Continuing our D+BATE series, this week the D+PAD team turn their attention to 3D gaming.

3D videogames have long been a dream of consumers and industry alike, but so far the technology has never been able to achieve substantial market penetration. With heavy hitters such as Sony throwing all their weight behind it, and cinema multiplexes heaving with plastic-stereoscopic-glass-wearing punters, there is undoubtedly a ground swell of interest in the technology and real sense that it will only be a matter of time before a 3DTV is sitting in a large proportion of homes. But what does the rise of 3D technology mean for gaming? Will it mark the start of revolution or a achieve nothing more than novelty status?

Rather than broach a specific question, we decided to keep the discussion fairly open – so read on for our thoughts and let us know what you think about 3D gaming in the comments sections below.

Chris Morell: “To this particular gamer, 3D appears to be a gimmick designed to push expensive televisions based around an incomplete science on a market showing just a modest degree of interest. As the Playstation 2 helped to usher in the era of the DVD, the PS3 looks to be doing the same for Blu-Ray, but while the target audience may be willing to shell out numerous times for these neat steps in technology, it’s doubtful such a thing will happen here given the audacious pricing – after all, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with our current HDTV’s, is there? Shelling out such an expense on a technology still very much in its infancy isn’t something I could honestly recommend, especially once you consider the ramifications of Nintendo’s E3 reveal.

A sense of 3D without the need for dimmed glasses, a slider to increase or decrease the effect and a handful of games looking to take full advantage of the tech; clearly, the masters of handheld have pulled out all the stops in regard to their futuristic system. In this sense, the handheld market is looking like a very different beast to that of its home entertainment counterparts, leading the way yet again in a far cheaper, more accessible way likely to take the gaming world by storm in the new year. Obviously, a discussion on the impact of 3D gaming involves more conjecture than that of the upcoming Kinect/Move struggle, only we have far less of a wait to observe the effects of those.

As things stand, I believe that 3D does have its place in the media – namely getting us to pay over the odds at the cinema and, fingers crossed, offering more visual feasts akin to James Cameron’s Avatar (the less said about Clash of the Titans the better). Nintendo will have to light the way for its competitors where games are concerned, presenting an eye-popping, cost-effective way to play that’s enjoyable for the modern family. Sony may have its own designs on what 3D can accomplish, but consider this; how many of us would be willing to hand over two thousand smackers for the privilege of playing Killzone 3 with increased depth? You can count me out on this one.”

Emmet Purcell: “3D is every technology company’s new golden goose, yet I feel its arrival and non-stop hype is coming far too soon to consumer markets, which are finally fully comfortable in accepting Blu-Ray discs and HDTV’s as the norm. Until 3D TV’s no longer require the aid of those (surprisingly ultra-expensive) glasses for each viewer, it has no chance to get off the ground, so until companies can offer glasses-free, inexpensive viewing sets, gamers won’t adopt 3D gaming en masse.

Hours after their presentation at this summer’s E3, Nintendo had already made Sony’s 3D direction look dated. Nintendo have exactly the right idea with the 3DS and I feel that the very near-future of handset and portable devices is in glasses-free, 3D technology. Sony’s unflappable devotion to 3D at this year’s E3 reminded me of their firm stance on the power and usefulness of Blu-Ray tech in the early years of the PS3 – eventually it all comes down to price and necessity, and right now 3D technology in the home doesn’t enough have appeal to ensure both.”

Simeon Paskell: “The scorn that is frequently poured on 3D movies is one of my pet hates; while I can understand that the added dimension isn’t to everyone’s tastes, I do think it has something to offer and see 3D technology as an inevitable element of the future of visual entertainment, videogames included.

In terms of what the technology has to offer videogaming specifically, I believe that the strength of 3D is more in increasing the level of immersion rather than being the foundation for a revolution in game design. So, in this respect, it’s probably fair to assert that 3D could be considered something of a garnish; a non-essential but the nonetheless welcome addition to our gaming experiences.

My biggest concerns are, firstly, the expense required to enjoy 3D in your living room. While the cost of 3DTVs will obviously drop over time, until they reach the sweet spot required to go mainstream it may be some years before developers start taking 3D seriously.

My second concern is the possibility of it impacting negatively on game design – might publishers fall back on the wow-factor of ‘blowing things up in your face…in 3D!’, and lose sight of what makes a great game? In fairness, the introduction of any new technology is followed by a bedding-down period – as creators and their audience get used what it can offer – but the concern remains.

As suggested by Emmett above, it is too early (mainly for cost reasons) for 3D to be adopted en masse – by consumers or developers. However, I do think that the tentative steps towards the technology being made by Sony and the like are healthy and indeed welcome; by starting slowly, the industry as a whole and consumers alike are given time to consider the implications of the technology and prepare for a time when a 3D doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. And once the Nintendo 3DS is released to (I predict) inevitable success, it won’t be long before ‘tentative steps’ become a full-on head charge.”

Zoheir Beig: “A few days before realising that 3D would be the next topic of D+BATE, I walked into my local mainstream electrical retailer. There at the front, where once large-screen HD sets would take pride of place, stood a beautiful silver 3D-ready television, it’s visuals as entrancing as it’s price tag – £2100(!) – was foreboding.

Therein lies 3D’s current dilemma. The entry point is still at an extreme premium, its content still far too sparse. But here we’re talking in the context of home entertainment – the very same home entertainment that was (and is) one of the threats to the film industry and indirectly led to such a big 3D Avatar-centred push in the first place, giving people normally used to the high-street cinema experience in their front rooms an excuse to part with their money again. Sony’s aggressive approach in this sense is laudable, albeit one that is gambling on as big a push in 3D content and set sales as there was with HD. Will being able to play Killzone 3 in 3D be enough to revolutionise the industry? I very much doubt it, but at least it’s a start.

This is where Nintendo 3DS comes in. By basing an entire console’s philosophy around being able to implement this third dimension in game design, Nintendo has done more than many other companies or individual to legitimise this new way of experiencing entertainment. The danger is that the 3DS, as practical (no glasses!) and striking as it is, effectively monopolises the entire practice of 3D in gaming for a generation.

So in conclusion I’m excited by the potential for 3D in gaming, but it won’t mean much until a) the base technology is cheaper and b) there are games – and films – that use 3D in ways that aren’t gimmicky, and where the core content is as rich as the sensory experience (thus ruling out Avatar). I don’t want to play every game in 3D, but it’s certainly an indication of where the industry could be heading.”

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