3D gaming's approval rating low, blamed on inherited wars and economy

by Jessica Conditt on Sep 24th 2011 3:30PM

Almost one-third of players think the 3DS's most prominent selling feature -- the 3D -- detracts from the gameplay experience, a survey from research firm Interpret LLC found. The survey asked 1,600 adults if they were aware the 3DS existed (60 percent), and then if they knew it didn't require glasses to view the 3D effects (28 percent). Of those who had played the 3DS, 28 percent said 3D detracted from the gaming experience, compared with 22 percent who thought 3D was an improvement. Thirteen percent played with the 3D turned completely off.

Most respondents, 56 percent, preferred 3D gaming through a console-TV set-up, while only 7 percent said a handheld 3D device was their preference. Players who experienced dizziness or nausea from watching 3D entertainment rose seven percent points from the previous year, to 37 percent.

We expect the 3DS to make a speech some time soon attempting to gain back bipartisan approval, push a new jobs bill and kiss some babies. Not that that always works, but it's what's done.

Source: Gamespot

Tags: 3D, 3ds, approval-rating, nintendo

Reader Comments (83)

Awesome title!

i hate 3D. its annoying because i got to put the glasses on top of mines and also it gives me a major headache. also the effect doesnt impress me.

@Knives Chau

Guess you're part of the 72 percent that doesn't know the 3DS doesn't require glasses to view the 3D effects.

PS How is it 28% think it detracts from the experience but only 13% play with the 3d off? That's just poor use of resources.

@Knives Chau

Looks like you hate grammar too.

@DBuckEye Baaah you idiot, he's talking about almost every other form of 3D (movies, TV, etc.).

@Knives Chau And looks like you don't have a 3Ds and your just a troll......

@Spartan050 Or, and not to defend him, Im just saying, he may not like 3D and thats WHY he doesnt own the handheld.

@Knives Chau
Jeez guys don't attack the guy. He's obviously talking about the 3-D methods used in movies, tv, and other video game consoles.

@DBuckEye

Played the 3ds today for the first time and the 3d was cool, but too much an eye strain. Most of my 3d gaming will take place in the 2nd dimension.

Why would you think 28% is closer to a third than it is a quarter? Talk about pushing an agenda. And I don't consider any approval rating of 60% or higher "low." Let's keep it unbiased.

@Alex Trebek

Besides, only 13% are turning it off apparently. So why are 87% leaving it on if it's so terrible?

@Alex Trebek

60% of those surveyed did not "approve" of the 3DS. They were aware that such a thing existed. I am aware that Kreyshawn exists. God knows that doesn't mean I approve.

Let's not lecture Joystiq about how biased their article is if we can't even bothered to read it.

@Alex Trebek I'll take the rapist for $200 alex

@copa

There's no such stat anywhere in the article, where are you getting this from?

@Raffi256

"The survey asked 1,600 adults if they were aware the 3DS existed (60 percent)"

@Raffi256

Probably feel obligated to use the feature so they don't feel like they wasted their money.

@copa

not to mention 5,039,432 3DS units were sold World-wide last week.

Oh my, those 1600 people are hurting everything!

@Kamui Zero Have you ever taken a statistics class?

@dscuber9000

I don't see your point in mentioning this since I know people can use statistics to prove anything, but can also be proven to be full of shit when you crunch the numbers.

This Statistics: 2667 people total.
3DS Sales last week in the U.S.: 90,971
the amount of people are 2.9% of sales in one week
My point is that the Numbers are insignificant to base an opinion.

I'd rather play in 3D on my 3DS than 2D (unless I have to move the system around, like in Face Raiders or the AR games). But I'd rather play in 2D than have to wear glasses for home console gaming in 3D. Someday there will be a better way to play games in 3D on home consoles, and when there is, I'm there. But not now.

I don't care! I love gaming in 3D and I don't see it going anywhere anytime soon.

3D just isn't for everybody.

Why are some people at war with 3D? We don't bully up on the things you like. If you don't like it don't use it, problem solved.

@jsx92

Today I learned that those who like 3D are an oppressed, persecuted people. They'll build memorials to your suffering one day.

@jsx92
Did you know that some people can't see 3D effects?

@jsx92 3D tech just isn't there yet. What we have today is a pseudo 3D effect consisting of two image layers.

This may add a cool effect to 2D games but this doesn't make 2D look 3D. I'd rather see Nintendo incubate this tech a little longer.

I don't understand how people can't see 3D like what makes their eyes different, I love 3D so it's so strange to hear people can't see the same thing I'm seeing.

I also think the same about color blind people, or hell, even blind people. It's so weird that they can't see the same things I can!

@johnvonhugendong

Some people suffer from a condition where their eyes cannot process the 3D images. Image for a moment you closed one eye, you wouldn't see the 3D image either. Think of images not lining up perfectly for you, that's an imperfect analogy, but it might make it easier to understand.

Just like some people have color blindness, or see spots, or have tunnel vision, different problems can affect your eyes to the point where you can't see things normally.

@johnvonhugendong

Both of their eyes generally work fine. It's just that the brain only "uses" one at a time, so there's no binocular parallax, and thus no binocular depth perception. My wife is like this.

@db2 Indeed, and actually most people are at least somewhat like that - they favor one eye and often use that eye to parse when an object is blocked by another instead of always seeing a double image. The classic trick is to stare at a scene and close one eye, then open again and close the other - you will usually notice a bigger shift between having both eyes open and one of your eyes over the other. In this case it is just more pronounced.

I'm sure the fact that artificial 3D has no depth of field complicates matters - our eyes individually change focus like a camera lens, giving you some small amount depth perception even with one eye. Since focusing on an object in a scene doesn't work right in a single generated "3D" image, someone's brain that prioritizes a single image might be even less inclined to use the second image to define depth.

@johnvonhugendong

I would search the music video for Lionel Ritchie's "Hello" and see how blind people cope with their inability to see.

Little Girl: [looking at a Magic Eye poster] Wow. It's a schooner.
Willam Black: Ha ha ha ha. You dumb bastard. It's not a schooner... it's a Sailboat.
Little Boy: A schooner IS a sailboat stupid head!
Willam Black: [becoming enraged] You know what? There is NO Easter Bunny! Over there, that's just a guy in a suit!

@johnvonhugendong
Close one eye. Now you know what it's like.

@johnvonhugendong

Processing the 3D illusion requires use of parts of the brain that basically never get used. It takes time and practice to develop the part of the mind to recognize 3D and to not get headaches.

@johnvonhugendong Stigmatism maybe? I can't really see 3D well.. On the 3DTV's I can with the glasses put on my own. But probably not as well as other people can.. Red&Blue 3D I couldn't see though..

Pro-Tip: If you read an industry analysis of your product, and the study says, "37 percent of customers experienced dizziness or nausea from" your product, you goddamn better be selling beer.

@copa

True true also +1 for Beer !

but the first time I tried reading a book in a car I experienced dizziness and nausea, same with the second, third....fifth .... etc. Point is I can now read a book/play games in a car no problem I just had to get past the point where movement in my peripheral vision made me want to wretch.

I suspect the same is true for their 3D, once people get used to it, its not going to be a huge issue.

@copa Sir, you win today's internet contest. You should be receiving your cyber-cookies within the hour.

@copa
Good comment, but did you notice that part (the 30%) was about 3D content in general ('watching 3D entertainment' - presumably including movies, home consoles) and wasn't related to 3DS specifically?

Personally I've, on a few occasions, 'experienced dizziness and nausea' from playing games on *2D* screens on my PC and (in one case) Wii over the years. (Without drinking beers at the time.)

Is it just me, or haven't many people had that reaction to some game or other? Something to do with the framerate or the camera angle or whatever...

With regard to 3DS I haven't ever experienced it, but I can't see 3D in any case and have the slider turned off, so that might be why. :)

When you're playing in 3D the game has to process and render the game twice right? If that means that the game I'm playing could like 2x better instead of being in 3D: I'll take it. It's a pointless and stupid feature, in fact I never use it, the only game I have is OoT, but even so, in my 38 hours I've put into it so far I only turn it on for like 2 minutes thinking "Hmmm I never use it, wonder if I'll like it this time..." only to turn it off immediately.

Idunno, I'm pretty confident if you asked what percentage of people who owned a Wii hated motion controls, you'd get a similar number, if not higher, from the ridiculous whining you always hear about it.

It's something new and different, people are gonna cry. It's always like that even for the most popular things.

Great to see how some manage to put a spin on things, as usual.

@bm111

I also assume that people's opinions who do not align with my own are full of crap. We should form a club.

@bm111 But 3D is nothing new. It has been around for decades with limited success. Now 3D is getting way out of hand and I honesty believe it adds nothing to any gaming, TV or movie going experience, nor does it justify the ridiculous prices for such 3D devices.

I hope the rumor of Nintendo re-releasing a 3DS without the 3D nonsense is true, then it will be worth getting. I also welcome the day when 3D technology is up to holographic detail images but until then, I am not interested.

@freaparn
What an astute observation, I do in fact think they're full of crap. But that's entirely beside the point I'm making, which is that this stat is made out to be something out of the ordinary while it really isn't.

@neojames82
I knew someone was gonna say something like that the moment I pressed submit. Of course 3D in itself isn't something new, neither was motion control or analog control or rumble. But this particular implementation is.

As for the ridiculous price, there's this little price cut that the 3DS received the other day, if you remember. Puts it squarely in the range of any other old handheld now. So that adresses your first complaint.

And why the would they release a 3DS without the 3D? You say you'd buy it if they did... you know you can turn it off, right? And you realize that every game is designed with that in mind? That's your second issue I don't see any reason for.

Ambiguous survey with spun numbers that make sensational headlines. Awesome stuff.

What defines 'played with the 3DS?' The demo kiosks? Actually owning the system? Any owner would know that it does take a bit of time to get used to, and that the Pilot Wings demo is probably among the worst choices for first-time playing (third-person perspective views can be hard on the eyes, esp if 3D slider is on high).

In either case, a pool of 1600 random respondents will likely contain very few people that actually played with the system. If this firm is not handing out specifics into their supposed survey it's quite useless. It does go to show again that tossing in somewhat convincing values and numbers will make people believe otherwise illogical studies.

@Muu

Exactly, the demo kiosks are terrible, the device is bolted down and you can't hold it at a good angle for the 3D effect. It gives the device a bad rep.

@Raffi256
That. I'm not a particularly huge fan of 3D (and don't even own a single title for my 3DS so I'm not schilling for Nintendo), but the kiosks are absolutely horrible in terms of showcasing the 3D. They're simply not lined up to correctly interact with the eyes of anyone over 4' tall. Anyone who has access to an un-bolted system will tell you that it's much more natural otherwise.

The last time I tried to play Zelda in Gamestop, I was having to cross my eyes like I was looking for a 3D sailboat. It didn't work at all.

I'm one of the wierdos that can't stand 3D. I have a hard time discerning it. Trying to spatially focus and adjust to is a dizzying and near-nauseating experience. I don't own a 3DS, but a a friend does, and whenever I try it out, I have to immediately turn 3D off. Similar, but less intense problem with glasses-required 3D in theatre and home settings. Physiologically, I just can't handle it. Don't know why.

@Syesta

Don't blame you, I think part of the issue is that there is no real depth. You get the illusion of depth if you look at it just right. but if you try to focus (which often happens reflexively) nothing changes.

That is what I think is leading to the headaches and nausea.

3D certainly isn't for everyone but I think if people can work past their issues with it (not unlike learning to read in a moving vehicle which made me nauseous at first) that 3D isn't going to be a huge issue.

Of course even if people are able to work past it, 3D isn't going to be beneficial to every game.

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3D gaming's approval rating low, blamed on inherited wars and economy

Reader Comments (83)

Posted: Sep 24th 2011 3:35PM asdfate said

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