As we inch ever closer to the dawn of 3D gaming many folks can’t help but wonder, just how much do people actually know about this stuff? Turns out the answer is “not much” as a recent survey proves just how 3D-illiterate the populace is. The most ridiculous finding is that a full 63% percent of console owners believe that simply by upgrading their PS3′s their television will magically begin displaying games in 3D. In another mild shocker, 83 percent of consumers believe all forms of 3D require glasses, in spite of the fact that the 3DS has been announced as a glasses-free device for nearly a year.
In all honesty the latter statistic can be excused due to the fact that the 3DS isn’t yet all that well-known outside the gaming community. What’s more disconcerting is to hear that the majority of gamers, who should know better, believe that a firmware upgrade is all that’s needed for 3D gaming. For whatever reason it hasn’t dawned on these folks who bought their television long before 3D was even considered as a feature that the very thing displaying the game they’re playing needs no special new technology whatsoever; they think that the 3D fairy just waves a magic wand and everything works.
As with most of these studies, the number one reason cited for not wanting a 3D TV is the bulky and sometimes uncomfortable glasses required to make the image visible. Then again, that may not be an issue for much longer, as Toshiba is set to launch two glasses-free units by the end of the year and competitors such as Samsung are in hot pursuit. The only catch is we don’t yet know if these units are compatible with the firmware used to run 3D games, and of course there’s the bigger issue of price. 3D sets are already quite expensive, we imagine glasses-free units likely won’t come cheap either.
But let’s cut the crap and get right to the heart of the issue, do you you even care about 3D gaming? Sure, the idea sounds cool in theory but most previews and sneak peeks at 3D games have found the new technology as little more than a novelty at best and a genuine gameplay liability at worst. I’ve yet to hear of any game where 3D makes the experience particularly memorable and something we couldn’t possibly do without. Then again, we said the same thing about movies until Avatar came along, so maybe it’s just a matter of waiting a while for the first game built from the ground up with 3D in mind. Until then, I’ll be joining the vast number of folks who are sitting out the “3D revolution.” The revolution will be televised, but of course you’ll need special glasses in order to see it.
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