Lucky little buggers, kids have it so much better nowadays, with the ever increasing array of 3D films, games and attractions that have come to life since two dimensional evolved into three dimensional. Back in our day, we were only allowed the luxury of stereoscopic 3D whenever we were good boys and girls and got taken to the Peak to see 3D on screen or found a chunky, heavy 3D visor under the Christmas tree. Even then the films were about 10 minutes short and it was either a scary rollercoaster ride or a leaping alien, not a whole bunch of leaping aliens that can sync with indigenous creatures and are forced to protect their home from economic greed. As for the games, you were in a room, and you won when you picked up a ball from a table. Awesome. But times are changing; gone are the red and blue glasses you hold in your hand. They have been replaced by much snazzier Ray Ban-designed Real3D glasses. This new technology brings on-screen wonders like Avatar, Coraline, Up and Monsters vs Aliens to life, as well as advancing gaming experiences and making the 3D home television experience a reality.

The term 3D traditionally brings forward the concept of things coming straight out at you from the screen and the illusion of being able to reach out and touch them. Current 3D movies, however, aren’t your stereotypical “all up in yo’ face” 3D. In fact, the 3D effect is far subtler and more in the way of gently immersing the audience in the

world of the movie. Pixar blockbuster Up director Pete Docter: “The things that were important to me as a director was not to distract people with 3D. You don’t want to pop them out of the movie by going “ooga-booga.” We basically said, “Okay, the screen is like a window and you can see into it but let’s not bring too many things out.” That adds a certain sense of depth and I think, for a lot of people, they feel more transported into that world.” Agreeing with Docter on the use of subtle 3D is director of the upcoming Alice in Wonderland remake, Tim Burton. “I think the gimmick elements have fallen by the wayside. It’s more about an experience that puts you in it more. Now you don’t walk out of the theater with a headache. It enhances and puts you more in that world,” he says.

Much like current films in 3D, games have now taken on the role of transporting the game into the player’s world. The concept of 3D virtual reality and 3D landscapes within games is not new. What is, however, is the ability to bring the game out of the screen. “In the past, 3D films and 3D games enjoyed a boom in the 1980s but quickly died down because they could not meet basic requirements, such as having high image quality and a high frame rate at the same time,” explains Atsushi Miyazawa, researcher at Namco Bandai Games Inc. “In 2007, it seemed that the issues of high definition and movie quality would be solved. So, the film and game industries, which had been

weighing the timing of making 3D contents, began making them in earnest.” He adds. With the technology at our fingertips, and going with the trend of wanting to spruce our home sweet homes with the latest beeps and boops, Aaron Greenberg, Director of Product Managment of Xbox 360, verifies that we are now in the age of bringing 3D into our homes more than ever before. “I think it’s clear that the technology is here. We support 3D today-we’re a fully compatible 3D console, and I think it’s just a matter of developers wanting to make 3D games and consumers wanting to bring 3D into their homes. I think it’s unclear how much demand there is for that.” Microsoft’s new Project Natal has allowed them to introduce 3D games like Scrap Metal by the creators of the award winning N+. Another 3D groundbreaker on the Xbox and Nintendo’s Wii is James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game, which has introduced workable stereoscopy to home consoles. Game developer Ubisoft’s Brent George tells why they decided to go 3D: “We had two clear goals in developing Avatar: The Game: a) to prove to the industry, and more importantly to gamers, that we’re able to do it, and b) to develop the skill set and tools within our studios to continue to work in the medium.”