In 3D, the “D” Stands for “Don’t”
Too Cool
Can anyone explain to me why 3D seems to be the only technology that dies and keeps coming back? It’s popular, then it’s not. It kind of reminds of winter: at first when you know its coming a lot of people are excited about the possibilities. A lot of people get ready for it, making financial commitments (like snow tires!) and when the glorious day arrives, it’s just a bitter cold day that you only stay outside for a hour or two before going somewhere warm again. Soon you realize that the snow is not going to stop and be a constant annoyance for several months before you a free of it. Then, just when you thought it was gone, it comes back again.
That’s kind of how I feel about this technology. I remember when I was little seeing Michael Jackson’s Captain Eo at the Epcot Center in Disneyland. I also remember a little over a decade ago TV executives got the idea that they should turn all their prime time shows into 3D. I remember Home Improvement and 3rd Rock from the Sun joining in on this bandwagon. And you know what? It flopped because I don’t know about you, but I don’t carry around a 3D glasses nor it is common place in my home.
Watching those shows was a lame as the concept, with the actual scripts having scenes meant to purposely take “advantage” of the experience, such as lots of things and actions that were out of place jabbing at the screen. It ruined TV I think and thankfully went away quickly.
Now you are hearing the rumblings again. 3D movies still aren’t that popular, but it seems like its coming back to gaming. With Sony flirting with updates to the PS3 to enable 3D gaming we can only hope it is not a travesty like the wonderfully pitiful products that was Nintendo’s VirutalBoy.
In hilarity, I saw that recently that the huge screen that the Dallas Cowboys played on tried to broadcast in 3D and it was a miserable failure and was discontinued in about 7 minutes after they realized nearly no one had 3D glasses and the blurry pictures were causing a lot of nausea.
I will keep an eye on this, but I think this technology needs to go, or be reinvented somehow. I am interested in what Sony does, and may even pick up the glasses to try it out and see what it’s like. But I think the real path will be to create more immersive environments, like 360 screens, etc, but that may not solve the nausea problem!
Let me know what you think!