• Hands-On at PAX with EyePet

    09/23/2009

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    Posted in: PS3, Preview

    The EyePet, the latest game to make use of the PlayStation Eye, is a virtual pet that puts the Tamigotchi days of digital pets to shame. Targeted to the younger set, there’s no avoiding the draw of the little guy, even as an adult-shaped person. Sony’s Alex Armour was kind enough to take EyePet through his paces in a 1-on-1 presentation at PAX. Prior to PAX, I had no doubt that in concept and polished trailer EyePet is very promising; what I came away from the hands-on experience with is the realization that everything EyePet promises, it delivers.

    PlayfulWalk

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    Armed with a PS3, a PlayStation Eye and a clean surface EyePet comes to life. By the time I saw the creature he’d been hard at work showing off for more than half a day, and was looking a little worse for wear. Apparently, EyePet gets scruffy and downright dirty, even triggering flies when he’s extra dirty according to Armour. What exactly EyePet is, well your guess is as good as mine. I’ve settled on some sort of kitten-puppy-monkey hybrid (a kitpupkey?), that avoids looking either overtly simian or alien. Breathe a collective sigh of relief: the critical difference from the likes of Tamigotchi (and other the Molyneux-like decisions creeping into games) and EyePet is that you cannot kill EyePet – though I later joked with Armour that they could try something like that and re-brand it “EyeChoice”, I’m not sure they’ll be using that suggestion anytime soon.

    To initiate the game the player uses a small black card, the Magic Card, to tap the table which summons EyePet. He comes bounding out of a magic portal and right onto the onscreen capture of your surface. The Magic Card is used to interact with the pet in a number of ways, though just by reaching a hand into view he’ll jump, pounce, roll around and generally be adorably feisty, even chasing objects you bring into the frame. What’s really neat in playing with EyePet is the handling of depth. It did take me a second to get my virtual pet bearings and effectively wield the Magic Card, though I think this is due in part to the shock and awe factor of seeing the critter gamboling around your own hand. The interactivity crops up in unexpected and playful ways, like when I gave the scruffy little guy a bath and the screen fogged up with steam I was able to use my hand to wipe it away.

    EyePet_Styling_Lion

    EyePet is impressively lifelike. His fur has great movement, and the way he pads around the screen reminds me very much of a kitten or puppy. Players can style their pet changing the length of his fur, the color and even picking out clothes, though some of the customization is dependent on unlockables. I think this is great, not because the demo-ed EyePet wasn’t already unbearably cute but because I’ve recently observed in my niece and nephew just how much kids love this sort of customization. For them, it’s a game in itself.

    Holding up the Magic Card causes the PlayStation Eye to focus on it and pulls up the menu allowing you to choose an item, or Magic Toy, to play with (though I noticed EyePet interacts with the menu itself while you make your selection). Because the game is geared towards kids it has the Petcenter Program, fifteen game days set up with activities. With four challenges for each calendar day, completing them rewards the player with unlockable in-game items like clothing. Challenges spread over those fifteen days are effectively bite-sized learning, teaching the player how to feed, teach, and play with the little guy. One challenge, Paparazzi Pet, tasks the player with putting him in a certain outfit and taking a picture.

    EyePet_Styling_Flower

    EyePet wants you to treat him just like any real virtual pet, caring for him, exercising him, and making sure he’s mentally stimulated (and putting him into embarrassing outfits), so the challenges are designed to get you to elicit different response from the pet. For example, playing the trampoline game with EyePet, where you slide the Magic Card around to keep the trampoline underneath him. Or, you can use the Magic Card to make bubbles which your pet chases, and even blow a large bubble that EyePet jumps into. Each day you check your pet’s vitals by scanning him with your card to record things like his creativity, hunger, happiness and muscle function. Once vitals are recorded you send a report off and the next day one comes back telling you what you can do to improve your EyePet.

    EyePet can, as footage has shown, draw, though you will have to teach him as he starts off with rather rudimentary skills. The more you train him up in the fine arts the better he gets. To make things like the airplane and the car, you draw the primary parts (propeller, body and wings) separately, then they come together on screen. You can really make things in any shape as long as you draw the major parts separately. Show your drawing to the PSEye and EyePet whips out his coloring book and crayon to redraw the image. You can then choose the material the item is crafted in, with options reminiscent of LBP. Once you have made a vehicle, like an airplane, the toy becomes part of mini-games from follow-the-leader to one in which EyePet flies around trying to pop balloons.

    EyePet has virtual personality, and it was as gratifying to watch EyePet jump for joy on a trampoline as it was to see him interact with my hand, pouncing on my fingers. Due out for a November 17th release EyePet will be available bundled with the PlayStation Eye for $59 and as a standalone for $39 (Magic Card provided in each). DLC will follow hot on its heels with things like additional items and clothes. This is the sort of game I dreamed of as a kid, and this holiday season I’ll feel like a kid all over again sharing the game with my niece and nephews. EyePet promises to secure my place as the coolest Aunt in the history of the world. No, the universe. Including pre-history.

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