Product Description

EyeToy Play & Camera is a compendium of 12 games with a USB camera, which places you at the centre of a unique experience. By linking the PlayStation 2 to the camera, you'll feature live on screen within the EyeToy Play & Camera games, manipulating and physically interacting with the games' characters and environments. Games include:

• Boogie Down: repeat dance moves in time with Qt. The more accurate your timing, the more points will be awarded
• Kung Foo: use any technique you know as you take on a relentless wave of martial art opponents
• Ghost Catcher: spot the ghosts as they appear from the graveyard and try to pop them before they escape off the top of the screen
• Keep Ups: stop the ball from falling off the bottom of the screen by keeping it up in the air using your head

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6784 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2003-07-04
• Platform: PlayStation2

Amazon.co.uk Review
Ever wanted to actually be in a video game? No? Well, you will after playing with the EyeToy, the most original and fun video game accessory for years. The EyeToy is a WebCam-type thing that comes with a collection of 12 mini-games called EyeToy: Play. It sits on top of, or beneath, your TV and plugs into the USB port of your PS2. Once it's turned on it projects a live image of your room and whoever is standing around in it onto one of the aforementioned 12 games. But that's not the half of it. Once the chosen player has positioned themselves onscreen and the selected game has begun, what's happening on-screen is controlled by their body movements--the joypad isn't involved at all.

So, for example, in Kung Foo you have to swat away hordes of ninjas with your hands as they come flying at you from the sides of the screen. In UFO Juggler you have to help spaceships take off by spinning them at just the right speed. Dancing game Boogie Down tests your hand-waving rather than foot-shuffling skills. A few of the games are slightly more complicated, such as Rocket Rumble--just like FantaVision, except you must set off fireworks in sequence by touching them and hitting a detonator onscreen.

EyeToy is tedium personified if you're playing on your own, but get just a couple of mates together and it's easily the best party game ever made. --David Jenkins

Official PlayStation 2 Magazine
"You and everyone else you know won't be disappointed. 8/10."

GamesMaster Magazine
"A top idea and one that everyone will enjoy. 82%."

Customer Reviews

This year's "must have" party game. Fantastic!
Now look, I'm a grown man in my late 30's and not prone to waving my arms around in front of the television like a deranged lunatic. Well I wasn't until I got the Eyetoy out of the box, with a friend, to check that my kids would enjoy it as a Christmas present. What then ensued was an evening of pure entertainment and hilarity as we worked our way through the games.

The Eyetoy is highly original, hugely imaginative and with a great, easy to use interface. What's a little spooky is the way you control the whole thing by passing your hands through the air. No keyboard, mouse, or joypad required. In fact no physical contact at all. This is the stuff of science fiction!

Other reviewers will detail the games but what many have missed is the range of interactive bits. For example you can have a virtual aquarium on your TV, nicely animated. Nothing new there until you approach your TV and notice your reflection. What you then realise is that you can "prod" the fish and they will dart out the way. This also applies to bursting bubbles, brushing spiders from a web that seems to cover your body (slightly disconcerting), and loads of other activities. Perfect to confuse your guests at a party!

So apologies to my children as their Christmas present is going to be rather “used” by December 25th!

So instantly easy and fun that even granny will get it.
EyeToy:Play is the perfect party game. Essentially a webcam (already a snip at the asking price) you also get 12 absurdly fun (yet simple) minigames. From the incredibly satisfying "Kung Foo" (you get to defend yourself against an attacking hoard of tiny ninjas), the disco inferno of "Boogie Down" (hit pulsating speakers to the beat of the music), the frantic, hilarious waving of "Wishi Washi" or the mind-bending confusion of "Mirror Time", EyeToy:Play will have something for everyone.

And if you don't want to play one of the minigames, there's a playroom feature that allows you to manipulate the video feed in a variety of ways (whether your image is surrounded by killer bees, standing in a snow storm, de-materializing or twitching spookily - amongst others options).

The games really come into their own when playing multi-player and this has to be the only game in the world that's as fun to watch when your friends and family play as it is to play yourself. Witness friends flaily madly in mid-air! Watch everyone try to kung-fu or head an apparently invisible ball!!

This is bound to be a hit with young and old alike, due to it's irradicating the need of interface between the player and PlayStation. No need for a controller any more. You just need your hands! It will be a hit at Christmas for the family and will also undoubtedly be popular with the after pub crowd too. Hardcore gamers may not like it's simplicity, but you'd have to be really miserable not to crack a smile at this!

Eye Toy: Play Away
I had heard of it for long time. I never thought I would be that interested so never really bothered looking too much into it. even the descriptions / reviews I did read didn't really inspire me. cue birthday. cue siblings. cue Eye Toy: Play... hmm interest. wasn't quite sure what to make of it at first, but within a few goes it was addictive.

We are all used to smashing graphics, immense story lines, uber cool controls, half a gazillion weapons and we are all severely rattled if there is less than sufficient rag doll physics and the AI does not have an IQ of at least 120. hello eye toy... with graphics possibly going back several steps into the 1990's, no story line; just simple 'linear' games, just your 2 hands as weapons (upgradeable to clenched fists if required) and not a rag doll physic in sight. But it rocks. it rocks good. You the player are projected onto TV and are inside the game. Its a fair assumption that this is the first major step towards the future of gaming... no joy pads, controllers just interaction. there is no need for a controller at all with Eye toy: Play - all menu options are screen interactive and the sensor options are activated by a well placed flap!

yes its a single player, i.e. 1 at a time, but never before has a single player game catered for the viewers as the eye toy does. forget what is happening on the screen... just look at the player waving their arms around like a right one! Oh yes I am guilty of taking it all way too seriously and in the kung fu game genuinely believe that I do make Bruce Lee look like a couch potato. Here's a tip. Under no exception will ANYONE be allowed to bring a camera to the party...

So the basics are, plug the camera in to USB port on your PS2, place on top of TV, enter CD and there is a guide to take you through set up. once you've got through to menu's, pick your game, level etc. You will then need to move camera up, down, sideways to focus on players height, would also suggest in the middle of room with enough flap space not to knock off ornaments, glasses of drink or indeed an onlookers limbs (yes, speaking from experience). The games as mentioned are all pretty straight forward - Kung fu; fighting off evil henchmen, football keepy ups, washing windows (more addictive than you might think; includes the ol' knee slapping banjo tune of 'when I'm cleaning windows') (as if there was an alternative), boxing, fireworks display; group the colours and make an impressive display (again more fun & addictive then you might think), ghostbusting, plate spinning, dance off's; with tracks including Boogie nights, a strange mirror image game and a selection more. The games are not overly challenging and are all timer controlled, the difficulty levels are variable to spice things up a little, And a fluffed up scoreboard of champions to include your posed photo is a great touch to add those targets & satisfaction. We have played it many times and although it could be described as repetitive - it has never become boring.

one further bonus: one week, my partner did not have the time one week to make her weekly gym session. solution? 45 minutes of eye toy: play! a cheap alternative to a great workout. play a variety of games and a variety of muscles are used! More entertaining than an exercise bike...

The only reason it doesn't make a 5 star-er is that although its a fantastic concept - it's potential is only at the start of its evolution. that and the music does get a bit annoying after a while.

Final comments: yes do buy it, simply because it is unique in the fiercely competitive computer game marketmore and more titles keep coming out. a lot seem to blend in to one another. Eye toy is differrent. Different to 'good-cop-bad-cop-shoot-em-up', different to 'drive-around-way-too-fast-and-pay-no-respect-to-anyone', different to 'shh-be-quiet!-sneak-up-and-kill-them-silently' kind of games. this is pure entertainment - in a most pleasing, refreshing way. you also will feel better than sitting on your sofa for an hour tapping joy pad buttons monotonously! go get it and enjoy. this is not just a game for kids!