The player

Seeing is believing: former scoffer JOE GRIFFINis a fanatical convert to 3D gaming

OVER THE past few years, countless journalists (myself included) have complained about the rise and rise of 3D movies. It usually doesn't look good, they say, and it rarely (if ever) serves the story. What's next – My Left Foot 3D? Rocky 3D?(Actually, that last one might be kind of cool.) So it was with knuckle- dragging trepidation that I approached 3D gaming.

I dabbled in Crysis 2in 3D, picking up the controller with a grudging sense of professional obligation . . . and it was awesome. The first-person shooter looks fabulous in the medium; the futuristic, shambolic New York seems to crumble beyond the frame, and even the creeping paranoia is dialled up a notch.

Then it occurred to me: for numerous reasons, 3D works in gaming in ways that it could never work in cinema. Much of the appeal in gaming is manipulating the imagery, so when I whipped an enemy and dragged him towards me in Bulletstorm3D, it was even more gratifying than in 2D.

3D benefits even relatively low-tech games, such the forthcoming Dishwasher Vampire Smile. The violent side-scrolling combat game is gorgeous in 3D, as the severed limbs and flowing blood spill out of the screen.

Videogames are a more heightened form of escapism than cinema, so, unshackled by the need to look plausible or photorealistic, they can just concentrate on dazzling users with outlandish visuals.

The fact that games are played on a TV is more forgiving as well. With 3D cinema, the image is projected onto the screen. With TV, it’s fed in with a cable and the image is back-lit. For this viewer, the images are sharper and the colours more solid. The 3D is impressive instead of distracting.

Sadly I haven't played Nintendo's 3DS yet, but the fact that it's played without glasses is mouth-wateringly enticing. Some early testers have compared it to the hologram messages used in Star Wars.The only problem is the cost. Yes, 3D TVs have sold surprisingly well this Christmas, but you can still buy a high-end LCD or HDTV for a fraction of the price. That's also assuming that people who have paid for a PS3, Wii or Xbox and possibly Move and Kinect controls will be happy to spend thousands more.

Having said that, I predict 3D TV prices will plummet this year, when the next generation comes out. Mark my words, eventually you will be playing and loving 3D games. All you need is faith, imagination and a pair of 3D glasses.

Well, that and an insanely expensive TV, of course.