By TK Kwon

| et’s admit it, when we were young most of
us thought (and some still do) that those red
and cyan 3-D paper-frame glasses were the
most epic invention since POGs (it’s okay, take
your nostalgia trip). Well, it seems that recently
3-D has been making a comeback—a HUGE
comeback. Just as environmental sustainability
was the technology fad of 2009, with bamboo-
covered computers and low-energy electronics, 3-D
has been the talk of conventions and tradeshows
everywhere during 2010. From CES to Photokina,
3-D devices and peripherals have dominated the
floors of media events to satiate consumer demand
for more 3-D. But, this begs one to ask: is 3-D
technology the next step in media entertainment, or
will it go the way of the PDA and die out not with a

money into acquiring the technology to broadcast
live 3-D content. Home theatres everywhere are
bracing themselves for the influx of 3-D compatible
electronics that are ready to storm retailers
worldwide, from 3-D Blu-ray players to 3-D movie
releases. Some movie classics, such as the original
Star Wars trilogy which is slated for release in
2012, are also set to be re-mastered and re-encoded
as 3-D releases. Aside from 3-D televisions, RealD
has also recently announced that they are licensing
their technology out to home theatre projector
manufacturers.

Still, it doesn't end with home theatres.
At Photokina 2010 in Germany, a plethora
of camera companies ranging from Nikon to
Kodak announced mainstream 3-D cameras
and camcorders to hit stores as early as 2011.
Of course, it goes without saying that viewing

bang, but with a whimper. Let’s take a look at 3-D
so far.

Looking at the broad spectrum that is 3-D, one
must start with the cinemas. Boasting stereoscopic
3-D technology helmed by RealD Inc., 3-D movies
have made their mark in cinemas worldwide with
blockbuster hits such as Avatar and Toy Story 3.
Nevertheless, with this influx of 3-D movies, the
cinema scene has quickly become over-saturated
to the point that it is no longer groundbreaking to
release a motion picture in 3-D, but rather just a
gimmick to fill seats. Attesting to these claims are
movies such as Piranha in 3-D and the soon to be
released Saw 3D: The Final Chapter. Now, I'm not
saying that these films are in anyway made worse
by 3-D; I'm merely stating that by releasing so
many 3-D movies in such a short period of time,
the studios have diminished the impact of 3-D
technology. But all negative statements aside, from
observing the profit margins of recent 3-D films,
it is safe to say that RealD 3-D is here to stay at
cinemas worldwide.

That leads us to the next topic: home
theatres. Why watch 3-D films at the movie theatre
when you can watch them in the comfort of your
own home? With 3-D television sets popping up
in retailers such as Best Buy and Future Shop, it's
hard to ignore the market influence that 3-D has
had. But, are people willing to pay the premium
that comes with the luxury of the third-dimension?
So far, research by Quixel Research says yes, with
over 68% of American consumers stating that
they would recommend 3-D to friends. With such
a large market demand, it's not hard to see why
many large networks, such as ESPN, are pouring

said photos or videos would require either a 3-D
compatible picture frame or television. What’s
more, some booths also unveiled prototypes of
3-D cameras set to used in mobile phones. Now. at
this point, even I'm sceptical as to how well these
products will be received by the public; but, if
Apple has taught us anything, it is that the majority
of consumers are like sheep. And sheep love trends.

The medium of gaming is another market
that 3-D has penetrated in a short period of time.
The 3-D gaming device creating the most media
frenzy at the moment is Nintendo's recently
announced handheld gaming platform, the 3DS.
Equipped with glasses-free 3-D technology, the
Nintendo 3DS is set to make waves at retailers
worldwide catering to gamers from elementary
school to graduate school. Also, with titles

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announced from popular franchises such as Metal
Gear Solid to Street Fighter, the handheld is poised
to finish off the already floundering PlayStation
Portable line. On the PC platform side of gaming,
renowned graphics chip manufacturer NVIDIA has
made it clear that they want gamers to experience
their games in a whole different dimension, with
their proprietary 3D Vision peripherals. Computers
using high-end NVIDIA chipsets and special
3-D compatible monitors are able to link up with
NVIDIA's specially designed shutter glasses to
create 3-D effects similar to those seen in 3-D
films. Of course, being able to play games in 3-D
has its price, and will cost those who are willing
a pretty penny (in this case, sacks full of them).
Moreover, PC players aren't the only ones able
to hop in the bandwagon: Sony has announced
that they are developing support for 3-D games
and Blu-ray movies for the PlayStation 3 console.
Still, this would only be applicable to players who
already own 3-D-compatible televisions sets. So,
if you don’t already own a 3-D TV, prepare to take
out a second mortgage (or student loan) because
3-D televisions aren't cheap.

So after that brief overview of 3-D's
market coverage so far, I think that there are
enough resources to answer the question at hand:
is 3-D a fad or a game changer? As much as I hate
the gimmicky nature of 3-D, after reviewing the
facts, it is safe to say that 3-D is set to be a game
changer. The current market dominance only seems
to be the tip of the iceberg for this monolithic
technology. With time, a good majority of North
American homes will have a 3-D television with a
subscription to 3-D content broadcasting networks.
By enveloping every possible facet of media
channels, every Canadian will sooner or later come
in contact and interact with 3-D media. Seeing
as how young stereoscopic 3-D technology is at
this time, it is-going to be fascinating to see how
the evolution of this trend will change the way
consumers react to this media giant.

 

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