If you had to pick a film responsible for the 3D craze that has swept the entertainment industry over the last few years, it would be hard to argue with James Cameron's Avatar. Regardless of the movie's merits, its 3D world was incredibly immersive — but despite the proliferation of 3D TVs and Blu-ray players, most home viewers have only been able to experience Avatar in two boring dimensions. That'll all change on October 16th, when the Avatar 3D Blu-ray collector's edition is released, marking the first time the film will be available in 3D at retail. James Cameron teased the announcement in a video on Avatar's Facebook page yesterday, and Fox dropped all the details and launch date this morning.

Up until this point, Panasonic had an exclusive on the 3D version of Avatar — it was a pack-in included with the company's 3DTVs and Blu-ray players, but now that the exclusive it up, anyone will soon be able to experience the movie the way Cameron intended. Unfortunately for those who just can't get enough of the Na'vi, this release will be the theatrical version of the film, not the extended edition that was released last year. It looks like Cameron and Fox are saving that version for yet another release further down the line.