The L.A. Times' Company Town blog has reported that, starting this weekend, many theater chains will begin about 8% more for ticket prices to 3D movies. Apparently the thinking goes that 3D flicks are becoming popular, so moviegoers will be willing to shell out the extra dough.

This is a mistake. Just at the time that 3D is beginning to build steam and attract more people to movie theaters, these chains (the article doesn't state which ones) are going to resist the newfound popularity. Apparently they don't realize that steeper ticket prices also mean fewer paying customers. Furthermore, the more widespread use of 3D equipment will make the technology cheaper to implement. This is a money grab.

Sometimes price hikes can compensate for the loss of customers, but this is a crucial point for the popularity of 3D. You'd think the theaters would want to allow its popularity to continue building and to earn money through increased patronage. Arbitrarily raising prices just turns people away.