Bethesda Subsidiary Says Stereo 3D Needs to Become Cheaper

Stereo-3D gaming has recently kicked off, but it seems that it may take some time for this type of entertainment outlet to actually gain traction because, according to Bethesda subsidiary id Software, the technology has to become significantly more affordable.

The company is the one that developed the famous Doom and Quake franchises and, while it does admit that S3D has high merit, it has two major disadvantages.

For one, it relies on the bulky and fairly heavy 3D glasses, which often cause discomfort after being kept on too long, both to the eyes and, possibly, the nose.

The real drawback, however, is that, while it is reasonably affordable to go to the cinema and enjoy 3D videos/films, actually buying 3D hardware and software has adverse effects on one's finances.

It is because of this that Todd Hollenshead, chief executive of id Software, said, in an interview with Eurogamer, that it will be a while before S3D even gets close to the mainstream gaming market.

"I was a little annoyed that I had to wear these glasses for two hours in a movie. My nose hurt by the end of it. [...] If you are playing games and move your head then it can get out of phase, which is a major issue," said Mr. Hollenshead.

"Maybe we are getting to the point where the people who have been pushing 3D, or are pushing 3D now, have figured out a way to make it cool and not so nerdy that nobody wants to do it," Todd Hollenshead stated.

"I know the stuff in your living room is different. You can get higher quality glasses that fit. But you still gotta sit in your living room wearing these glasses. And then if you're playing games and move your head then it can get out of phase, which is a major issue,” he noted.

"The [S3D] TVs are [...] expensive. Is there enough content to justify?" the head of id Software asked.

Nevertheless, even though Stereo-3D has not become overly popular, some games developers are still expected to implement it in their next titles.