EyeToy: Kinetic

EyeToy is Sony’s wonderful camera that takes our motions and displays them in the game.  Thus far we’ve seen this technology used for mini-games, but the PS3 will take it to a whole new level. 

Of course, Sony isn’t waiting for the next generation to start moving forward.  Their newest title, EyeToy Kinetic is intended to get the user into better shape.  I say “user” and not “player” because the developers are choosing not to classify this as a game.  The reason is simple really: although you interact with the on-screen obstacles, the whole point of Kinetic is to keep the player moving, punching and/or kicking.  The faster you move, the more you do, the better you’ll look and feel. 

That’s the goal for the developers as well as their partner, Nike.  Nike worked closely with the development team to ensure that the workout was safe and not over exhausting.  Multiple difficulties are available, and if you’re not good at judging that, or if you’re too good for one difficulty but not ready for the next, the game (er…whatever you want to call it) will adjust automatically.  If you sign up for a 12-week program and perform poorly, Kinetic will tell you to slow down and will not let you play the 12-week program until it wants you to. 

Whichever day is chosen for the program – that’s it, that’s your day.  You must work out on that day or else you’re not keeping up. 

That doesn’t mean you’re forced to take the game out of your PS2 and not play it.  All this means is that, if you want to train extra, you must play the single workout mode.  In that mode you’re able to more or less create your own workout and set your own pace.  That’s essentially what the 12-week program does, except the single workout mode is not as restrictive. 

Whether or not this will turn out to be a good way to lose pounds is unknown.  It’s a promising piece of software that will be fun to play regardless of its effectiveness.  Hopefully both pieces will come together by the time it’s released.

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