Ubisoft: 3D TVs in every home by 2013

by Stevie Smith - Jul 13 2010, 08:38

Shelling out several thousand dollars, pounds or Euros for a 3D-enabled television currently means that most consumers are unwilling to leap on the gimmick bandwagon being rolled before them by device makers such as Sony and Hollywood bigwigs such as Avatar director James Cameron.

That being said, third-party videogame publisher Ubisoft (Assassin’s Creed, Splinter Cell: Conviction) believes growing demand for 3D software will drive 3D TV sales to the point where every home in the UK will be 3D-equipped by 2013.

“It’ll start slowly this year, but like high-definition television, I wouldn’t rule out the fact that this will be installed in everyone’s living room in three year’s time,” commented Murray Pannel, head of marketing for Ubisoft UK, in an ITProPortal report.

The videogame industry is certainly keen on spreading the 3D word, with the Nintendo 3DS having recently wowed trade show crowds at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles, while Sony has released a PlayStation 3 firmware update that delivers 3D gaming support to its powerhouse home console.

From Ubisoft’s perspective – having already developed the 3D videogame adaptation of Avatar – the studio estimates that around 50 percent of all videogames will support 3D gameplay by 2012.

Ubisoft’s claims come in the same week that UK-based charity The Eyecare Trust revealed that around six million Brits are afflicted by poor binocular vision, which basically means they struggle to register 3D media effects.

“It’s more than you think,” commented Dharmesh Patel, chairman of The Eyecare Trust in an MCV report. “About 12 percent [of the British population] have 3D vision problems and you’ll find a similar percentage worldwide.”

While the charity believes there are no long-term negative impacts associated with the problem, those who are affected tend to experience extreme headaches, blurred vision, and pains directly behind the eyes.

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