EyeToy sure to get children going - even off the couch

By PETER GRIFFIN

Sony would say the the EyeToy goes some way to striking a balance between keeping children on the couch and encouraging activity.

Connecting to the PS2 console via a USB port, the EyeToy is a small digital camera that detects your motion, inserting you into games that generally are very physical. A few minutes of playing will get your heart racing and your limbs moving.

Sony recommends the games for 3-year-olds and above.

No doubt Sony has the kids in its sights, but the EyeToy is the type of gadget adults are likely to drag out to liven up a party. I can see the EyeToy and alcohol mixing very well.

An animated granny will take you through the set-up process, which is really quite simple. From there on you just line yourself up in the middle of your TV screen (the bigger the screen the better) and prepare to expend a lot of energy batting off invading ghosts or trying to keep several plates spinning simultaneously.

My favourite game is wishi washi, where the primary objective is to wash as many windows as quickly as possible, waving your arms around madly to clear the suds. Meantime George Formby threatens to drive you insane with his ditty When I'm Cleaning Windows.

Keep Ups is a bit of a let down. The idea is to keep heading a football taking out strange characters hanging out windows on either side as you go. I found the ball went through my head half the time. Overall, the motion tracking isn't perfect, but it's pretty good and the lighting in the room has to be fine-tuned. The EyeToy will start blinking at you if the background is too dim.

Only half of the 12 games can be played from the start. As you begin to notch up good scores the other games are unlocked.

The EyeToy doubles as a crude video recorder, up to 60 seconds of footage can be stored on an 8MB memory card.

It won't drag the kids away from the box but the EyeToy will get them off the couch to take part in a crazy interactive form of jazzercise.

Sony Eye Toy


Price: $120

Pros: Easy to set up, appealing to all ages, good for exercise.

Cons: Lack of exciting titles at present.

Rating: 7/10