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Sony's new PSEye features taste like Project Natal photo

Sony has been late to the party on most things this generation, but the platform will be damned if it won't try to compete with absolutely everybody. Not content to follow Nintendo with its own Wiimote, Sony has revealed that the PSEye will be taking on Microsoft's Project Natal thanks to some natty facial recognition software. To be fair though, at least Sony started the whole Natal stuff with its EyeToy shenanigans.

Head of developer services Kish Hirani claims that his team has got "a wealth of libraries available" and that many experiments have been undertaken by SCEE R&D to get this all working. "It's a lot of fun in the office," he claims. 

Looks like the age of gimmickry and gadgetry has descended upon the world of videogames. There's all sorts of interesting and/or stupid technology being thrown at there at the moment, which prompts the questions ... how many of these things will end up long-forgotten on junk-filled flea market tables in ten years' time?


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29 comments | showing # 1 to 29

Magesx's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 14:44
Magesx
Hey, how about let's spend that money promoting games that deserve it, instead of making devices that no one wants.
Autumn's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 14:54
Autumn
A wealth of libraries eh? I gues "it's a lot of fun in the office" because the fuckers all sit around reading Harry Potter instead of doing any actual work. Pfft.
kingtobo's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 14:57
kingtobo
Natal will be the next Sega 32X.
ParaParaKing's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 15:00
ParaParaKing
When will people stop being stupid? Face recognition and voice recognition are software not hardware and therefore have nothing to do with either Project Natal or the PlayStation Eye.

Also it is scary how Sony is supposed to be late with its camera technology (because of the announcement of Natal) when it has already been out since the PS2.
dolson's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 15:05
dolson
How is this different from what they demoed at GDC08 (which, for the record, took place before we heard the words "Project Natal")?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFN8cW1mSVY
Jim Sterling's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 15:06
Jim Sterling
"When will people stop being stupid? Face recognition and voice recognition are software not hardware and therefore have nothing to do with either Project Natal or the PlayStation Eye."

Except Face Recognition is being used with the PlayStation Eye, so it has plenty to do with them. You make zero point here. Nobody said that face recognition was hardware. But they WILL require hardware, which is the PSEye and Natal. Ta-daaa!

"Also it is scary how Sony is supposed to be late with its camera technology (because of the announcement of Natal) when it has already been out since the PS2."

The article did point out that Sony got in first this time, actually.
KIDA26's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 15:06
KIDA26
Bring back the Virtual Boy!!
Kaliber's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 15:06
Kaliber
At least this toy appears to not require you to look like a twat in order to play. Well.. not as much as the competition, I guess.
ParaParaKing's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 15:08
ParaParaKing
@dolson: It's different, because people forget everything that happened over 6 months ago. (Especially when you copy paste news.)
Black Nexus's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 15:09
Black Nexus
There all eyetoys and will be treated as such,Ignored until I wanna see someones face in burnout after I ramed them off the road, then ignored again.
Kaliber's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 15:09
Kaliber
Oh wait, facial recognition, I guess it does require you to look like a twat. I retract my statement.
ParaParaKing's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 15:15
ParaParaKing
"Except Face Recognition is being used with the PlayStation Eye, so it has plenty to do with them. You make zero point here. Nobody said that face recognition was hardware. But they WILL require hardware, which is the PSEye and Natal. Ta-daaa!"
Except it's not a PSEye feature but just software that uses the hardware.
Los255's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 15:15
Los255
Needs more rubber duck demos.
Jim Sterling's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 15:21
Jim Sterling
"Except it's not a PSEye feature but just software that uses the hardware."

My semantics disagree with your semantics.
Holyetheline's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 15:24
Holyetheline
I hope this motion tech doesn't completely suck and gunk up perfectly good gaming experiences with it's gimmicky garbletygook.
JDigital's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 16:21
JDigital
Naa Jim, you're wrong this time. Happens to all of us... I'll give you this advice:

"When you're in a hole, stop digging."
Palidi's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 16:26
Palidi
This kind of reminds me of a trailer(think it was way back at E3 04) for a PS3 game that was a spiritual successor to Lifeline where you commanded to police chick/secret agent ladies with the microphone, and they had little video communicators that would show your image with use of the camera.

I wonder if this mean's we'll see such a game...or if it'll be GOOD...
brainderailment's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 16:38
brainderailment
I'm going to laugh when Sony manages to do what natal does without creating a new piece of hardware.
wanderingpixel's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 16:54
wanderingpixel
You know what? Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.
thisissami's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 17:03
thisissami
@jim

"'Also it is scary how Sony is supposed to be late with its camera technology (because of the announcement of Natal) when it has already been out since the PS2.'

The article did point out that Sony got in first this time, actually."

except the article and article title make it sound like Sony's jumping on Microsoft's bandwagon rather than the other way around.


also, just to play devil's advocate, the PS3 has had facial recognition features for quite a while with it's photo viewing software. Of course that's probably a different tech than something used in a real time camera, but it might be the same thing... somebody with more of a programming experience than me might know.
pedrovay2003's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 17:04
pedrovay2003
The difference between this and Natal is that Sony could go the way of EyeCreate and release some software with facial recognition for free. Microsoft and the word "free" don't go well together.
Modo's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 17:37
Modo
Anyone know where to find that silver PS Eye stand in the pic? Seems a bit more useful than the one that came with EoJ.
Elsa's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 17:39
Elsa
Instead of working on facial recognition software for the PSEye... why don't they try something radically different and actually put out a game for the thing! (and not those artsy games they seem to love... just an active game like what they had for the PS2 Eyetoy.... I need my exercise!!)
rsquad's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 19:29
rsquad
Difference between this and Natal?

This is already out, and readily available for 30 - 40 bucks.
whormongr's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 20:21
whormongr
I need to get an eye one of these days- they need to do a closeout so I can get it cheap like my $15 bt headset that came with endwar
Crunshii's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 22:01
Crunshii
u guys should get the PSeye toy and get blurbs and play with girls... it is fun when you accidentally (accidentally) grab their T&A's and see them laugh instead of getting a slap to the face.
Chronic Logic's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/16/2009 23:26
Chronic Logic
Eye Toy 2?
Sexualchocolate's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/17/2009 04:23
Sexualchocolate
That reminds me, i still need a PSeye.

Also a new mic after my fucking dog chewed mine to shit. Little fucker.
Good excuse to get that new official one though, eh.
BeenThereDoneThat's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/17/2009 13:52
BeenThereDoneThat
Jim, Jim, Jim...what a M$ fanboy you are... Can't you see that the Sony cameras (note plural) have been used as a controllerless (is that a word?) interface for YEARS. How then, can the PSEye smell like Project Natal? It's the other way around dummy (yes, I said that). Project NATAL smells like PSEye/EyeToy! Have we even seen any Natal games other than the late night TV show. Did you not see the crazy out of sync gameplay? What a mess! The E3 Promo is just that...EDITED PROMO. So far it looks JUST LIKE an upgrade of the old PS2 EyeToy. Lets wait for the games to caome out before judging if its a "cutesy" interface with "cutesy" bubble headed child like characters, and little to no control, other than the initial "swat". OR if it will be a trully engaging interface which adds great gameplay experience.
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