The Third

Life happens in four dimensions, but we generally observe only three. Still, for most of us this third dimension doesn't strain our eyes or whatnot, but that's the real world, that's life. Technology on the other hand is working as hard as it can to catch up to reality with 3D television, movies, cameras, and video games such as the Nintendo 3DS.

It seems the third dimension isn't so friendly when it's being imitated through technology. Moviegoers might know the unfriendly feeling hammering against their temples when watching Avatar, the feeling you got when not looking at the person who was talking on screen. Or the same feeling you might get when not wearing the disposable 3D glasses they made you wear. To be fair, many directors are working on making the new 3D technology more tasteful, as James Cameron did with Avatar and not extremely overwhelming as in Tron: Legacy. However, with 2011 set to be a year of big movies, from the gaggle of comic book adaptations of Captain America, The Green Hornet, The Green Lantern, and Thor to the end of the Harry Potter saga and pretty much anything else that will hit the silver screen that's not a chick flick, 3D doesn't seem to be losing steam just yet. Personally (I will remind you that I said personally, indicating opinion) I think that most of the time 3D in movies and television has become a gimmick, an over used one as it appears.

The third dimension had previously been a part of television since it's creation. I'm referring to the size of the original boob tube with it's cathode ray tubes and a foot or two of depth. Nowadays that third dimension has been lost to make tv's as 2D as possible, and in an effort to change that, companies like Sony have introduced 3D televisions. Besides being extremely expensive and a lack of 3D television channels, you also have to wear glasses to watch your own tv. I haven't done much research into the sales of 3D tv's over the last year, but I can't imagine that they were too high. Since I already wear glasses, I don't really want to wear another pair just to watch tv, I sound like my dad.

It is in video games that we must put our next hope. Motion technology has marked the beginning of the end of the physical controller. Microsoft's Kinect is pretty evidence of where we're headed in terms of control, but it's Nintendo's 3DS, set to be released this year, that innovates in another way: 3D glasses-less video gaming. Not only that, the 3DS gives you control over the 3D nature of the games you will play. Now, I am extremely excited for this system, if only for the fact that they are remaking some of my favorite N64 games for it, Ocarina of Time, Star Fox, and if I keep my fingers crossed Super Smash Bros.

Unfortunately, good things never come clean. In the past few weeks there have been releases from Nintendo mentioning that the 3DS shouldn't be played by 6 year olds. Why you might ask? A 6 year old's eyes are still in development and playing the 3DS could damage that process. Yeah, that sounds kind of scary. Not to mention the fact that Nintendo has also said that you shouldn't play the 3DS more than half an hour straight. What? I've personally played Ocarina of Time for hours on end, how the hell do they expect me to stop playing when I have a portable version in 3D after a mere half an hour? To put the cherry on top of the glasses-less technology, you'll have to view the 3DS through it's "sweet spot". That's right, you have to hold the thing steady to play it correctly. Now this isn't too crazy for most of us who get so wrapped up in Tetris or Pokemon or whatever your pocket digital crack may be that we don't blink, let alone move the screen from in front of our faces, but still that does seem a little ridiculous.

3D technology is on the rise and we hold the power to keep it going or to stop it dead in its tracks. I didn't even go into the new 3D cameras and video cameras that are going on the market. The third dimension is something that we deal with everyday in reality, it seems virtual reality is getting closer. 2011 will be a big year for technology, as every year is usually bigger than the last, but this year seems like it will be pretty big for 3D in particular. Dust off your specs and get ready to cross your eyes folks.

Dream on.

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