U-DECIDE Initiative Methodology

“iZ3D Inc. is proud to support MTBS's U-DECIDE report. It’s a gold mine of information and statistics catalogued in a logical format with at-a-glance comprehensible charts. With the level of provided detail the report will prove to be a useful tool for hardware, software and content companies that participate in the electronic games industry with special interest in the rapidly accelerating growth of 3D games and 3D entertainment.” – Tom Striegler, CEO of iZ3D Inc.

The U-DECIDE Initiative was a joint effort of Meant to be Seen, AMD, iZ3D, The Game Creators, Guild Software, and Blitz Games Studios. To make the U-DECIDE Initiative successful, here is an explanation of the criteria we followed and how they were met:

1. The study had to be well promoted.

The U-DECIDE banners were officially placed on the following sites:

http://game.amd.com

http://www.mtbs3d.com

http://www.iz3d.com

http://www.blitzgamesstudios.com

http://www.vendetta-online.com

http://www.thegamecreators.com

During the run of the campaign, we also went through a heavy traffic period thanks to press releases and high attention stories like Sony PS3 adopting stereoscopic 3D gaming in 2009. Gamesindustry.biz, Wired Magazine, GameInformer, theinquirer.net, and countless other journals are just a sampling of the traffic sources we benefited from.

2. We needed to differentiate the thoughts and opinions of inexperienced 2D gamers from experienced stereoscopic 3D (S-3D) gamers.

The U-DECIDE Initiative comprised of two 26 part surveys. One survey was targeted to traditional 2D gamers who don’t yet own S-3D display equipment of their own. The second survey was intended for experienced S-3D gamers who own stereoscopic 3D equipment.

Each respondent was only allowed to complete one of the two surveys, and we took special measures to prevent and remove accidental duplicates.

Meant to be Seen is the only organization capable of surveying traditional 2D and experienced S-3D gamers as two distinct groups, and this makes what is learned here very valuable.

3. We needed a motivation for respondents to complete the surveys in their entirety.

Nearly 60 prizes were given away as draw prizes for U-DECIDE survey participants including ATI GPUs, console and PC video games, and 3D monitors. It is important to point out that out of 58 prizes, only two had a direct relationship to the stereoscopic 3D industry. We purposely did this to make sure the respondents were not already motivated by the fascination of 3D, and there would be a strong appeal for all gamers.

4. We needed measurable results.

In both cases, the U-DECIDE surveys were multiple choice. We are confident that the respondent intentions and our tabulated results are closely matched.

5. We needed to reach the right consumers.

We purposely targeted gamers because according to The PEW Internet & American Life Project, over 50% of adults play video games of some kind. The gaming market also has the advantage of being very viral through online websites and discussion forums, and this assisted our efforts to promote participation in the U-DECIDE Initiative.