dad will go after it, but Dad doesn't always rule the roost. If Mom tells him "No," usually he'll submit. If Mom allows it, its ok. That's the power of Disney and Nintendo's vision. Sony simply feeds off of that and soon, Microsoft will realize that it really needs to as well. (As seems to be the case with Microsoft in everything). Disney is doing its part by starting with Blu-ray. Disney has been bundling its DVD's in combo packs with Blu-ray and then backs it up with an irresistible offer either with a free doll or some other movie. This drives the consumer to eat it up. (Disney is now doing this with their newest film 'Tangled.' Which surely most mom's may have taken their kids to see it 3D in theatres over 2D viewing) Well, now there's a Blu-ray in the home sitting there quietly. The cost of HDTV's have dropped and consumers are buying them up not only because of price, but because tube televisions no longer exist. Now, you've got an HDTV in the house. Well, the PlayStation 3 is not only the best Blu-ray player on the market, but with no extra cost, a software update makes it not only the most cost effective, but its a gaming machine and now has the same motion technology of the Wii. Well, now Disney is shipping four packs. 3D Bluray w/ Blu-ray version, DVD and Digital Copy. Now there are two discs quietly sitting on a shelf. Eventually, all of those are going to add together.

3D is becoming mainstream and has a lot of support backing it just as Blu-ray did. More and more theaters are adopting it as demand and interest are rising. People now want it in their homes. I don't ever really go to theaters anymore. I can enjoy the same experience in my home and have a Blu-ray I pay for once and watch as many times as I want for the cost of a movie ticket practically, and I have Netflix to test them out if I want, and unlimited movies for one monthly fee. 3D is now available in the home more than it ever has before.

Nintendo is only fueling the flames even more. Human nature is still to want bigger and better. Gamers always want better graphics. Well, I see the 3DS as only a tool (if looking from Sony's perspective) that Sony can use to introduce 3D and 3D gaming in a "less expensive way." Almost like some kind of 'Introductory Drug' that can lead to an addiction requiring something bigger and more powerful to appease the craving, right?Think of what Nintendo President of America Reggie Fils-Aime said earlier "At its heart, what Nintendo's trying to do is to bring more and more consumers into gaming. And to do it in a way that's fundamentally different than anyone else." Or in this sense or context, he's speaking of the 3DS and glasses free. Really though, glasses free 3D is the most expensive way if such a format war explodes and glasses will become a small irritant when compared to the price of the glasses free which in Japan is over $1000 for a 19" 3DTV vs Sony's 32" for $999.

Soon, those 3DS gamers will say "imagine if the picture quality (or graphics) were better and you could see this dinosaur coming off the screen in massive size! But, we'd need a bigger screen to experience that." The baits been sit, and patience is about to pay off as they bite. By then, 3DTVs are even cheaper to buy and you can experience it in High Definition. The cost of 3DTV's have already dropped significantly even more than six months after the tech was announced by Sony. 

Now, that 3D Blu-ray that's been sitting on your bookshelf for months you're going experience it all in your home and on a machine that's not only a motion control capable gaming console but also, a one time deal buying a PlayStation 3 and being set for the life of Blu-ray until the next format having an upgradeable device with the cost of only a free software update. You're never behind and having to constantly be buying new machines. If homes don't already have an HDTV, 3D will be adopted in those homes for almost the same price or a little more than any other HDTV. They will roll into homes, those Disney Blu-ray discs will be put to use, others will see it and then they'll want it along with its free on line features up against the competition and the difference in BD-Live functionality on a stand-alone unit with no internal memory as opposed to a monster blu-ray player with a HDD of 60GB plus. 

Its family friendly, so mom authorizes the money to be dropped into it so dad can finally have his new tech because it has something for the kids. Then the poison can be slipped into the drink and adult content can creep onto the unit without Mom knowing while she's gone on vacation, Dad can watch his action movies and the kids can slip in software they'd borrowed from their friends.

I see it happening. I don't see 3D easily dying out. It has too much support and far too much money backing it. There isn't much of anything to combat it and unlike HD DVD being around at the same point of Blu-ray, similarly to the Xbox 360, its out the door first with plenty of room and time to grow before something else can come in a crowd its space. By then, its so widely adopted, that its hard to trade up because you're so comfortably set and "you don't have the money to invest." I think Disney and Nintendo are going to be a huge part of the growth and influence of 3D and again and Microsoft is certain to join in I'm certain of it soon enough and will couple Kinect's home entertainment Zune Marketplace into it and then claim its innovation but Sony will end up furthering the format with Microsoft jumping on board to support it from a hardware perspective. Its more Sony Bravia's sold and their patent on the tech will bring them royalties. The rise of movie theaters that support 3D will only further spur the interest of getting the same experience in the home just like big screen TV's and surround sound systems or their day. Its Only a matter of time and we have plenty of it. Don't agree or think its a gimmick? Sound off in the comments section!