EyePet Comments by Ellie Gibson

Lower the price on the PS3, bundle it with this and Singstar. It's sort of doomed with the current price of the PS3, it deserves far better.

Kinda makes me wonder if this wouldn't have been a perfect fit for the PSP go. Well if the PSP go had come bundled with a camera. :(

Invizimals showed that the augmented reality thing worked there too.

Natal = Destroyed

"If your mission is to convince everyone that Milo is awesome, you are doing more harm than good."


Not everyone my good man, just the visionaries, the people who can see outside the box, the people who don't give up when people like you say it can't be done. Did Edison give up when people said he couldn't create the light bulb, or Marconi when he invented the radio, the answer, no they did not.

"So NATAL then? ;) Just without the tiny person frantically working away behind the scenes."


Yes Jonsaan, there was someone behind a curtain rewriting the code as questions were asked, you moron.

Negotiator: "the visionaries, the people who can see outside the box, the people who don't give up when people like you say it can't be done. Did Edison give up when people said he couldn't create the light bulb, or Marconi when he invented the radio, the answer, no they did not."

OMFG LOL...

And Jesus did say unto his flock.. The meek shall inherit, go now, follow the man with the pitcher of water, enter my Father's house, and invent a virtual pedo dream machine. And he saw that it was good...

@Negotiator

"Not everyone my good man, just the visionaries, the people who can see outside the box, the people who don't give up when people like you say it can't be done. Did Edison give up when people said he couldn't create the light bulb, or Marconi when he invented the radio, the answer, no they did not."


You have clearly lost your mind, and that is the end of it.

"Yes Jonsaan, there was someone behind a curtain rewriting the code as questions were asked, you moron."

There was code?

There is nothing in the Milo and Kate demo that couldn't be done with the Playstation Eye (or indeed the Xbox live vision camera)as far as I can see, Negotiator. The other Natal demos are where the meat of the motion tracking stuff was explored.

What is intriguing about Milo is that it's (according to Molyneux in Ellie's interview) the product of years of experimentation with trying to make a game out of playing with an artificial life form ("Project Dimitri"), as a follow up to the largely failed experiment in Black and White. And as Kangarootoo so often points out, it's impossible to tell how well that's going to succeed.

The ambitions of this are far less lofty. It's Nintendogs / Aibo / Pleo / Ubisoft's Catz with augmented reality, aimed at kids, and as a result it's far less likely to fail as a technical exercise. Whether it succeeds commercially, though, is another story.

Depends on the demographic of PS3 owners/users.
If there is no market for it, no-one will buy.

There was a range of plastic faced fluffy bodied toys in the 80's called chickaboo (from Palitoy) which looked a lot like this. I want it, I'll be more at ease with this rather than a grooming simulator

I think it looks very much like a Monchichi.

@ Negotiator: so, the point is that Milo = advanced AI. Spielberg's style.
OK,
but actually Sims 3 is more than advanced AI than.

Oh, I completely do forget about http://www.virtualfem.com/

By the way, who exactly said that Edison couldn't create light bulb? these folks, maybe?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incandescen...
and, of course, the Italian fascist DID invent the radio, yeah. I forgot to say that I introduced God to the concept of the Universe and the Sony Playstation wand. Microsoft, by the way, invented computer and the mouse (not the peripheral but the actual animal).

I dare say that you play only on the Phantom game system (yes, it IS superior to all our system, we poor sad sods) then, if you're so eager to believe in this whole Marketing thing, eh?

"I've seen the future, brother, it is murder"

"You just got NEGOTIATED!!!"

lol. I don't think you actually know what "negotiating" means, Mr Negotiator. I'd rename yourself to "Mr Shouty".

IF Sony get their act together and market this well then it could be a huge hit, if this is released at around the same time as a price cut for the PS3 and they bundle it with the console it should do good business. Trailers for this should be put on kids TV and before some of the family movies coming out, well if Sony had any sense it would be!! My missus saw the trailer and keeps pestering me to get it and she's never been bothered by the Wii or things like Nintendogs.

The thing is... people known to play virtual pet games (or 'games') are not likely to be the people who spend tons of money on hardware or software. Yes, Nintendogs was a smash hit but it didn't try to sneak in a microtransaction routine with the game (Pay for costumes for a virtual pet? Really? ) and it was made for a cheap handheld device. Most people who I know to play VP games do it online, playing free flash stuff so making a game where you get a virtual pet with a high poly count and individually modelled hairs in the coat looks like missing the point by a country mile.

i only came in to look for Negotiators lazy shilling. oh, there he is! how about that.

(have a look at previous comments for a laugh)

The literal thinking around here is staggering sometimes.

Milo was a very specific slice of an RnD project, wheeled out as an example of what was being developed to go with Natal. It was not an all-encompasing Natal showcase, and it certainly was not at any point hinted as being anywhere near a retail product. It was a taster of one of PM's pet projects (no pun intended), and nothing more.

Natal is not Milo, Milo is not Natal. Milo is an RnD project, not a game. EyePet is a retail game and comparing it to a control system or an RnD project is quite absurd.

Did Edison give up when people said he couldn't create the light bulb

No, because he didn't invent the light bulb. You're not very good at this, are you?

Anyway, to return to topic, I think it looks interesting, and the real/pet interaction is going to be fun. I can't see it being something I'd get, but I know a lot of people who would.

I think this look good, but truthfully I think Invizimals (from what's been shown so far) seems even better.

Sure, Sony are riding Nintendo's coat-tails -the comparisons between Nintendogs and Pokemon are unavoidable- but technologically they are a cut above what's gone before.

I must admit I'm slightly perplexed as to why Sony hasn't been hyping these titles more. I can only assume they are planning a heavy push into the casual space towards the end of the year, maybe coinciding with a price drop?

On the other hand it may simply be a case of them thinking that E3 just isn't an appropriate venue to bang the drum for non hardcore products. We have plenty of trade shows yet to come this year too.

"Did Edison give up when people said he couldn't create the light bulb

No, because he didn't invent the light bulb. You're not very good at this, are you?"

Haha. That slipped me by.

This is probably the most different/interesting thing Sony has coming this year so yeah it's odd.

"Did Edison give up when people said he couldn't create the light bulb ?.."


Well..

"The Real Inventor of the Light Bulb
When the question is asked, who invented the light bulb, Joseph Swan and Thomas Edison are usually given credit. However, both of these men worked off of previous inventions. Historians estimate that over twenty inventors worked toward the creation and design of the light bulb. Of these, Edison's version was the most efficient".

See the parallels with Natal ?

This looks much more believable and entertaining than the Milo groom-'em-up.

I think the risks you describe could easily be avoided by the presence of that old staple "good parenting". It would really take very little parental involvement to make sure a kid playing this still had a proper and balanced view of the world and how to treat real animals. And even in the absence of that, it would probably only be kids with other independant mental health problems that would end up with a distorted view as a result of playing this game.

Unless you want to level that claim of mental health problems at the majority of the Japanese public, I think you may be in error there. There are already enough adults, in Japan and in the west, who are divorced from any understanding of animals that "appropriately close and attentive parenting" and "actually good parenting" are in this instance far from the same thing. Inculcating your own fucked-up values regarding treatment of animals in your offspring is of course not "good parenting".

Not to mention the fact that many people are totally unaware of what constitutes good parenting - especially, I would think, people who might be interested in getting something they can plonk their child in front of while they go and do something less responsible, a role which on current information I can see this particular game fulfilling nicely. All it will take a few misguided souls seeing this and reviewing it by saying "this is good because it entertains kids" but not "this is not good because it grossly distorts human-animal relationship dynamics" and they'll be reinforced in their belief that this is an acceptable way of behaving.

But things have been that way for a very long time, far longer than any form of artificial animal has existed. This feels like another incarnation of the "gangsta rap creates ganstas" theory.

Obviously I'm not saying that tamagotchi/Nintendogs created the Japanese outlook on pets. Granted I'm making the assumption that this is being developed by a Japanese firm, but irrespective of that, the game mirrors the attitude, independent of where the attitude comes from or how long it's been around. What I am saying is that something that inculcates and reinforces that way of thinking into a society that is already becoming somewhat like that anyway is not a good thing, and using Japanese attitudes to pets as an illustration of where this outlook leads.

Anyone over the age of 10 who would rather 'play' with Milo then an animal is a pedo.

This tech looks familiar...

http://gizmodo.com/5075130/virtual-webca...

Natal will show you the way, its funny how most of you are quick to shoot down genuine innovation, in a market that is crying out for it. Gaming has stagnated in the form it is today, the Wiimote and the Sony wand are almost the same, Natal is the next step in motion control and with Milo Peter has shown how that tech combined with his own will create a groundbreaking experience. What you saw at E3 was a work in progress, but what was shown is years ahead of any finished product today. As I said before I own both the 360 and the PS3, I could care less who sells more consoles, but I enjoy interactive entertainment and Natal at the moment is looking by far the more impressive. Sony fanboys, remember Sony copy everything that is successful, Wiimote, Sony wand, Halo, Killzone, Nintendogs, this shit etc.... They show no innovation, instead copy until it makes them money, Microsoft while also in it for the money are attempting to create revolutionary gaming experience's with Natal, good day gentlemen.

Yawn, give it up Negotiator, your sounding like a crazed Fanboy.

"No, because he didn't invent the light bulb. You're not very good at this, are you?"

"Haha. That slipped me by."

Well done boy, you just made yourself look like an even bigger moron than you already are, Edison did create the Light Bulb, nob head.

@Negotiator

"Marconi when he invented the radio, the answer, no they did not. "

Nikola Tesla invented the radio!

And Edison was a scrub when compared to Tesla who's AC polyphase system was far more superior than Edison's DC. Tesla was the true innovator who saw outside the box and was rewarded with obscurity.

Yo Negotiator, chill out. EYE PET or NADAL are not even out yet and you keep banging about NADAL. For your information i would rather buy EP than that paedo trainer M I L O. Have a crappy day, loser

Nikola Tesla invented the radio!

And Edison was a scrub when compared to Tesla who's AC polyphase system was far more superior than Edison's DC. Tesla was the true innovator who saw outside the box and was rewarded with obscurity.

Who won the Nobel prize, thats right Marconi, nob head.

Negotuator, I think I'd be better that you shut the hell up.

Dumbass 360 fanboy.

@YourMessageHere

I concede that a flaw in my approach is to assume that parents are less fucked up than their kids and might actually be good role models for their kids :) Maybe its a generational thing, or maybe just a personal experience thing.

I do think you are overplaying the effect of this type of game though. It is perhaps like suggesting that games such as Burnout encourage a perception that leads to bad driving practices on real roads. I am sure similarities can be observed, but the conclusions we might draw would be unsafe without proper evidence. There is an underlying assumption here that this type of game reinforces the behaviour you are describing, and I would suggest that reinforcement is not proved.

@Negotiator

"Who won the Nobel prize, thats right Marconi, nob head."

Well isn't that what SEVQA was saying when he/she wrote "Tesla was the true innovator who saw outside the box and was rewarded with obscurity"?

And what point is it that you are actually making now? I've lost track.

Like I said in another thread (inspired by a comment from someone from Team ICO) it's a smart design choice to create a non-existing animal. That's why Eye Pet will likely be more 'convincing' than Milo.

"It is perhaps like suggesting that games such as Burnout encourage a perception that leads to bad driving practices on real roads"

Slightly off-topic and nothing to be proud of, but once or twice I've had to drive somewhere after playing a racing game and have screamed away clipping apexes, catching air and pulling handbrake turns*.

Sometimes it's good to be bad. ;)

/collar
/shades
/marlboro



* Only in places with very good visibility and no pedestrians.

It's a bit ugly and creepy looking isn't it?

negotiator is freaking me out.
Is he really that in love with Milo a little virtual boy?
I'm tempted to call the police.

Awesome, Sony got their 3D hologram tech working. :)

I'm personally not to sure about the whole "showing the user on the TV" thing. For one thing the bloke doing the tech demo at E3 had a lot of problems with accuracy/synchronisation of actions. For another thing seeing myself in the game just doesn't appeal to me, I don't watch myself as I play games; these rugged good looks would be too much of a distraction for anyone. ;)

That said I'm sure my nieces and nephews would eat this kind of stuff up.

See? No chance of a composite AI killbot here. Just a monkatmouse and a glowing diildo. You line up behind Michael Jackson for the first copy of Milo all you want Negotiator, but don't come whining to me when it's assimilated your family and plugged them into gooey pink cocoon pods as a new environmentally friendly AAA batteries and you're all dressed in rags looking at Laurence Fishburn's hairless chest waiting for the squiddies to bust into Zion and screw up your hippy rave parties.

I think it's rather sad that people equate interest in the Milo project with paedophilia, it implies that they themselves are only interested in people/things because they wish to have sex with them.

Negotiator

Singstar - Lips

Buzz - Scene it

Eyepet - Milo the pedo breeder programme

Miis - Avatars

So MS are just as bad as not being orgianal then anyone.

Sony are always investing in new games

Flower
Fat Princess
Eye of Judgment
The Last Guardian
Pixel Junk games

@sneetch

"I think it's rather sad that people equate interest in the Milo project with paedophilia, it implies that they themselves are only interested in people/things because they wish to have sex with them."

Oversimplification. Its the same crushing of logic that drives people to say "the only people calling this racist are racist themselves". It also assumes that people are genuinely equating Milo with paedophilia, and you know full well they are not (I suggest you are pretending not to "get the joke" because it serves the point you want to make).

I see it like this.

Of ALL the things that a games developer could create for players to interact with in a lifelike way, a 10 year old child is the last thing many would put at the top of their list or could have even guessed at. If nothing else, their choice of "pet" is mildly comical, and the pedo jokes I'm afraid to say result from the comedy that their choice invited.

Greybeard ah I see what it takes to convince you now... has to have Sony's or Nintendo's name on the box. ;) Has to be said you do have double standards by the looks of it, comparing your last post I saw in a 360 thread to this here is quite annoying actually its night and day and theres too many people like that who feign objectivity yet comparing posts for different platforms, you see double standards(stealth haters).

I mean sure its true that Milo was basically a tech demo, but the "theres a man behind the curtain doing everything" comments are made by morons who havent the foggiest idea about what they are trying to say(thats even more stupid than beleiving theres self aware AI at work is the irony). Id also agree that it's the technology in the software more than it is with the hardware of Natal(perhaps it would be more difficult since I doubt playstation eyes microphone is up to the spec required for some of it and the more obvious differences between the cameras components... one being clearly more advanced/capable) but some of you here are displaying yet again that the PS3 fanboy base are the biggest hypocrites of them all.

To see you do 180s here and put a positive spin on it(oooh look sony being innovative... fucking unbeleivable some of you people!) and even ridicule Negotiator for having enthusiasm for Natal/Milo... it just goes to show this is never going to change, no matter what happens you will still put a negative cynical spin on all that is Xbox and pour lashings of enthusiam/cheese/optimism over every half baked idea that Sony comes up with or "borrows" and tries to claim as its own(like the eye toy, rumble and countless other so called examples of Sony being innovative).

Also M-Writer I think you can forget trying to claim Milo copied off Eyepet... you dunce, Sony just arent anywhere near as innovative as some of you like to beleive(ie any more than MS is... Id say MS has done more on recent form easily). Oh and by "new games" I take it you mean innovative games? Theres about 2-3 games in that list that are even slightly innovative and I do mean slightly in the true sense of the word.

@ kangarootoo

very well put

I think this sounds promising and I can see my missus being interested in it, although it's not the sort of thing I would probably buy for myself.

I kind of feel Sony need to hurry up and get this released though, as it's been over two years since it was revealed.

Also, lol @ Negotiator; bless his incessant attempts to belittle Sony and big-up MS. I hope he comes back to this topic, as his rants are probably the most entertaining of any 360 fanboy on here.

I do think you are overplaying the effect of this type of game though. It is perhaps like suggesting that games such as Burnout encourage a perception that leads to bad driving practices on real roads. I am sure similarities can be observed, but the conclusions we might draw would be unsafe without proper evidence. There is an underlying assumption here that this type of game reinforces the behaviour you are describing, and I would suggest that reinforcement is not proved.

I think there are a number of differences here between this and the likes of Burnout. Firstly, while the Burnout universe is a series of real-looking but obviously not genuine roads, the EyePet is visibly right there in your own house - the line between fantasy and reality is very much finer. Secondly, the fact is that this is designed for young children, who are by their very nature impressionable and prone to take fantastical things seriously, rather than adults, who know on-screen fantasy from offscreen reality perfectly well (in 99.9% of cases, exceptions exist etc.), plus the circumstances of Burnout and the experience of real driving should, assuming no lawbreaking is occuring, seem (roughly) equally fantastical to children. Finally, the consequences of acting out the onscreen action in reality are obvious, considerable and very serious in the case of Burnout, whereas, as I pointed out, many people are perhaps understandably not even thinking about their own pets when they let their their kid play with an EyePet, plus in this case, should a child abuse their pet, the only real victims cannot effectively complain.

Oh and as an aside to the serious debate: god but that thing's horrible. My skin crawls every time I see it.

"It all sounds very clever, but I think this could have fairly bad ramifications for real pet ownership, to be honest."

You bring up some interesting points but to be honest I doubt that a game/entertainment software like this will have such power. How people treat animals depends primarily on how they are seen in the culture that one lives in and next on certain innate qualities (or the lack thereof). Of course culture is not static and will change over time but I suspect the impact of something like EyePet will be negligible compared to photo's of Paris Hilton with a dog in her bag...

You all got trolled really hard. I thought it was pretty funny, actually, so well done Negotiator.