Hoping to come back from a disappointing summer, Disney is re-releasing its early-nineties classic The Lion King in 3-D on Friday. But the 3-D format itself is struggling after several underperforming titles. Read on to find out which of the two leading 3-D companies, RealD or IMAX, remains the better investment bet.
It sometimes seems like everything that's fun is also a potential threat to your health, so it's hardly surprising that 3-D movies, games and TVs have drawn fire from critics who worry that they could cause long-term eye damage. But eye care professionals say that the reverse may be true.
In Asia Thursday Japan's Nikkei 225 Index fell 1.1% as exporters fight the effects of a surging yen. In China the Shanghai Composite Index inched up 0.3% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.1%.
At least one analyst is predicting that fourth-quarter box-office sales are set to fall 12% as most 3-D movies have failed to attract big audiences this year. Even worse: The trend extends beyond movie theaters to the living room.
Hasbro plans to unveil a new device Tuesday that will make Apple iPods and iPhones 3-D capable. The device, called My3D, looks like a pair of binoculars and enables users to view movies and games in 3-D. Apple plans to sell My3D content at its online apps store.
Sales of 3-D televisions aren't growing as quickly as TV makers had expected this year, according to new DisplaySearch report. The research firm now expects 3.2 million 3-D TVs to be shipped this year, down from the 3.4 million it had forecast in July.
Nintendo slashed its forecast for the year, citing weak sales and stronger-than-expected appreciation of the Japanese yen. It also announced its new handheld 3-D video game console won't be released until after the holiday season.
The Nintendo Wii's dominance over motion-control gaming eroded further this weekend as Microsoft and Sony highlighted their own new controllers at Japan's largest video-game industry event. Plus, Sony updated PS3 to play 3-D Blu-ray movies.
No matter how you feel about the YouTube-launched sixteen-year-old pop sensation, there's no denying that he's an entertainment industry juggernaut. News of not one, but two major Bieber deals came just this past Monday.
3-D movie revenue doubled in 2010, and studios will release 18 3-D titles in the second half of the year, up from five. But higher costs worry theater operators, and not all 3-D movies can command higher ticket prices.
