The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) today released a study about 3D gaming. The study called 3D Gaming: Entertainment’s Next Dimension says that while early adopters and hardcore gamers have a strong interest in 3D video games, casual gamers are also interested. Seeing the technology in action and education on its workings was found to be key to adoption.
While 64 percent of respondents who said they were interested in 3D gaming were core gamers, another 35 percent are casual players. All consumers interested in 3D technology expect new 3D equipment to be multimedia devices and they all wanted their 3D gaming device to have backward-compatibility with existing 2D content. Most expect to use their 3D gaming system to watch 3D video content (58 percent) or connect to the Internet (51 percent). Almost half of the respondents (45 percent) want to be able to download games and other content directly to their system.
“The introduction of 3D into the gaming arena has the potential to reinvigorate the gaming market by adding greater realism and fostering a more social gaming experience,” said CEA Senior Research Analyst Ben Arnold. “As interest grows and consumers become more comfortable with the technology, 3D is poised to become the preferred format for many gamers.”
Hands-on experience was found to be key, with 32 percent of consumers interested in 3D gaming have seen an in-store 3D PC display and a quarter of them have watched a gaming demo. Interestingly, 21 percent of interested respondents said they had played a 3D video game in the past year.
“Like with 3DTV, HDTV and other innovative technologies, consumers will need to experience a 3D video game to truly appreciate the experience,” said Arnold. “Manufacturers, retailers and game publishers will have to partner to offer more demonstrations and consumer education so prospective buyers can experience gameplay and other features of a 3D gaming device.”
