Microsoft Dismisses 3D as a "Future Technology"

[Woe Is You]

It was a brilliant marketing move --

I would contest this. Sure, they won the disc format war but at what price? Sony has only just recently started to get money from each PS3 sold and by the time they did win the format war (which had far more with movie studios rejecting the idea that they can't region lock discs at will), we've had services like Hulu and Netflix exploding.

I would like to point out at the time video games and mobile phones came out, they were all deemed failures and would not "catch on".

Except nobody is saying anything about 3D not catching on (even the MS rep says the magic words "at this point"). Rather, they're saying that banking on it right now is kind of iffy considering the stage it's on. Granted, from a TV manufacturer's perspective pushing it makes far more sense but Microsoft is primarily a software company.

 

[Thunderhorse31]

Yeah. Future technology like Bluray. Ba-dum-pish.

I was just about to say: M$ has made some pretty awful decisions in recent memory (Blu-ray, Kinect will likely go down in flames, etc.), they've got a point here. Sure there are a bunch of us who always pay top dollar for the latest electronics, but is the mainstream willing to pay out the ass so their family can all have stupid 3D goggles? Doubtful.

 

[Weaver]

How I imagine the 3DS kind of looks (except, presumably, a lot faster)

 

[jamesworkshop]

I would like to point out at the time video games and mobile phones came out, they were all deemed failures and would not "catch on".

I rest my case.

It took years for that to happen, microsoft isn't saying that 3D isn't the future they are saying its going to be a long time before its truly mass market which is strange when you think of the fact that 3d technology is actually pretty ancient and hasn't really improved a lot in terms of core technology since the begining its already had decades of being ignored under its belt.

Microsofts strategy is actually sound allowing other to push the technology foward at great expense to themselves allows microsoft to simply swoop it and scoop up the tech once its been established

much like how win7 is just MacOS with microsoft stamped on the box

 

[Credge]

Didn't they say this with motion controls too?

 

[Jumplion]

3D is definitely advancing faster and faster in the gaming industry, so it should be interesting to see what pops up.

I'm still a bit skeptical with the 3DS, I guess I just don't want to be suckered in like I was with the Wii or do an impulse buy like I did with the DS (I only bought it because my friend had Pokemon)

I have played WipeoutHD in 3D with my friend (the damn bastard just randomly got a 3D tv for no reason) and it was pretty nifty. It didn't give me a headache and it was pretty cool to see some particles and flames and a ton of stuff fly past my head while racing.

 

[Danpascooch]

See, at least Microsoft understands. They're the only ones who understand that it's no use to go for 3D in a long time. Now if only the other companies would understand this too...

Exactly.

I want something fun and practical, I don't want to spend $3000 just for something that might enhance my gaming experience to a minor degree, or just make me dizzy.

But if we've learned anything from the PS3, it's that Sony thinks we all have enough money to pay for ANYTHING, as long as it's a sliver better than normal.

 

[dragonslayer32]

microsoft should beat everyone elso to it and make a 4d gaming system. they are halfway there wth project natal.

 

[Weaver]

much like how win7 is just MacOS with microsoft stamped on the box

What?

Windows 7 took lots of UI hints from MacOS but the underlying technology is immensely different. Microsoft wrote it from scratch, in house. MacOS is just a Unix operating system with a pretty cover on it. In fact, the only way I can use a mac is to open up a shell and work from that.

 

[Chameliondude]

Well, i can see it working, like blu ray, if sony uses its links to get loads of stuff released in 3d, then people will buy it, and the the price will go down and it will become common and they will get their money back. this has happened with dvds, surround sound, HD, and virtually all games consoles had a rediculous price tag when you look at it from todays standpoint.

They cant use the 3ds' version of 3d as it uses a wierd LCD viewing angle trick to make it work, which on large scale only give some sweet spots from certain angles where it will apear 3d, so they are using a superfast filtering system on the glasses which makes it able to be much better than the standerd red blue filter, as it can still preserve all colour and quality and can give much truer 3d that those $3 ones do, think difference between sub sd and true hd here.

But that is why there is such a huge initial price, it is a completely new system, so all parts have to be made with new machines ect,

Anyway, if i could afford it, i would loooove to play killzone 3 in 3d, just looks so sick,
i hope 3d works out anyway, seems like im the only one. But to me this seems like a step in the right direction for holograms, and those would be awesome

 

[zehydra]

Yeah I'm with them here...

I'm with the whole '3D is just a fad' way of thinking, it'll be gone in a few years, then it'll resurface in the future when we can do it properly, and cheaply. I don't even enjoy it that much.

3d has been around before.

THIS IS THE RESURFACE!

 

[Woe Is You]

You can go back to your usual "ripping off the idea" in a few years when it is more profitable for you to do so.

Kind of like Sony did with the Wiimote? Let's really not pretend they've had a better track record with these lately. Who was it that said "The Wii is a lollipop, and I'm too old for lollipops."?

 

[Nuke_em_05]

I think the title here is misleading. They just said it probably isn't the way to go for now.

It's kind-of like HD. When HD launched, you needed an HD television, an HD source (Blu-ray/HDDVD), and HD media. It took a while before there was enough to watch in HD before it really became reasonable to upgrade. $2000 tv and $300 player to watch two decent $40 movies? I don't think so. Even then, not everyone today has made the move to all of those pieces. Same thing happened with DVD, and VHS before it.

Sure, once it becomes more cost-effective, it will catch on, but not right now.

I think it can catch on pretty well with PC gaming. Single-user, smaller screens, sure.

Large-format televisions and glasses for everyone? Don't think so. Not yet.

 

[The Diabolical Biz]

I agree with the viewpoint in regards to Sony, but the 3DS has actually as of yet exceeded all of my expectations when I first saw it. I'm-a pocketin' some cash for that one

 

[jamesworkshop]

much like how win7 is just MacOS with microsoft stamped on the box

What?

Windows 7 took lots of UI hints from MacOS but the underlying technology is immensely different. Microsoft wrote it from scratch, in house. MacOS is just a Unix operating system with a pretty cover on it. In fact, the only way I can use a mac is to open up a shell and work from that.

Exactly im not saying that reused code but they allowed others to design the features which they then incorperated. 3D is a feature, microsoft its waiting for others to bring it to the mainstream before offering their own solution.

 

[interspark]

ive got one word for microsoft "jeeeeealous"

 

[Ravek]

Microsoft says the 3D gaming technology being touted by Sony and Nintendo is "interesting" but still way too expensive for mainstream success.

Microsoft will be surprised when the 3DS sells amazingly well, as Nintendo products always do.

Sony's way is not mainstream yet, I agree. But Nintendo is making it mainstream.

 

[Weaver]

much like how win7 is just MacOS with microsoft stamped on the box

What?

Windows 7 took lots of UI hints from MacOS but the underlying technology is immensely different. Microsoft wrote it from scratch, in house. MacOS is just a Unix operating system with a pretty cover on it. In fact, the only way I can use a mac is to open up a shell and work from that.

Exactly im not saying that reused code but they allowed others to design the features which they then incorperated. 3D is a feature, microsoft its waiting for others to bring it to the mainstream before offering their own solution.

Ohhhhhhh I see what you're getting at. I suppose that analogy works

 

[Meggiepants]

It was a brilliant marketing move --

I would contest this. Sure, they won the disc format war but at what price? Sony has only just recently started to get money from each PS3 sold and by the time they did win the format war (which had far more with movie studios rejecting the idea that they can't region lock discs at will), we've had services like Hulu and Netflix exploding.

Their goal was to get an installed base of Blu-ray users. In that sense, the move worked. I'm not the only one [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/3356484/Blu-ray-wins.html] who thinks so. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7252506.stm] Whether or not you think Hulu and Netflix will eventually take over where blu-ray leaves off, Sony was able to accomplish what they set out to do. In my book that equals success.

And losing money on the consoles until much later in the game didn't happen just because of the blu-ray inclusion. It's the way consoles typically work when they are first released [http://www.gamespot.com/news/6140383.html]. They make most of their money off of the licensing for the video games and the accessories, not off the consoles.

 

[AdamRBi]

Egh ya young whipper snappers and your 3D TVs, why back in our day we had Highly Definitioned, Widescreen Televisions that showed 2D and we liked it!

Eeegah, you young what-cha-callit and your HD Televisions, why back in our day we were lucky enough to have color in Standardized Definition.

Eemeh ya youngens and your color TVs. Back in the day there was no color, just black and white and rabbit ears. Those were the days.

Eeefg, Television. back in the good old days all we had was cinema. We'd have to go out and socialize to see our moving pictures.

Bah, moving pictures. All we had was the Radio.

Radio?! Don't young people ever read books anymore?

Books?! Why back in old times we had to hear stories read to us by travelling bards. Now those were the days!

Yeah, it won't catch on immediately, but at least this time around it's more technology then simple image tweaking. I think the 3DS will work just because it's smaller and more personal, once we can scale that up, make it so it works at all angles, and knock the price down it'll be just as accepted as HD is today.