Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
3D TVs Coming, Ready Or Not
Whether you look at Hollywood’s latest fascination with 3D as a natural evolution of entertainment or a cynical way to squeeze more money out of the public, one thing is certain: a number of companies want you to invest in the technology at home. Several TV manufacturers have either released TVs with built-in 3D support or plan to do so in the near future.
A 50” Samsung LED-LCD set is selling for about $3,300, and a 50” Panasonic is also coming to retailers' shelves. Expect to spend just shy of $3,000 for the Panasonic TV, a Blu-ray player and one pair of the required glasses. Sony will be releasing its own 46” model in June, with an estimated price of about $3,900. LG and Vizio are set to bring their 3D TVs to the marketplace in May and August, respectively.Prices seem to be about $1,000 more than TVs of comparable size and specs that lack 3D.
As CNET points out, consumers who do decide to take the 3D plunge will at least initially find limited viewing options. While ESPN and the Discovery Channel have announced plans to devote splinter channels to 3D content, others seem to be taking a wait-and-see approach. Sony has been trumpeting the PlayStation 3’s capabilities as a 3D-ready system, but it also lacks content. Aside from a few game demos and Ubisoft’s Avatar game—also available on the Xbox 360—there aren’t any real apps, killer or otherwise, to make 3D seem like an immediate necessity.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
