PlayStation Eye
© 2007 Sony Computer Entertainment America
The idea of watching a video game isn't new. But what about when the games start watching back? Last week (Oct. 23, 2007), Sony released its long awaited $40 PlayStation Eye, with double the resolution of EyeToy (that's 640 x 480 at 60 frames per second) in naturally lit rooms. Designed specifically for the new PS3 game console, it joins the $40 Xbox LIVE Vision for the Xbox 360, released earlier this year, in further expanding functionality of the game console. When matched up with a large screen, this camera can "enable communication both in and around the screen experience" said Richard Marks, Senior Researcher for Sony Computer Entertainment America. The PlayStation Eye, which could just as easily been named for the ear, comes with four tiny omni-directional microphones designed to pluck the spoken words from a noisy room. Camera-enhanced software titles include the kareoke-style SingStar, where you can where you can create and share your own musical videos; Eye of Judgment, a cool but complex card game where creatures jump out of printed cards; and EyeCreate, a basic video editing program that lets you edit and save your projects on the PS3 hard drive. You can also add visual effects such as stop-motion and time-lapse photography. A final game is called Aquatopia, that puts you inside a simulated aquarium.
$40, PlayStation 3
Teaches: social gaming, movement