When Sony showed off the EyeToy at E3 this past May, most people were too busy drooling over Gran Turismo 4 to see it as anything more than a cute concept. After all, what can you make of a USB camera attached to a PlayStation 2 and a bunch of mini-games? If you’re Sony, you can make what is arguably the #1 must-have PlayStation title for the Holidays.
They EyeToy is a USB camera (looks like a Logitech webcam) that attaches to a PS2, and a disk of twelve mini-games. To play, you stand in front of the camera, which scans your image into the game. The camera detects your motion and uses it to "control" the mini-games. The included mini-games have you punching ninjas out of the air, popping ghosts, spinning plates, washing windows, dancing to disco beats and a whole lot more.
![EyeToy [PS2] screenshot](http://www.dailygame.net/Articles/media/screens/eyetoy/eyetoy1.jpg)
The key to the EyeToy’s success as a product is its simplicity. Absolutely anyone, young or old, gamer or not, can jump in front of the TV, fire up the EyeToy and start playing. After losing dozens of hours to "I’m gonna beat your score on Kung Foo" at DailyGame, we decided to test it out on a broader demographic…the family Thanksgiving party. So with EyeToy in tow, we showed up at the yearly turkey feed ready to see the response, and let’s just say that Sony has an absolute winner with the EyeToy. The comments below should give you an idea of just how much of a hit the EyeToy really is.
From the adults (aged 20 to 55):
"The great thing is, it has something for everyone."
- "I love how much exercise you can get from this. It keeps kids from being couch potatoes"
- "Where can I buy one?" (heard multiple times)
- "Why hasn’t this been thought of before?"
- "Can I do the window washing game one more time?"
From the kids and teens (aged 8 to 17)
- "Holy cow, that’s me on the screen!"
- "This is so cool!"
- "Is it my turn yet?"
- "Mom! Can we get one of these?"
- "Dad!! Can we get one of these?"
- "We can’t go home yet, we haven’t played the boxing game!"
- "Will you be here tomorrow with it?"
Some of the adults who jumped in for a few rounds of "Wishy Washy" (window washing) or "Slap Stream" (punch bad guys, avoid hitting the sexy girls in bunny suits) admitted to having always thought videogames were a waste of time, and were the cause of too many sedentary kids. We can proudly say that the EyeToy changed the minds of several of them, having more than one set of parents heading to the store on Black Friday for a PS2 and an EyeToy to put under the tree. Whether it was for themselves or their kids, well…who can tell.
![EyeToy [PS2] screenshot](http://www.dailygame.net/Articles/media/screens/eyetoy/eyetoy3.jpg)
When it comes down to it, the EyeToy is the perfect purchase for anyone looking for something different in gaming. Even the staunchest non-gamer is going to find something enjoyable here, kids can’t get enough of the thing and parents are happy to see their kids actually getting some exercise from a game. It’s a must-have for the holidays. Dare we say it might be classed as a system seller for the PS2?
![EyeToy [PS2] screenshot](http://www.dailygame.net/Articles/media/screens/eyetoy/eyetoy2.jpg)
Now if you don’t mind, we’ve got to get back to beating the bosses in "Kung Foo."
