The Gaming Lobby

Everyone’s getting on the 3-D train. I can understand the appeal to movie executives; pirates have yet to find a way to rip that experience, and as such, its easier to get seats filled in the theaters.

Things have started to get out of hand (there’s an upcoming “Step Up” 3-D film for god’s sake), and with that comes conversation of video games following suit.

A demonstration in a recent episode of “Qore” on the Playstation Network showed titles like “Killzone 2” and “Little Big Planet” given the 3-D treatment. I can already feel my eyes ache from the potential strain this devil technology can bring.

Gamers are just now all starting to get on the same page as far as technology. The PS3 and XBOX 360 are finally becoming friends on shelves and now 3-D projector screens are being pushed on consumers before we can take a collective breath.

I can’t completely hate the idea. Interacting with 3-D games is the next step toward those little holographic monster-chess games they played in “Star Wars Episode IV.”

The problem lies in the limitations of the current tech, not just manufacturers asking us to drop a couple more grand. Sitting through a movie like “Avatar” with those fancy glasses causes a ton of stress on your eyes.

Now imagine that ocular ache over 40+ hours of games. People were unable to tolerate the shaky camera movement of “Cloverfield.” We must assume the complex camera movements of 3-D games are going to cause underage kids to lose their insides like a drunk on a rollercoaster.


But 3-D’s not going away anytime soon. Studios have invested too much money without us having to endure at least an awkward trial period.

Unfortunately, developers might spend too much energy focusing on graphics popping off the screen rather than gameplay or ingenuity.

Visual trends can be an exciting time for new games; the brown-bloom color palette of games like “Gears of War” and the early decade’s cel-shading phenomenon are just a few examples of that.


The technology’s wide success would also help widen the divide between AAA publishers and indie houses unable to provide that feature without cost increases.
If developers want to add 3-D as an additional feature, I support it.

I just hope they’re not blinded by their own futuristic vision, mistaking something for a breakthrough when it could become nothing more than the next “Virtual Boy.”