A Nightmare On Couch Potato Street (EyeToy Play + Camera (PS2))

Member Name: Nomad

Product:	EyeToy Play + Camera (PS2)
Date:	18/03/05 (734 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Sensible price & simple setup, Unique controls & original and entertaining gameplay, Stealth exercise

Disadvantages: Poor single player experience, Basic games, Repetitive gameplay

For me, half the joy in owning a games console is the lack of clutter associated with it. In my case a TV, Playstation2, memory card (for games saves) and a control pad is all I really need. But, forever keen to prise more hard-earned notes from my wallet, manufacturers believe we need more ‘stuff’. Mice, keyboards, light guns, steering wheels, dance mats and even, as far as I can recall, some sort of skateboard controller have all been available to enhance our gaming experiences (or so the adverts tell us).

Having been a gamer for around 25 years (I’m not old, I just started young!) it’s not just a large collection of games I’ve acquired. Yes I admit it, I’ve been tempted on more than a couple of occasions - a fact reinforced when, during a recent trawl through the attic, I came across a box full of gaming peripherals including a music keyboard overlay for my Commodore 64. Ahh … happy memories.

It reminded me why I’m so wary of these things nowadays. That’s not to say some of them aren’t a lot of fun it’s just that invariably they work well with only a couple of games and then get forgotten about when you move on. Take a leaf through any current gaming magazine and you’ll see they are still out there – the good, the bad and the ‘what-the-hell-am-I-supposed-to-do-with-that’. Just take a look at the Gamester Race Pack (http://www.radicauk.com/ product/rc73910.htm) to see how you could be enhancing your driving sessions.

So it was with no little degree of scepticism that I greeted the launch of Sony’s Eyetoy:Play for their Playstation 2. Unfortunately the trouble with me is that I like my gadgets and as soon as the price dropped curiosity got the better of past experiences and I made a purchase.

Eyetoy:Play is essentially a collection of twelve fairly simplistic games. They range from such games as Keep Ups which basically involves stopping a ball from falling off the bottom of the screen by keeping it in the air and Kung Foo in which you need to see off wave after wave of martial arts opponents attacking you from all sides of the screen to Wishi Washi where you get screen after screen of windows which you have to clean in the ever reducing time limits. If I tell you the game is rated for ages 3 and above then you’ll probably be thinking that this sounds like something to keep the kids entertained for a while but with little interest to anyone else.

But what makes this stand out from the crowd is a little gadget known as the Eyetoy. You may have heard about webcams which attach to your PC enabling you to both talk to see live video of friends over the internet. Well essentially this is a USB webcam for the Playstation 2 which attaches to one of the two USB slots at the front of your PS2.

The camera is very small (44x53x89mm) and light (173g) and ideally sits on the top of your television or PS2 so that it’s pointing in your direction. It has a two-meter cable so you should be able to place it conveniently and it’s small and unobtrusive enough to be left plugged in when not in use. Now all you do is stand in front of the telly and switch on the console with the game disc in the drive and before you know it you’ll see yourself on screen. The camera angle can be adjusted and, by turning the dial housing the lens at the front of the camera you can focus the image until you are nice and clear on screen.

There are recommendations on the best place to setup the camera. Ideally you should have a fairly plain background so that the Playstation can tell the difference between you and the rest of the room. You should be about two meters away from the camera and, for best results, in a well lit room. There is a helpful video tutorial that plays when the game loads explaining how best to set everything up plus you get more detailed paperwork if you’re still having trouble.

Once the novelty of seeing yourself on screen wears off you can get on with trying out the games and that’s where the clever stuff begins because you won’t be using old faithful Duelshock at all. Instead you’ll be controlling everything by moving your body. The game options appear on screen superimposed over your image. To select the relevant option you need to move your hand so that on the screen your hand appears to be touching the required option. Wave your hand and the option is selected. Perhaps it’s just me but to begin I found it slightly disorienting and it took quite a bit of concentration just to move the correct arm in the correct direction. However it doesn’t take long to get the hang of it.

You can setup profiles for each player during which a couple of still photos are taken for use in the high score tables. Then it’s just a case of selecting which game you want to play from a rotating menu (all controlled and selected by waving your arms frantically in the air).

Now the games become a bit more interesting. You appear as the background on the screen with the game superimposed over you. The system maps your movements and works out when your image makes contact with anything else on screen. So to play Keep Ups, for example, you have to have to use your arms, legs, head and shoulders to keep the ball in play whereas Wishi Washi sees you waving your arms about like a maniac to literally wipe clean the windows before the timer runs down.

Mostly the games are timer based with a selection of difficulty levels to cater for different age groups. Add in a polished high score table which includes your picture - the one you posed for when setting up your profile - and what you get is a highly entertaining party game. Of course one of the added benefits is the exercise you are forced to endure. Trust me, after half an hour of this you’ll be shattered.

Graphics are, to be fair, pretty basic affairs. While they are clear and functional they are also pretty small seeing as most of the image, or at least the background to the game is of course you. The only problem I have with this is that playing it on a smaller screen, such as a portable tv, may make things a little more difficult. As for the background (i.e. yourself) then just how lifelike that appears is completely up to you. I would mention that you won’t get a pinpoint sharp image because the camera just isn’t that high a quality (640 x 480 pixels for those who are interested) but keeping in mind that you’ll be constantly moving and it certainly does a more that sufficient job.

What is more impressive is how accurately the Playstation works out when your image has made contact with something on screen. It helps to pay attention to the tutorial on how to best use the Eyetoy but I don’t go to any particular lengths other than make sure all the light are on when I set it up and it still seems to map my movements very accurately.

Music and sound effects do what they need to but again are little more than basic. The audio does fit in well with the on screen action, a prime example being when playing Wishi Washi you get treated to a looping rendition of ‘When I’m cleaning windows’ although after a half hour of play it becomes more like an ordeal.

But, as well all know, it’s not always about fancy graphics and audio. What’s more important is how well the game plays and how entertaining it is. There is no doubt that this is a very clever game. It’s extremely easy to setup and, initially at least, it’s tremendous fun to play.

For the longer term unless you a) are looking at it from an exercise point of view, b) need to entertain younger kids or c) are likely to host regular get-togethers of family and or friends then it does tend to quickly get forgotten about. After long sessions the games tend to get a tad samey and repetitive and as such is designed more for short bursts rather than extended play.

But with that in mind it does provide a lot of entertainment. This isn’t your Grand Theft Auto or Tekken, it’s not something you’ll be playing for hours at a time any more than you’d play Monopoly or Trivial Pursuit every night for a month (well, unless you are really obsessed). Once you’re over the novelty of it you realise that the single player experience is somewhat lacking, it really needs a group of people to get the most from it and in that context it’s a winner.

The Eyetoy does walk a fine line between being a gimmick and a being a lot of fun. Probably for the majority this will be played for a couple of weeks and then left on a shelf to gather dust but with a slowly increasing range of dedicated titles (including Eyetoy:Chat which lets you conduct video calls with other Eyetoy owners over the internet) and the promise of other games making more use of the camera (with features such as mapping you head onto a playable character) this looks to have more potential than many one-shot gadgets and is certainly one to keep an eye on … so to speak.

Eyetoy:Play was launched in 2003 but has just been re-released on the platinum range. You can currently buy Eyetoy:Play with the camera for 23.99 from Amazon.co.uk but as usual it’s best to look out for a suitable offer. I managed to buy the game and camera package for 17.99 from a sale on Play.com and that was in March 2004. One word of warning – the Eyetoy games are also sold by themselves as well as packaged with the camera so make sure that when you place your order that the camera is included.

In short then Eyetoy:Play provides a straightforward and clearly explained setup process, unique controls and is a serious contender to replace Monopoly at those Christmas family reunions. It’s not really suited to extended single-player sessions but is ideal for kids or could provide a bit of variety from all those exercise videos. Ultimately Eyetoy works best with a few drinks and a group of friends willing to make a bit of a prat of themselves.

I have to say it’s better than I expected and though it has led unused for many months at a time during the year I’ve owned it, it’s been resurrected from it’s slumber on quite a few occasions and has proved worth the money. Indeed, for the price it’s hard to grumble and with Eyetoy:Play2 recently released and the library of dedicated titles slowly increasing there is at least a bit more life in this gadget than most.


Thanks for reading.
© Nomad 2005



Game information
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'Eyetoy:Play', published by Sony for Playstation 2
Elspa age rating - 3+
1-4 player
Memory Card for PS2 - 460KB Min
Analog Control Compatible: Analog Sticks Only
EyeToy USB Camera Required

Those games in full:- Beat Freak, Kung Foo, Wishi Washi, Keep Ups, Boxing Chump, UFO Juggler, Slap Stream, Plate Spinner, Boogie Down, Ghost Catcher, Mirror Time and Rocket Rumble

Websites worth a look
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Official Sony Eyetoy Website - http://www.eyetoy.com/english/index.html
Eyetoy at Amazon.co.uk - http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002XY23 6/ qid=1111014582/sr=8-5/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i5_xgl/202-53 89183-1703856

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