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Unlike some of my friends, I don’t tend to spend much time contemplating what the “next big thing” is going to be when it comes to either consumer electronics or video games.  In fact, I try to avoid those kinds of conversations with them whenever possible because: a) I will invariably be wrong in any prediction I make, and b) my inaccurate predictions usually wind up costing me money.

Well, against better judgment I allowed myself to engage in one such conversation not too long about the feasibility of developers incorporating stereoscopic 3D technology into their video games and game consoles.  One friend anticipated that consumers wouldn’t see any attempts at this until the next console generation, and another stated that the time for 3D games came and went with Nintendo’s Virtual Boy.  Ever the smart aleck, I suggested that the idea of 3D gaming is an oft-recurring minor fad that will never see an earnest attempt to make the technology mainstream.  How wrong we all were:

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/01/ces-2010-3d-qa/

Sony’s announcement that the PlayStation 3 will soon be able to support 3D gaming probably shouldn’t have come as a surprise – 3D-capable HDTVs were, after all, one of the focal points of this year’s CES show.  What is a surprise though is that the console will only need firmware updates to accomplish the task.  True, consumers will also need a 3D-capable HDTV and will need to have a pair of 3D glasses handy, but the console’s already good to go.

So what does this mean for PS3 owners?  It means that you’ll want to keep an eye out for large firmware updates starting later this year and towards the beginning of 2011.

It also means that I don’t owe anyone lunch.