14 DAY TRIAL // Film studios usually provide free glasses to people that attend 3D films, but Sony decided it isn't worth it to fill this bill anymore, so it began notifying theaters that it will stop doing so in May, 2012.
'Free' glasses are what any moviegoer can expect to receive and use for the duration of any 3D film they buy tickets to.
Since the movie is more expensive than the 2D version, people usually find the 'free' glasses to be a nice concession.
Unfortunately, this might stop in May, next year (2012), at least as far as Sony's movie studio goes, according to reports.
Basically, Sony Pictures sent some letters to American theaters, saying that it intends to stop fitting the bill in order to change to a “guest ownership model.”
Simply put, people will have to separately pay, in full, for a pair of glasses when going to a movie, after which they'll just have to bring it along with them next time they want to watch a film.
“There are constructive ways to deal with the cost of 3-D glasses that will not adversely impact consumers and can also help the environment,” said Sony Pictures spokesman Steve Elzer.
In a way, this makes perfect sense and, for faithful cinema goers, it is also more environmentally-friendly and cheap in the long run.
However, after getting everyone used to just getting the complimentary glasses, consumers probably aren't going to be overly pleased about this turn of events, though the changes to film ticket prices might offset this if they are done properly.
“To the extent that Sony seeks to change the current model in a manner that shifts costs to exhibitors, we would be forced to evaluate this new economic model and program our screens accordingly,” said Regal CEO Amy Miles.