Recently, at this year’s E3 conference, Sony plugged what they call the Sony Playstation Eye. Sensing deja vu? You are recalling Sony’s EyeToy, a feature used on the Playstation 2 that utilized the recognition of the real time actions of the gamer. The Eye builds upon this notion in some very fascinating functions, but they are not ultimately new ones. That being said, it is very hard to fathom just to what extent this product will actually change the gaming community, if it will.

If you didn’t see the Electronic Entertainment Expo, one of the primary uses of Sony Playstation Eye is the motion sensing. How this sensing is accomplished is through the following of the sensitive orb at the end of the control distributed for the Eye. Sony’s representatives proceeded to offer a live performance of the Playstation Eye’s possibilities, using the remote to correspond with a 3D interface inside the TV screen and demonstrating exactly how the equipmentcould be integrated in genres like first-person shooters, real-time strategy, and even action. Every movement a gamer creates with the remote is mirrored onscreen with one to one precision.

But see, does not that ring any bells? During the previous Electronic Entertainment Expo, Nintendo did the very same presentation with their Wii Motion Plus peripheral. It also captures and replicates actions at one to one accuracy. The one significant difference amid the two peripherals is that the Sony Playstation Eye demands an augmented version of their EyeToy camera to follow the remotes, whereas Nintendo’s Wii Motion Plus attaches to to an out-of-the-way sensor bar wirelessly. It seems Sony’s latest approach could be less cutting edge compared to Nintendo’s technology of a year ago.

Whilst trailing in the shadow of existing ideas, the Eye remains an extraordinary offering of hardware that is certain to appeal to many owners of the PlayStation 3. Though it can’t greatly change the world of gaming totally, the Sony Playstation Eye does provide a step forward for Sony’s future, and should perhaps help them recover in regard to innovation.