An unlikely player is about to make an entry-level push into the booming 3-D market.
Hasbro
In other words, it's a high-tech ViewMaster.
Hasbro isn't taking this lightly. It will be making video content and even a few games available through Apple's App Store -- and some of the downloads will even be free. It's already teaming up with the country's first 24/7 cable channel that will be all in 3-D -- bankrolled and spearheaded by Discovery Communications
It's surprising to see Sony supporting this move, because this should be yet another attack on its PSP handheld gaming business. Then again, Sony may at least profit from its own disruption.
It's clear that 3-D is big business these days. RealD
Walk into any consumer electronics store, and you'll find new lines of 3-D televisions to turn things up a notch in your living room.
Maybe Hasbro misses here. Planning a springtime launch means that it misses out on this year's potent holiday season. Hasbro's also dabbled in portable video before, even though it may be hard to find a whole lot of kids that eventually outgrew their VideoNow systems.
However, $30 is a small price to pay for a shot at a promising ecosystem of content. Unless the video quality is horrid or optometrist trade journals rip into potential vision impacts of prolonged usage of My3D, you have to like Hasbro's chances here by piggybacking on an established and popular Apple iOS platform to get its point across.
Will My3D be a hit or a flop? Share your perspective in the comment box below.