12th January 2010

3D technology has been around for a while, mostly as a gimmicky amusement, and it’s taken ages to make its way into the mainstream arena. With both Sky and Panasonic confirming that they will release 3D TVs, and Sky announcing that it is launching a dedicated 3D channel, it’s starting to look like 2010 will be the year 3D really takes off. But a question mark remains over whether consumers will be as willing to embrace this new technology as the industry is.

If James Cameron’s 3D sci-fi epic Avatar is the sign of things to come then the future is most definitely 3D. We can all identify with the escapism a trip to the cinema offers from our daily lives – particularly during the bleak weather. But fans of the box office smash hit are finding it harder than usual to separate fact from fiction.

The fantasy world, with its weird and wonderful plant and animal life, is brought to life using stunning special effects and 3D cinematography. The beauty of the film seems to have hit a nerve with audiences. Internet forums have been inundated with posts by depressed and suicidal fans who are devastated about not being able to visit the film’s utopian alien world Pandora.

On the fan forum site “Avatar Forums,” a topic thread entitled “Ways to cope with the depression of the dream of Pandora being intangible,” has received more than 1,000 posts. The topic became so popular that the forum administrator had to create a second thread so people could continue to post their confused feelings about the film.

So it seem that consumers are just as excited about 3D technology as industry experts and the geeky glasses are here to stay!

Lee Bloor, account manager at PUNK

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