Indie Developers talk 3D

The Future of 3D

That jadedness goes both ways, however. It’s hard to accept Mode7’s assertion that hardcore gamers are jaded without thinking that the reverse might be true too. Maybe the entire industry is too cynical.

‘3D seems to be a cyclical fad that appears and then disappears on a regular basis,’ says Paul Taylor – and though he’s communicating by email, we like to think we can hear a wearied sigh. To hear Taylor tell it, 3D is only coming back into the common consciousness now due to the usual conjunction of technology and costs – not because of a creative push or market demand.

Positech’s Cliff Harris presents the most cynical view though, arguing that 3D has only seen a resurgence as Hollywood works to combat zero-day piracy.

‘[3D exists] purely to prevent zero-day movie piracy and to boost profits for cinemas. Then, because so much movie tech is similar to games tech, we get it too. I really can’t see everyone going out to buy a new TV to watch 3D movies. I strongly suspect it’s going to remain far more niche than the proponents of it would like.’


‘It’s like HD TV,’ continues Harris. ‘I remember a story that the majority of US households with HDTV sets were watching standard definition and didn’t even realise it. If consumers just wanted visual flashiness, Blu-ray would have crushed DVDs years ago, and yet that isn’t even on the horizon.’

It’s interesting to contrast that view with that of Facepunch Studios’ Garry Newman however, as he’s the only developer we spoke to who’s actually bought 3D hardware himself. Even he admits that the motive for the marketing push that’s driving 3D is a financial, rather than a technological or creative one. It’s all about the money, says Newman; ‘3D is the new coloured lighting.’

No, says Harris; ‘I think it’s like lens-flare.’


When the discussion turns to the future, things suddenly start to get a bit more upbeat. The general consensus seems to be not a flat no to even the concept of stereoscopy in games, but that there’s too many limitations on the system. You have to wear glasses, you have to have the right hardware and a compatible screen – as well as the right biology. It becomes a big investment for consumers.

The moment you can start to remove some of these barriers, things start to improve. The Nintendo 3DS, with its parallax screens that don’t require stereoscopic glasses, is still fraught with problems, but still represents a step forwards for this technology.

‘My opinion is that, in the future, impressive 3D which doesn't require glasses will be a big feature of entertainment,’ said Taylor. ‘The Nintendo 3DS was one of the first products I saw where I thought it all made sense, [although] I still wouldn’t use one for long periods.’

‘I don't think this generation of 3D is going to persist longer than about three years,’ finishes Taylor. ‘But it will be back, and it will be better!’