Print
The future’s coming, and – like it or not – it’s bringing an extra dimension along for the ride. Well, for most of us, anyway. See, as it turns out, you don’t have to be legally blind or Cyclops from X-Men to be part of the unlucky minority that’ll view future games, movies, and TV shows not in 3D, but as a blurred mess of reds, blues, and disappointment. In fact, according to a study by UK charity The Eyecare Trust, slightly more than one out of every ten of you are SOL when it comes to 3D.
“For these six million people it’s like taking the 3D glasses off, making everything all blurry. You can’t see the image and that causes headaches, eye-strain and blurred vision,” Chairman Dharmesh Patel said of the British population that can’t see 3D. “There will be people who have not attended an eye examination in years and are probably unaware they have a lazy eye or something like that.”
“About 12 percent have 3D vision problems and you’ll find a similar percentage worldwide,” he added. “Some people won’t even know why they can’t see it. Sometimes something can be done, but it depends on the individual case.”
As PC Gamer points out, that means approximately 670 million people lack the focal faculties needed to avoid seeing right through the smoke and mirrors that make up modern 3D effects. That’s even more than the number of people who can’t tell why kids love Cinnamon Toast Crunch! (It's the cinnamon sugar swirls in every bite, damn it! Now where's our commercial?)
Which, of course, raises the question: if roughly ten percent of humanity can’t even see it, is 3D really the future of media consumption? And even if 3D tech wizards find a way to clear this hurdle, will people still care when/if they finally do? Who knows? All we can say for sure is this: we’re hungry for some Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Profound, we know.
Comments are closed on this article
milehighxr
July 19, 2010 at 5:42pm
All the more reason to kill 3D now, before it wastes anymore peopls precious money.
Now where's that reasonably priced 55" LED that can stream straight from my internet connection?
lancethepants
July 21, 2010 at 11:28am
I've got eccentric fixation which kills any 3d for me (can't do those magic eye things either) Oddly enough (or I guess not so oddly now) two of my buddies can't see it either, so we rock Avatar the gool 'ol fashioned 2d way. I don't get why they keep beating the dead horse, it should never make a come back. On top of that it's a good excuse to charge you premium for '3d capable' tvs.
jcseely
July 14, 2010 at 9:52pm
I see 3D just fine, but it's still not the wave of the future that everyone seems to be saying. After this current crop of 3D-bandwagon films goes by, it'll go right back to being a passing fad. It's not mainstream now, and it won't be in the near future either.
winmaster
July 14, 2010 at 11:57am
Yep, I'm in that 12 percent. No 3D for me. Hell, I barely passed the eye test at the DMV.
Anyway, have fun buying a new 3D blu-ray player. I just got a regular one for $100. I can see HD.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPAM filter?
eric0rr
July 14, 2010 at 11:26am
i wonder what will happen to the 3D market now, considering that 1 in 10 people definetly won't give a shit about it, regardless of the people that already don't care for it, and what other visual technologies won't these 1 in 10 be able to use effectively?
festiva_man
July 14, 2010 at 1:02am
Found out around 10 years ago when I went for an eye exam. Said my lazy eye only allows me to focus through one eye at a time therefore I am screwed in the 3d dept. Saves me a hell of a lot of money though ;)
JohnnyCNote
July 13, 2010 at 11:51pm
I'm blind (or very nearly so) in my left eye, so this 3D stiff would do me absolutely no good. At a minimum there needs to be a way to turn it off for people who lack stereopsis (depth perception). Mostly I think this is all marketing gimmick designed to sell more TV's . . .
gendoikari1
July 13, 2010 at 11:08pm
I can't see true 3D due to wearing glasses. See blurry 3D, or see a distorted, but clear movie.
tapple
July 14, 2010 at 12:48pm
Many 3D Glasses fit right over your own glasses. I wear glasses myself and have no problem at the theaters.
