Background

I'm beginning to suspect I have more than my share of obsessive compulsive tendencies – and for that I am glad the urge to begin on drugs, alcohol or cigarettes has never hit me. If I inherently did have such tendencies, I'd probably be a drugged out alcoholic lung cancer patient by now.

That's why I can hardly ever put down a book and cannot turn off supremely craptastic movies until they've reached their inevitable craptastic endings. Also why I keep lots of 10 foot poles at home with which to approach video and pc games. If I did not, I'd have a huge triple layer bum, be partially blind, broke and would not be typing this review due to severe cases of carpal tunnel syndrome in my wrists / thumbs.

Motion sickness prevents me from playing games like Doom and The Punisher. When I was (very much) younger, we did have a Nintendo and a Game Boy – addiction to Super Mario Brothers and Tetris led to many sibling fracases. Later, during university, back in the days where computers were just starting to take over our lives, there was Warcraft and that strategy game with the centaurs, elves and magicians where you attack castles by shooting arrows and so forth.

Then I discovered "older men" and that was the end of that.

So what makes me love the eye-toy so much I'm writing a review?

Wot is it

Eye-Toy is a peripheral for Sony's Playstation 2 (or PS2 – yeah I'm such a gamer *hack hack*). Basically a small black plastic video camera, not unlike old style webcams, on a swivel base. Very compact, very unobtrusive, will sit nicely pretty much anywhere. Well balanced and does not fall over, no matter how drunk you are while adjusting the thing (the best time to use Eye-toy!).

Connects directly to the PS2 and doesn't require it's own power source. Truly plug and play. No console needed.

Using the Eye-Toy

If you don't need idiot-proof instructions, skip the next few paragraphs, because installing and using the eye-toy is really very, very easy (that word again).

If you like idiot-proof instructions, and you have broadband, check out www.eyetoy.com. (I highly recommend clicking on the console on the site, it's hilarious)

If you like idiot-proof instructions, and are stuck on dial-up, I suppose you can continue reading.

Basically your whole body (and that of anyone else in the room) becomes the console. Place the camera either on top or below your tv. When on (it switches on automatically with the PS2), you stand in front of the camera and wave your hand over "areas" denoted by buttons on the screen to select options. To prevent accidental touches you need to wave your hand for a short while until the option lights up. You can also use your foot if you are flexible, or your elbow .. or.. you get the picture. I don't recommend head banging. Consider yourself duly protected against whiplash.

You do need a fairly bright room to use the Eye-toy. A soft blue light up front of camera lights up when everything's ok, the red when it's too dark. No-one likes having light directly shone into their eyes, the Eye-toy is no exception.

I didn't have any problems with getting the right amount of light. Keep in mind, the more light there is (to a point) the easier it is for the Eye-Toy to "see you". Even if the blue light is on, if you find yourself waving like crazy with underarm fat wobbling dangerously, you still don't have enough light.

Adjust for height differences by moving the camera on its swivel base up or down or from side to side. Adjusting the camera is smooth and easy, easy, easy.

Who will love it

I think the Eye Toy will be especially loved by demographics not already familiar with gaming (clever move on Sony's part). We're talking grandmas, the middle aged, and those people who never got into gaming because:

a) they sit on their fat a**ses all day already
b) they are not and have never been teenaged boys
c) they can't remember whether the red circle is roll and avoid getting impaled or the green triangle is jump over the stream or get drowned.
d) they aren't the type to get obsessed by strategy games or computer games full stop.

Parents who don't like kids sitting mute, dumb and fatly in front of their tv should definitely buy this. Your kids may still be mute and dumb, but at least they won't be (as) fat. And no. I don't think your precious is fat, mute or dumb ... isn't she a clever little pretty princess then...

*gulp*

Serious gamers who build special windowless rooms for their systems with stocked mini-bar within arms reach will not love this so much, I'm thinking.

Because the Eye-toy requires you to remember nothing more than "wave your hand" it really is the perfect way to introduce people to video (well, disc) gaming. Also, since it actually requires you to move around, the adrenalin normally sedentary people will get while using it will probably endear the games to them more.

One thing. I tried to get my dad into the whole "Groove" thing using the Eye Toy. He's a complete techno-phobe who doesn't know how to sms and only learned how to use the internet to get instant stock quotes. The man grew up in a kampong where the favorite thing to do was fly kites with glass stuck on the string (and then try to cut everyone else's kite strings). He just did not get it. Instead of trying to hit the targets he wriggled his fingers in front of him with his arms straight out and kept repeatedly shouting "I don't get it, I don't get it". So yeah, although I thought otherwise, some oldies just might not know what to do.

I have to say, the whole "the camera knows what I want – it's so cooool" thing did blow my mind a little. I guess like fax machines must have blown someone’s mind 20 years ago.

Performance

It's not a high quality camera – images are slightly blurry and have a slight hazy quality, but it's more than good enough for its purpose. Also, with sufficient light, it is wonderfully accurate and sensitive in recognizing your movements (no time lag either).

Available games as at 2/05 (in order of release)

Of the following, I’ve only played Groove. For viewable shorts of the games, check out www.eyetoy.com

Play – 12 games on one disc

Groove – dance like an un-co white boy from the 70s!

Anti-Gravity

Play 2 – 12 new party games. Max 4 players

1. Air Guitar – looks supremely dumb. Basically, you play an air guitar

2. Home Run – hit baseballs and "run" around the diamond to score

3. Knock Out – punch + be punched in the ring with an animated boxer of African descent (huge afro - cause you know, only African Americans are boxers).

4. Bubble Pop – pop bubbles similar to package bubble paper in shapes. Bleh

5. Camera Games – Punch an animated face on a spring? Looks lame

6. DIY – build and break down walls, fix plumbing and do some gardening.

7. Drummin – beat on bongos in time with music.

8. Goal Attack – Be a goalie in a football game, practice doing headshots and running on command

9. Kung 2 – kung fu chop tiny flying kung fu animations in different scenarios.

10. Monkey Bars – You are King Kong and you move up and down a scenario to ..I don’t know what. Something.

11. Mr Chef – work in a fast food place as a short order cook. Obviously preparing those wayward teens for careers in the fast food industry. Squash tomatos to make sauce, grate cheese or cut bread faster than an animated chef, fill out short orders for a waitress (something like that old PC game – Last Call)

12. Secret Agent – you're a secret agent trying to steal stuff

Ways to Buy Eye-Toy

With one of the games stated above, or in a package with a PS2. Or off the dogdy guy in chinatown, who will bring you to the backroom when you prove you're not a cop. Tell him crazy-snake-renee sent you.

How it could be better

I would have loved if you could pre-program camera positions for the Eye-Toy (like you can for the driver in luxury cars). When playing multi-player games, it's a small hassle to constantly have to adjust the camera when players change (which can be as soon as every 1 minute, depending how much you suck at the game). With Groove an outline of where your position should be is highlighted on the screen before every game. You need to re-adjust for height so you can reach the "buttons" properly in the game.

Some people may have problems with backgrounds and getting recognized by the camera. My room has white walls and I'm very fair skinned (no sun exposure, I'm expecting jaundice anytime soon), so I don't have problems there. But dark skinned people with adventurous tastes in interior design may have problems.

I always knew the Japs in Sony were classist racists.


Recommended: Yes