Home Gaming Sony looks back at the EyeToy, mocks the Kinect

Sony looks back at the EyeToy, mocks the Kinect

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eyeytoy

Sony has released a video detailing the history of the EyeToy which is pretty interesting in itself but what is more interesting really is the number of off handed comments they send over Microsoft’s way.

[pullquote]EyeToy helped us understand that while people definitely enjoy physical interaction and movement, they also want precise control and a simple, fast, reliable way to trigger actions.[/pullquote]I found it fun trying to pick out exactly how many digs Sony has at Microsoft in the one video which just happened to be released a day before the US Kinect launch.

Here are the ones I spotted

  • Perfect placement of the PS Kinetic game
  • Tons of gameplay footage of a Kinect Adventures style game
  • Buttons… always the buttons
  • Menu’s
  • Accuracy

Source: PS Blog

Last Updated: November 4, 2010

36 Comments

  1. Uberutang

    November 4, 2010 at 09:43

    Really good video to show what Sony has been doing with the Eye Toy etc.

    Reply

  2. Bobby Kotick for Dummies

    November 4, 2010 at 09:51

    Much like Sony, I can’t help but mock the kinect too 🙁 I danced in front of a camera in 2005. I was still young then, but now? Do I really want to do it again?

    Reply

  3. Felicity

    November 4, 2010 at 09:54

    Brilliant, I love SONY. Fantastic to see that the came up with the Kinect idea like 5 years ago and it sucked and they knew that. I have just been to Japan and the sense of functional design and effective simplicity is very evident there and in SONY’s products. Eish Microsoft Kinect is a huge step backwards.

    Reply

  4. Bobby Kotick for Dummies

    November 4, 2010 at 09:54

    The Future is now!

    Reply

  5. NiteFenix

    November 4, 2010 at 09:56

    So uhm, did Microsoft violate any copyright laws when they used Sony’s idea to make their own product?

    Reply

  6. Bobby Kotick for Dummies

    November 4, 2010 at 10:01

    To be honest, Microsoft isn’t an innovator, but it’s a damn good follower. It can do amazing things with pre-existing tech, but the problem comes in that they generally want to take credit for the tech innovation of others. One of my mates was at a cloud computing conference a while back, and microsoft gave a presentation, but they basically insinuated that they invented cloud computing. Granted, it’s typical marketing speak, but damn annoying.

    Reply

  7. Gavin Mannion

    November 4, 2010 at 10:04

    I am pretty sure Sony had their lawyers checking that out as soon as they heard about Kinect :whistle:

    Reply

  8. Bobby Kotick for Dummies

    November 4, 2010 at 10:14

    Nah, unless Microsoft’s product is virtually identical to Sony’s patent, there’s really no patent violation. Kinect may be similar to Eye Toy, but it’s different in enough features for it not to be a carbon copy 😛

    And in any case, you can’t patent the “idea” of motion gaming, just the tech or the software.

    Reply

  9. NiteFenix

    November 4, 2010 at 10:15

    Here’s an interesting article along the same line as what we’ve discussed. Dated from June (Around the time of E3).

    http://bit.ly/9JJ61f

    With Kinect now hitting the shelves, I’m wondering why Sony hasn’t confronted Microsoft yet in any legal capacity. My guess is Microsoft has probably lined Sony’s pockets to keep them quiet. It’s what I would have done 😛

    Reply

  10. NiteFenix

    November 4, 2010 at 10:17

    I see where you’re coming from Bobby. But Microsoft has claimed since the Milo videos surfaced that they are the “innovators” of the “you are the controller” idea, which is incorrect.

    Reply

  11. Bobby Kotick for Dummies

    November 4, 2010 at 10:28

    I don’t know NiteFenix, it’s not like Microsoft built a DVD or Blu-ray player from scratch. If that was the case, sure, that’s a clear patent violation, and they would have had to license the tech, but Eye Toy and Kinect are two different animals.

    Reply

  12. Bobby Kotick for Dummies

    November 4, 2010 at 10:38

    But that’s just Microsoft being Microsoft 😀 They’re always portraying themselves as innovators, when they have never actually produced a single piece of genuinely innovative or new technology. “You are the Controller” is merely the same as “It does everything”.

    I guess what’s annoying is that Ms Soccermom will believe it, and tell everyone at her Bookclub that Kinect is “a new way to play”.

    Reply

  13. talk2jad

    November 4, 2010 at 10:49

    I will give credit to MS’s marketing division though. In my opinion, they always seem to be ahead of Sony in advertising and creating a hype about products and exclusive content. Maybe the SA retailers prefer MS or get easier access to advertising merchandise from MS.

    Reply

  14. Bobby Kotick for Dummies

    November 4, 2010 at 10:58

    Yeah, but don’t forget Sony has made some terrible marketing and advertising decisions. I sometimes wonder whether it doesn’t boil down to cultural differences? Sony is doing the polite Japanese business man thing (yet often does something really zany, strange or downright offensive), and Microsoft is doing the balls to the wall, loud obnoxious American thing, while wearing a greasy t-shirt and baseball cap.

    Stereotypes.. yum!

    Reply

  15. NiteFenix

    November 4, 2010 at 11:08

    LOL @ Soccer Mom & New way to play.

    i guess this is where Geoff’s “Wii-brators” also fits the bil..

    Reply

  16. Nick de Bruyne

    November 4, 2010 at 11:34

    Just tweeted this, I think it belongs here as well:

    LOL. Sony release a Wii Clone and then try mock Kinect being like the EyeToy? Look in the mirror folks

    Reply

  17. NiteFenix

    November 4, 2010 at 11:39

    Scary.

    Reply

  18. Aussious

    November 4, 2010 at 11:42

    What pathetic attempt by SONY to appease detractors, in the same vain Nintendo can take the “we came up with it first” stab at SONY in regards to Move… We all know that all true innovations in Gaming were either by SEGA or Nintendo. SONY and MS are have done really little in terms innovating in the video gaming industry in my opinion the last two true (console)gaming companies were SEGA and Nintendo (prior to the Wii)… Its all dowhill from here folks the so called “Hardcore gamer” will.. no IS now a minority in gaming.

    Reply

  19. Bobby Kotick for Dummies

    November 4, 2010 at 11:44

    @Nick lol 1999 Sony Eye Toy Tech video showcasing augmented reality using controllers disagrees with you!

    Reply

  20. Bobby Kotick for Dummies

    November 4, 2010 at 11:49

    LOL! Posting after an Aussious post

    Reply

  21. Gustavo

    November 4, 2010 at 12:02

    Getting a bit tired of Sony always ripping on Microsoft. Surely they could spend a bit of the money they use on ragging MS on their own project. Who really is the bully here? The “Loud American Approach” or the “Polite Japanese Approach”? :pinch:

    Reply

  22. Aussious

    November 4, 2010 at 12:04

    Well clearly they didn’t have faith in the their own technology hence they abandoned it and Nintendo picked it up and ran with it… same way they abandoned the Eye toy tech and MS picked it up and wow look they are running with it…

    Reply

  23. AC!D

    November 4, 2010 at 12:12

    Nah its really easy to get by patents these days. Sony or Nintendo could release almost a carbon copy of Kinect.

    Patents…did you know there are over 800 patents on the toothpick? And that all you need is 3 mechanical differences between a patented product and your design to be granted a new patent?

    Reply

  24. Steve Hofmeyr

    November 4, 2010 at 12:15

    Pitty they didn’t have the balls to actually release it. They first waited for Ninty. So in my eyes Sony is copying ninty.

    Reply

  25. Steve Hofmeyr

    November 4, 2010 at 12:16

    I know right? Seems to me like the arrogance of the Crazy Ken era returning.

    Reply

  26. Bobby Kotick for Dummies

    November 4, 2010 at 12:18

    I think Wii is winning 😛

    Reply

  27. Bobby Kotick for Dummies

    November 4, 2010 at 12:24

    Pre-PS Move Eye Pet (for PS Eye) says hello! 😀

    From my point of view, PS Eye and PS Move are merely the evolved forms of Eye Toy, after acknowledging that Eye Toy limits gaming.

    Reply

  28. Gustavo

    November 4, 2010 at 12:31

    Is it really a competition?

    Reply

  29. al360

    November 4, 2010 at 13:11

    sony rulz xbox drools and they handcuff u while u drool hahahahahhaha

    Reply

  30. Nick de Bruyne

    November 4, 2010 at 14:48

    One of the major differences here really is that Microsoft or rolling with Kinect not as just a gaming peripheral, but an entirely new way to interact with the entire console and all of its services.

    Voice controlled movies, gesture based interfaces for everything from games, to movies to marketplace. The tech has been done, but it hasn’t been done like this and especially not in the mainstream so it still has its place.

    Reply

  31. AC!D

    November 4, 2010 at 15:59

    In other words its not ok when Sony copies and improves on the concept but its cool when MS does it right??? :biggrin:

    Reply

  32. Nick de Bruyne

    November 4, 2010 at 16:05

    Oh please no AC!D, go and look at all of the comments running around the site today. All its been about from all the PS3 fanboys is that Kinect is nothing but an EyeToy and that its been done. But its fine when they say it because everyone huddles together in agreement.

    As I said earlier in another post, they are both based on older concepts so for either side to point fingers is stupid. Do you see the problem… I merely pointed out that Kinect was doing something different and you go and get defensive and try and make it about the move… LOL.

    One way to look at it right now… is that both are improving on old concepts, except one side is trying to be a dick about it, in public.

    Reply

  33. Bobby Kotick for Dummies

    November 4, 2010 at 16:17

    Luna..Ians behave.. Oh sorry, it’s AC!D and Nick 😛 Guys, and I’m merely speaking as a fellow gamer, at the end of the day it really doesn’t matter. Neither one of you are actually working for either Sony or Microsoft, so why are you taking things so personally?

    Now if you were actively involved in the creation of either the Kinect or PS Move, then I would understand, but when gamers take this stuff too seriously, it actually becomes sad.

    Keep it Civil lads.

    Reply

  34. Nick de Bruyne

    November 4, 2010 at 16:24

    LOL Bobby

    Reply

  35. ewie

    November 4, 2010 at 16:49

    But Microsoft previous camera could do what eyetoy did.

    Reply

  36. AC!D

    November 4, 2010 at 20:36

    Hey i was just pointing out the irony in his post. I dont take any of this shit personally. :biggrin:

    Reply

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