We Like The Thing! Just Kidding, We Hate It.

Everyone probably remembers the movie Avatar. After all, it broke countless records and was the highest grossing movie of all time back when in came out in 2009. Now, it is remembered for two things, neither of which are the quality of the writing or acting, because frankly Avatar just wasn't that good: but what Avatar is remembered for is the obscene amount of money that was made on it and the fact that this obscene amount of money gave birth to the seemingly unstoppable tide of 3D movies. Filmmakers and production companies everywhere saw the success of Avatar and announced that 3D was a milestone that would forever change the future of cinema. It wasn't, but we'll get to that later.
Having recognized the success of Avatar and the seeming appeal of 3D, more and more companies began releasing movies in 3D. In 2012, 41 movies were released in 3D. Tickets for 3D movies were more expensive, not only because the cost to make movies in 3D was higher but because theaters and production companies jacked up prices, knowing that consumers would buy tickets anyway. Producers believed that demand for movies in 3D was at an all time high, and it was, at least at first. However, after a while, consumers finally realized what everyone knew already: 3D is kind of the worst. Ticket sales for 3D movies dropped, and movies that were released in both 3D and standard 2D sold considerably more 2D tickets. The number of 3D movies released dropped to 35 in 2013 and only 28 in 2014, and the number continues to drop.
It may seem strange that 3D came in so mightily and then just kind of petered out, and while the trend was confusing to most movie makers, production companies remained successful by watching the market and keeping up with consumer demand. When demand for 3D was high, producers saw that there was money to be made, so price on tickets increased and supply of 3D movies increased. When demand decreased, producers stopped making so many 3D movies, because there simply wasn't a market for them. What once seemed so promising as a change in the world of film has now more or less joined the ranks of VHS tapes and Heelies.
Farewell, 3D. We hardly knew ye.