Eyeing the Eye? Which Will You Buy?
We already knew that the PlayStation Eye combination camera and microphone would be bundled with the Eye of Judgment game, but Sony has announced that it will also be sold by itself on the same day EOJ appears, October 23rd. They’ve also mentioned that the EyeCreate software will be released on the PSN as a free download. But early Eye of Judgment impressions from Joystiq have me thinking I’ll pass on the game bundle, but not because of anything related to the game itself.
The specs for the Eye released on the PS Blog are pretty good, and I’m pretty much Sony’s best hope for a target audience for the device. My kids love doing video chats on the PS3 and right now that means using a borrowed Eye Toy and passing around a wired microphone they often hold too close and think they need to shout into. The microphone array on the camera should get rid of that inconvenience and a better picture is a nice plus. Throw in the free photo and video tools and it sounds like a win for me.
If it works well enough to have voice be clear in online games, it could be even more valuable than a bluetooth headset you have to recharge and the USB headset you need to unspool and plug in. IGN’s hands-on with the EyeToy seems to say it can pick up voice just fine for online games.
What about Eye of Judgment? Back when I tried out the Eye Toy with the PS2 and tried to play games with it I found my living room to be too poorly lit for it to work. Joystiq’s hands-on with the game noted that the Eye needs bright light to read the cards, resulting in them having to hold lights over the cards to play. Unless I get a lamp to drag over to the PS3 to play this game, I don’t think it’s going to work for me. I can’t even find a decent lamp to sit on my desk that lets me work at my computer without being blinded, so getting one to take out and set up just to play this on the PS3 looks highly unlikely. Think my wife would approve of that? I’m thinking I’ll pass on the game.
Plus I’m willing to bet that Sony will release EOJ for sale separate from the camera, especially if it catches on so that folks who just got the camera wouldn’t be left out. See also: the reissue of Warhawk without a headset.
What’s your take on the two roads you can travel, or is the Eye Toy and headset combination enough for you?
See also:
Eye on Eye Of Judgment
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