Xbox Live Vision sneaks onto store shelf

It's a whole month early -- Microsoft's Xbox Live Vision camera is still due for actual release on 9/19 -- but during a recent Toys 'R' Us run lucky tipster Leo managed to walk away with his very own Live Vision camera, courtesy of an evident stocking snafu. The shiny package includes a headset, the camera, codes for 1 month of Live Gold and a registration key for fan-fave Uno. Of course, we don't suppose he'll be able to get much use out of it until Microsoft launches the device officially, but it makes for a good Flickr set, and some decent bragging rights.

[Andrew @ Aug 19th 2006 7:45PM]

No offense to anyone who works at a Toys 'R Us or Walmart, but those two stores are usually the ones (besides the common grocery store) to screw up ANYTHING related to tech gadgets or software and release dates... it's like they just don't care.

[GamerGuyX @ Aug 19th 2006 7:53PM]

Them not caring is a good thing for consumers.

[MikeUF @ Aug 19th 2006 8:07PM]

I got one at Toys 'R Us as well and I'm already using mine. The UNO code worked and I've already started playing. Other people have no problem seeing my picture. Looks like the whole system is active.

[Tim UF @ Aug 19th 2006 8:08PM]

I could be wrong... but at 6 bucks an hour, most non-fanboys dont care. they see a thing in the stock room, and they stock it. what is microsoft doing mailing these things out a MONTH before the true release? they should be able to get someone to get the items to the store the day before the release.

[SirPasta117 @ Aug 19th 2006 8:17PM]

How much is it?

[MikeUF @ Aug 19th 2006 8:22PM]

$39.99

[SirPasta117 @ Aug 19th 2006 8:26PM]

kool im gonna see if its at mt toys r us :P

[Raz 4 life @ Aug 19th 2006 8:36PM]

But, what if you already have a headset... and Uno... and gold? Must we turn to eBay?!

[GamerGuyX @ Aug 19th 2006 8:46PM]

Raz 4 life: There is also another package that basically just offers the camera.

[Uno @ Aug 19th 2006 8:53PM]

Stupid. Stupid. and... Stupid.

[Shadyman @ Aug 19th 2006 8:56PM]

@Tim UF:

These kind of things are shipped to the warehouses at least 3 months before release, then shipped to stores about a month before. Unless there are instructions to keep them in the back, and if there's a spot on the floorplan (plan-o-gram) for them, they will go out.

You can also try some social engineering, ask a random $6/hour non-fanboy to check the stock on XYZ item. If there are none put out, and it says there are 100 in stock, ask him to grab one for you.

I've had prerelease games sold to me days early this way.

[Leonard Nimrod @ Aug 19th 2006 9:04PM]

Does anyone have the tech specs?

[Mark D @ Aug 19th 2006 9:07PM]

I wouldn't be surprised if these stores *accidently* put them out on purpose. Draws way more people to your store specifically.

[Panther_V @ Aug 19th 2006 9:18PM]

I wasn't interested untill i watched this video blog of the cam ;)

http://www.gamespot.com/pages/profile/s...c_id=m-100-24661718&user=Jeff#last_msg
Looks much better than PS2's Eye Toy Camera.

[David @ Aug 19th 2006 9:26PM]

Should have sold it on ebay :P

[Raz 4 life @ Aug 19th 2006 9:46PM]

GamerGuyX: Oh, now I know! I'll just go back to the cave I've been living in...

[FregginPsycho @ Aug 19th 2006 9:47PM]

crappy, that gamespot blog is alread gone ;(

good thing I got a friend that works at Toy R Us ;)
wonder if it would sell on ebay? ;) ;)

[Ricky @ Aug 19th 2006 10:16PM]

There are 4 at my toys r us, there under the xbox 360 games, and theres even a little poster on the glass advertising them. When I bought it the guy said to me "make sure you have an xbox live acount" which is obvious, the people working there are stupid, at least when it comes to tech, anyway the camera is cool and I now have a picture of my junk and set to my public picture.

[Silver R. Wolfe @ Aug 19th 2006 10:39PM]

@Panther_V

I'd sure hope it's better seeing as how it is actually new and the EyeToy is... well... old. >.>

The EyeToy did have a built-in microphone though, so that's one 1up for it.

[Ben @ Aug 19th 2006 11:04PM]

@ Silver.

True, but then again it could never face map onto an FPS, nor could you use it for streaming webcam or gamerpic options. It owns the Eyetoy.

[Leo @ Aug 19th 2006 11:11PM]

Some more details on it:

You can conduct a video chat with friends - with or without them having a camera. The Vision software won't let you have a video chat while in a game - it just takes over the Dashboard app. Everyone I've tested with were quite impressed with the video quality - even while I was connect via WiFI. When using it with Uno, most folks thought it was a new gamertag until I started to move, then they were shocked and wondered how I got the camera early. Next week Texas Hold'em will be out and it supports the camera.

[redban @ Aug 19th 2006 11:22PM]

no go in socal.. they even checked the shippment they got in today in burbank

[jeffrey @ Aug 19th 2006 11:44PM]

im gonna hit up my local TRUS and see if they have em.
let you know by tomorrow

[Silver R. Wolfe @ Aug 20th 2006 1:24AM]

@Ben

I know, I was just saying one thing that it doesn't have the the EyeToy did. In all reality, you could use the EyeToy as a fully functional webcam though. My boyfriend has it for his and it works really really well.

I wasn't trying to wail on the Live Vision at all, like I said, it should be doing things better than that old EyeToy. :D

[rufus @ Aug 20th 2006 2:14AM]

http://www.gamespot.com/pages/profile/index.php?user=Jeff
link to gamespot cam blog. if it breaks again i put the link in the URL field too.

[Embassy @ Aug 20th 2006 2:50AM]

heres the gamespot video blog of the camera...

seems pretty neat...cant wait to introduce the world to my junk
http://www.gamespot.com/pages/profile/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=m-100-24661718&user=Jeff

[josh @ Aug 20th 2006 3:09AM]

omg micro$oft totally coppied sony's eyetoy. what rip hax0ring l0sers.

[Matt @ Aug 20th 2006 5:11AM]

Interestingly, no one has put one up for sale on eBay. I wonder if MSFT would take legal action if we tried to resell online. At any rate, I'm headed to a TRU in NJ to buy my nephew a b-day gift, so I'll see if they are available later, and post back my info. If they are available, I might buy one for me and one for eBay.

[RacetrackOwner @ Aug 20th 2006 7:04AM]

"Of course, we don't suppose he'll be able to get much use out of it until Microsoft launches the device officially"

Uh, that's only true if he doesn't plug it in. It works in Live now.

[_man1c_ @ Aug 20th 2006 7:56AM]

http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20060818/cifaldi_01.shtml great article and read for anyone whos interested in this camera. im def. gonna get it next month.

[keith waddington @ Aug 20th 2006 8:21AM]

hello

i am a 8 year old boy and i fink de xbox is a fun toy an i fink de cam for it is a good toy as well an it will be fun wen i put de head set on an chat like im de pilot of a spaceship an chat wiv my freinds. oh yeah, but im not sure y all u big people are liking it cos its a toy an big people dont play wiv toys.

my dad is stupid an likes macs an sed big people should look at dis cos its not a toy

http://www.apple.com/macosx/theater/ichat.html

but i fink hes just stupid an toys r fun.

c ya im of to shoot on de x box

http://www.waddo.net/

[Marcus Watstein @ Aug 20th 2006 9:54AM]

I hate to say it but it is a fake. If you look at his close up of the Toy's R US Recipt http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigman606/218561868/
It shows that he paid $34466856590 for the camera and at the top of the Recipt on the smaller picture he bought it in California the problem I have is that California sales tax is at minimum 7.25 and this says 6.00 so it is another problem, which translates to Fake recipt and probably photoshop the package.

[JCro @ Aug 20th 2006 10:18AM]

Marcus,the receipt shown is a gift receipt which purposely masks the price paid for the item.

[MikeUF @ Aug 20th 2006 10:20AM]

I wanted to answer 2 things real quick. To Marcus the reason the price is like that is that it is a gift reciept and that the price is in code. (Notice gft receipt at the top) And as to why no one is putting them on Ebay. I was debating it but figured I would make all of 10 dollars on it and it just wasn't worth it. Are people really gonna pay 80 dollars for an Xbox Camera?

[Anthony @ Aug 20th 2006 11:15AM]

I really hate to even mention this, but I have got a feeling that Dateline is going to be doing a "How to Catch a Predator" special within a year or so of this technology actually being released. Is there a better place for pedophiles to look for kids than on Xbox live? I personally will never own one of these or let my kids use one just because of all the lonely people out there that are going to use this as a medium for exploiting underage users. I don't want to sound like I am blaming the technology, because it does make life easier - unfortunately, it simultaneously make life for losers easier too.

[Smoke_Dawg_187 @ Aug 20th 2006 12:28PM]

Anthony = Chicken Little

Get a grip dood. I hope your kid is not dumb enough to get solicated online by some stranger. Plus anyone attempting to do something like that will be easily tracked down. At worst you may hear of an attempt, but I highly doubt you'll hear anyone falling victim.

[n2 @ Aug 20th 2006 12:43PM]

The gesture technology shown with the camera at E3 was pretty cool.

[Dice13 @ Aug 20th 2006 12:49PM]

I got mine at the Toys R Us in Miami at International Mall. But I bought the last two.... :)

[tiuk @ Aug 20th 2006 1:00PM]

Does it work on a PC?

[klew @ Aug 20th 2006 3:39PM]

So MS copied off Sony's Eyetoy, which copied off Nintendo's Game Boy Camera?

[Voyde @ Aug 20th 2006 3:41PM]

Why does my local stores never have them!?!?!

I've checked wal-mart , target , Meijer , And Toys r' us!

[CUBS RULE BEARS RULE @ Aug 20th 2006 3:45PM]

does anyone know if there is any in the chicago area around gurnee(six flags great america area). also where the fuse get malled tour was was just at the gurnee mills mall

[CUBS RULE BEARS RULE BULLS RULE @ Aug 20th 2006 3:48PM]

does anyone know if there is any in the chicago area around gurnee(six flags great america area). also where the fuse get malled tour was was just at the gurnee mills mall

[Your Mother @ Aug 20th 2006 4:20PM]

Its an Eye-toy, but pretty. Maybe the M$ guys can actually make this one somewhat... Good. Watch them get sued by Sony for making a camera for their console.

[Pedro @ Aug 20th 2006 4:43PM]

Is this the new iPhone?, Rio Player?
Click here
http://www.devicetodevice.com

[elementalwinds @ Aug 20th 2006 7:50PM]

got mine. gamertag:elementalwinds check me out on xbox live if you want to see it in action.

[Bryan T @ Aug 20th 2006 8:11PM]

(sorry if this was asked, my i skipped the last 15-some posts).

My question is, people, Why can't Microsoft sell them now? Excluding some kind of advertising blitz, if the system is up and running (which has been since the last update), and they have obviously been shipped, why can't they just start selling them now?

Thanks,
Bryan
(p.s. gonna go to Toys R' Us first thing in the morning. It has been a LONG time since I have looked forward to going to TRU)

[Dubya @ Aug 20th 2006 8:11PM]

No dukes finding one on the penisula in the SF bay area.

Dubya

[Rivithed @ Aug 20th 2006 10:06PM]

If you can't find one, we managed to snag an extra we're giving away here: http://www.gamingbits.com/content/view/997/2/

[stich @ Aug 21st 2006 7:49AM]

my uncle works at MS in Ireland and he got me one but said i cant use it yet coz he will get into trouble coz of the serial number on it!!???!!so i think if any pedophiles get kiddy-fiddling on xbox live they will send the police to the address givinwhen you first setup status on it!!! WHATDO WE WANT????? NO M.J'S WHEN DO WE WANT IT NOW!!!!!!