Microsoft says 3D gaming technology still too expensive
updated 09:30 pm EDT, Thu June 17, 2010
3D gaming still too expensive, says Xbox UK chief
Microsoft's head of Xbox in the UK, Neil Thompson, has dismissed 3D technology in the short term for the company's gaming console. After Sony's commitment to bring the technology to its console later this year, Microsoft believes 3D gaming is currently too expensive for widespread adoption by the public, mirroring Nintendo's feelings. In order to make 3D work in the living room, a 3D-enabled TV set is necessary, which is a large purchase for customers at this point, he said.
Instead, Thomson felt Microsoft's just-introduced Kinect system was a safer prospect at the moment, and has a higher chance of being adopted in the home.
Microsoft is in talks with LG, however, to bring 3D gaming technology into the living room. Any widespread adoption of 3D is unlikely to be ready this year, however, as the company has committed itself almost exclusively to Kinect and just recently updated the Xbox 360 with strictly 2D hardware. Some 3D is possible with the existing hardware, but movies and near universal adoption would more likely require a new graphics core and a completely new system as a result. [via Afterdawn]
