Why are people so skeptical of 3D?

[|Ookami]

I accept that 3D is expected to be the next big thing, but personally I just don't see the point. I've watched plenty of films in 3D and never felt much of a difference. It didn't add anything to the experience for me, save perhaps for an annoying pair of glasses (which is doubly troublesome when one already wears glasses in the first place). I don't understand the people I know who get so excited over 3D. I'd rather just watch things normally.

That said, the 3DS is interesting in that it gets rid of the glasses, but I'm still not particularly excited about it. Just another DS incarnation that I'd rather not buy when I have two perfectly good ones already..

Thing is, it wasn't so long ago we moved into HD, hell, I still play games on an SD TV. I bet the companies that sell the 3D tech are shitting their pants in joy, me and a lot of other consumers, not as much.

That and I think 3D gaming is sort of a waste. I was never much of a graphics freak, which is basically what this is, a way to make games prettier, not necessarily better. I'm not against it, I would just have spent my time and money on developing other aspects of gaming instead.

This. Pretty images are nice and all, it's not as if I'm against improved graphics, but I prefer improvements content and such (and this applies to all media, not only games). I'm perfectly happy with the tiny, very very old TV I play games on. When my dad decided we should get HD TVs, I felt like he was just wasting his money.. The only reason I wish we could get a newer TV in this room as well (the room with all my consoles in it) is to have a larger screen so I could actually read some of that minuscule text in some games. All this HD, 3D, insert-other-character-hereD simply does not impact me much.

 

[Tehlanna TPX]

The way it is right now is a gimmick. I also cannot view 3D due to an eye condition, so for me it's really a 'who gives a fuck' kind of 'improvement'. The step after 3D will be the more interesting option. Oh and wearing glasses at home for the 3D is rather stupid.

 

[AcacianLeaves]

You are wholly, certifiably, and 100% incorrect.

1. It's too expensive and will always be too expensive.
1a. The technological leap between the 3DS and 3D home entertainment without glasses is a LOT bigger than you seem to realize, with a MUCH bigger price tag.
2. It requires you to wear glasses that many people find uncomfortable or just plain silly.
2a. If it doesn't require glasses, it can only be viewed by one person from a very specific angle/distance
3. It doesn't add anything of substantive value to the entertainment experience.
3a. Often times it detracts from the value by shifting focus from narrative and personal enjoyment to technical wizardry and effects.
4. It complicates the passive enjoyment of just relaxing and watching a movie by basically grabbing you by the eyeballs and screaming PAY ATTENTION TO ME I'M VERY PRETTY
4a. It breaks the immersion because that's not how our eyes and brains work. Our brains turn a 2D image (the TV screen) into a 3D image automatically. When you have something pop out at you it breaks the immersion by interrupting a process that our brain does automatically.

Now you may be right on one account, in that if the technology reaches a point where glasses are not required, the screen can be viewed in 3D by everyone in the room, the price is affordable, and developers and directors stop treating it like a cheap gimmick - then maybe it will become mainstream. Until then, not so much.

 

[tomtom94]

I don't like 3D cos i see it as a gimmick and has no real benefit besides have picture closer to you.

Pretty much this, plus the glasses are uncomfortable (especially as I have to wear glasses normally).
It's a gimmick for the sake of being a gimmick to rip off people.

 

[Keava]

Its simple. Its nothing special. It adds nothing. It was there, what, 15 years ago? I've seen it already first time i was in Euro-Disnayland ages ago. For a long time the ugly glasses and the images for them were popular among kiddies zines. It didn't really work out to be Big Thing. It wont be this time either.

As far as i am aware the Next Big Thing is more likely to be full holographic display, it is already on very early stages, still requiring more effort than its worth it, but it has bigger chance of success when its perfected than this pseudo illusion of full 3 dimensions. And yes, the current oh so hyped 3d is just an optic illusion.

 

[Kanodin0]

I'm guessing the tech that the 3DS applies works only on the 3DS, it's probably not possible to apply it to a TV or computer. But that's just my guess and not the reason as to why I am skeptical.

Thing is, it wasn't so long ago we moved into HD, hell, I still play games on an SD TV. I bet the companies that sell the 3D tech are shitting their pants in joy, me and a lot of other consumers, not as much.

That and I think 3D gaming is sort of a waste. I was never much of a graphics freak, which is basically what this is, a way to make games prettier, not necessarily better. I'm not against it, I would just have spent my time and money on developing other aspects of gaming instead.

As I understand it the primary limiting factor of the 3DS is that the technology behind it only works on one person, additional people trying to view it won't see it properly. Thus it won't work on tv's your right, it could conceivably work on computers where there is only one person using them most of the time.

 

[Revenge Revisited]

Personally, the 3D that's used in movies and stuff like that hurts my eyes, so I really don't like the way things are going. Infact, I've missed out on seeing quite a few movies that I wanted to just because they were in 3D.

 

[Vrach]

Well, I've seen Avatar, the movie that's supposed to be the current pinnacle of 3D and wasn't impressed. After that experience, I decided, along with the friend that was with me, that normal movies are simply much more enjoyable.

Yes, I did feel uncomfortable during the movie. The cinema was ace and all was great, but merely looking at the screen became uncomfortable after about 1.5 hours and I'm the type of guy that can sit for more than 12 hours in front of a PC screen without flinching.

I'm sorry, but your "it's the next big thing" argument is quite hollow, same as with a lot of "motion controls are the next big thing". Yes, they are the next big thing, but the point where they're going to be the next big thing is years, if not decades from now, when that technology is perfected to the point their "normal" counterparts - 2D/keyboard/mouse/console controllers are today. In the meantime, I'm simply not anywhere close to rushing to it. Not to mention, in the time that technology is going to be perfected, we're likely to see better and more advanced technology anyway. I'm rubbing my hands for those contact lenses that basically give you a 3D HuD view... now that's potential for entertainment!

At the moment, most of the 3D movies are gimmicks anyway, simply adding a few 3D rendered objects here and there. Call me blind, but watching even Avatar felt very little different for watching it in 3D. I mean, while watching the movie, you know, the actual movie and not just going "oh gee, look, that stuff is closer than that stuff, how awesome is that!?!!!" - I noticed very little difference.

From time to time my eye would be drawn to a particularly close object, like a few strands of grass or a tail or something like that - but during 95% of the time where I tried to watch the movie without paying special attention to 3D - I wasn't able to tell the difference and feel any more involved in the movie than I normally would be. On the downside, several times during the projection, I had to take off the 3D glasses and rest my eyes as it just felt uncomfortable.

Overall... it becoming a standard, I don't know, maybe, if it can somehow quickly get refined. At the point it is now however... the notion is simply laughable, sorry.

 

[Sebenko]

just like HD replaced non-HD.

Did it?

Maybe I'm just imagining most channels being in SD, then.

 

[Kwaren]

Those stupid goggles do nothing for me because they don't fit over my glasses.

 

[Dexiro]

I'm all for 3D. I think it's a case of people hating what's popular, usually I'm the same but i see this as a great step forward.

The 3DS is a great example of the technology moving forward. So far that tech only works well for small screens, but imagine if in a few years someone develops similar tech that works well on large screens too.

I don't get what's not to like with no-glasses 3D, I can only hope it becomes the standard in future.

It might be a necessary step towards making holograms too, incase anyone wants those.

 

[Shameless]

well because so far it's still a gimmick with today's technology maybe when technology is advanced enough then 3D won't be a gimmick anymore. (and yes even Avatar's 3D effects are just gimmick)

 

[spartan231490]

I'm all for 3D. I think it's a case of people hating what's popular, usually I'm the same but i see this as a great step forward.

The 3DS is a great example of the technology moving forward. So far that tech only works well for small screens, but imagine if in a few years someone develops similar tech that works well on large screens too.

I don't get what's not to like with no-glasses 3D, I can only hope it becomes the standard in future.

It might be a necessary step towards making holograms too, incase anyone wants those.

How many of the posts did you read? many of them point out that the 3ds only works for one person, so it needs to not only be scaled for bigger screens, but would need to be adjusted to work for multiple people at multiple viewing angles, which is gonna take quite a long time. And have u seen how much 3d tv's and blue ray players cost? way too expensive.

 

[Krunkcity3000]

Its gimmickry at it's ultimate form. Take movie theaters for instance. Let's pay $10 bucks for a regular move in 2d or pay $20 so when the cutesy bear throws a ball in the direction of the camera it looks like it comes off the screen by 4 inches.

 

[GrinningManiac]

Remember these?

This will end just as badly

 

[rockingnic]

I think 3D would be great when the TVs become alot cheaper and with no need for glasses. Even then after that it would only be effective in first person games like FPSs, Racing, some RPGs, anthything with a first person perspective because third person would be awkward.

 

[Dexiro]

I'm all for 3D. I think it's a case of people hating what's popular, usually I'm the same but i see this as a great step forward.

The 3DS is a great example of the technology moving forward. So far that tech only works well for small screens, but imagine if in a few years someone develops similar tech that works well on large screens too.

I don't get what's not to like with no-glasses 3D, I can only hope it becomes the standard in future.

It might be a necessary step towards making holograms too, incase anyone wants those.

How many of the posts did you read? many of them point out that the 3ds only works for one person, so it needs to not only be scaled for bigger screens, but would need to be adjusted to work for multiple people at multiple viewing angles, which is gonna take quite a long time. And have u seen how much 3d tv's and blue ray players cost? way too expensive.

I didn't say the tech just needs to be scaled up, my point was that if the tech did move forward in such a way there'd be no negatives and it would have been a worthwhile advancement.

3D is the same as HD. It might not make a massive difference a lot of the time, but if the option comes naturally why not take it?