Over 200 Blu-ray 3D movies like The Amazing Spider-Man and Brave entered the home entertainment market in 2012 as Hollywood continues to bring home the big 3D blockbusters.
The drop in major-studio BD 3D titles reflects a change in strategy, as the big players move away from the initial 3D gold rush that followed in the wake of the enormously successful movie Avatar. The current BD 3D approach is more discerning, focused on select blockbuster titles, as well as on key catalog 2D to 3D conversions. Examples of the former include the superheroes flick The Avengers, while examples of the latter can be seen in titles like I, Robot and Titanic.
Meanwhile, the number of independent BD 3D titles continues to increase rapidly—55 alone for 2012, compared to 25 in 2011. The rapid expansion of indie titles on BD 3D suggests a level of maturity of the format—BD 3D is no longer the exclusive haunt of the Hollywood majors, whose 3D output fell from 46 titles in 2011 to 37 in 2012. For the 3D standard to flow into the far more circumscribed indie film world reflects the improvements in cost and availability of 3D production technology, and is also indicative of broader acceptance and penetration of the medium.
To be sure, BD 3D makes up just a small portion—8 percent—of the physical video business. Nonetheless, the format is here to stay. In particular, 2012 could be seen as the point when BD 3D transforms from mere novelty status into a permanent, high-end niche, IHS believes.
