Sony 'shifting effort' from 3D gaming to new IPs

3D was a big push for Sony, with many first-party releases touting the feature. However, it's disappeared from Sony's marketing efforts as of late. Is it an admission that consumers weren't particularly enthused for the feature to begin with? Why, yes.

Speaking at Eurogamer Expo, Sony UK's Fergal Gara admitted that "it's fair to say consumers have decided it's not hugely important at this time... wearing the glasses and consuming 3D in that way in the home isn't hugely popular. That's just a fact."

Because 3D isn't offering Sony a unique selling proposition, the marketing man says that Sony has moved its focus onto introducing new IP. "You've seen us shift our effort onto fresh new exciting IP. I'm certainly really pleased to see the strength of that as we look into next year." While it's unlikely the money saved from no longer supporting 3D development will go far in actually supporting new IP, it is important to note that Naughty Dog's Uncharted 3 had 3D--but it's upcoming new IP The Last of Us does not.

Of course, Sony isn't willing to give up on 3D quite yet. "It may have a bigger life a little further down the line," Gara told Eurogamer. However, the company must overcome the necessity for 3D glasses. "The glasses will certainly be a big part of the hassle factor... How good will glasses-free 3D be? We haven't seen any killer technology land on the market yet that proves a must have, and I don't have a firm view on whether that will happen."