3D Drivers.(Technology Information)

While we wait for 3D graphics to take hold on the Web, feature films and games fuel the content creation market

In this era of intense competition to grab and hold the attention of viewers, the demand for 3D content--and for the tools to create it--is soaring. In fact, revenues from 3D software tools are projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 25 percent over the next five years.

Given all the hype surrounding 3D graphics on the Web, one might assume that Web applications have spurred this dramatic growth. But while Web 3D is clearly poised to become the next big market driver, for now the film and game industries continue to lead the way.

In the past few years, 3D visual effects have played leading roles in many feature films, and, in fact, have been integral to the five top-grossing movies of all time: Titanic, Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace, Jurassic Park, Independence Day, and the original Star Wars. The success of such films has ensured the future for 3D content creation in the movie business, which continues to experience steady growth. Total worldwide box office revenues for the American film industry should top $26 billion by 2005, a CAGR of 8 percent.

3D content has had an even more dramatic impact on the game industry, having been a component of nearly all the best-selling games. The use of 3D should continue to grow as game developers take advantage of the processing and graphics power of the new entertainment-class PCs and next-generation game consoles (Xbox, PlayStation 2, and GameCube), which can support real-time 3D rendering of large environments and hundreds of models at once. In fact, the new platforms will fuel what should be a $21 billion business by 2005.

3D on the Web is the dark horse. We hear it coming but just can't see it yet. Despite the claims of dozens of companies that they're setting the revolution in motion, we've seen little practical application of the technology. With forecasted revenues of nearly $128 billion by 2005 for e-commerce and advertising alone, though, the Internet will be fertile ground for the 3D seeds currently being sown. And major Web content providers such as NBC and e-commerce merchants like Sharper Image have already expressed interest in moving ...