Comment by flukus

> The driver's controls in a car are also a good example of a 3-D interface demonstrating patterns that are inherently 3-D (twist knobs, paddles, H pattern gearbox, etc.)

These are almost purely input mechanisms, in that sense we've had 3D interfaces in video games for decades by way various controller shapes. The problem is output interfaces don't work or at least don't gain much from the third dimension.