EyePet

Eyepet is aimed at families and in this respect it is an excellent title which works brilliantly. Move over Nintendogs there's a new pet in town.

A great use of PS Eye. Has plenty of appeal for kids and adults. [Dec 2009, p.90]

Absorbing, endearing and adorable. [Issue#185, p.80]

For sure one of the most innovative games I have ever seen!

It's cute, it can do lots of neat tricks, and it puts motion controls to great use. The EyePet is probably going to sell like hotcakes this Christmas, and its success will be richly deserved.

A really cute game with an animal that looks like a cat and monkey together, to raise up and play with. Every action you do, is with your own hands before the PlayStation Eye camera. An unique and good concept.

Eye Pet is one of the most innovative virtual pet titles around, and a seemingly natural step in the evolution of the genre. Although it’s marketed towards the kids, even adult gamers may find a spot in their collection for this innovative little pet simulation.

Minor technical quibbles aside, it’s all at once charming, engaging, innovative, interesting and humorous and perfectly pitched at its target audience (namely kids and adults with kids!), not to mention reasonably priced.

There's nothing else like it. [Dec 2009, p110]

With Eyepet you become the owner of a funny animal, that looks really good and works fine gameplay wise. But it's definitely not a replacement for your 'real' pet.

Apart from recognition issues and unclear objectives, EyePet is a fascinating little showcase of the potential of interactive technologies.

This is a completely fresh and revolutionary idea, which is going to be talked about in the videogame industry. Unfortunately there are some problems in motion sensing which should have been solved before the final launch.

Kids will fall in love instantly. [Dec 2009, p.86]

As it stands EyePet is a fun, funny, cute and diverting little game for your children that will also raise a few smiles among adult gamers too.

Still, at least EyePet is cheaper and cleaner than an actual pet, meaning no more early morning, family strolls ruined by arguments over who's turn it is to carry the little plastic bag of stinking shame.

Still, when it all clicks in place it's quite easily the fluffiest, most lovable experience you're going to get on Sony's black monolith.

EyePet is the new Sony offering focused on the youngest users of PS3. Our television will be the home of an charming mascot with which we will be able to interact in different mini games. Some of the mini games are not explained properly, but EyePet is an ideal gift for children, nephews or small brothers.

EyePet is probably the best game for children on the PS3 right now. With no violence and lots of small tasks to perform together with your furry friend it's suitable for children from 5 and up. Although some basic knowledge in English is good, it works fine if an adult explains what is not already expressed by the good professor.

Interacting with your monkey-cat in the virtual mirror of your television can be really funny. Sadly the title suffers from some interface issues, the Playstation Eye just isn't as fast and responsive as it should be for some parts of the game, but this is balanced by the great drawing sessions. Eye Pet is a perfect game for kids and a funny application for people above 13 that will enjoy it for a while.

It’s very simple to get in to, and although there are challenges you don’t ever lose, making it more of a toy than a competition. It’s still largely irrelevant for adults, though. [Christmas 2009, p.76]

Kids and the so-called casual gamer will undoubtedly eat this Eyepet up like candy. It looks adorable and its interaction gives it something unique in today's market. Unfortunately, it doesn't always respond as it should and the whole is a bit lacklustre, although you can buy additional downloadable content already.

Your EyePet does some amazing things, but the tech is so inconsistent that you'll want to slap him just as much as stroke him.

The EyePet's creative gameplay and varied content is marred by a lack of proper instruction and a short-lived experience.

Fantastic idea after fantastic idea, let down by failed implementation after failed implementation. It's a confused and messy experience, though it's not because the game itself is sloppy. It's very well made, but it seems that the developers tried to make it do so much at once, that it manages to achieve nothing successfully. EyePet is like a quadriplegic genius. You know he's brilliant, but he's thoroughly useless to society.

It's just a shame that while EyePet has clearly been designed to stretch the PlayStation Eye hardware, it never tests the boundaries of the virtual life genre with the same vigour.

As a game EyePet isn’t that great, but as a form of entertainment it’s a whole of a lot better. Especially for kids, or perhaps ”only for kids” is more accurate. Because EyePet is primarily a kids game and as such a very good one. For adults it’s more of a gimmick which doesn’t hold up for very long.

EyePet provides a companion that won't die if you forget to feed it, won't pee on the rug, or require incessant attention. It's better then the attention-craving Tamagotchi in this respect but lacks the impulse of Nintendogs. But like a Tamagotchi, the appeal is a little short-lived and we're unsure that an EyePet isn't just for Christmas.

EyePet is a product that, despite the undoubted potentialities of the concept and the technology used, is not as entertaining as it could have been, due to the lack of real challenges that, on the long run, make the game tedious and not so stimulating. If only Sony would have dared more, widening the concept of the game, the final score would have been much different.

You interact with a cute virtual pet with the help of a camera that capture the player’s movement. It is fascinating in the beginning when you learn how to play, interact and dress the little pet, especially for the younger audience. But once the first impression is gone you start to find faults with the control and realize how boring some of the mini games are. It's still great for families with children though.

Sony's own take Project Natal proves a convincing proof of concept but even as a virtual pet it's limited.

Eyepet delivers a cute and touchable critter right on your screen. But when the initial surprise is over, a very minimal game that lacks any form of challenge remains. The special features, like making your own drawings come to live in 3D, show that there is potential for much more in the future. At this moment though it's fun for children, but only if someone is there to solve the abundant control problems.

Visually stunning but maybe too cute and sweet of a game – adult players can be overwhelmed by this cuteness. Kids will be happy with a new pet though. [Issue#186]

On the one hand Eyepet can be fun sometimes if taken as a recreational activity, on the other, as a simulator of an alleged pet it is zero.