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Microsoft: 3D At Home Is Lame, But We Support It Anyway
"I think right now we're unsure what level of interest there is from consumers to really want a 3D experience in the living room," said Xbox group product manager Aaron Greenberg. Speaking with G4TV's Patrick Klepek, Greenberg asserted that Xbox 360 is fully capable of joining the 3D revolution – not that Microsoft thinks that one is likely any time soon.
This marks a slight deviation from Greenberg on the issue. Previously, he stated, "I think we're a long ways away from [3D in home theaters]."
Sony has pushed its PlayStation 3 into the middle of the 3D conversation with a massive presence at the recent Consumer Electronics Show. The PS3 had multiple 3D demonstrations running on the CES show floor, while there was a single 3D game – an Xbox Live Arcade title called Scrap Metal – running on 360. Microsoft has been content to focus its efforts on motion control system Project Natal, betting that 3D in the home is far away from being a mainstream reality.
Looking at the state of the industry, I'm forced to agree with Greenberg on this one. How big do you think the 3D market is going to be for the rest of this console generation? People beyond tech nerds and home theater enthusiasts are just now starting to embrace HDTVs in a big way. It's hard to imagine that 3D is going to have significant market penetration in the near future. Furthermore, to truly integrate 3D into gaming you've got to get developers on board. Last I checked, most game creators weren't bending over backwards to find new places to bloat their production budgets even further.
Which side do you take in the debate? Is Microsoft making the right call?
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