Editing EyeToy (section)

==History==
The EyeToy was conceived by Richard Marks in 1999, after witnessing a demonstration of the PlayStation 2 at the 1999 [[Game Developers Conference]] in [[San Jose, California]].<ref name="NYT">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/13/technology/smile-gamers-you-re-in-the-picture.html|title=Smile, Gamers: You're in the Picture|last=Robischon|first=Noah|periodical=[[The New York Times]]|date=13 November 2003 |access-date=2009-06-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417105324/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/13/technology/smile-gamers-you-re-in-the-picture.html|archive-date=2018-04-17|url-status=live|publication-date=2003-11-13|pages=G1|issn=0362-4331|oclc=1645522}}</ref> Marks' idea was to enable [[natural user interface]] and [[mixed reality]] video game applications using an inexpensive webcam, using the computational power of the PlayStation 2 to implement [[computer vision]] and [[gesture recognition]] technologies. He joined Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) that year, and worked on the technology as Special Projects Manager for Research and Development.<ref name="LAT">{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jan-18-fi-eyetoy18-story.html|title=EyeToy Springs From One Man's Vision|last=Pham|first=Alex|periodical=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=2009-06-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305002811/http://articles.latimes.com/2004/jan/18/business/fi-eyetoy18|archive-date=2016-03-05|url-status=live|publication-date=2004-01-18|pages=C1|issn=0458-3035|oclc=3638237}}</ref><ref name="Stanford">{{cite video|people=Richard Marks|date=2004-01-21|title=EyeToy: A New Interface for Interactive Entertainment|url=http://lang.stanford.edu/courses/ee380/2003-2004/040121-ee380-100.wmv|format=Windows Media v7|publisher=[[Stanford University]]|access-date=2009-06-20|time=08:22|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110415163216/http://lang.stanford.edu/courses/ee380/2003-2004/040121-ee380-100.wmv|archive-date=2011-04-15}}</ref>

Marks' work drew the attention of [[Phil Harrison]], then Vice President of Third Party Relations and Research and Development at SCEA. Soon after being promoted to Senior Vice President of Product Development at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) in 2000, Harrison brought Marks to the division's headquarters in London to demonstrate the technology to a number of developers. At the demonstration, Marks was joined with Ron Festejo of [[Psygnosis]]<ref name="Stanford" /> (which would later merge to become [[London Studio]]) to begin developing a software title using the technology, which would later become ''[[EyeToy: Play]]''. Originally called the iToy (short for "interactive toy") by the London branch, the webcam was later renamed to the EyeToy by Harrison. It was first demonstrated to the public at the PlayStation Experience event in August 2002 with four [[minigame]]s.<ref name="LAT" />

Already planned for release in Europe, the EyeToy was picked by SCE's Japanese and American branches after the successful showing at the PlayStation Experience. In 2003, EyeToy was released in a bundle with ''EyeToy: Play'': in Europe on July 4, and in North America on November 4. By the end of the year, the EyeToy sold over 2 million units in Europe and 400,000 units in the United States.<ref name="LAT" /> On February 11, 2004, the EyeToy was released in Japan.