I just had the opportunity to play a couple of 3d games. I wasn't expecting the awesomeness of seeing Captain EO in the early 90's but I was hoping for something more than ?oh that was neat, next?. After a friend, a family member, and I all donned the old Ray Bans, I mean 3d glasses, I turned a game on and was ready to see it meant to be a 3d game.

*thats what the 3d glasses look like an our expressions when it worked.

I did noticed that things didn't come out of the screen as much as they went into the screen. I was hoping things would jump out at me like empty shell casings, rain or debris but maybe that will happen in time but I did notice everything felt more real: chains hanging from ceiling felt real and swung when I bumped them; objects in my hand felt like they had actual length/width; it felt like you were aiming at enemies far away and not just the game giving you the false idea of distance like every FPS before; lastly, as I rounded a corner or got behind something I actually felt hidden by an object with depth/mass and not just polygons which has given me the same safety feeling as hiding behind a refrigerator box when someone's shooting at me.

When another friend walked in the room and saw the engagement between the 3 of us and the game, it was different than other games which was usually just 3 people who barely moved while playing. He laughed as my friend's character stood and looked (while being shot at) at waves and an ocean in shear amazement (area was pretty in 2d but felt hollow); he laughed as me, who has acrophobia started breathing as if I was going into labor (think Bill Cosby skit on breathing) as I had to walk near a cliff; and laughed again as the other person was trying to dodge flying shell casings while firing a gun.

The 3d element may seem like just a gimmick to some and though I may not agree, I can understand that. To me it has the same impact of going from just a single tv speaker or at best 2 front speakers to 5.1 (maybe more) surround sound; yes 2 speakers work and sound good but 5.1 makes you feel in the game. Not adding 3d to games now since I've played it is the same as not adding online play, motion control, 1080i HD or surround sound. I still play FF7, Red Alert, SMB1 and many other older games every now and then so a lack of 3d won't keep me from playing them nor will the lack of the other elements listed above but if I see 2 games I want and they are equal in everything but 3d capability, then even if it cost a ?little? more, thats the one I want.

I have this saying about technology improvements that ?once you had __, you can't go back to __?; once I got cable internet I couldn't go back to dial up; once I got a dvd player I couldn't go back to VHS; once I ate a burger at In N Out its difficult to eat other burgers. I just hope that adding the capability doesn't prevent companies from making games or make it too pricy for companies to make a game.