Not that it's not a nice place. It is! But it's also a place where the lights were installed by me, not by Sony. Where my furniture and windows were placed for everyday use, not for showing off a fiddly camera-based game. And where I'd be spending a whole week with an EyePet—the PlayStation 3's virtual dog-monkey-thing pet largely controlled and cared for via the rarely used PlayStation Eye camera—and not just an hour or two.

So cast initial impressions aside: what's it like to spend some time in the real world with a fake pet?

Loved
Aaaawwwww – The EyePets themselves are almost perfect. Perfectly cute. Part-dog, part-monkey, they'll tug at all but the driest and coldest of heartstrings. Provided, that is, they're able to do what they're told (see below).

DogMonkey See, DogMonkey Do – While there are plenty of things you can do with your EyePet, there are two that stand out; you can teach them to draw, and you can teach them to sing. Drawing involves sketching something on a piece of paper, holding it up to the PlayStation Eye then seeing the creature replicate your drawing. As something to astonish your friends with, it's up there. Up there with teaching your EyePet to sing, which requires singing something, then sitting back as the cute little guy copies/mocks your attempt with a Gizmo-like warbling of his own.

Can We Keep Him? – When EyePet works, it's mesmerising. Seeing a digital animal interact with you on a screen by dodging your swipes, pouncing on your fingers and responding to your affections with a polite purr is something to behold. When it works, you can see the future of motion-controlled gaming just poking its head above the horizon. When it works…

Hated
Failure To Launch – The technology underpinning this game simply isn't ready to go from "tech demo" to "retail game kids will play". You know something's wrong when the tutorial tells you to empty your living room of furniture, and definitely know something is wrong when half of the basic tutorials end in acute muscular pain as the EyePet randomly fails to respond to the most simple of commands. In short, in the real world (and I tested it in all kinds of lighting conditions), the EyePet ranges from mostly obedient to unresponsive to downright oblivious of your presence.

This Isn't Helping – The game's technological shortcomings are compounded by your "guide", a man in a lab coat with an annoying voice and an inability to provide clear instructions on how to complete a game challenge or properly interact with your EyePet. There were many times when I was left dumbfounded by something in the game and unable to progress, simply because basic commands or objectives hadn't been explained to me. And if he can't help me out, heaven help the small children this game is aimed at.

But Wait, There Isn't More – EyePet as a game is built around a series of challenges, tasks you must complete in order to unlock additional toys, tools or outfits for your EyePet. But these quickly become boring and repetitive, and that's before you factor in the constant repetition required to get over the game's technical shortcomings. Take away the challenges and you're left with…an expensive, unreliable tamagotchi.

EyePet is just a…shame. There's so much potential in the title, so much that London Studio got right, that it's disappointing the game is undermined by such fundamental technical shortcomings. Almost as if the intent has overshot the technology. Then again, seeing as this is the team behind the EyeToy – and EyeToy Play – maybe we shouldn't be that surprised.

If you have small kids, are luckier with your home's lighting setup or simply have money in your pocket and a burning desire to show off your PS3 in a different light (example: the ladies may not find Uncharted 2 as exciting as you), EyePet might still be worth looking into. Just stock up on patience before you get started.

EyePet was developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. Due for release in North America in 2010, released in PAL territories in October 2009. Retails both separately and in bundle with PlayStation Eye camera. A copy of the game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Completed all challenges, spent considerable time in "sandbox" mode. Game played at all times of day in several lighting conditions.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

Now, as demonstrated at this year's CEDEC 09 conference in Japan, the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Eye can interpret human heads at a much more refined level, turning human faces into those of cows or your standard anime boy or girl. DigInfo.tv has video of the "Vision Library for PlayStation Eye" in action, which may just haunt your dreams, unless your fetishes include Japanese women with duckbills.

Sony has stressed that it can compete technology-wise with the promise of Microsoft's Project Natal, saying that it's Eye-powered facial recognition tech can detect gender, age, distinct facial features and whether the subject is smiling.

Vision Library for PlayStation Eye : DigInfo [DigInfo.tv]

The announcement on the official PlayStation blog yesterday was accompanied by a developer demo vid, embedded below.

It's a pretty sharp inducement to grab up a PlayStation Eye, a peripheral many folks haven't given much thought to. Is it enough for you? Seriously, you big meanie, wook at EyePet and tell him you don't wuv him. Thought so. Now give him a scratchy behind the ears. Good boy.

EyePet in Stores on Nov. 17 [PlayStation.Blog]

I direct you to figure 17: "Ha Ha Ha." This is part of the metadata set going into the PS3, through a microphone and the PlayStation Eye camera. The patent application says it would identify body gestures, facial expressions and the like to deduce the emotion of the players. It's apparently got high-five recognition heuristics, too.

Laughter and boo-yah aren't the only states of emotion it'll be able to recognize. It's also attuned to sadness, anger, joy, interest and yes, boredom. That one can be detected by the number of hours your PS3 sits deactivated.

Also, note how the diagram filed goes out of its way to show the TV's a Sony Bravia.

SCEA Experimenting With "Laugh Detecting", Emotional Tracking Software [Siliconera via Joystiq]

I was charmed by my brief interaction last week with Sony's PS3 camera-enabled EyePet. The fall-scheduled game/pet-simulator displays a video feed of the real world that's in front of your TV, but with a furry pet scampering through the world.

I left my demo of EyePet impressed. But it wasn't until I read the comments to the posts we ran — and those that appeared below the videos I hosted of the game on YouTube — that I realized that gamers would see EyePet as some sort of Sonic The Hedgehog smack back at the Mario that is Peter Molyneux's (pun intended) pet project at Microsoft's Lionhead Studios: Milo & Kate.

That's when I realized we may have come upon the Mario and Sonic for this generation.

More than a decade ago, Nintendo and Sega waged a console war with Mario and Sonic as the figures around which fans rallied. Neither was an expression of what a Super Nintendo or Sega Genesis was technologically capable of. But they served as shorthand for their companies and their fans. Mario embodied a certain all-ages joyfulness and quality of game. Sonic represented attitude and a verve that his company would want you to think Nintendo didn't have.

The EyePet and Milo might prove to be better representations of what their host systems and corporate backers are capable of concocting. Better than Mario and Sonic ever were. So they're worth watching. They're worth debating. And the success of one or the other may yet prove whether it is Sony or Microsoft that has the better ability to harness horsepower, gadgetry and developer ingenuity.

"Natal is cool,pet is cool.Plus Natal and Pets these is very cool.But natal needed new xbox 360 idont like these part" — YouTube Commenter

The Xbox 360's still-unscheduled Milo & Kate was demoed behind closed doors at E3. It is a long-incubated project that was recently channeled into the pipeline of projects being developed for Microsoft's controller-free interface, Project Natal. On a big TV, it rendered a virtual boy whose lifelike look was amplified by his uncanny ability to react to facial expressions, vocal tones and even the movement of my head. (Video of Molyneux showing it in action.)

I think I'm one of the only people to play EyePet and the Xbox 360 Milo demo and it hadn't crossed my mind to compare the two until I started reading feedback to our coverage. They are both ambitious and clever projects, primed with potential greatness yet still capable of tripping toward disappointment. But they're so different.

People are drawing comparisons because EyePet and Milo are both camera-supported convergences of software and video game hardware designed to simulate a lifelike being — and to do so with the minimal involvement of a game controller. EyePet does it with an already-released camera, the PlayStation Eye. Milo does it with Microsoft's Project Natal, an elaborate mechanism that has no price, no release date but is intended to work with the current Xbox 360. They are both demonstrations of what ambitious creators can wring out of video game technology.

"it made by studio london so there. wow, better than milo and natal, see there technology is way ahead of urs. plus i might get this, still hate casual games though. sony rules the gaming division." — YouTube Commenter

I see the rush among fans to declare which is superior. Let me first explain, from my play time with both, how they differ.

I experienced the Milo demo in early June. It seemed to be a natural product of game designer Peter Molyneux's long-standing ambition to make an interactive technology seem intelligent. The man has spent his career creating simulation-based games or adding simulations to games as disparate as the adventures of a medieval hero or a Hollywood mogul. Somehow, some way, those passions converged to the intent of making a game about an unreal boy who would seem real.

Molyneux prefaced my experience with Milo, as detailed in my June write-up, as one filled with tricks. And it felt like a trick. A trick to believe in. Obviously Milo was no more alive than the lady who stands on a magician's stage is cut in two. But Milo got off his swing and walked up to me as if to notice me and convince me he was there. He talked to me. He waited on my words. He commented on the color of my shirt.

The magic of the best parts of the Milo demo was that it felt as if he reached out to me.

The magic of the EyePet last week was my feeling that I could reach out to it.

I know less about the background of the development of the EyePet, but I'm familiar with the progression of the games made with Sony's cameras, the EyeToy on PlayStation 2 and now the PlayStation Eye. These games have long exhibited a Wii-like inclusiveness in their control schemes. Back when conventional controllers were just about the only option for console gaming, EyeToy provided players simple mini-games they could control with waves of their hands. PlayStation camera games seemed like efforts to find new ways for players to touch games.

Years ago, I interviewed Sony's chief developer behind the company's PlayStation cameras, Richard Marks. It was clear from our conversation that he was interested in augmented reality, the kind of camera tricks that can make virtual items and beings appear to be in the real world when seen through the viewfinder of a video screen attached to a camera. He told me about a PSP camera application that, based on what you'd see on you PSP screen, would make it seem like there were little men standing on your coffee table. Later, PS3 gamers got Eye of Judgment, which used that system's add-on camera to put little monsters on a playing mat. EyePet felt like the next step of that, with the novelty that the creature seemed almost touchable. It lept and ran across a coffee table in reaction to my hand movements.

Milo seems like a grander idea. It's trying to simulate a human being, after all. And it is not nearly as far along as EyePet. Sony's software is attempting to render as if alive a creature that doesn't exist, a make-believe animal for which we have no real-world expectations. That's a lower bar, but still a high one.

Milo could see the color of my shirt but might seem like a slow-witted boy if, by the time he's released, he can't understand the tone of my voice.

EyePet can hop over my hand and sit for a good brushing, but I don't know if he'll ever express any care about me. As with a dog or even a cat, I think affection for him will be more of a one-way street.

"haha this is basicly what natal will do, but the eyetoy allready does it" — YouTube Commenter

So which is more impressive? It depends on what you're looking for, of course.

The YouTube debate — and comments here on Kotaku — got hung up on whether EyePet was proving that the PlayStation Eye could already do what Project Natal will do. From what I felt of both, that's not the case, simply because EyePet doesn't ask for as much from the system's camera or from the gamer.

EyePet wasn't looking for much input from my face and body. It was programmed to mostly react to the placement of a card that comes packaged with the game and serves as a base for a lot of the rendered gadgets the EyePet animal can play with. Waving this card in front of the PlayStation Eye or setting it on the table can turn it into an X-ray scanner, trampoline or other items. Simple waves of the hand can then interact with those items or the pet.

My interactions with the Xbox 360's Milo felt more complex. Milo was reacting to colors, vocal tones, head movements and more. I believe the PlayStation Eye can sense much of that, but EyePet is not the proof of that. Perhaps some other software will be.

One of these beings, the fake animal or the fake boy, could be a magical breakthrough for the company backing it. They could set a new standard. And one could trump the other. Except for misanthropes, I think we'd all be impressed if the fake boy feels real, moreso than we would the fake animal.

Still, these are two potential mascots worth watching. And, yes, these are too mascots eventually worth comparing.

I just don't think it's time to draw conclusions. Not yet.

Sony's EyePet is the latest gee-whiz software product that uses a Sony console and a camera. On the PlayStation 2, Sony used the EyeToy to offer players mini-game compilations that had players waving their arms in front of their TV in order to virtually wash windows or chop vegetables. The PS2-EyeToy combo also produced a fitness game, called EyeToy Kinetic. These games preceded Wii games such as Wii Play and Wii Fit by several years, but they failed to catch on, be it because of their design, their technology, their marketing, or whatever.

With the launch of the PlayStation 3, Sony introduced an improved camera, the PlayStation Eye. Within a year, the company launched Eye of Judgment, a simple strategy game that had players placing cards on a mat beneath a downward-facing camera. On a connected TV, virtual monsters appeared to stand on those cards.

EyePet is the successor to all this. It works as shown in the videos and described in our E3 EyePet report. Players get the game and the camera, a TV and a PS3. The camera is pointed at a flat surface. At the event in New York this week where our EyePet videos were filmed, Sony had a massive coffee table set up upon which the Eyepet would roam. A Sony rep said that any flat surface would do, as long as it allowed color-contrast with the card that is used to manipulate the pet as well as with the players' hands. I was told that lighting wouldn't be an issue, but that's something better tested in our own homes. At the Sony event, at least, there didn't seem to be any fancy lights set up to make the game work. We were in a decently-lit top-floor loft and the game was running from the sunny afternoon to the darker early evening. (Watch Kotaku's EyePet videos.)

The EyePet pet is rendered to appear to scamper across the table. You can wave your hand at the pet to make it jump or tap on the table to draw its attention and make it come running. But a card that will come with the game is your main tool for activating various parts of the software. Laying it on the table causes a virtual menu to sprout, from which various activities can be selected. From there the card could become a trampoline for the pet. We turned it into a bubble blower, tapping the head of the virtually-rendered bubble-blower to blow bubbles. The pet jumped in the biggest bubble. He began to float away. Game choices included bowling, tennis, and others, many of which, I was told, include goals that unlock some 250-plus options for customizing the pet.

There was a grooming section I didn't check out. It looked like it would involve combing and showering the pet who was getting dirty and attracting virtual flies as we played.

Captured in one of our videos published earlier this week is the drawing system for the game. This involves drawing basic sketches of cars and planes and other objects comprised of basic shapes. You hold your sketch to the camera, and the pet then grabs a crayon and re-draws your sketch virtually. As you can see in the video, a drawing with the proper constituent parts will transform into 3D objects that combine into pet toys. So the pet winds up flying on the plane or driving the car. The Sony rep showing me the game said he used to do the car wrong, drawing a side-view of an automobile that would turn into a blob of an object that the pet would zoom around on. Doing it right means drawing the side view of a car frame and then two wheels. Players can pick the textures for any of the objects. So imagine making the car from wood or stone, for example.

One of the other things we showed in the video was the ability to give your pet a check-up. You hold the card up to the pet as if it's an X-ray scanner and wand over where the pet is virtually standing. This provides clues to its mood and its needs. Maybe it's sad or hungry.

I only messed around with the Eyepet for about 15 minutes, but every time I saw the game being played during my several-hour tour of Sony's line-up, I saw a crowd watching the thing. The pet was captivating, and it seemed like it could do a lot. While it seems more of a thing you tend to than a thing you play, the impression I got was that interacting with Eyepet could be a goals-based experience. If so, it may well have appeal not just for the virtual pet, Nintendogs crowd, but for challenge-loving gamers as well.

The game is set for holiday release and will be offered both as a standalone disc or with a bundled PlayStation Eye.

And for everyone making comparisons to the Xbox 360's Milo, they don't appear to be that similar. Milo, which I've also used, involves head-tracking and a virtual boy's reading of face and voice cues. I'm told that EyePet will support some use of the PlayStation Eye's microphone, but it doesn't sound like it will be a central feature.

Not wanting to be outdone, Sony Europe's Head of Developer Services, Kish Hirani, announced yesterday during the Develop conference that the PlayStation 3 would soon also support this facial recognition technology, courtesy of the existing PlayStation Eye camera.

This PS Eye will apparently be able to "detect gender and even the age of the face, separate facial features such as the nose, eyes and ears, and even detect whether you're smiling or not." In addition to facial recognition, Hirani says the PS3 will soon also be able to support other similar advances, such as "skeleton tracking".

Whether your favourite upcoming game will support this kind of thing is up to developers.

Develop 2009: SCEE's Hirani Reveals PS Eye Facial Recognition, Motion Controller Details [Gamasutra]

Kenji Matsubara, CEO of Tecmo Koei—and former president and COO on the Koei side—tells CVG that his company has "concerns" about the move to motion controllers, as "we specialize in making action games, so we have to explore whether we can achieve real-time response from a controller-free system."

"We understand that, for casual gamers playing dance games or some sort of fishing game, this controller-free system can be popular," Matsubara says. "But for hardcore gamers who like action games, we have to research and develop games that satisfy our core gamers."

We'd think anyone who played Koei's Samurai Warriors: Katana would have a list of concerns about the company trying more waggle filled games too. But if we get Dead or Alive Xtreme Fishing, who can possibly argue that these new control methods don't have merit?

More from Matsubara, including his thoughts on the Japanese game market, the PSPgo and Tecmo Koei's focus on the Western market at the original interview.

Tecmo Koei Interview [CVG]

In part two of our Bonus Round discussion, we chat about the high-definition "Wii Plus," Project Natal (again), the possibilities for PlayStation Eye, and if the video game controller as we know it will ever go away. We also get a very up close and personal look at the naked ankles of Michael Pachter. This episode is also solid proof that going back to the gym was a good idea for yours truly.

Motion control enthusiasts, this one's for you!

Bonus Round: Episode 306 - Part 2 HD [GameTrailers]

In part one of our Bonus Round discussion, Keighley, Pachter, Satterfield and I touch on the Xbox 360's Project Natal as a menu interface device, the prospects of Facebook and Twitter on consoles, Macs versus PCs, and more.

There's even quick mention of Pachter's "retarded" wife and my use of the words "novelty factor" in close relation to the Wii. Damn you, Keighley, for putting words in my mouth! (Please note, however, that I did not laugh during initial mention of the Wii's latest peripheral, then greatly anticipate my assessment of the device's capabilities in a future episode.)

See if you disagree or vehemently disagree with our thoughts on the future of video game interfaces, then feel free to suggest that I wash my hair more often, especially prior to appearing on camera.

Bonus Round: Episode 306 - Part 1 [GameTrailers.com]

THQ's Brian Farrell tells G4's The Feed that his company already has Natal development tools. They've had them for four to six weeks, by his estimation. The same can't be said for development on Sony's PlayStation Eye powered motion control tech, which is apparently still in the third-party "discussion" stage.

Sony apparently did say to developers, via a recent dev community bulletin, that "hardware prototypes and support are in extremely limited supply," that it is "prioritizing allocation for those partners likely to be able to deliver a title that makes use of the distinctive features of this controller at its consumer launch." That launch is penciled in for Spring of 2010, a launch that may not include THQ.

On the Natal front, Farrell isn't quite yet ready to discuss what THQ has planned. He doesn't rule out motion controlled content target at core users, but says the camera tech "feels more casual to us at this point."

THQ's Experimenting With Natal, Doesn't Have Sony Kits Yet, Making A Peripheral Game [G4's The Feed]

The PlayStation 3's second motion control push is slated to launch in Spring 2010, Sony Computer Entertainment reiterated to developers today, arriving with a "range of first-party and third-party content." SCE pitched the new controller as capable of functioning "with any games across all genres from casual to core."

On the technical side, SCE says that the PlayStation Eye accessory will come equipped with force feedback rumble. Sony boasts that the "face-tracking and head-tracking capability already in the PS3 SDK" will offer developers "powerful tools for new types of user interaction."

Sony says its new controller will also work in tandem with the Eye's built-in microphone array for voice input and voice recognition. Up to four of the new motion controllers can be tracked at once by the PlayStation Eye.

Adding the wand controller to games comes at a horsepower cost, Sony notes, writing that the "motion-tracking library has some SPU overhead and has an impact on memory as well, although these will be minimized."

The developer targeted communication also indicates that Sony is "currently looking into the possibility" of combining motion control wand and stock PS3 controller functions, offering the example of "the motion controller as a sword and use DualShock 3 as a shield."

Sony did not express a price, firm launch date or plans to bundle the PlayStation Eye motion control accessory.

We covered Microsoft's new motion-control system, Natal, heavily last week. And that's without us getting a firm release date for it.

But what of Sony's camera-and-wand PS3 tech, also debuting at E3 2009, and which is dated for a spring 2010 release?

During my interview with Sony Computer Entertainment of America marketing chief Peter Dille, I pressed for more details.

The Sony approach involved a showcase of a player holding one or two wand-shaped controllers in his hand. A PlayStation camera detected some of the positional information of the controller. Holding the controller allowed the player to precisely write words on a virtual canvas and to tightly control a bow-and-arrow or a gun in shooting demos. The PS3 was also able to render the wand as a virtual object, even when showing a video feed of the person holding the wand (that wand appearing as a giant gold gun or a tennis racket, in the demos).

First, I asked Dille, did I miss a name for this thing?

"You didn't miss it," Dille said. "There is none yet. We were careful to say that Rick Marks is the engineer. We're announcing the technology, not the product or game. He also wanted people to know the form factor of the wand is a prototype. I think it is representative of what the product will include. In other words, it will have buttons. It will have the ability to have a trigger if you're having that style of game. The button in the archery demo was key to how far you're pulling [the wand] back. And the light is detecting that. So the other key is the light on the tip of the wand. So no product name, no pricing, no specifics on the product aspect."

What Dille did confirm is that the camera used in the demo was a regular PlayStation Eye camera.

Microsoft's Natal showing suggested that motion-control's future might not involve a controller. Dille, however, thinks that having a controller in your hand even for motion-control is important, especially given the new target market he thinks Sony can hit with their device:

"It's not only relevant." he said, referring to the controller being a tangible, holdable object. "From our perspective we have the technology that provides better precision. And that gives us the opportunity to do the best of both worlds. If you want to do what we're referring to as casual motion games, the PlayStation Eye and the motion controller do that quite nicely.

"The point that the demo was trying to articulate, I think, is that there's a level of precision that the wand provides, whether it was in the handwriting demo that gets down to millimeters, that is going to allow game developers to create entirely new types of games that we believe have the potential to appeal to core gamers who, up until now, maybe haven't embraced motion gaming as much as casual fans. So it's a very robust technology that gives you the opportunity to do both."

We sat in on a EyePet demo at E3 that showed off some of the game's feature set, some of which is controlled using a special card that acts as a menu. Place that card on the same platform as the pet and an options menu pops up. From here, players can select toys for the EyePet to play with, including a bubble machine and mini-trampoline. These toys will rest upon the card, but can be shuffled around the screen for the pet to interact with.

There's even an x-ray type machine, one that the player can use to see the pet's innards. In addition to seeing the EyePet's skeleton, you'll get vital info about its physical fitness level, health and need for food.

The pet can be customized to be distinct from the stock Monchichi-esque appearance, letting the player select unique fur colors, fur patterns and fur length. SCEE reps stressed that the PlayStation 3 was rendering hair strand-level details on the EyePet, which would behave in a physically realistic manner. In our demo, we wound up with with an electric blue and orange pet, with a lion's mane style haircut.

The EyePet also has an extensive wardrobe, some 250-plus outfits that include hats, shirts, flight suits and even a turtle outfit.

Finally, we saw some of EyePet's other tricks, including the import of a real world sketch into the game. Our presenter showed a pre-drawn sketch of three airplane parts, which were recreated by the in-game pet. The game character's sketch was then turned into a 3D propeller plane, which spawned an airborn balloon popping mini-game.

The depth of what we saw at our E3 demo was impressive, another fascinating implementation of Sony's PlayStation Eye technology. The only technical hiccup we saw came during the game's loading times, when our presenter switched from the EyePet's physical exam to its character customization. Other than that, no quibbles about EyePet's promise.

We look forward to going hands-on with the game in the future, but will have to settle for E3 media for now.

The PlayStation Eye support, according to the official PlayStation Japan web site, will let players film themselves while solving the game's puzzles, then upload those captured videos to YouTube or store them locally. Looks like the echochrome team is taking a page from the Wii marketing handbook, turning the lens back on the player to show just how much fun puzzle-solving can be.

echochrome fans will also have more levels to play with following the update, as users will be able to share levels via the "cloud," instead of having to wait for Sony engineers to approve and distribute fan-made creations. Perhaps that service will explain that PlayStation Cloud trademark, which certainly sounds like it could be expanded to other titles.

Finally, a new quiz mode is coming to echochrome, which challenges players to deduce which one of three puzzle designs the player is walking on. The level will be invisible, tasking players with determine which playing field matches the on-screen character's walking pattern.

echochrome [PlayStation.jp via Siliconera]

PS3 Attitude wrote that Evans said to expect a proper image import tool by the end of the year. Speaking at GameCity in jolly old Nottingham, Evans reportedly said the feature was cut due to time constraints.

Word from the official PlayStation forums, however, places some doubt on that claim, with SCEE's Senior Community Development Manager Sam "Protagonist" Bennett writing there are "currently no plans to introduce it for a variety of reasons." That's right. "No plans."

But... a newly uploaded pic of said image import tool just popped up on Flickr today, noting that it's a "work in progress." It's pretty clearly noted that LittleBigPlanet will let you "import images from your PlayStation Hard Drive to use as stickers." It even notes it thrice, for extra emphasis. File it under safe bet.

Work In Progress [Flickr - thanks, Justin!]

EyePet takes advantage of technology we've seen previously in PS3 demos, allowing users to draw and scan in objects that the in-game creature will play with. The EyePet is said to remember objects it is shown and modify its behavior for objects that it is unfamiliar with.

Announced only for PAL markets so far, EyePet is said to ship in late 2009, giving us ample time to learn more about it.

What makes a pet real? Introducing EyePet, the virtual pet that follows your every movement and command…

Leipzig Games Convention, 20th August 2008: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) introduced the availability of EyePet for PAL region. It won’t make a mess on the floor or claw at the curtains – EyePet is the ultimate pet for modern living. Forget the hamsters and guinea pigs and get the perfect first pet for kids and adults alike. Developed by SCEE, EyePet is the responsive virtual pet who reacts to your every move and brings entertainment and fun for the whole family; plus it’s pretty cute as well.

EyePet comes with an impressive array of abilities all made possible by PLAYSTATION®Eye, the next-generation camera for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™). A loveable, simian-like pet, EyePet lives in an on-screen picture of your sitting room as captured second by second on PLAYSTATION Eye. Working in ‘Augmented Reality’, EyePet is fully aware of people in the room and will interact with you and your environment. Place an object in front of the camera that EyePet hasn’t seen before and it’ll know exactly what to do with it, give it something new and it’ll examine it thoroughly. Tickle it by waving your fingers in front of the camera: it laughs, poke it: it jumps, roll it a ball: EyePet chases around the screen after it.

An incredibly lifelike little critter, EyePet gives you all the lovable benefits and interaction of a real-life pet without tearing up your sofa or making a mess on the rug. Kids and adults alike will love to customise, dress it and watch its facial expressions that range from the sweet to the cheeky to the hilarious. It’s all made possible by the power of PS3 which has enabled EyePet’s developers to achieve incredible graphics and animation in its facial reactions, lifelike fur and incredibly intelligent interaction with you, your environment and anything you choose to place in front of it.

EyePet will be available in late 2009, so prepare to bring a furry ball of mischief into your home and a new friend into your life.

GC08: “Next gen” EyeToy game to be revealed in Sony presser today [VG247]