Intel Play Me2Cam with Fun Fair
© 1999 IntelPlay
Note: please see the review of the Intel Pocket PC Camera for a more recent camera from Intel, with similar capabilities. The following review was written in January of 2000. Have you ever wanted to climb inside of a software program? If so, then this camera/CD-ROM bundle is for you. Winner of the 2000 Bologna New Media prize, this hand gadget is easy to set up and use thanks to the handy talking instructions. First, you plug a small video camera to the USB port (the little square one) on your computer and position the camera on top of your monitor. Note that you'll need a Windows 98 or better computer for this. After you install the software, you sign in and pose for about five seconds while your picture is taken. Next, your video image magically appears in the game screen and you are ready to play inside one of the five games. In Snow Surfin, your moving image is placed on top of a snowboard. Standing in front of the camera and computer, you "ski" by shifting your body side to side to avoid onscreen obstacles such as rocks, trees and penguins. Other crazy games include Pinball, where your hands and head become the flippers, and Bubble Mania, in which you pop bubbles by moving your arms. We found that it is important to play the game in a well lit area in order to avoid a grainy and washed out image. Is it worth the price? Yes and no. Certainly, this breaks new ground in both innovation and ease of use, and it is important to note that this is one of the first software experiences that gets children out of the chair and moving their large muscles. Plus, it's tons of fun. We'd feel even more confident about the package's value, however, knowing that additional software programs (with more games and activities) were in the works. As it is, longevity may be an issue.
$69.99, Win 98 (CD-ROM), smart toy
Teaches: game play, virtual reality