Sony wants to be the company that leads us all into the three dimensional future, for both gaming and video. During a presentation for investors today, the company laid out its plan for the next few years, which included news that the PS3 is upgradeable to stereoscopic 3D through firmware upgrades.

Sony hopes the 3D gaming and video markets will help return the company to profitability by 2011. That’s a big step for a company set to post $1 billion in losses for the second year in a row. The company plans to install 3,000 3D cinema projectors in movie theaters around the country, along with expanding its 3D support for game developers and offerings to Blu-ray users.

Sony CEO Howard Stringer also made a point to applaud the success of the company’s restructure schedule, which is outperforming the initial plan. Sony aimed to save $5.6 billion dollars, a goal that was obviously helped when it cut 12 percent of its work force and then boomed 70% on PS3 sales. Thank you very much, PS3 Slim.

For now, I think the 3D thing is a gamble. It’s too gimmicky for widespread adaptation, and I don’t think it will have nearly the impact on gaming that motion control has had. Also, I’m not sure how 3,000 cinema installs can possibly help a return to profitability, but then, I guess I haven’t seen the numbers for 3D cinema audiences. I’ve seen the others, though, and they’re all over the place – not exactly the industry I’d bet on at the moment.

Source: Associated Press