Microsoft is certainly making it clear that they don’t think 3D stereoscopic gaming is going to revolutionise the mass gaming market any time soon. Last week Microsoft Game Studio’s VP Phil Spencer told CNN that he thinks 3D home entertainment is little more than a science experiment.
Spencer more recently had a word with Gamasutra on the same topic, elaborating on Microsoft’s presumably well-considered thoughts on 3D stereoscopic gaming and its place in the home of the general mass market gamer.
Spencer clarifies what he meant by his ‘science experiment’ statements: “For most people on the planet right now, even if the game supports [3D], their home environment does not. And as a publisher of games…you want to go to places where there are actually large markets.”
Spencer’s counter-point to 3D was Kinect: “Kinect is something we can actually sell to people at a reasonable price point. 3D, we really can’t do that. I can’t enable your house for 3D.” Spencer continued by saying that although 3D technology is cool, the current state of the technology means that he doesn’t think it’s really accessible to the mass market.
However, he didn’t dismiss 3D altogether: “The technology makes a ton of sense. We’re not at all closing our eyes to the technology. As a content creator, the market needs to be there for the content to make sense.”
Spencer also revealed that the Xbox 360 is capable of playing 3D stereoscopic gaming content: “We’ve had first-party games running in 3D in the studios. And the console is completely capable of handling 3D gaming. You’ve seen that with things like Batman [Arkham Asylum] and other games showing up that support 3D. I played Batman all the way through with my 3D glasses on.”
Furthermore, there is apparently some work going into researching a combination of the Kinect with 3D gaming, said Spencer: “I think it’s an interesting place to think about 3D input with 3D output. This is stuff people in the deep bowels of the studios are working on, just kind of pushing…”
“That’s where things like Kinect come from. Kinect is something that had been in the works for years, and finally we get to the point where…we think we can come out at a price point that makes sense and experiences that are truly differentiated. And the idea of 3D input and 3D output seems very compelling to me. But it’s got to be at a point where it makes sense in a normal household,” concluded Spencer.
So the bottom line appears to be that Microsoft isn’t ready to back 3D gaming on the Xbox 360 just yet because the mainstream gaming market doesn’t have the pre-requisite equipment to enjoy the technology – namely expensive 3D capable televisions. Perhaps we might see 3D stereoscopic gaming making its way onto the hypothetical next generation Xbox. By then, affordable mainstream glasses-free 3D televisions may just be a reality.
Sony on the other hand is happily punting 3D TV technology. This makes sense because of their range of 3D TV products which tie in nicely with their 3D capable PS3 console. Microsoft’s approach could prove to be quite tactical in the long run, as they let Sony spearhead the push into home console 3D gaming and assess Sony’s success before making a move of their own (pardon the pun).
Meanwhile, the South African consumer market is just becoming familiar with the concept of home 3D entertainment, having leapt the HD TV hurdle. 3D TV products from Sony, Samsung and LG litter showroom floors but perhaps only those with a serious wad of cash burning a hole in their pocket are walking out with one. It is rather brave and expensive to hop on to the 3D TV bandwagon at this point as the tech is still in its infancy and could still prove to be little more than a gimmick.
Discuss the 3D gaming future on the MyGaming forums.
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