Pachter: 3D Gaming the Future, But A Fad For Now

[Tom Goldman]

Pachter: 3D Gaming the Future, But A Fad For Now

Sony has gone all in on 3D in gaming, but analyst Michael Pachter doesn't see it taking off for another decade.

The videogame industry's 3D future may take a while if Michael Pachter's predictions are correct. Sony has already added 3D functionality to a selection of 3D televisions [http://www.amazon.com/PlayStation-3-120-GB/dp/B002I0J4VQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1279468097&sr=1-3].

When asked whether he thought 3D gaming was a fad or not on 3D glasses [http://www.gametrailers.com/video/episode-124-pach-attack/701713], which are expensive too.

However, don't count 3D out in the long run. "As long as the audience for 3D televisions remains small, I think 3D gaming is a fad," he continued. "When the audience for 3D display becomes really broad, every game will be in 3D and it is the future."

In closing, Pachter thinks 3D gaming is "a fad for the next five years," but will be "the future maybe in ten." This stands in contrast to Ubisoft's view [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/101974-Ubisoft-Predicts-3D-TV-For-Everyone-By-2013] that it's only going to take three. Pachter is basically saying what we already knew here, because no matter how cool 3D gaming is it all comes down to the price of entry. $2000 for a television and $200 for glasses? No thanks. When I can get my 3D on for around $500, it'd be a different story.

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[Stabby Joe]

Interesting view.

When most new technology comes into the media such as the optical disc, old technology is phased out, but nowadays new technology is "phased in"... probably because nothing is groundbreaking in these modern times.

 

[Undeadpope]

I don't like 3D moives,that I would only pay a pretty tiny sum to see,and this sum seems all the more tiny when you compare it to a 2k set up(which isn't a PC) so I am really not holding my breath for any of this 3D business.

That said though,I'll be keeping half an eye on it to at least see how this all turns out.

 

[ultimateownage]

Sorry Pachter, but you're wrong. Fad now, fad forever.

 

[GodKlown]

Surprisingly, I think they priced 3D televisions entirely too high, just like Blu-Ray players. Hell, there's still a lot of people who haven't invested in high definition televisions yet, and the price of those have dropped quite a bit since they first came out. I feel perhaps Sony jumped the gun a little on releasing support for 3D technology a little too soon, as I haven't seen Microsoft willing to make that leap yet.
The glasses don't really seem that big of a deal, aside from the price. They don't seem to keep people from going to see 3D movies, but I can understand not wanting to make such an expensive investment in your own home. With the way the economy is today, I'm more partial to saying they timed the release of this at a bad moment. If the economy improves in the next five years, you might see a bigger draw towards 3D, but right now it just isn't something people want to waste money on. If the prospect of the invention can't stand the test of time for a few years, then I'd say he was right on the money in saying it is just a "fad".

 

[Kollega]

You know... i don't want stupid 3D televisions, i want full-blown holographic projectors, dammit! Hey big evil corporations - Zony, Massivesoft, and others! Get on this, PRONTO! And while we're at it, you could also give me a robot butler, an apartment on the moon, and a personal jetpack - like SF writers promised in the fifties!

 

[Electrogecko]

Doesn't fad, by definition, mean something that will pass over relatively quickly? Also, if it's a fad now, how can it be "the future" in 10 years? If anything, it's the future now and a fad in 10 years. But really, It's not a fad now, nor will it ever be, because adding depth to the pictures you sit in front of will help immerse and add clarity to your video game world. And for all you saying "until they stop using optical tricks, it's not real 3d" (yes I've heard ppl say that) ALL 3D IS AN OPTICAL TRICK THAT COMES FROM HAVING 2 EYES!!!!

 

[TOGSolid]

He seems to believe that the price is the reason it won't take off.

Hah, shows how little time he actually spends datamining otherwise he'd know that one of the biggest complaints about 3d are the fucking glasses.

 

[Anarchemitis]

Whenever I hear "3D Glasses", I think of X-Ray Specs.

 

[Something Amyss]

I hope he's wrong. Thankfully, he usually is.

I don't mind 3D technology. but if it becomes the norm, I might just have to give it up. I don't say that frequently or lightly, but there's that whole couch gaming thing.

 

[Uber Waddles]

High Definition ruined gaming: it made the cost of the games more loaded towards graphics, which gave us a generation of linear, brown, "realism".

High Definition hasnt sold me yet: I like it for movies, but I still play games on a standard definition bigscreen I purchased almost a decade ago. BluRay has not sold me: I use my PS3 for gaming. My BluRay player is a piece of garbage, 5 minutes to load a video my ass... When DVDs were new, I bought one, and it works JUST AS WELL as any of the other ones I have.

Your expecting me to jump into 3D gaming, when I dont even like the idea of HD Games and think BluRay inferior to DVD (because of speed)? You're off your ass, videogames industry.

Lets do the math; HD games already sink HUGE ammounts of cash into Graphics. What will 3D do? It will divert MORE money to graphics. Games wont make as big a profit. People dont want to wear glasses. 3D will FAIL

 

[Worgen]

3d gaming will only really work with a portable system since its the sort of thing that will be seen by one person at a time and you can tailor it for that, until we get holograms and shit coming out of tvs, if it ever happens it wont really work for consoles, I suppose it could work on pc also since its a similar situation to the portable system assuming your using a desktop

altho I gotta give it to pachter, this is the first not totaly stupid thing Ive heard him say

 

[Blue Musician]

I agree with him, 3D never interested me actually.

 

[V8 Ninja]

We'll see, Patcher, we'll see...

 

[PhunkyPhazon]

Wait, did Pachter just say something sensible? I woke up in an alternate dimension this morning, didn't I?

 

[RowdyRodimus]

I'm going to do Patchers job for him:
FPS are popular now, but in the future some other type of genre will be the top selling genre.

DLC seems like its either hit or miss when it comes to value, I see it staying that way for a while.

When the next Xbox and Playstation arrive I have a feeling more companies will be interested in making games for them than the PS3 and 360.

If the 3DS comes out, chances are we will see a decline in advertising revenue being used for the DSi.

 

[Daedalus1942]

Sorry Pachter, but you're wrong. Fad now, fad forever.

Unless Nintendo market the 3DS technology into tv screens and completely abolish Glasses, then yes I'd have to agree with you and say, it is just a fad. If they market it though... most likely no.

 

[Miumaru]

It will remain a fad for as long as the technology remains limited. Nintendo is working to make 3D something worthwhile. Sony is working to keep it sucking. While 3D TVs may one day plague our homes, the glasses will not.