It's intuitive that to make the most realistic experience out of narrative, one would employ the latest technologies to transform it into the most realistic form possible. But realistically, we can never achieve full realism. Often in trying to create something as close to reality as possible, we fail terribly. Welcome to the newest fad: 3D. It seems that every movie out in theatres is released simultaneously in 3D. I hope it was no accident that the 3D Avatar lost to the 2D Hurt Locker. There is no comparison in terms of which movie was more realistic (and due to content, that's a bit unfair), and the Hurt Locker didn't need 3D to do it with.

I hate 3D so much that when Alice in Wonderland's regular showing sold out I bought the more expensive 3D ticket, got the glasses, and snuck into the 2D showing. The glasses are epic, regardless and I had a wonderful conversation with my first grade brother, convincing him how amazing it was to see the world through the glasses in 3D.

Nintendo realized a while ago that the immerse gaming experience wasn't necessary for fun. Some of the most impressive game artwork Okami, for instance, is effective because it doesn't try for hyper-realism. Instead it uses stylized artistic direction. If every painter painted as realistically as possible, we would have lost out on Van Gogh, Turner, and other geniuses.

Our obsession with GUIs in all devices has caused us to expect a crystal clear reality that depicts something very far from what the reality is. Strangely enough many 'clunky interfaces' are actually closer to portraying what is actually going on than the innovative ones. In a way this altered sense of reality leads in House of Leaves territory. Truth, say the postmodernists, is the most confused aspect of anything ever. It is what we make it, certainly, but we shouldn't trust it all the time. After all, the most del.icio.us salad you've ever seen is probably made out of polyester resin. The truest truth is a lie. That's depressing, but at least I still have my 3D glasses. Stylin.